Technology can make or break a business. Get it right, and it can help you with exponential growth. Get it wrong, and you can miss out on opportunities and lose out to competitors. When dealing with such an important element of your business, it is vital that you choose an IT provider who can keep up with your technological needs.
When it comes to managing your IT operations, you have three choices: handle it in-house, outsource to a third-party IT specialist, or use a combination of the two.
Of course, every business will have its own way of managing IT, depending on their budget and needs, but there is little doubt that outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular. More than a third of small businesses hand over at least one of their business operations to a third party, with technology being the most common, and over half of businesses say they are planning to begin outsourcing.
If you are on the fence about outsourcing your IT, here are just a few of the reasons why it can benefit your business, particularly when it comes to remote working.
More Cost-Effective
One of the main reasons that businesses outsource their IT is because it is much more cost-effective. The alternative is often to bring in someone to work in-house, which involves paying a salary and all of the other associated expenses.
Outsourcing the task means you don’t have to pay for things like equipment, building space, benefits, and the additional costs associated with a salaried member of staff. The money that you will save can be put to better use elsewhere.
Access to More Resources and Expertise
Outsourced IT is even more useful for companies that are beginning to work on a mostly remote basis, as you get access to a team of professionals wherever you are in the world. Even if you’re on the other side of the country, you can have access to an IT company in Orange County, California, or a Managed Service Provider in Missouri. That means you can have access to the most qualified experts independent of location.
One of the things that stops some small business owners from outsourcing their IT is that they wrongly believe that it will involve longer response times and slower maintenance. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. When outsourcing, you are handing over the task to a team of experts rather than one person, as well as receiving access to round-the-clock monitoring of your systems and network and a staffed helpdesk.
Greater Security
One of the most catastrophic things that can happen to a business is falling prey to a cyber attack. The expensive fallout from such a breach can be the breaking point for a small business.
When working remotely, your systems may be more vulnerable to hacking and breaches through unsecured Wi-Fi connections or more susceptible devices. A Managed Service Provider will keep on top of the latest cyber threats to your business, monitor them, and, if the worst should happen, will be able to take action immediately to minimize the disruption and damage to your business.
Each business will have to evaluate their situation and needs when deciding whether to outsource, but there’s no denying benefits that companies are reaping from outsourced departments in the age of remote work!