it support company: Outsourcing your IT. Busting Myth’s

My business is small; why do I need an it support company?

The reason why you need an it support company is the pressures that face small businesses vary and can become insurmountable…marketing, price points, cash flow and the list goes on. In many cases it is the owners/partners that bear this burden, WHY I ask would you still add to that a function that is so critical to the productivity and growth of your business?

Yes, perhaps some businesses with say about less than 3 staff members can get away with a reactive solution which usually ranges from calling a friend to paying “locksmith” type rates for a call out where the guy takes two minutes and a couple of clicks and leaves you feeling like a complete fool for having to call him back in another two days when your problem has re-occurred!

These are some of the risks you face when you try and manage your IT reactively:

• Reduction in equipment life span: like your car, if your IT equipment is not well maintained and monitored you will not realise a return on that investment.
• Extended downtime: Again, if you are a “one-man band” perhaps you may be able to get away with a couple of hours/days of downtime, however, once you start paying salaries inconsistent performance of your IT Equipment will not only cause frustration and decrease moral the most painful implication will be a material economic loss to your business.
• Security Threats: Some headlines…

“About 43% of attacks last year alone targeted small businesses, a steep increase from just 18% back in 2011, according to security software firm Symantec.”

“Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report suggested that 71% of attacks target companies with 100 or fewer employees.”

This is not a scare tactic…really, it’s just common sense…hackers are after information, so it makes sense to target businesses with less or no security protecting their information. IT Security, however, goes much further than this, you need to guard against viruses and malware which can slow your devices or cause a complete crash, employee system abuse, disgruntled/ex-employees who still have system rights, reputational risk etc.

So, what then? 

How do you choose the right IT Support Company for your business?

1. Look for an IT Support Company those values relationships as much as they do profit. What does that mean? Well…Some service providers will send you a different technician every time you have a problem this will of course not foster a strong relationship and will cause inconsistency in the management and maintenance of your systems.
2. Look for a transparent pricing structure that is scalable and allows you to anticipate your future costs in line with your business growth strategy i.e., cost per workstation, server, mobile device etc. 
3. “Buy what appreciates, rent what depreciates” – John Paul Getty…source a supplier that can offer a rental solution, this allows you immediate access to great technology while conserving valuable working capital and improving the liquidity of your company. Continuously changing technology within the IT industry renders equipment obsolete very quickly; rental removes the risk of a long-term commitment to outdated technologies.

It would cost me less to employ a guy!

Hiring employees requires more work from you as the employer than simply placing a job ad, hiring the right person and training them in their role.

When you outsource your IT, you eliminate the costs associated with hiring an employee, such as management oversight, training, health insurance, employment taxes, retirement plans etc.

Your return on investment is so much greater when you outsource information technology to a company that specializes in the areas you need. Instead of just one person’s knowledge, you benefit from the collective experience of a team of IT professionals.

I will lose all control of possibly the most critical area of my business!

Lastly, but certainly not least, offloading your IT Support responsibilities lets you focus more on your business. When you’re handling all your IT support internally, your focus is often divided into a bunch of different technical priorities to keep your site, product and/or application up and running. Outsourcing IT lets you focus on what matters: growing and supporting your business – not troubleshooting software, hardware and user issues.

Contact Rosetech Managed IT Services for a no-obligation meeting