Some of the business owners and executives we meet with assume they don’t need the help of an outsourced IT firm because they already have a team of technology-oriented employees they keep on payroll. What they often don’t realize, however, is that the average small or medium-sized business might have missing areas of coverage in their IT plans.
In the same way that you (hopefully) meet with an insurance agent or safety inspector from time to time to look for vulnerabilities, it’s a good idea to get together with an IT partner and see whether you could use some extra help. To give you a sense of what you might be looking for, let’s look at a few areas where you might be able to use some outside expertise…
Hardware or Software Specialties
Most in-house IT professionals are generalists. They can work with a wide variety of devices, applications, and server platforms. But what happens when the business needs someone who knows a specific piece of hardware or software?
It might not make sense to keep a specialist on staff, and there are certainly going to be issues that lie outside your team’s area of expertise. That’s when an outsourced partner can come in and solve problems for you quickly.
Network or Systems Monitoring
Even if you have an IT team on your payroll, it might make sense to have someone else keeping an eye on your network or manning a help desk that employees can call for answers. That’s because one outsourced team can serve lots of different organizations 24/7 without forcing these companies to pay for extra personnel they don’t normally need.
Round-the-clock IT coverage is affordable when you aren’t bearing the entire expense on your own. By outsourcing, you don’t just save money, you get better coverage at all hours.
Peak Season Support
In many businesses, there are certain times of the year when big demands are placed on the IT team. For example, your business might need extra care and attention during the busy holiday shopping season. Or, it could be that you have the occasional big project – like moving an office or setting up a new location – that calls for a few extra sets of eyes and hands.
These are just examples, but they point out how you can benefit from having an outsourced IT team that can step in on an as-needed basis.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Backup and disaster recovery is one area of your IT plan that probably doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. With the right setup, and procedures in place, you can protect your business and data against a number of potential emergencies. But most small and medium-sized companies have simple (or nonexistent) strategies in place.
By bringing in an outsourced IT vendor, you get an inexpensive way to cover up a huge vulnerability and ensure you have a continuity plan that covers you for fires, earthquakes, electrical surges, and dozens of other possible unseen events.
Ready to Fill in the Missing Pieces of Your IT Strategy?
IT issues and vulnerabilities often reveal themselves at the worst possible moments. If you’re concerned that you might have missing pieces in your technology plan, then it’s a good idea to find the solutions before they start costing you money. Contact our team of experts today so we can schedule a free consultation and see whether you could use a little help from a group like ours.