Sometimes, the decision about whether or not to hire an in-house IT employee is an easy one. For instance, if you have a very small company, then you might not have room in your budget to bring on additional full or part-time personnel. Or, if you’re at the head of a massive enterprise, the day-to-day needs of your organization might demand an entire department.
The issue of hiring versus outsourcing becomes difficult when you’re somewhere in the middle. If you have a company that’s small enough to require tight budgeting, but big enough to necessitate ongoing IT help, then finding the right balance can be tricky.
If you’re looking to maximize the value you get for your expenses, how do you find the right option? As you might expect, there isn’t a standard answer that will work all of the time. However, there are a few things we want you to keep in mind if you’re thinking about the benefits of in-house employees versus outsourced IT firms…
Employees Are More Expensive
As a rule of thumb, it’s almost always going to cost you more to hire employees than it would to outsource your IT care. That’s true whether you measure on an hourly or yearly basis, especially after you factor in salaries, training costs, paid vacations, sick days, and other details.
If your priority is to reduce costs, or to simply maximize your flexibility (that is, avoid long employee contracts) then going with an outsourced firm is an easy choice.
You’ll Generally Get More Expertise from a Team
When you hire an in-house IT employee, you get 40 or more hours of access to someone who should understand your hardware and software. When you work with an outsourced IT partner, you should get care from an entire team of personnel – which could include a wide variety of different skills, specialties, and certifications.
This becomes important when your company grows, takes on new technology, or runs into problems that weren’t anticipated. Sometimes the most helpful resource you can have when trying to meet a technology challenge is a fresh pair of eyes or a new skill set.
Coverage Can Be an Issue with Small Tech Teams
The smaller your team is, the more vulnerable you are to coverage issues. To turn that into an easily understandable point of comparison, consider a situation where your network goes down while your IT supervisor is away on vacation, at home fighting the flu, or attending a conference where they are learning about the latest hardware and software.
An outsourced IT team can keep eyes on your business 24/7. A single employer small team, no matter how committed, can’t match that level of care.
Make the Most of Your Technology and Budget
If you want the best for your business – in terms of finances, expertise, and premium customer care – work with the most trusted firm in Southern Los Angeles. A free quote and consultation from Fantastic IT are just a phone call away, so reach out to us today and see how we can help!