Most of the business owners and executives we meet with love the idea of having a virtual chief information officer (or CIO). Who wouldn’t want to have a trusted tech expert to call on when you have questions about budgeting, strategy, or the future of IT in your industry?
However, while our current clients have plenty of good things to say about our work, it can sometimes be difficult for newer clients to understand what kinds of help they might be receiving. So, in today’s post we want to outline a handful of ways a virtual CIO might be able to lend a fresh perspective.
Let’s look at a few things they can help you with.
Going Through a Line-Item IT Budget
It can be confusing to figure out what you’re actually spending on technology, much less what you should be budgeting from one quarter or year to the next. A virtual CIO can help you go through your plans, set priorities, and figure out how much you should be allocating to different projects or categories. And of course they can help you find savings, which leads a lot of our clients to say that the service pays for itself in just a few hours.
Helping You Merge Business Plans and Tech Strategies
This is a big one for many entrepreneurs and established business owners alike. Many have technology-related plans they want to implement for the future but don’t know how to bring them to life. Our virtual CIO can help you fill in these gaps, and answer your questions, without requiring you to hire a full-time executive you keep on staff.
Evaluating Competitive Challenges and Possibilities
Sometimes the advice you need isn’t pertaining to what you have done or want to do. Instead, you might be worried about keeping up with a competitor or assessing the viability of their IT strategy. Naturally, this is an area where a virtual CIO can also be a big help, particularly if you need to understand an industry trend that you don’t have firsthand experience with.
Hiring and IT Staff Evaluation
Certain clients just need a virtual tech executive to come in and conduct staff interviews or training. Bringing on the wrong employee and then replacing them can cost you several times their salary. So, it’s certainly true that making the right hiring decision is worth the expense of bringing in a professional for just a few hours.
Data Security and Threat Assessments
Obviously, you can turn to your managed services partner for ongoing cybersecurity and data protection. However, if you’re just wanting to review threats, policies, and short-term needs, then a virtual CIO can be perfect. Not only can they help you round out your knowledge, but also create an actionable plan for the future.
Could a Virtual CIO Be Just What Your Business Needs?
The list we’ve given above represents just a few of the ways you could use our virtual CIO to streamline your company’s approach to technology. For more specific suggestions that relate to your business and challenges, contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and show you just what we can do to keep you moving forward.