Does this sound like you?
Shane Allgood is a small business owner who has seen steady growth in his company over the past 10 years. This coming fiscal year, his company will cross the 30-employee threshold and he is realizing very quickly that his sales associate doubling as an IT specialist is not going to be able to keep functioning at the level needed. Shane must decide if he will move him into a full-time IT role, or if he will hire a new person. The problem is that Shane has a solid sales background, and the only thing he knows about IT is from what he reads online. Even if he decides to hire someone knew, he isn't sure how to make sure he is getting the most qualified person.
Jillian Webb launched a company three years ago and has enjoyed explosive growth! She is having trouble keeping up with the demand her customers now require, but she never backs down from a challenge. Now, it appears her company’s overnight success is the thorn in her side. She needs to find a quick solution that is affordable and effective! Her current infastructure no longer does the trick, but she can't bring herself to write the huge check necessary to get her company's technology up-to-date to meet the demand of both her customers and maintain compliancy.
David Bright has been in business for 30 years and owns a company that staffs 70 employees. He has a dedicated IT specialist, but he has noticed that his company always seems to be one step behind the competition when offering the newest technology in security and convenience. He knows he needs to hire a second person, as his company has already missed out on a large contract due to their lower-level of cyber security offered. David just is not sure if an additional employee is the best use of resources, and feels a little overwhelmed trying to keep up with the constant changes in technology. He feels as though the solution is much larger than simply hiring an additional specialist and would like to utilize those resources in other areas.
What do these business owners have in common? They are all in a position where they need to make an intelligent decision regarding the management of their IT services, but do not have the time to deal with it. Their businesses have been successful due to great ideas and sound business practices, and they want to be sure their IT solution is no different.
Third-party IT management offers many benefits that help business owners reach their next goals. For example, instead of paying one IT support person to manage 30 or even 70 users [when they could manage up to 100], allow a third-party company to do the managing for you.
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But I want to manage my own people.
As a business owner, do you really want to take on the responsibility of managing a department that is constantly changing? In today’s business world, there are so many things to keep up with. Your technology is one that you cannot afford to spend all your time worrying about, and simultaneously, you cannot afford to ignore it. Third-party IT services can more effectively keep up with new certifications, regulations, and threats because many of them have more resources to do so. Threats include everything from your standard viruses to hackers attempting to collect sensitive data with creative solutions and the latest malware. Having customers’ PII (Personally Identifiable Information) compromised can be the kiss of death for new businesses and veterans alike.
Additionally, qualified does not mean experienced. You may be able to find that rock star IT professional to manage your systems, but they will come at a price, due to their value. Can your growing company afford to take that much on financially? Can it afford not to?
Increase your efficiency!
As the CEO, you have done a tremendous job of getting your company to this point; so why stop now to worry about something that you do not have time to dedicate to during the workday? As previously mentioned, the tech world is constantly evolving. Since you began reading this article, your computer and its software are already obsolete. Spend your time working on growing your business, not keeping up with an expensive, in-house IT department that needs constant updating. Having someone else monitor your software updating is almost worth investment alone! Keep in mind, there are many small businesses that choose to do in-house IT support and unfortunately miss out on million-dollar deals because of important issues like their cyber security being too weak.
What about the negatives?
Most of the negatives when it comes to small businesses and medium-sized businesses using third-party IT services revolve around poor work quality and customer service. This is the result of high turnover with overseas support and companies capitalizing on a business owner's lack of knowledge. Additionally, you can run into a lot of hidden costs associated with travel fees when something goes wrong. Many of the larger IT management services run into these issues and it can be a headache for an owner who is stressed about the possibility of extended downtime.
You can avoid this by turning to more proven brands who do all their work in-house. Brands like Standard Office Systems, an IT management service company in Atlanta who boast a NPS (Net Promoter Score) rating of 90, have a track record of high-quality, state-of-the-art work, with the added benefit of being local and providing top-notch customer service. If something does go wrong, you are not wasting valuable time speaking to someone overseas, who is simply reading from a script.
So now what?
If you are like many successful business owners who have decided to use a third-party IT management service, then you have made the decision to focus on the business of growing your company. Deciding not to micromanage a small, but important and ever-changing entity like IT is a wise choice. Choosing to leave your IT support in the hands of more skilled professionals allows you to function like the big boys. Let’s face it: competitors who have been in business longer have more resources to attract great IT support (remember that rock star IT guy?). When you choose third-part IT management, you level the playing field and have access to the same support on a budget you can easily manage. Paying a user fee is much easier to budget, with the added benefit of protecting your company from random expenses that are bound to occur when managing your own IT support. The real question becomes...
Can you afford to not go third-party?
