Not every small business has the budget to support a full, outsourced IT team. In fact, most don’t. That doesn’t mean they should disregard professional IT services.
We’ll let you in on a little-known fact: optimized IT helps small businesses in more ways than just saving them troubleshooting time.
Managed IT transforms your whole business infrastructure
As a small business owner, your role probably isn’t as straightforward as your job description might appear. The multiple roles and responsibilities you juggle can get in the way of our growth goals—you want to be laser-focused on initiatives that will grow our business, but there’s so much else to manage.
In addition to lifting the burden of technology management off your back, here are some benefits you might not have considered.
1. Increased client engagement
With no anti-virus protection, you risk data theft and loss. With protection, you can focus more on enhancing productivity. More stability and less downtime in your technology platforms help you deliver excellent service.
2. Reduced risk
You wouldn’t invest in anything without calculating the risk. With government regulations, markets, and technologies rapidly changing, it can be tough to keep up and stay compliant.
Managed IT providers who specialize in compliance and security issues can help manage the risk of these changes impacting your business.
3. Smoother data management
You should never have to run out of space for your data. Backing up your desktop is not just a hygienic practice—it’s an essential part of maintaining a secure, well-organized business.
Data loss can compromise an organization’s reputation, whether it slows down customer service or causes monetary damage.
4. Keeping up with competition
Large enterprises have the luxury of in-house IT departments. This is something many small businesses aspire to in the future—or might never have the infrastructure to implement.
Employing the help of an off-site IT professional can offer you some of the insights and expertise that those large companies get.
While that won’t get your technology infrastructure at the same level, this IT optimization will help you inch a bit closer to competing with the big guys.
5. Employee empowerment
Migrating to cloud storage is a great leap towards convenience. When your documents are accessible online from anywhere at any time, your employees can easily collaborate, connect and deliver service from anywhere.
With support from an IT expert, your employees save time troubleshooting and can focus on their primary responsibilities.
Outsourced IT services aren’t for everyone
You can still improve your IT infrastructure without expanding your tight budget to fit an IT service. Start by:
- Educating your employees on online security
- Password-protecting and encrypting everything
- Staying updated on new patches and updates
However, if security is a weak point in your organization, you should consider outsourcing. Implementing proper security measures is a crucial task that can’t be done by just anyone. At the most basic level, a data backup plan is a necessary addition to any small to medium-sized organization.
It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what resources you can afford and what you need to make room for. We suggest you do some investigating. Talk to a managed IT professional to see if it's right for your business.
Looking for IT consultants in Edmonton that understand small businesses? Ask CBM IT about our small business IT services and managed services pricing.
