Thinking of Outsourcing Your Business IT Support Services?

Looking for Peace of Mind? It Just May Start with Your Business IT Support. Here’s Why You Should Consider Outsourcing, and What It Will Get You.

For almost every business and industry, IT and its underlying infrastructure are the lifeblood of daily operations. Whether it’s customer engagement, logistics, marketing, communications, pricing, finance, or simply sending emails, IT is absolutely critical to the business.

Some businesses have even adopted a paperless work environment, with IT systems literally replacing pen and paper. So, what keeps these critical systems functioning?

For small and medium-sized businesses (1-50 employees), managing IT support can be a real challenge, both financially and in terms of getting the right services.

Fortunately, there’s another way.

Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to maintain your IT systems, keeping them running smoothly so your team can focus on their jobs.

Read on to find out why outsourcing business IT support might be the right solution for you.

1. Outsourced Business IT Support Is Cost-Effective

Outsourcing your IT support is one of the most cost-effective ways to manage your business’s IT systems. It’s not just about cutting costs—outsourced IT providers can take on the daily operational tasks at a lower cost, freeing up your internal team to focus on more complex tasks, such as:

• Taking care of your customers
• Improving your product offerings
• Focusing on sales rather than dealing with IT issues

As IT becomes increasingly integral to business, in-house support systems can become overburdened. Your employees may spend their time fixing broken computers or troubleshooting common issues like the ‘blue screen of death’ instead of focusing on more valuable tasks.

In short, outsourcing allows your IT resources to be utilized where they’re needed most, enhancing your company’s competitive advantage.

2. Less Investment in Infrastructure

Outsourcing your IT systems means outsourcing a significant portion of your infrastructure risk. For instance, by moving your servers from in-house to a data center, you may increase rental costs, but you also offload many potential risks, including:

• Physical security: Data centers offer robust on-site security, making your servers less vulnerable to physical attacks or breaches.
• Digital security: Many services provide managed server solutions, ensuring security vulnerabilities are addressed and your data remains safe.
• Data backup: Data centers often offer backup options and content distribution networks, reducing the risk of data loss.

Outsourcing infrastructure not only reduces risk but also offers scalable solutions without requiring significant investments in new hardware that you may not always need.

3. You Don’t Need a ‘Jack of All Trades’ on Staff

Instead of relying on a ‘jack of all trades’ who need to manage servers, troubleshoot your website, and handle web design, outsourcing allows you to bring in specialized expertise as needed.

For instance, if you’re redesigning your website, you might want to hire a web designer. With outsourced IT support, you can do this easily without the hassle of hiring a freelancer or short-term contractor.

This way, you get access to the right specialist for the job, rather than relying on a generalist who might not have the depth of expertise required.

4. You Can Scale Your IT Support in Response to Demand

Your IT needs will fluctuate. For example, during a software rollout across multiple computers, you’ll need a larger IT team for a short period. Outsourcing allows you to scale up or down easily without the financial burden of maintaining a larger in-house team year-round.

Outsourcing also provides access to 24/7 support, ensuring your business is covered even during unexpected crises. If a major IT issue occurs at 3 a.m. while your in-house tech is on vacation, you won’t be left waiting for someone to fix it.

This flexibility helps reduce the opportunity cost of downtime, allowing your business to keep operating efficiently, even in emergencies.

5. Opportunity Cost of High IT Overhead

Maintaining in-house IT staff can be expensive. For example, two IT specialists with salaries of $60,000 and $70,000 mean a combined overhead of $130,000. By outsourcing IT for, say, $100,000 a year, you free up capital for other business initiatives, such as expanding your sales team, launching new marketing campaigns, or reducing business debt.

This reallocation of resources can provide a greater return on investment, allowing your business to grow while still maintaining top-notch IT support.

Conclusion

Outsourcing IT support is a strategic decision that offers numerous benefits for small and medium-sized businesses. Outsourcing can provide peace of mind and keep your IT systems running smoothly by reducing costs, improving scalability, and enhancing access to specialized expertise.

Got questions about outsourcing? We’ve got answers. Get in touch today to see how we can help you!