By the time small business owners realize they need IT support, it’s often too late as they already face a costly security threat or technical issue that could have been avoided. Smart small business owners realize it is better to be safe than sorry and that investing in IT services for small businesses will save them money, time and sleepless nights in the long run.
What IT support options are available for small businesses?
The choice of information technology services for small businesses ranges from hiring your own IT technician or team to outsourcing all your IT needs, as well as a few other options in between. So, how do you know which IT support option is the best choice for your small business?
Inhouse or self-managed IT services
Depending on the size and industry of your small business, you may not need a fully flexed in-house IT support team. You may think your staff would be able to handle their own IT needs, but loading this responsibility onto non-IT staff often affects productivity and ends up being a more costly technology solution in the long run. Technology being what it is, you are also likely to run into problems that can’t be solved internally, at which point you will need the help of technology experts, anyway. A qualified IT expert earns around 55,000 US dollars per year. You’ll have to add to that the cost of forking out for your own IT systems, which can vary greatly, depending on the size of your company and needs. Don’t forget to factor in the inevitable training, updating and repair costs.
One of the main reasons for outsourcing business IT support services for companies of any size is that the costs become more manageable and predictable.
Read more about the benefits of outsourcing your IT services.
All-inclusive IT support
This level of support is comprehensive and effectively takes IT off your hands completely. It means your staff has access to a highly-skilled IT team, who are up to date with the latest business technology issues, as well as best practices. They will hit the road running and won’t need training. Even though this option may at first seem out of reach, many small business owners soon realize that outsourcing tech support to a trusted managed IT service provider will save time and money.
A good IT services company will start by doing a comprehensive IT audit and IT assessment to assess your company’s needs and vulnerabilities.This could be the basis for a recommended number of contracted hours per month, which would be tailored to your needs and will work out considerably cheaper than appointing an in-house IT technician. It also ensures instant scalability when you need it, for example when you suddenly land a big contract that requires more sophisticated technological systems. You wouldn’t ever want to be in a position to say, “No, thank you,” would you?
Unlike many outsourced tech support consultants, Crimson IT provides complete onsite tech support for small businesses. This ensures that any tech support issues are resolved as quickly and personably as possible. You will always have access to a human being to answer your questions in person, offer repair services on the spot and calm nerves!
Managed IT services
With a rapidly changing technological environment, staying at the top of the IT security game is the most important thing you can do for your small business.
As online business increases and hackers increasingly target businesses of any size, business owners are looking for effective solutions. According to a 2019 study by Cybersecurity company Bullguard, 43% of SMB owners have no cybersecurity defense plan in place at all – leaving their most sensitive financial, customer and business data, and ultimately their companies, at significant risk.
Ideally, businesses of all sizes, including small businesses, need around-the-clock monitoring to protect themselves, but this is simply too costly for the average small in-house IT department. Remote managed IT services is a way of ensuring your systems and data are always secure and backed up. How does this work? Small business owners and IT managers pay a monthly flat fee for the remote monitoring of the company’s servers, workstations, network security and cloud services. This could at some point be extended to include, for example, email archiving, mobile devices, online backup services and managed anti-virus scanning.
Through remote managed IT services, you’ll have the peace of mind of 24/7 monitoring, back-ups and resilience. Managed IT services for small businesses can also extend to handling technology issues remotely via controlling the computers of staff from afar, which will enable the technician to solve problems without the need for an on-site visit.
Find out more about the Managed IT for small businesses we offer at Crimson IT.
Combined IT services for small businesses
A combination of all-inclusive outsourcing of IT services, with some of the remote managed IT services mentioned above, is a cost-effective way for small businesses to stay productive, competitive and safe in an increasingly digitalized world.
At Crimson IT, our progressive and innovative IT solutions for small companies will enable your business to grow securely. Our IT consultants will leave you informed and ready to make the right choices at a cost that works with your IT budget. With the everyday challenges of a growing small business, we offer custom flexible IT solutions for small businesses to help your business stay secure and scalable. Small businesses rely on us to help them navigate the changing technological landscape and to stay ahead of the curve.
Find out how we help small businesses.
Contact us today for more information about our small business IT support