How to bulletproof your company and plan for growth is top of mind for most business leaders and owners as we enter another potentially volatile year. With technology services becoming ever more important in COVID-19 times, investing in a managed IT support partner is the smart way to ensure you hit your 2021 business goals.
Innovation in 2021
Staying ahead of the pack is crucial for business growth, but broken-down servers, network failures, updates and day-to-day information technology challenges not only waste valuable hours but also distract from your core business. If most of your company’s resources are assigned to keeping things ticking over, there is little time and headspace for fresh ideas and launching new projects − the driver of any successful business. An effective managed IT support partner will free up your staff, allowing them to focus on innovation, sales and growth.
Scalability
If a new contract lands in your lap, how easily and quickly would your company’s IT infrastructure and services be able to scale? You never want to turn valuable business away because your IT infrastructure and teams are overwhelmed.
A managed IT support provider will know your IT resources inside out and will understand which tools and technology you need to support new demands. This allows effortless and instant scaling of IT resources to support your company’s growth.
Cybersecurity
As online business and remote work increase, we also see higher levels of cyber threats and attacks. An increase in the use of cloud services has heightened the risk of online security threats. According to the CSO Pandemic Impact Survey, 26% of executives stated they had seen an increase in the volume, severity, and scope of cyberattacks since March 2020. Attacks on work-from-home employees is another area of concern for many business leaders.
Phishing and ransomware attacks disguised as legitimate applications related to COVID-19 are the most common attacks affecting remote workers, as well as end-users. A managed IT support partner will bring you peace of mind as they secure business data, reduce downtime and provide a backup and disaster recovery strategy, so a cyber-attack is far less likely to disrupt your business and cost you time and money. Constant monitoring and management will ensure business continuity and reduce the risk of cloud-based attacks. Read our previous post to learn why you should hire a managed IT support partner for your cybersecurity needs.
Agility
As we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses need to be more agile than ever, not only to survive but also to stay competitive in a volatile marketplace. The need to adapt quickly to change particularly applies to IT services and technology, regardless of industry.
To stay competitive, companies, including small businesses, need to constantly assess and boost their processes and business technology. There is a need to either customize existing packages or systems − which can be costly and time-consuming − or to integrate new tools with existing systems, which often needs an experienced hand.
Managed IT support will enable your business to stay one step ahead when it comes to new technology, industry best practices and security.
The right IT skillset
Finding the right skills for an in-house IT team is no easy task, as you’ll know. IT skills are in high demand and don’t come cheap, and even if you find the right person, you’ll always face the risk of having him or her poached at the most inopportune moment, leaving your company vulnerable. This could affect your business operations and efficiency and could leave you open to a security threat if the staff member has proprietary knowledge.
For this reason, big companies spend billions to secure the right IT talent, only to have to replace that talent a few years later. According to a recent LinkedIn report, the tech sector has one of the highest turnover rates in any industry sector.
By handing over this recruitment headache to a managed IT support partner, you’ll always have a team of top IT professionals at your disposal.
Cost-effectiveness
Never has the argument for cost-effectiveness been more relevant than at this time when we enter another year of uncertainty and potential chaos for businesses around the world. Recruiting, onboarding, training, and replacing IT staff is costly in the long term.
Not to mention overhead costs such as purchasing hardware, software, updates, and the space needed for an in-house IT team. A study conducted by an ROI consultancy firm, Alinean, Inc. found that mid-to-large-sized companies spend between 4 – 6% of their total budgets on IT. By partnering with managed IT support services, you will keep costs down and only pay for the services you need.
-----
Find out more about how investing in a managed IT support partner can keep technology costs down.
For companies of any size, a trusted managed IT support partner such as Crimson IT is the best way to ensure your company stays agile, competitive, cost-effective, and secure − in short, to bulletproof your business and ensure business growth in 2021.
At Crimson IT our professional IT services for enterprises and SMBs are some of the most flexible and affordably-priced services available in the Los Angeles area. With a combination of expert-level care, price sensitivity, and high-range services, we are the perfect managed IT support partner to meet your needs.
Contact us today to get started.