Are you spending too much time in IT and not enough time on your other business needs?
The business world has changed significantly in the last twenty years, especially when it comes to your business IT management. Never has it been more expensive to keep an in-house IT expert, or more accessible to outsource. With unemployment at an all-time low and demand for technical skills at an all-time high, startups and small businesses don’t stand a chance in the hiring frenzy for IT technicians of any kind. Salaries and benefits packages are on the rise and competition is fierce even among tech giants who could once have hired anyone they pleased.
IT Outsourcing for Small Businesses
So how does a small business stay cutting-edge and tech-savvy (or just keep your website and office computers functional) in this environment? It’s easy, you outsource! The thing about the current tech-industry environment is that the technicians know they’re in high demand and like any healthy market, that demand is being met!
There are now many types of outsourceable IT services available to serve small-business needs at small-business prices. As long as you’re willing to share. And hey, you don’t need full-time IT anyway. Just someone to help keep your website afloat and fix the computers when they get mischievous.
Full-Service Website Hosting & Maintenance
The best place to start is with your website. Every business needs a website, and you certainly don’t need an in-house developer to get one, then host and maintain it with all the necessary considerations. All you need is a full-service web hosting provider. Start by hiring a web developer contractor to build you an awesome website that can be managed with standard controls, ensuring that it has all the necessary security measures and features and is not made in WordPress, which is hacker-bait.
Next, host that website with a reputable hosting service like Azure, AWS, or Digital Ocean who also provide managed security hosting and website maintenance packages. Website IT solved until you decide to hire another temporary web-dev for an update.
On-Site Computer Repair Services
You don’t need an IT employee for your on-site office equipment support either. In most small businesses, the computers need direct physical servicing once in a blue moon. If you are leasing or renting your equipment, the leasing company often has a repair service available who will help you keep your computer, tablets, printers, and such in good condition in addition to installation and setup. Most cities also feature more than a few on-site computer repair services who would be glad to count you as their occasional clients.
So if a computer starts doing something you don’t understand and needs direct support, a local repair service can help over the phone or send a technician right over to fix it. So that’s in-house device IT covered as well.
Managed IT Service Provider(MSP) & Cybersecurity Team
Finally, there’s your network setup and business data security to consider. Your company’s network security is critical to everyday functions from managing inventory to keeping customer information safe from hackers. And you don’t need an in-house IT employee to take care of that either. There’s already an entire industry of service IT known as MSP for Managed Service Providers. Yes, the name is vague, but it’s definitely IT.
MSPs specialize in network, server, and software stack IT services from installation to ongoing maintenance and upgrades. And, of course, they’re prepared to take care of all your cybersecurity needs for these aspects of your business tech as well. With your cybersecurity and network management covered, that’s all your business’ IT needs neatly outsourced without a single recruiting competition for a high-priced in-house IT staff member.
Whether you’re a new startup trying to protect your cash flow or a practical small business looking to keep up-to-date on today’s complex IT business demands, there’s no need to join the War for Talent for in-house IT. Not when there are such convenient and reasonably priced outsourcing options made precisely for your small business needs. If you are putting together your outsourced IT stack for services as you need them, when you need them, contact us today! Our MSP team would be proud to help your small business manage your IT expertly from your software stack to your network security.