6 Benefits of An IT Service Provider For Small Businesses

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As new technology emerges, small businesses, especially, can struggle to keep up and are afraid to implement new software and systems. By far, the easiest option for businesses nowadays is to access the services of an IT management company to help them stay on top of their tech needs.

In the US, around 68% of businesses outsource their IT, while in the UK, just under 50% have an IT support provider. This post looks at some of the benefits of using this type of outsourcing and what you can expect from your IT service partner.

Increased Time

Not everyone can do everything within the realm of running a business, and while many people like to think they can try their hand at anything, just because you can, it does not mean you should is a mantra that should be heeded. The reality is you have set up your business for a specific reason and to do a particular thing. Anything that takes your attention away from this is detrimental, and if you don’t know what you are doing when it comes to your tech and software, then the last thing you want to do is to spend hours figuring out what isn’t working and trying to fix it. Instead, your IT service provider will work to maintain your systems allowing you to step back and get back to doing what is important.

Medical facilities are a great example of this. Tar Heel State clinics like to hire healthcare IT services in NC so they can focus on their patients and not worry about any tech issues that may arise. This allows them to provide the best care possible while leaving the tech stuff to the experts.

Cost Effective

Its services will come with a monthly or annual cost for the work rendered. However, when you compare these costs to taking care of your tech in-house, it can mean quite a saving. For example, you need to hire, train and pay employees a wage and benefits while outsourcing. This means you pay one regular amount each month. Also, factor in what you would need to pay for emergencies or if your systems went down. Many providers include this as part of their packages and actively work to avoid any downtime, so this is another cost you will be saving on.

Centralise Your Business

Many It service providers will offer more than one service, meaning you take advantage of offers and bundles to streamline your business and create centralization for your business. This means that your team has one port of call for a range of different queries or issues, and the same team will handle everything instead of contacting other companies. From internet connectivity to cloud services and upscaling your systems, having it all centralized can be a huge benefit for your company.

Disaster Recovery

As mentioned earlier, IT providers will seek to ensure you have little to no downtime or experience and blackouts. However, this doesn’t account for any disasters, such as an onsite fire, extreme weather conditions, or malicious damage to equipment and software, including cyber hacks or threats. Generally, you can expect to pay thousands to get someone in to help you get back up and running in this situation. However, having an IT partner means you can lean on them to support you and get your business back on its feet digitally should you experience a disaster of this kind.

Scalability

IT service providers are there to work with businesses of all sizes, and as such, you can benefit from increased scalability options as your company grows. They will provide you with the full benefit of having an in-house IT team without you actually having to create this yourself, meaning that they will grow with you and be able to space operations based on your needs, forming when you grow to avoid any disruption and limits.

Increased Security

Cyber threats are pretty commonplace now, and all businesses, regardless of operations and size, need to have solid, robust protocols and security options in place to ward off and prevent such attacks. Your IT provider will provide disaster mitigation and recovery services and ensure your systems are safe and secure. Should any breach occur, they will be on hand to treat you and limit damage sustained. The cost of cleaning up after a hack can be high as can the fines if you are found to be willfully negligent in this area, so having peace of mind that you are safe, protected, and doing your legal duties as far as keeping your systems is concerned can be added peace of mind and a massive reason to consider using an IT service partner for your company.

Conclusion

Your IT systems are an integral part of allowing you to run your company, and as such, you need to be confident that what you have in place can meet demands and support your operations daily. For the reasons mentioned in this post, partnering with a reliable IT service provider can be a great investment for all small businesses, regardless of size.