If you own or operate a small business, then you know how difficult it can be to get quality small business computer support that is reliable and cost-effective. Large corporations have the resources to spend money on internal IT departments. The truth of the matter is that you and your company are probably in a superior position.
Outsourcing your small business’ technology needs has a number of advantages not available with full-time in-house departments. While there are also positives to having a dedicated staff, these are greatly outweighed by outsourcing your company’s computer repair and support to a prominent IT company that you can outsource.
The worst thing a small business owner can do is neglect the importance of getting IT support from professionals. His brother-in-law who “knows how to use a computer” simply won’t be able to meet the needs of running a small business in 2010.
A good IT organization will be able to catch most problems before they become full blown problems and can prevent disasters before they start. Also, having access to a small business computer support company allows you to train and educate yourself and your employees on the proper ways to work on the computer and online so you don’t make mistakes that could be very costly (for example, Fred in sales opening that email with the virus that infected the entire office, etc.).
In the United States, companies spend about $200 billion a year on technology-related products and services. This is no small change for the typical small business owner, and the effects on finances can be devastating.
By outsourcing your small business technology, you enjoy the following benefits.
– The so familiar problem of necessary technical support but at the same time that your child is on vacation is eliminated because with the support of a company, there is always backup. By spreading the responsibility, you can be extremely sure that someone will be there for you when you need it.
-Using an outsourced IT business also means you have access to a wide range of experts in individual fields that would cost you tons of money if you hired each expert separately. This allows you to leverage resources for a variety of tasks such as telephone support, antivirus and other Internet security systems, computer network maintenance, or even data backup.
-Instead of having the overhead of full-time employees, outsourcing allows you to frequently pay a relatively low monthly fee, saving thousands (plus much less paperwork).
Now that we’ve talked about the benefits of outsourcing your small business IT support, here are some tips for cutting costs and how to make sure you choose the right small business technology service provider.
– Try and buy all your equipment at the same time and from the same supplier. Standardizing your platforms allows for faster solutions, which means lower costs. Also, when you buy everything together you make sure that they all have the same version or update. Nothing is worse than running into compatibility issues when working with colleagues.
-Make sure the IT company you go with provides 24/7 support. This is simply a must as disasters don’t care about business hours and will strike at the worst times completely ruining your day, your week or even worse.
-See if the potential company offers a wide range of services or if it mainly deals only with certain aspects of business technology.
Hopefully, you now realize how essential it is for you and your business to have a legitimate and dedicated small business technology provider. You should also be well versed in how to choose the best company for your specific company and understand the benefits of outsourcing your company’s IT services.