Why are Managed IT Services Right for Your Small Business?
Running a small business is a formidable challenge for even the most well-prepared entrepreneur.
You probably have the occasional sleepless night. You likely worry about what the future holds for you, your employees, and your entire company.
And you’re very likely to run into IT problems from time to time.
But employing your own in-house IT technicians may be beyond your budget, and you could lack the expertise to solve every issue. That means your operations might grind to a halt while you try to find a fix.
More and more businesses are delegating their IT operations to managed IT service providers — and you could benefit from doing the same.
Why?
The main benefits of managed IT services
Better security to protect your business from common threats
One of the biggest reasons to switch to managed IT services is to safeguard your small business against cybersecurity threats.
Think your enterprise is just too small to be worth a hacker’s time? Sadly, you’re mistaken.
Research shows that SMBs are common targets for cybercriminals: more than 75 percent of those questioned had been affected by a cyberattack within the space of 12 months. And that was up from 70 percent the previous year.
The most common form of attacks included social engineering and phishing scams. Ransomware has been increasingly problematic, particularly in Canada, where the downtime cost is highest at $180,000 (on average).
Why are small businesses such a ripe target for cybercriminals?
One obvious reason is a lack of personnel to manage cybersecurity, monitor network activity and ensure software is up to date. Another is financial limitations that prevent employers implementing the most state-of-the-art cybersecurity measures.
But with managed IT services, you don’t need to worry about setting up your own security. You don’t have to take responsibility for overlooking software patches or checking that your firewalls are effective enough.
The provider will handle your cybersecurity for you. And that’s a real weight off your mind.
Fast access to a team of seasoned IT specialists
With managed IT services, you’ll be just a phone call, email, or instant message away from a team of qualified, experienced experts ready to help.
This is an entirely different setup to those you may have encountered at other businesses that rely on a small number of on-site IT technicians only. In these cases, just one or two people may be required to fix all IT problems and keep the entire network at its best with fairly limited resources.
That’s a lot of strain to put on a small team, particularly when a real emergency strikes. They can’t install new software on computers and provide training at the same time as trying to locate the source of a virus that threatens to cause severe network issues.
Managed IT services connect you to professionals with the knowledge, time, and resources to help your business operate at its best. Whether you need a software upgrade, advice on setting up a new monitor, or anything else related to your IT infrastructure, they’ll handle it.
Save time trying to fix problems in-house
When you’re giving your all to shape your small business into a success story you can be proud of, time can seem in short supply.
Unfortunately, IT problems can intervene with your routine and deprive you of precious hours. For instance, let’s say you’re hit by a ransomware attack. You can’t access the applications you depend on to manage your workforce and deliver the products or services your customers have paid for.
This is a huge issue. Your entire reputation and future could be on the line.
Now, you can either try to fix this yourself by scouring online resources for helpful advice or you can call the professionals.
Certain unethical IT specialists may take advantage of your predicament and charge extortionate rates, with hidden fees, when you reach out for help in an emergency. But managed IT services will help you overcome any hardware or software obstacles you face quickly.
This saves you time and energy to focus on what you need to do, regardless of what may be happening to your network or software suite. Just leave the technical difficulties to your provider and enjoy greater peace of mind.
Improve your business operations through new hardware and software
Your hardware and software choices make a direct impact on your team’s performance. Investing in the cheapest computers from a brand you’ve never heard of, without doing your research first, could leave your workforce with inferior tools for their job.
And the same applies to the applications you integrate into your processes. Shoddy tools for accounting, word processing, creating presentations, and managing warehouse inventory might be more of a hindrance than a help.
It’s easy enough to make poor purchase decisions when you’re on a tight budget and have no real technical knowledge. You may let your wallet guide you every time.
But working with IT specialists will help you to avoid low-quality hardware and software.
Good managed IT service providers will explore your requirements in detail and recommend the best options for your budget. They’ll explain why certain computers, platforms, etc. are in your team’s best decision and steer you clear of costly mistakes.
On a similar note, any support required for hardware, software, or network issues will be fully personalized for maximum relevance. You won’t need to explain your setup to a random agent again and again. They’ll know your infrastructure well enough to make accurate diagnoses and put a resolution plan into action.
How can you find the right managed IT service for your small business?
GenX Solutions has worked with a diverse range of SMBs across more than 35 years. This invaluable experience empowers our experts to provide exceptional IT services for businesses in varied sectors, working to different budgets.
We’ll create the ideal plan for your company based on an in-depth understanding of your needs and goals. Get in touch with GenX now to learn more about how we can help you!