The Advantages of Outsourcing IT Support and Services for Your Small Business
In today’s digital world, any business that wants to remain competitive must rely on strong IT support. If you’re planning your IT infrastructure, you may be tempted to think that maintaining an in-house IT department for all technical support and services is the way to go.
However, the advantages of outsourcing can be considerable. This is especially true if you are running a start-up, or a mid-sized company seeking to grow.
Let’s examine the pros and cons of outsourcing below. But, let’s see why you would ever consider in-house IT support first:
In-House Support. Is it a Good Idea?
In short, not unless you are a large enough company.
In-house support will ensure that you always have an IT expert who knows your company intimately. In-house teams work with you directly and know all the quirks and unique differences of your company.
In order to have the same level of personalized support, you would need to work with a trustworthy IT services company.
Additionally, internal teams are sometimes quicker to respond, especially if your outsourced IT services do not follow a 24/7 schedule and operate in a different time zone.
However, there are many, many drawbacks associated with in-house IT support, especially for small and medium sized companies.
The Obvious Advantages of Outsourcing
While the advantages of in-house IT can be summed up in a few lines, the advantages of outsourcing a far more detailed.
Availability
All reputable and competitive outsource IT firms offer 24/7 support plans and dedicated teams to help you right away. No matter how awesome your in-house team might be, they will take a break, go on holidays or be otherwise unavailable.
In-house IT is prone to extensive disruptions, while one of the advantages of outsourcing is guaranteed uptime. Many IT companies will guarantee smooth operations and their professional reputation hinged on that promise.
Expertise
An in-house IT team might know the ins and outs of your business, but little else. On the contrary, active outsourced IT support teams know business technology like no other and can apply their expertise right away.
By investing in a dependable outsourced IT contract, you are harnessing the collective technical experience of many top-tier specialists.
Cost-Effectiveness
In-house teams might seem inexpensive at first, but if you take into account salaries, hardware expenses, software licenses, cloud service subscriptions, and maintenance costs, outsourced solutions start to look more and more attractive.
Price is not the main advantage of outsourcing, but it can be a deciding factor, especially if you are running a start-up on a tight budget.
A small in-house IT team can cost your team tens of thousands of pounds each year. On the other hand, the cost of outsourced IT support can vary greatly, depending on quality and scale. However, almost all small and medium sized businesses will cover all their IT needs at a fraction of in-house costs.
Security
Unless your in-house team specializes in IT security, then their efforts will sooner or later put your company’s sensitive data at risk.
Outsourced IT services specialize in protecting against digital threats such as hacking. By keeping up with the most advanced security methods and tools, third party IT providers can safeguard your digital assets.
Security is another aspect of cost-effectiveness. Your company needs the infrastructure to ensure adequate security compliance. Investing in cybersecurity reduces risks associated with data breaches, which can be extremely costly.
The Less Obvious Advantages
In addition to the above, well-known and understood advantages, there are several, less obvious advantages to outsourcing IT support and services for your small business. Let’s see some things many small business owners overlook.
No Hidden Costs
What if your business needs only minimal IT? Sure, in-house IT support might like a more inexpensive decision if you only need a single computer, but consider hidden costs. In-house IT comes with numerous miscellaneous, hidden and not so obvious expenses.
An extra risk comes from you, the business owner, thinking you can deal with your IT yourself. This is a big mistake, as it will drain your time and resources. Instead of investing your efforts in growing your business, you might be trapped trying to fix your PC!
Versatility
An in-house IT team runs the risk of becoming pigeonholed in their own bubble. But as your business changes and evolves, your IT services must adapt accordingly. Outsourced IT providers have seen it all, and can quickly adapt their services to match your shifting needs.
Scalability
Similar to the above, if you are planning to grow your company, you must be prepared to scale up IT support. This is costly and often impractical with in-house IT teams that are often fixed in size and scope.
By investing in an IT provider, you are leveraging a readily scalable IT solution that will seamlessly expand to cover your needs as your business grows.
Resource Optimization
If you are already employing an IT expert for a different task in your business (for example, building apps), you might want to consider their time and effort. By having key talent in your company spending time in IT support, you might be wasting their potential in doing other, more productive things.
Outsourcing IT helps you optimize your human resources, freeing your employees to do what they do best.
Trustworthy Advice
One final less obvious advantage of outsourcing is that of trust. Running a small business can be a lonely task, but it doesn’t have to be. By partnering with a trustworthy technical support and IT services partner, you gain a powerful and knowledgeable ally.
Building a professional relationship with your IT services partner will give you insight into how to best conduct your business in relation to IT, as well as access to a company that has seen many businesses such as yours.
Advantages of Outsourcing IT Support – Your Company Deserves it
Consider this: an IT partner’s best interest lies in helping your company grow and thrive. Their success lies in helping you become successful.
We hope it’s obvious from the above that finding a reputable IT partner to offer you outsourced IT support to businesses carried numerous obvious and indirect advantages. Such a partner will offer you a bespoke IT solution for your company that is scalable and cost-effective, empowering you to grow.
So, consider your options, weigh the benefits and see what’s best for you and your small business. We are confident that we have given you all you need to make an informed decision!