Many small businesses don’t have the funds to afford a full time in house IT Support team. But in today’s world, every business needs technology to be functional, efficient, and profitable. 

For your business to succeed and stay ahead of its competitors, it requires reliable IT support when need be.

Hiring an IT staff is one option, but as mentioned previously can be costly, especially when your business is in its initial stages.

Outsourcing IT support services to a managed service provider is a fantastic option for your business and a worthwhile investment. There are so many advantages when choosing a managed service provider over an in-house IT team. Not only is managed IT services significantly cheaper than hiring in house (since you only pay for the services provided), you can access IT specialists across all areas.  It is rare to have an in-house IT specialist who’s skilled in all corners of IT. You may have one and still end up outsourcing some tasks. Unfortunately, it is uncommon that someone can singly provide you with the entire IT support your business needs.

Many entrepreneurs and business owners don’t know when it is time to switch to full service IT support. Here are some of the signs that it is time to use a managed service provider.

1. You’re Spending Too Much Time Troubleshooting

Things going haywire with IT hardware and software is a problem many small businesses face. The difference comes in how much time it takes to troubleshoot the problem and then continue with smooth business operations. 

Whether your customer relationship management system is not saving new entries or your hosting service provider has let you down, you need to resolve all IT issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

An IT specialist with remote access to your network can resolve many issues remotely. Troubleshooting the problem will be prompt, and with a reliable full service IT support company, will your business will never be out of operation due to IT issues.

2. Cyber Security Threats

If you have not yet encountered a cyber security attack, it might be on the horizon. You never know who is trying to intercept your network. If you have not put any security measures to combat cyber crime, it is time to liaise with a full service IT support company.

Hackers can bring your business to a standstill. Installing Antivirus and other computer security software can often be not enough as hackers are improving their expertise every day. To be on the safe side, you need to work closely with an IT specialist, who can identify and advise on any potential cyber crime threats. 

In addition to this, there are new regulations and legislation regarding customer data. Your company is accountable if an authorised person takes advantage of a security breach to access and use your company information and customer data. 

A full service IT support company will advise you on the corrective security measures you should take to curb all the cyber security threats.

3. Your Business is Growing

Your IT infrastructure needs to grow with your business. You will only be able to expand into a medium and large scale business when you have the infrastructure to facilitate your operations. 

Relying on an infrastructure that does not meet your needs is not cost-effective. Outsourcing full service IT support service will ensure you have the most appropriate technology for your business. With the right technology and infrastructure, the productivity of your business keeps on rising.

4. Your Costs are High 

How you utilise business funds is extremely important to whether your business will stay afloat, and there may be times where you need to reassess costs in order to make cuts.

It is true that your business will eventually, if not already, need some degree of IT support to maintain operation. Whilst there are 2 commonly used IT providers – in house staff and third- party IT support providers – the variance in these costs can be significant. The average salary of IT technician is $72,422 a year, a large cost for a small business to incur, especially given they may not even get their money’s worth. With the view of reducing costs, it is much more cost effective to use a managed service provider, as you pay for the service when required.