Why would I want managed IT?
As a business owner I’m certain you’re passionate about what you do! You started your business because what you do means a lot to you and you want to share your experience, expertise and passion with those around you. You probably didn’t start your business so you could wade through technology instruction manuals, software update schedules, and tech releases. While keeping up-to-date on the tech you use in your business is necessary, and can help you grow and can help make your business more efficient, there are days when it’s just overwhelming and annoying! It can be a huge waste of time and that is the last thing you need as a business owner.
Big businesses have an entire staff of IT professionals to help with these problems. But if you’re a small business or a shop of one, you probably can’t afford that, and the good news is you don’t need to! Managed IT professionals can help you handle all the IT headaches and make your technology work for you, without the price tag associated with a full-time staff.
Ok. So maybe you have a point. But how does a managed IT professional really help my business?
First they’re experts! Just like you’re an expert at your craft and others come to you to advise and provide services or sell your goods, IT professionals know their stuff. If you hire an IT pro to maintain your technology for you, they’re keeping up with your needs, the latest tech trends, latest security updates, and so much more, to make sure they can provide your business with great service and keep you worry free. When you experience a problem they’ve probably already seen it and solved it. Which means they can save you time on researching, dealing with consequences or unresolved technology issues, and worrying about how your business will run. Instead they can resolve problems quickly and get you up and running in no time.
In fact, having a managed IT professional contracted with your business could help you avoid the problems in the first place! Because they are involved in consistent maintenance on your hardware and software and they’re familiar with your business practices, they can help catch a problem before it even occurs. By being proactive and performing required maintenance you can make sure that all of your equipment is running the way it should be and is replaced as it begins to reach the end of it’s life. This way your business is much less likely to be interrupted by problems.
And if an issue were to occur, you could have recovery and disaster prevention plans set up with your managed IT contractor to make sure that situations are handled quickly, efficiently with as little loss of your precious business data as possible!
But won’t it be expensive?
In reality contracting with a professional could save you money in the long run. Yes, there is a cost involved, though it is not as expensive as you might think. A managed IT contractor charges just a fraction of what even a single full-time employee would cost and is typically able to provide you with everything your business actually needs.
Additionally, the valuable service you’re paying for brings more to your business than it costs you. The lack of down-time trying to recover data or replace equipment helps your business continue to earn money without delays.
An experienced IT pro will also be there to perform technology audits and make sure that the hardware and software you’re purchasing is exactly what your business needs. You won’t have to worry about purchasing things that can’t keep up and having to upgrade too quickly. You also won’t have to be concerned with buying too much and wasting money. You want to make sure that every dollar you spend stretches as far as possible, and your IT professional can help you do just that.
Working with a good managed IT company also means less time keeping track of IT expenses and planning for big changes ahead of time. Nothing throws off a budget like a surprise expense, which can be costly if it prevents you from making other important business investments. Planning for technology growth and updates and maintenance helps prevent the costs associated with a sudden budgetary surprise!
So how would I hire someone to help with my IT needs?
You’ll want to reach out and speak to the professionals in your area about your needs. Make sure they understand your business and goals, your approach to technology and what role technology plays in your day to day. It’s also important that you find someone you can get along with. After all you’ll be seeing them on a regular basis and want to make sure that you have a good working relationship!
We, at Seraphim Systems would love to hear from those of you in the Columbia, Missouri area and chat about your business, your managed IT needs and how your business can benefit from working with us.
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