As a small business owner, are you 100 percent sure your IT setup is what you need to grow your business and ensure your operations keep running smoothly? If you don’t know the answer right away, there’s a good chance you could benefit from working with one of the many information technology firms available. Even with a tight budget, it pays for businesses to work with IT consulting firms – an IT consultant can mean the difference between having a system that meets your customers’ (and your company’s) needs versus losing business because of an IT failure you didn’t know to prevent.
Common Services IT Consulting Firms Provide
Technology evaluation and support. To remain competitive, your IT system must stay current with the latest technologies. It can be expensive to absorb the costs related to upgrading your technologies on your own, but good managed IT service providers take on these costs and install the programs and hardware you need as part of your service package, so you only have to enjoy the benefits.
Data backup and disaster recovery. One of the most vital support measures managed service providers offer is a before-and-after disaster plan to help ensure business continuity and minimize losses.
Computer, network and server support. As an SMB, you may not have the resources or the need to hire in-house IT staff. IT consulting firms act as a backup tech support, help desk and more when you need it.
Security and remote monitoring. With the specialized programs IT consulting firms use, they can monitor your system remotely at every hour of the day. This service helps prevent security breaches and defends your system against attacks even when you’re not in the office.
IT Managed Services vs. In-House Staff
The roles in-house IT staff members generally fill are CIO (chief information officer), systems engineer and help desk. As an SMB, you may not need full- or part-time employees to fill these roles, and your budget may not allow for expenses related to worker’s compensation insurance, employee benefits, payroll expenses and so on. For a fraction of the cost of hiring an employee, information technology consulting firms can take care of your IT needs, help increase productivity, eliminate redundancies and give you more flexibility in your budget as well as in the services you receive.
How to Assess the IT Managed Services Your Business Needs
You don’t have to try to assess the IT needs of your SMB alone. While you may have a basic idea of what your SMB needs (for example, the occasional in-house expert or the ability to link hardware), IT consulting firms can help you pinpoint your priorities based on your business and IT goals. When you partner with a managed service provider, your consultant will discuss your IT system’s challenges and assets with you, compare them to your goals and then evaluate the degree of services you need to create a tailored package.
With an IT consulting firm by your side, you can start to rid your business of the technological limitations that were holding it back. By maintaining clear, consistent communication with your IT support specialist, you’ll no doubt have a successful experience, spend less time worrying about your IT system and maximize your return.
About the Article: This article is brought to you by Deepika Dhatia, Director of Technology Business Solutions at Prosum Technology Services, one of the fasted growing IT consulting firms in Southern California.