In the era of innovative technologies, no business can grow without quality IT support. However, the IT world is changing at lightning speed, making it more and more difficult even for large companies to keep pace with that constant evolution. Needless to say, small businesses often find themselves in a pretty complicated situation, trying to facilitate reliable IT support within their budgets. Unfortunately, the one-size-fits-all approach is not what can really work for smaller enterprises, all the more so, it is always more expensive.
No doubt, the dream of every business owner (including you) is to provide for their company top-notch IT support that can easily fit into the budget and deliver tailored solutions. Here you have it: an in-depth guide on how to make this dream come true – quickly and hassle-free.
Add Value to Your Business Through Outsourcing
Generally speaking, businesses have two options to get IT support – to build a dedicated in-house team or to outsource. Let’s start with the first option, an in-house team. We bet, having an armed squad of professionals right inside your building and at your full disposal sounds to you really great, doesn’t it?
Well, it does but only if you can afford to hire full-time staff, which the majority of small and medium companies cannot. Why not take a look at some figures and make the situation crystal clear? For instance, at Network London you can see a good infographic that compares costs for a wide range of IT services when using your in-house team or outsourcing. Not only outsourced IT services cost four times less than the in-house option but it also provides for higher performances.
Long story short, IT outsourcing significantly reduces your costs, at the same time boosting the quality of the service through implementing state-of-the-art software tools. Plus, it eliminates the risk of investing your hard-earned money in ineffective or wrong solutions.
Define Your Needs and Wants
To get the biggest bang for the buck, you should look for services that your company really needs – no one-size-fits-all recipe. The roster of IT services available is quite extensive and can vary dramatically from one provider to another. However, the best providers of IT support often have it all under one roof – a kind of one-stop-shop for everything you might be interested in.
It’s up to you whether to opt for a full package that includes all conceivable and inconceivable services, from app and software development or database management to customer service and IP telephones and communications. Other commonly outsourced areas are infrastructure design and management, IT, technical and helpdesk support, email hosting and replication, as well as cybersecurity testing and management, to name a few.
However, if you are running a CPA practice and need to collect, organize, and analyze your data, CPA data solutions can help you with specific services related to that. So, before you start looking for an IT partner, you should clearly define what your business really needs.
When IT Support Is Really Top-Notch
As soon as you compile the list of services you need, you can start looking for a decent provider. Do not rush to conclusions and do not strike a deal until you are sure, you’ve found your perfect fit. With a plethora of different IT service providers out there, it might be challenging to estimate the quality of each of them. To give you a hand, here are a couple of words on what you should consider top-notch IT support.
To start with, do not settle for less than a dedicated account manager – a person who will know every little detail which is significant to you and your business. There is nothing worse than being unable to quickly solve an issue just because no one seems to be in charge of this particular field or question. The next thing is how fast your every issue can be addressed – make sure that picking up a support call is a matter of seconds for your future provider. Although the great bulk of issues are usually solved remotely, keep in mind that some problems will seek an onsite visit and you do not want to wait for ages – an hour or so for a big city is awesome.
Do not forget that even though IT services largely rely on state-of-the-art software and tools, people are still the main driving force. Look for a team of seasoned IT engineers certified in Microsoft or Apple technology and well-versed in all aspects of their work including network administration.
When it comes to office space, failures and shortcomings within your IT infrastructure not only negatively affect performances and productivity (read revenues) but also dwarf your chances to grow. Before you commit to relocation, check to make sure the communications infrastructure will meet your needs. On the other side, quality and reliable IT systems make a strong base for staying ahead of the competition and reaching your goals in a faster and more advantageous way.
And if you are looking for office space, we can help with our network of top local tenant reps. They will make sure you avoid costly mistakes, like poor infrastructure. Contact us today for more information on how we can help. No cost or obligation.