Can Small Businesses Afford Proactive Managed IT Support?
Affordable Small Business IT Support
When determining the affordability and Return on Investment (ROI) of engaging with Proactive Managed IT Support Providers, Small Business Owners often find themselves in a position of trying to balance a limited budget while making sure they have the proper tools to grow their business. It is a challenge many business owners face, in that they recognise the need for additional products or services that will allow their business to continue to thrive. However, funds may be in short supply to achieve these goals.
Faced with this challenge, many small business owners are forced to make difficult decisions as to where they can afford to spend money to improve their business. One of the areas in which business owners are on the fence is whether or not hiring a Proactive Managed IT Support Services Provider is something they can afford. In some cases the cost is not worth the benefits, however there are many situations where cutting costs will end up costing you more money in the long run. Here are a few reasons why managed IT support service providers may be more affordable than the alternative.
Technology – In order to be competitive today, small businesses must remain up-to-speed with current technology. The amount of money invested in this area can be quite large, making it necessary to ensure you have someone in your corner who can help manage and support the technology used in your business. While the average person is becoming increasingly well versed in the use of basic technology, there remains a need for experts in the industry to ensure your business can stay up and running on a daily basis as well as in the event of a natural or man made emergency.
Internal IT Department – Larger corporations have the budget necessary to support an internal IT department that provides expertise and support of the technology used by the company. Small businesses do not have the same resources and often find themselves either without backup or paying a high price when they have to bring in an outside expert.
Services provided by Proactive Managed IT Support Providers, also known as Manged Service Providers (MSP’s) – When a small business enlists the help of a Proactive Managed IT Support Service Provider, they will agree to a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which covers specific services at a specific price. This allows the the small business owner to see upfront what they are paying for and how it will work in the budget.
Depending on the business, these services can be customised to meet the specific needs of the client, making it possible to reduce costs in certain areas. There are many reasons why a small business owner might feel Proactive Managed IT Support service providers are not something they can afford. Unfortunately the services provided are often not realised until there is an emergency, where small business owners quickly discover the amount of money spent to “fix” a problem or recover from a disaster is much more expensive than planning for it in the first place. In this case it is not a matter of if you can afford Proactive Managed IT Support services, rather if you can afford NOT to have them.