Small business owners are pleased with getting the whole thing done with few people. Every team member wears many hats. They are part of a family, dedicated to the firm’s success. But that doesn’t make them qualified to manage IT. Really, you’re never too small to outsource your technology needs.
A small business may only have a few computers for its few employees so having an in-house person dedicated to IT support would be overkill. But just because the technology is working fine today doesn’t mean your IT is performing at its best. That’s why it can be beneficial to outsource IT.
Having someone who knows technology working for your team can pay huge dividends. Outsourcing will add value by:
- helping you avoid bad tech purchases or buying software you don’t need;
- identifying where you can be more efficient with tools you already have, which can save money;
- providing knowledgeable support and IT help;
- learning business needs and making recommendations about the best IT for your goals;
- protecting your business technology and ensuring computers are up to date with security patches.
Small Business Breaches
Cyber-criminals don’t care about business size. In fact, according to Accenture 43% of cyber-attacks were aimed at small-medium businesses (SMB) and only 14% of the SMBs were prepared for defending their networks and sensitive data.
In fact, a small business can be a particularly appealing target. Hackers will exploit a small business as part of a campaign to attack a larger business. They know the SMB is less likely to have the same level of security as the bigger target in their sights.
Accenture’s 2019 study found that more than half of all small businesses had suffered a breach in the last year. These attacks can be crippling. According to insurance carrier Hiscox, the average cyber-attack costs a business $290,000+ AUD. That figure can be a killer blow for a small business. Some 60% of SMBs hacked go out of business within six months of the attack. Even if they can survive the financial hit, damage to brand reputation and customer goodwill is devastating.
Advantages of Outsourcing
You may not have a clear picture of your cyber-security status right now, but by working with Inteck IT, your local accredited managed service provider, you will get one. We will conduct an informal audit of your current technology and learn your short- and long-term goals.
Your small business, for instance, may not have a data protection procedure. You might be thinking you don’t have a lot to backup and store. But the quantity may not be the primary concern. Can you recover if your business loses an email chain it was keeping for legal or compliance reasons? What would happen if the computer holding your accounting database died? Inteck IT can identify where tech changes can better ensure business continuity.
When you outsource, we will complete an inventory all your tech assets so we can learn everything about your infrastructure and your business’s technology capabilities. Your current team may recognise the importance of securing the business’s intellectual property, but are they also protecting customer data and employee records? Your business needs to be intentional about confidentiality, availability, and safety.
The cost of outsourcing is often a stumbling block for the budget-conscious SMB. Managed IT services can often lower costs for clients by streamlining processes, managing vendor relationships and ensuring that the business technology is best suited to current needs. And you’ll pay a fixed regular fee for a technology team member who will help you avoid big, costly tech surprises.
No business is too small to outsource IT. Having access to a full-time IT professional via a managed service provider can improve your operations, enhance productivity, and lower cyber-security risk.
Find out more about what we can do for you! Call us on 1300 39 65 65.