Small business owners by nature wear many hats to run and manage their companies. In many cases those responsibilities, while crucial to the operation of the business, are not the company’s primary focus. One of these functions is running a small business’ information technology or relying on internal staff to update, upkeep and maintain their IT despite technology not being their specific area of expertise.
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Small business owners by nature wear many hats to run and manage their companies. In many cases those responsibilities, while crucial to the operation of the business, are not the company's primary focus. One of these functions is running a small business' information technology or relying on internal staff to update, upkeep and maintain their IT despite technology not being their specific area of expertise.
With the challenges business owners face today and the importance technology has on running the business, and the importance access to data has on meeting client needs, many small business owners are seeking ways to outsource their technology.
However, concerns — such as lack of time, data security, vendor trustworthiness, unknown costs, etc. — often paralyze business owners into inaction. This is actually worse, as existing IT infrastructure becomes obsolete and there is an increasing demand to have access to a company's information and data at any time, from any platform and from anywhere.
These concerns and the myth that outsourcing IT is a risk or too expensive have been put to rest by the continued development of the cloud and the competitive advantage it can provide to businesses in more secure, more efficient and cost-effective ways as ever.
The cloud has truly leveled the playing field by giving the small business the performance and security once only available to large enterprises, without having to make the significant capital investments of traditional IT. The value of a technology partner that can effectively help a small business maximize this technology adds to the competitive advantage a small business needs to differentiate itself from its competitors.
Here are some tips for small business owners seeking to outsource their IT services, or those who may be looking to make a switch to a more efficient and cost-effective provider.
Conduct an IT assessment with a reputable and unbiased IT expert.
The transition of outsourcing IT services can be a difficult decision for the leader of a small firm who's accustomed to managing this responsibility in house. Seek an expert who can evaluate the current state of your IT operation, not only from a technological perspective but more importantly from a competitive-advantage perspective.
An IT audit should look at the needs of the business based on its mission, vision, goals and market, and evaluate if the existing IT infrastructure meets those needs or not, and recommend cost-effective solutions as part of the IT assessment finding's report.
Understand that cloud and mobile technology can be leveraged to enhance the growth and development of your business at a lower cost.
Many small businesses believe that outsourcing their technology means the need to purchase expensive hardware and services. This is not always the case as cloud services actually eliminate the need for costly hardware such as servers and routers, while providing all the security, data back-up and access a business needs to compete and succeed.
Recognize it may actually cost you more to manage your IT in-house.
Every hour a business owner devotes to managing his or her own IT is an hour not devoted to customer service, new business development, product and service improvements, managing staff and other vital operations of the business.
A small business owner's time is more valuable and better spent on their core business and attending to customers than in running, updating their IT or trying to fix an employee's IT issue.
Carlos Perez is a principal at Hartford-based Perez Technology Group.
