How to Afford Quality IT Services on a Limited Budget
With the global IT managed services market set to reach around $319.5 billion by 2024, it’s clear that companies are conscious of how important it is to collaborate with a reliable IT partner to look after their tech needs. However, if you’re a small business owner, do you really need an IT services provider and is it even possible to afford quality IT services on a limited budget?
Absolutely. Here’s what you should know about selecting a service provider and devising a cost-effective IT plan to suit your business needs.
Why small businesses need IT service providers
SMB’s can’t afford NOT to partner with IT service providers.
Evidence shows that downtime can cost SMBs up to $100,000 per hour, and a recent report showed that 86% of SMBs surveyed had experienced a ransomware attack. IT service providers have the expertise to help shield you from these attacks and get you up and running again quickly in the event of a breach.
Furthermore, you’re only one call away from comprehensive, bespoke IT support exactly when you need it,. Whether your computer froze or a server crashed.
Most importantly, service providers are placed to keep your business moving – and they don’t have to cost the world.
Tips for picking cost-effective IT services
When you’re choosing IT services, you must balance the need for effective IT support with the realities of what you can afford. Here are some tips for planning for IT services on a limited budget.
Assess your current costs
Look at how much you’re spending right now on downtime and system inefficiencies. Consider how much time, money, and resources your employees spend on IT problems, whether it’s training someone else how to use a program, troubleshooting, or waiting for crashing computers to reboot.
Chances are, you’re already spending more than you realize on IT issues. Now is the time to streamline these costs.
Come up with a strategy
Decide what your IT priorities are. Perhaps you work in a sector where regulatory compliance is critical, or maybe your IT support needs are fairly administrative and minimal. Be clear on what you need so you can communicate this to a service provider.
Look for a flexible service plan
Most service providers offer flexible support levels. Meaning that you only pay for the services you use, and you’re never paying for things like extra storage and backup capacity that you don’t need.
Moreover, choose a plan that you can scale to your evolving business needs, whether it’s flexible cloud storage or server usage. This helps you streamline costs and budget for the future.
Ask questions
It’s vital that you partner with providers who understand your sector and your particular IT needs. This way, you can ensure you comply with any sector-specific regulations such as data protection. Ask as many questions as you need to in order to make a decision.
Remember, don’t rush – identifying what IT services your business needs. Choosing the right service provider for your company takes time.
Conclusion
With a reliable IT service provider on your side, you can minimize downtime, increase productivity, and ultimately improve your ROI. For more information on how you can get quality IT Services on a limited budget and choosing the right IT service offerings for your business, contact us today.