Running a business is no small feat. In addition to budgeting and accounting tasks, you must monitor your supply chain, coordinate vendor activities, manage marketing, and, above all, provide high quality goods or services to your customers. Underpinning and supporting all these activities, however, is your IT infrastructure. For many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), allocating the right number of staff — and amount of the budget — to their IT department is a daunting task and many end up opting for a “set it and forget it” IT environment, which is neither secure nor realistic.
However, many SMBs struggle with finding the right balance of staff — and sourcing personnel with the right skill levels. After all, IT technology is constantly evolving, requiring IT staff to have up-to-date or deep knowledge of specific areas of focus. With smaller pools of resources, most SMBs simply don’t have the budget to attract the high-functioning talent they need to keep their infrastructure running at maximum capacity.
How to Get a High-Powered IT Department on a Smaller Budget
According to a recent survey, most SMBs are spending somewhere between $10K and $49K every year on technology, with more than half of them feeling like this was too little to properly support their IT needs.
To determine the right level of staffing for your IT needs, you must consider several factors including:
- Business size and budget considerations
- Whether you have in-house applications that need support
- How many devices you manage overall
- Whether you are supporting remote users
- Whether you require around-the-clock monitoring and support
Another consideration for in-house staffing, especially for those businesses with a very small IT department, is how you will get the service you need in the event your staff takes personal or sick leave.
Solving the IT Staffing Problem the Easy Way
One of the best ways to overcome IT staffing issues and gain the advantages of a high-powered IT department on a smaller budget is to outsource IT tasks to a skilled managed services provider (MSP). Using third-party providers to augment a smaller IT staff — or, for those businesses with no in-house IT support, to act as your IT staff — is a smart way to get access to personnel with deep knowledge of the industry without having deep pockets.
Outsourcing your IT needs allows your business to:
- Lower costs while gaining access to expert knowledge
- Free up in-house staff to focus on core tasks
- Achieve continuity and risk management
- Stay abreast of evolving cybersecurity threats and maintain a higher level of compliance
- Manage remote or hybrid work environments more effectively
- Gain access to higher level technologies such as cloud computing, automation, and data processing
Your MSP’s focus is on IT only, so they have the resources to attract talent with high-level and current knowledge of all areas of evolving technology. Outsourcing not only ensures that your infrastructure is properly designed and maintained, but also that someone is available 24/7 for monitoring, troubleshooting, and repair. Additionally, you’ll have one simple, predictable monthly payment for these services, making budgeting easier and removing the possibility of an unexpected cash outlay if disaster should strike.
Partner with CDS for Leading Edge Managed IT
As a Managed Network Services (MNS) provider with fifty years in business, we have developed a deep understanding of the IT management challenges faced by our clients of all sizes and across a wide range of industries. Our unique set of services offers you access to highly skilled IT professionals around the clock, helping to prevent unscheduled downtime and protecting your systems from evolving cybersecurity threats.
In addition, we offer a full range of services, from infrastructure assessment and structuring, routine updates and maintenance, remote monitoring, and disaster recovery to problem diagnosis, cloud computing and more — all for one predictable monthly cost.
Put a high-powered team of IT professionals to work for you today. Contact a CDS representative and learn how our Managed Network Services can help you get the most value for your IT budget.
