The 5 biggest ways external IT supports small businesses 

Now, more than ever, protecting your IT assets is incredibly important and challenging. You have to make decisions wisely to ensure that your limited resources are used effectively.

Hiring a reliable IT professional internally can be challenging, expensive, and result in lost productivity if they’re away on holidays or ill. Fortunately, you can rely on external IT service providers, who can act as your outsourced IT department.

How can a reliable outsourced IT team help your business?

External or outsourced IT service providers can benefit your business in the following ways:

1. Provide solutions to combat cybersecurity threats.

If you hire the right IT provider, you’ll have a team of experienced security professionals protecting your business. They’ll bring far more expertise than if you were to hire a single person. Plus, because they have security-focused professionals, they’re able to stay on top of the latest threats and emerging best practices.

2. Help you stay compliant with industry regulations.

If you’re in an industry that is highly regulated, you know there are lots of things you have to do with your IT to remain compliant. You should be able to rely on your IT provider to support your compliance needs.

3. Help you make decisions about the latest technology trends.

The world of IT changes rapidly and most of us have a hard time keeping up. But your IT provider gets to know your organization and they can tell you when something new will be a benefit to your business and when it won’t.

4. Optimize your productivity and efficiency.

When your team is struggling with IT issues, they’re less productive and frustrated. Small, persistent problems shouldn’t hold your team back. And, a Managed IT provider will keep you up and running to minimize downtime.

5. They are available when you need them.

One of the biggest problems small businesses have with internal IT employees, is that if they are on holidays, away sick, or leave your company, you’re left with no IT support. When you hire a Managed IT provider you get a team of professionals and don’t have to worry about those kind of service disruptions.

You choose what works for your business

You have a few different options when it comes to choosing IT services. You can outsource your technology needs entirely to an external IT service provider or use a hybrid approach where you enlist their services in addition to your in-house team. Outsourcing IT services can be a great way to get access to expertise that you might not have in-house or to support an over-worked IT employee.

At Horizon, we understand that every business is different and has unique needs. To get started, reach out to us, and let us know about your business needs. Our TotalCare Managed IT is priced on a per-user basis for a fixed monthly fee and is a reliable, affordable way to manage your IT. If you have more questions, we have an eBook How to Choose Reliable IT Services for Small Businesses that is a great resource to help choose an IT service provider.