Small business owners are going to experience the highest of highs and lowest of lows throughout their career journey. When it comes to certain small business pain points there are a few that are a frequent thread amongst most company owners.
For many small business owners, one of the greatest pain points is managing your company’s IT needs and demands. From combatting turnover to sudden information losses, demands on your IT team are large, which is one of the reasons why it’s a pain point uniquely difficult for small business owners. It’s also why many small business owners are turning to managed IT services, as they serve as your IT department without you having to manage it all on your own.
While there are many pain points that small business owners deal with, here are some of the most common when it comes to IT:
IT Pain Points for Small Business Owners Solved by Managed Services
Implementing New Technology
How do you implement new technology if you are not even ready to utilize it? A business might feel “prepared” to implement new technology, but in a rush to use something that can improve a business, small businesses might not realize their company isn’t quite ready.
If small businesses are concerned about their ability to roll out technology, the biggest mistake they can make is to forego implementation. Instead, working with a Managed IT Services partner will give them both the technological ability and peace of mind to confidently move forward with the roll out. The best small business owners know when it is time to work with a partner that can help take them to the next level.
Data Loss
A growing IT and technology pain point for small business owners is data loss. In fact, downtime and stagnation from data losses cost small business owners thousands of dollars per day, which can be unsustainable or worse, fatal. That is why it’s imperative for your IT team (in-house or outsourced) to develop and maintain a business continuity plan unique to your company. However, the issue is, many businesses are without both a plan and an IT team.
If you’re without a business continuity program, consider partnering with a managed IT provider. This way, as soon as a threat or disaster strikes, your company can get back to business as usual without downtime or delay.
IT Department Turnover
If your business has an in-house IT department, you are well versed with this pain point. You consistently confront higher on-boarding expenses due to frequent hiring. During the hiring process, IT departments at small businesses also experience a higher workload, which can cause service bottlenecks and exacerbate regeneration problems even more.
For many businesses, partnering with a Managed IT Services provider solves this pain point. By outsourcing your IT solutions, you can focus your resources on attaining your company’s primary objectives. This could be such as expanding to a new market, opening another location, or nurturing client relationships. Managed IT Service partners also help you optimize your budget and spending — without sacrificing the standard of your IT services.
The Bring Your Own Device Trend
Today, more employees are working at home and using their personal devices rather than the traditionally company provided machine. It’s the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend, and from what we can tell, it is here to stay.
The threat, however, is that staff members are accessing private and sensitive business information with unsecured smartphones, which may leave your business vulnerable to a data breach. It’s another reason small business owners are entrusting managed service partners with the management of their mobile devices. These services provide your business with the option of letting their chosen provider handle the daily monitoring and management of all systems.
Accessibility
With more employees working out of their homes, co-working spaces or coffee shops it is a priority that your documents are accessible whenever and wherever your team needs them. Developing, implementing and launching a cloud computing solution, demands a significant investment of your IT department’s time and resources. The go-to remedy with this small business pain point is using a cloud computing alternative from a reliable third party.
Partnering with a Managed IT Services partner to help you research, plan and execute this new solution is your best bet. Business owners can provide the vision while they sit back and let their chosen provider be the arms and legs.
Unprepared for Cyberattacks
You might think that hackers only go after banks and big businesses with large quantities of data. But that assumption is wrong. Hackers are more likely to target small businesses as these are the ones who are less likely to have security measures in place.
The biggest threat to small businesses are phishing emails and account takeovers. With the level of technology the hackers have at their disposal, they can easily send phishing emails to your network that will trick the savviest of team members. Making sure to train your team members on how to spot a phishing email is crucial.
This is again where a Managed Services Provider can help calm this pain point. They will provide training to your company to make sure that each of your employees can spot a threat when it lands in their inbox.
Resolve Your IT Pain Points with Charlotte IT Solutions
Small business owners wear many hats. The must be the visionary, the operator and maintain all of the financials. But there is one hat they no longer need to wear: The IT Department. Outsource your IT needs to a skilled and professional Managed Services Partner and sleep easy knowing this is one pain point you no longer need to stress over.