When you operate a smaller business, it sometimes means doing a lot with relatively few resources. That means every expenditure must produce the maximum amount of benefit. Outsourcing is one way to make the most of the available resources. In fact, you should consider outsourcing your IT needs as part of the setup. Here are some of the reasons why opting for IT outsourcing Seattle could be the right solution for your small business.
Operating With a Leaner Workforce
The cost of operation is something that’s constantly on you mind. You don’t want for anything to be left undone, nor do you want to pay your employees less than an equitable wage or salary. Even so, there’s only so much money to go around.
Opting to outsource your IT needs means being able to operate with fewer employees. That frees up more money to ensure that those who do work for you are paid properly and have reasonable benefits. It also helps to provide more control over your bottom line and makes it a little easier to achieve profitability each month.
Less Disruptions Due to Illness or Employees Taking Time Off
The last thing you want is for an employee to come to work when he or she is ill. The same is true if the employee has vacation time coming and needs to use it as a way to enjoy a breather from the daily grind of working. While you don’t begrudge the time taken, there’s no getting around the fact that it does mean someone else has to cover essential tasks until those employees return.
If you’ve made the decision to outsource the IT functions, this is one area where employees taking sick or vacation days will not disrupt the normal flow of things. Your partner will ensure that even if part of your support team is out due to illness or for vacations, the rest of the team is still in place. In fact, you may not be aware that some of the support team is not available for one reason or another. All you know is that the help is there when and as you need it.
More Funds That You Can Divert For Other Purposes
While some of the money you save by working with an IT outsource partner can go toward employee pay and benefits, another portion can be invested in other parts of the business. The money you save may be used to fund a marketing campaign or pay for attending a conference or convention where you could encounter plenty of prospective clients. It could also be used to help pay for new office equipment.
You may even decide to allocate a portion of the money saved for deposit in some sort of interest-bearing account. That account could be drawn on in the future if there was a temporary downturn in generated revenue.
Access to the Latest in IT Developments
A great benefit that comes with IT outsourcing Seattle is access to professionals who keep abreast with the latest developments in Information Technology. They’re aware of what’s happening with new software and hardware development. As your partner gets to know your business well, it will be easier to identify newer technology that would benefit your operation.
With an in-house team managing the IT functions, it would be up to you to pay for them to attend seminars and take classes that keep them up to date on the latest developments. Since you have an outsource partner, you get to enjoy the benefits of what they learn without having to directly pay for the classes and seminars they attend.
And Keeping Up to Date on Compliance Requirements
Making sure the company network is fully compliant with current standards is important for a number of reasons. One of the more important ones has to do with security. You don’t want anyone to gain access to proprietary data, either for the purpose of stealing it or modifying it in a way that harms your business.
Having an outsource team that takes care of your network makes it all the easier to implement the latest updates and ensure it remains in full compliance. It also means that any attempts to breach the network are identified and stopped before any damage can be done. The result is that you can rest easy knowing your network and your data are always protected.
Ongoing Network Monitoring and Maintenance
Maintaining a network is not something that has to be done by a team directly under your employ. It’s possible to set up access for your outsource partner so that monitoring and maintenance can be conducted remotely. Even when the outsource team isn’t physically present at your place of business, they can be engaging in tasks that keep your network strong and secure.
Keep in mind this perk also means they may be able to handle a number of issues remotely rather than having to come to your place of business. Think of how nice it would be to call with an issue, remain on the line with a professional for a few moments, and find the problem is resolved.
Add to the Efficiency and Productivity of Your Employees
The ability to take care of some issues remotely leads into another perk that can be yours if you choose to go with IT outsourcing. It has to do with avoiding downtime and ensuring your employees can make better use of the hours they spend on the job.
With many businesses today, dependence on networks and computing is common. Simply put, a network that’s not functioning properly leaves employees with relatively little they can do. Until the issue is resolved, they may not be able to enter data into a program, look up data requested by customers or that’s needed to finish reports, or to manage a number of tasks.
Thanks to the quick resolution offered by a remote IT team, the amount of time spent waiting for the network to be up and running again is kept to a minimum. Your employees get more done each business day, something that ultimately benefits everyone.
There are a number of other advantages that could be yours if you opt for IT outsourcing. Talk with a professional today and learn more about them. You may find that this approach provides the ideal way to balance the need for support with the necessity of keeping expenses lower.