For businesses with the right technology, the sky’s the limit.
When used correctly, technology is sure to work wonders for your SMB. From enhancing established processes to automating repeatable tasks, there’s a lot you can do with advanced tech tools in your arsenal.
More importantly, technology can help level the playing field for your SMB, enabling you to compete with the giants in your industry by:
- Engaging a remote workforce.
- Leveraging cloud platforms.
- Streamlining internal and external workflows.
That said, it’s not enough to simply acquire technology. You will need qualified professionals to operate and maintain it. Together known as an IT support team, these experts cater to the IT side of your business, troubleshooting issues, repairing/replacing equipment, upgrading legacy systems, and much more.
First, let’s discuss what your SMB in Bellevue stands to gain from IT support.
Why You Need IT Support in Bellevue
As one of Washington’s most prominent economic engines, Bellevue has often been viewed as a commercial paradise. According to a recent report by the Milken Institute, the Seattle-Bellevue-Kent metropolitan area ranked 13th on the list of the best-performing cities in 2021.
What started as rural farmland is now home to a talented labor pool, a well-connected transportation system, and an innovation-centric culture. Entrepreneurs flock to downtown Bellevue, a thriving center of economic activity and the second-largest city center in Washington.
Small businesses in Bellevue also receive government aid in the form of licensing plans, marketing, product development, and financing options.
With such a fertile business ecosystem, it’s no wonder that Bellevue acts as a magnet for startups from across the nation. However, as more businesses set up shop in the city, existing SMB owners may find themselves struggling to retain their market share.
In this regard, competent IT support in Bellevue can help you achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the market, laying the groundwork for your enterprise as an industry leader.
There are two ways in which your business can gain access to quality IT support - either through full-time in-house technicians or a managed service provider (MSP).
What is Outsourced IT Support?
Your business can be a one-man show in its initial days. But as the workflow increases, you will have to hire more people to keep operations running smoothly.
Labor makes up a significant fraction of a small business’s expenses. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that in December 2020, employee compensation cost employers $38.60 per hour. Wages and salaries accounted for 68.7% of the total labor costs, while benefits accounted for the remaining 31.3%.
In other words, the more people you hire, the more you have to shell out for their pay. You’ll also have to provide for paid leaves, overtime, and yearly bonuses.
For these reasons, you may not want to shoulder the burden of an entire team of tech personnel. However, IT management is a specialized job. It takes considerable expertise and years of training to maintain an enterprise-grade IT infrastructure. Plus, there’s seldom any room for mistakes.
So, if you’re looking for a way to receive professional IT support without running up your labor expenses, you can opt for hiring a managed IT provider.
A managed IT provider is an external IT support company that helps businesses with their tech operations. When you hire an MSP, you gain access to a team of IT experts for a flat rate. As a result, you save yourself the stress of spending roughly $58,555 a year on each member of your internal tech team.
Perks of Hiring Outsourced IT Support in Bellevue
Cutting costs isn’t the only way an MSP benefits your business. Here’s how an external IT firm can set you up for success.
Take the Pressure off Your Existing Employees
Given the IT industry’s acute lack of skilled labor and high attrition rate, tech employees often have to spread themselves too thin. This can easily take a toll on their physical and mental well-being, dampening their productivity.
Furthermore, if your internal IT experts are swamped with tech support requests every day, you can’t expect them to do what they were hired for.
This is where an MSP can help. The external IT support team can take over day-to-day tech maintenance tasks, leaving your in-house technicians to carry out their responsibilities without feeling overburdened.
Connect with Expert Cybersecurity Analysts
Are you sure your network is immune to cybersecurity threats?
It seems 77% of SMBs are not and fear that they will be hit by a cyberattack within the next six months, as per a 2020 report by ConnectWise.
To avoid the hefty repercussions of a cybersecurity incident, you should have a specialized analyst examine your network and patch security gaps as required. Unfortunately, the industry currently lacks competent cybersecurity professionals. Also, the ones available in Bellevue charge approximately $110,531, which is more than what a typical SMB can afford.
While you may not be able to source a cybersecurity analyst on your own, firms offering IT support in Bellevue can. Most reputable MSPs recruit some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity, ensuring that their clients receive sound consultations on their security measures.
Along with this, the MSP will take active steps to fortify your network against malicious external/internal threats. Any distinguished IT support agency specializing in cybersecurity will use advanced enterprise-grade tools to keep you out of harm’s way.
Enhance All-Around Productivity
Imagine this: you’re trying to close an important deal, then your system crashes unannounced. To top that, your network is down, your employees are frustrated, and you’ve lost out on the most important hours of your work time.
This isn’t an uncommon scenario. All tech systems are prone to periodic hiccups. While you can’t keep your network from breaking down indefinitely, you can make sure that the failure doesn’t interfere with your productivity.
An MSP can help you do this by detecting problems before they take effect. In other words, the IT firm will monitor your network round the clock, identifying and mitigating risks as and when required. This will minimize unexpected downtime, enabling you to make the most out of your operational hours.
Get Support 24/7/365
Unfortunately, tech problems don’t call before arriving. You need an IT support team that is constantly on guard against tech glitches. However, your internal tech staff may be busy with other projects and unable to resolve the glitch in time.
On the other hand, when you hire outsourced IT support in Bellevue, you get a 24/7 helpdesk of technicians. These engineers are prepared to take on IT glitches no matter when they occur. All you need to do is reach out to them and they’ll resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Streamline Internal Business Communication
With remote work becoming the new normal, there’s an urgent need for effective internal communication. It’s important to have a flow of information between departments and individual workers so that everyone’s on the same page.
An IT support agency can help enhance the communication processes shared by your employees. For example, if you find that your employees are constantly missing calls (and as a result, sales opportunities), you can opt for an MSP that offers Voice over IP (VoIP) services. It’s a low-cost and hassle-free telecommunication system designed to meet growing business needs.
How Do You Find an Expert IT Provider in Bellevue?
Deciding to partner with a managed IT provider is only half the battle. You may have to browse through several MSPs on your search list before you find one that catches your eye. If this is your first time looking for an external IT firm and you don’t know what you should be looking for, here’s a helpful list.
Look for Their Response Times
This is probably one of the most important markers of an MSP. Any IT provider worth their salt should be able to give you an estimate of how quickly they can respond to network emergencies. Be sure to discuss the response times at the negotiation stage and have them written into the Service Level Agreement (SLA).
See if They Understand Your Industry
If your MSP has experience with other clients in your industry, they will be able to recommend improvements beyond your IT infrastructure. Simply put, they should offer valuable insight on how you can enhance your workflow and employee IT training programs, among other things.
Furthermore, in case you work in a regulated industry, the IT support provider should help keep you compliant with critical industry mandates.
They Should Ask Questions Too
You shouldn’t be the only person asking questions. The right MSP will take an active interest in your business goals. This information will help them develop an IT strategy specific to your business needs.
Beware of IT companies that offer one-size-fits-all solutions for all their clients. They are more likely to offer generic services that do nothing special for your SMB.
Experience and Certifications are a Must-Have
You may be drawn to a new IT support startup based on their dazzling list of offerings. But if you want an MSP that’s in it for the long haul, you should choose one that has a few years of experience. A managed IT provider that’s been around for a while will be more familiar with complex tech glitches.
Moreover, look up the IT firm’s partnerships, collective certifications, and other relevant qualifications that showcase their technical proficiency. This will help you gauge their expertise in all things IT.
Check What People Have to Say About the MSP
Your IT support agency needs to have a rock-solid market reputation. Search what people have to say about your prospective MSP on neutral review websites. Doing this will provide you with an unbiased opinion of the MSP’s service quality.
You can also rely on good old-fashioned word-of-mouth to gather more information about the MSP. See if any of your acquaintances in the industry have recently hired a prospective IT firm. Then, ask if the company is aligned with industry standards, if their services are worth the money, and if there are any undisclosed drawbacks to them.
Wrap Up
As mentioned, IT outsourcing comes with several benefits. With an external IT company, you save a lot in expenses, have more time to work on other business goals, and face minimal downtime. Leveraging these advantages can help you do more with limited resources and scale new heights of success.
Reliable IT support is an absolute necessity for SMBs looking to make their mark on the industry. Let’s talk about how we can help your business thrive.
