Seattle is home to many large corporations, including Microsoft and Amazon, to name a few. But although these are the companies mainly associated with the Washington city, it’s also filled with entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. And for these small businesses, in a city like Seattle, technology is crucial. If their technology is not up to par in the global tech hub, they might have trouble finding any competitive advantage.
So, what’s the answer? It might be as simple as outsourced IT. Many small business owners may not contemplate outsourcing managed IT services. Often, they think it’s too expensive or that only big companies need IT help. They might try to figure things out themselves, get help from employees who are “tech-savvy,” or call in their friend or uncle who fixed their home computer last year. The problem with this approach is that although technology may seem like it’s working fine, if it’s not set up and managed properly, it can lead to trouble when something breaks. Not only that, but a truly optimized technology environment can make a company run more smoothly and efficiently, making everyone’s lives easier. In this blog, we will discuss a few of the key benefits that Seattle small businesses receive by outsourcing their IT.
Benefits of Outsourced IT For Small Businesses in Seattle
Lower Costs
As stated above, many small businesses in Seattle don’t look into outsourced IT because they think it’s too expensive. However, the opposite may actually be true. Managed service providers (MSPs) can utilize economies of scale, meaning they often provide services at a lower cost than hiring someone in-house. Even more, with outsourcing, you’re only paying for the services you need, leading to increased cost-efficiency.
Flexibility
Another significant benefit small Seattle businesses see when outsourcing their IT is the flexibility. Most MSPs can adjust services based on your unique business needs and goals. For example, many small businesses don’t need 40 hours of onsite IT support per week. So, your provider will work with you to determine how many hours you do need — this might be 5 per week, or it might be 25. On top of that, you can often adjust these hours as needed, meaning as your technology needs grow, you’ll continue to receive the support you require.
Depending on the provider, there’s also the possibility of remote IT support. Remote IT support is typically more affordable than onsite services and can handle many of the daily, helpdesk type tasks. Using a combination of onsite and remote IT services will give you the exact amount of support you need at the best value. These options give you the flexibility to customize your services to your company’s needs, and you can use them in combination with an in-house team.
Improved Focus
To be competitive in the Seattle market, small businesses must be creative, hardworking, and focused on their core competency. If you are spending a lot of time worrying about or trying to fix your technology on your own, you’re taking time away from these crucial aspects of your growth. However, with an outsourced IT provider, you no longer have to stress about your technology environment, giving you back time to focus on what you do best.
Experienced MSPs have the resources and knowledge to improve your systems, and you can feel confident in their work. Technicians will take over managing and maintaining your hardware, network, and environment. This gives you more time to work on other areas of your business to help you achieve growth and success.
Security Awareness
Now more than ever, businesses of all sizes need to be aware of their cybersecurity. There are thousands of cyber attacks every year. But unfortunately, many small businesses are not as focused on protecting their data as they likely should be. Small businesses are often targets of hackers because of this exact reason — they may not have the strongest security measures in place.
When you work with a Seattle outsourced IT provider, you can trust that they have security in mind. MSPs understand the risks that cyber attacks pose for organizations and will help secure your network. By ensuring your firewall is set up properly, helping install and manage anti-virus, and more, an outsourced IT provider will help you protect your data from the wrong hands.
Consistent Billing
Last but not least, MSPs provide some consistency to your technology budget, giving you and your accountants some peace of mind. Often, technology budgets are complicated. You have to balance the costs of new hardware, software upgrades, and any unexpected IT needs your organization may face. With an outsourced IT provider, you can add some consistency and budget accordingly. You can spread your costs more equally throughout the year with expected and predictable monthly bills.
In Conclusion
Seattle is a thriving city full of small businesses working hard to grow and succeed. If you are a small business owner, you and your employees likely wear a lot of hats. You’re handling marketing, accounting, sales, and more, and you might be spread thin, trying to get everything done. By working with a Seattle managed IT services provider, you can take the technology hat off. As a result, you’ll have more time for other areas of your business.
