With the demands of running your own company, the idea of even attempting to also do your own IT support is exhausting. Not only that, but so many business owners don’t have the extra skills or the enthusiasm to also manage their IT. While it is possible to hire a dedicated IT support person or even a team, IT outsourcing is popular for a variety of reasons.
What IT services can a business outsource?
That’s a large list! You could hand over your help desk and tech support function, have someone there to source and install hardware and infrastructure, or network management. There’s web development and hosting, app and software development, and software support, including set up and updates of needed software, such as Microsoft 365. And don’t forget database development and management and cyber security. You can also outsource your telecommunications, including VoIP, leased lines, business broadband, and more.
Then you have to decide whether you want to have:
- IT supports that pay as you go, with people only brought in as and when you need a solution.
- Online IT support to help your employees fix issues remotely or by email or online chat.
Or,
- Fully managed IT support with a monthly or yearly contract. You’d then get a professional IT support company who will manage everything for you, 24/7.
What are the reasons businesses outsource IT services?
Savvy business owners know that they can’t do everything themselves and that they do need specialist help in certain areas. Businesses outsource many different services, including marketing, accounts, call center services, and more, because they just don’t have the time or the expertise in all those different areas.
One other reason can be the costs associated with hiring all those people as employees instead, even part-time. You don’t just pay for their salary, but also for the time spent on recruitment, HR functions, training, and more. With the right outsourcing, very little of that is needed.
If you just need to get in one expert for one job, you can pay only for that with IT outsourcing and have it done and out of the way. Outsourcing really is completely flexible, and you can scale it up and down as you need it, change the type of support you need to suit, and have access to services your business might not be able to afford without it.
What are the benefits of outsourcing IT services?
We’ve mentioned just a few of the benefits of outsourcing your IT above, but here are some more:
- It’s a huge time saver. If you need something done, you don’t have to do it! Not only that, but you don’t have to spend hours learning how to do it, either. Just hand it over and forget about it.
- Outsourcing your IT helps you focus on those vital things you really need to be doing. It’s a mental load off your mind. You can tick it off your list, and focus on growing your business instead.
- Outsourcing is a money and resources saver too. Instead of paying for a full-time employee, or more, you only pay for what you use. Likewise, you don’t have to pay for in-house computers, systems, and software that an IT support company needs, as they already have them. Nor do you need to buy desks, chairs, stationery, and other employee items, or find the space for another body in your business premises.
- You’re also getting expert help from people who really know what they’re doing. Experts like that can become more than just a hire-in service and become a trusted resource to give you advice. They can tell you about new developments that can benefit your business, and answer all those questions that you don’t even know you don’t know about IT.
- Your IT support will also keep up with the latest technologies, cyber threats, and new services so that you don’t have to.
What does a business need if they choose not to outsource IT?
Some businesses choose to rely on an in-house employee who does both their actual job and IT support. This is unwise because they then have split focus and may do neither job as well as they could. It’s also a sure bet that they won’t know anything like as much about IT support as an actual IT support company, and that they won’t have the range of experience and expertise in different areas that you’d get from an expert in IT.
Failing that, your other option is to hire either a full-time or part-time employee. You can give a good guess from what we’ve written above what you’d need to do this. You’d need to find that salary, along with National Insurance, a pension, and any benefits and bonuses you offer. You’d also need the space to accommodate them, any resources they need, such as software, desks, chairs, computers, and so on. And, of course, if you need an in-house team for your IT, you can times that by however many team members you need to cover everything.