7 Signs Your Business is Ready for a Managed IT Support Provider

Introduction

Running a business can sometimes feel like herding cats. No matter how many things you check off your to-do list, it feels like ten more suddenly appear.

Because of this breakneck pace, it’s surprisingly easy to miss certain opportunities to save time, money, or resources. IT support is no exception.

Just because everything is (usually) working doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you could improve. From saving the time your team spends researching and troubleshooting IT problems, to unlocking all new ways to work (especially remotely), a Managed Service Provider can transform your business.

Not sure if you need IT support right now? Here are 7 signs that might just show that you do.

#1: You’re facing more IT issues than you can handle

Even without a dedicated IT support resource – either in-house or via an MSP – there are a certain number of IT problems companies can manage solo. Things like password resets and getting set up on remote platforms like Microsoft Teams are relatively easy to tackle, but if these start to pile up, they can become overwhelming.

If you’re spending more time on IT than you are running your business, it might be time to talk to an IT support provider.

#2: You’re spending too much on ad hoc IT support

As we’ve talked about before on the Get Support blog, partnering with an IT support provider or MSP isn’t the only option.

‘Break-fix’ providers can deliver results in the short term, no question, but they can also get incredibly expensive if IT problems become more common. For example, if your business starts to grow and you need to add new users, suddenly the cumulative cost of that break-fix provider could skyrocket. An MSP solves this elegantly by offering a fixed monthly rate.

#3: Getting remote team members onboarded is difficult

As the world has learned how to work differently in the last couple of years, the demands on an IT support team have also shifted.

One of the more common tasks for IT teams today is setting up new employees to do their work from home. This might include laptop setup, installation and configuration of apps like Microsoft Teams, and more. Without a dedicated IT support resource to formalise this process, it can become a real drain on both budget and opportunity cost.

#4: Downtime is becoming more and more frequent

Sometimes you only need look at your systems to see that some IT support might be necessary.

We’ve taken a look at downtime here on the Get Support blog before, and explained the potential damage frequent downtime can do. If you’re finding that your internal network, or even your website or intranet, are often going down and requiring rebooting, a dedicated on-call IT support resource could be just what you need. This way, you can effectively deal with immediate downtime and — more importantly — prevent it from happening in the first place.

#5: Cybersecurity feels like whack-a-mole

There’s simply no doubt about it: malware is one of the biggest threats to UK businesses today.

With such a huge focus on digital working, it’s no surprise that cyberthreats are more prevalent than ever before. This begs a simple question for most UK businesses: how do you deal with cyberthreats? For many of us, it’s often a case of installing a basic antivirus system and then dealing with individual threats as and when they pop up. But with so many cyberattacks happening, it might feel like you deal with one only for two more to appear.

The solution here is to work with an IT support provider who can assess your individual risk profile and deploy the right solution for you – like EDR.

#6: Your employees are wearing too many hats

When you don’t have a dedicated resource, either in-house or in the form of an MSP, it’s easy to fall back on to the resources you have to hand.

For many businesses, this means ‘the person who knows most about computers in the office’. And while it may seem like this can be a good solution for a while, you’re really just creating more problems, because that person’s focus is being split and they might not have the full expertise to solve IT issues correctly.

Rather than taking the risk on potentially expensive mistakes, it makes much more sense to let your team focus on their job and hire an IT support provider instead.

#7: Your IT systems are outdated (and you’re not sure how best to upgrade)

In order to keep up in business, you need to be sure your IT systems are up to scratch – especially now that so many businesses are online-first. But where do you start?

You might be familiar with the process of buying a new computer for home, but investing in a new fleet of computers, a new server, or even a new software suite like Microsoft 365, can be a daunting prospect.

If you know your IT systems are due for an upgrade but you’ve been putting it off because you don’t know where to begin, an MSP is the ideal choice for you. Take our IT support agreements, for example: each includes our unique IT Director service, which gives you expert advice on IT upgrades for now and five years into the future. How’s that for peace of mind?

Do any of these signs sound familiar? We’re here to help

If you’ve recognised any one of the signs above within your own business, there’s an excellent chance that an IT support partner like Get Support could really help you out.

With one of our comprehensive IT support agreements, you can enjoy IT troubleshooting, problem-solving, IT strategy advice for the years ahead, and so much more.

To learn more about exactly how an IT support agreement could help your business, call us now on 01865 59 4000 — or just enter your details below and we’ll be in touch.