Most successful companies don't get where they are without forming beneficial business partnerships. In today's technologically driven, on-demand world, a strong partnership with a managed service provider is essential for businesses. This is because every business, no matter the industry, relies on technology. Without such a partnership – especially if technology isn't your company's forte – you could be asking for trouble.
\r\nThink about it as it relates to security alone. Your systems and data could be vulnerable without the right planning and protection. Your employees access the company network via your computers. Customers locate your business information on your website. Office visitors need guest access to your network. With all that going on, hackers and cybercriminals must still be kept at bay. Throw in all of the little IT issues that come up every day, from jammed printers and software patches to setting up new employees on computers.
\r\nBy collaborating with an IT partner that specializes in IT infrastructure and processes, you can save yourself a world of hassle and, in many cases, deliver tangible savings to your bottom line. Here are three reasons you should align your business with a resourceful IT partner.
\r\nJust as you have a strategy for your business's success, you also need an IT strategy. Having an IT expert as a partner can prove very beneficial in helping you to map out an IT growth path that makes the most sense for the size, scale and functionality of your organization. They can also make you aware of many useful solutions that you might not otherwise be aware even exist.
\r\nA smart IT partner will help you develop a plan that also supports overall business operations. This means making sure your IT department can support overall business goals and aligning IT budgets with corporate budgets.
\r\nIf you're still not convinced that you need to develop an IT strategy, consider your network security. By developing a plan to protect your network, along with a strategy to keep it up to date with the latest security strategies, you will be a proactive player in protecting your organization. What you don't plan for now can cost you dearly later.
\r\nAccording to Verizon's most recent Data Breach Investigation Report, 43% of all data breaches target SMBs. Cybersecurity firm 4iQ, in its 2019 Identity Breach Report, stated that cybercriminals targeted small businesses at an exorbitant rate in 2018, increasing nearly 425% from the previous year. To top it all off, InsuranceBee's survey of more than 1,300 SMB owners shows that more than 80% of businesses lack the money they would need to recover from a cyberattack or data breach. And I haven't even mentioned the repercussions of downtime or other network security issues.
\r\nPreparation is the only true way to avert or minimize disasters and ensure that business operations can continue. Protecting your business begins with understanding its vulnerabilities and safeguarding against the risks you face. By working with an IT partner to prepare for the worst-case scenario, you can avoid business disruption, downtime and other issues. By relying on an expert, you can also rest assured that your systems are available and reliable, no matter what disasters you encounter.
\r\nBy utilizing an IT partner, you can scale your IT infrastructure up or down to meet your needs with far greater speed and less upfront hardware expense than if you tried to do it internally. Scalability is especially important when dealing with a growing business, since you can scale servers and other infrastructure as needed without going out of pocket for new hardware.
\r\nIn most instances, you will find an IT partner delivers better equipment and services than you could otherwise afford. Rather than purchasing new equipment and maintaining expensive hardware and software internally, you can focus on your core business.
\r\nNew hardware and software implementations will also go smoother, without disruption to daily operations. An experienced IT partner can help ensure the implementation is done right the first time, and with experts managing the migration, you can focus on the business at hand.
\r\nWith the trend of cloud-based services and cloud servers, many companies become overwhelmed by the process and potential disruption to critical business functions during implementation. Here, again, an IT partner can handle the entire implementation and save you the day-to-day headache.
\r\nIf all goes as planned and your company grows, you'll add more employees, more computers and expand your network. While growth is great for business, it could create problems for novice IT staffs. An expert will know how to successfully scale with your growth and vigilantly protect your data repository.
\r\nAnother advantage is having IT expertise at your fingertips 24/7. Why should you spend part of your day dealing with unexpected downtime, managing software upgrades or security patches, and maintaing hardware and software when you could have an expert handling it for you? They understand how to better utilize your IT resources. In fact, according to a CompTIA survey, more than two-thirds of companies used an outside IT partner.
\r\nEven those with an IT department found the additional expertise and knowledge of an outside partner more efficient than hiring another full-time employee as the company grew. The same report found that 56% of companies with 100 or more employees ranked efficiency and support as the main reason for using an IT partner. IT emergencies can happen outside of normal business hours. IT partner companies are staffed 24/7, giving you the support necessary to run your IT operations whenever you need.
\r\nReduced downtime is another huge benefit, as an IT issue costs you money for every minute it is not resolved. A study by IDC found that 80% of small businesses experienced downtime, with the cost ranging from $137 to $427 per minute. If you or an employee experience an unfamiliar problem, you could spend hours trying to figure out a problem, while a trusted IT partner who has dealt with the same issue dozens of times can make a quick fix.
\r\nWith an IT partner, not only do you have an experts on call whenever you need them, but you also often have the benefit of newer, up-to-date hardware with managed antivirus and security services to mitigate your risk. It also means that your employees are less likely to lose productivity due to technical issues or a downed network. Your customers will also be happier and more likely to do repeat business with you because they had a pleasant and successful experience with your website.
\r\nSo, before you decide to take on or expand the IT portion of your business, consider finding a resourceful IT partner that can help drive you to success. The entire premise of IT management is to align technology with your business goals to create value and ensure the smartest, most efficient use of your technology assets.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_9ac078b7a131ccf4b1b2ba4ff1a4a117","lastModified":"2019-08-28T13:00:00.000Z","published":"2019-08-28T13:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":"Without an IT partner, small businesses may face numerous technology-related problems.","template":"v1","title":"Why Your Small Business Needs an IT Partner","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"Tiffany Bloomer is the President of Aventis Systems, Inc. Tiffany has consistently grown in her leadership role at Aventis Systems as the Director of Marketing and Business Development from 2008 to 2015, Vice President of Business Development in 2016, and President of the company as of January 2017. Tiffany is responsible for overseeing all departments and fostering interdepartmental collaboration and communication. She oversees the execution of marketing strategy and branding initiatives as well as recruitment efforts. She is tasked with researching and developing plans for product launch initiatives; recommending and managing new channel opportunities, customer segments, and industry partnerships; developing and monitoring new opportunities with potential web-based clients; and proposing innovative approaches to generate domestic and international revenue opportunities.\r\n\r\nPrior to Aventis Systems, Tiffany’s previous positions included Financial Services Manager at Epana Networks, Regional Sales Manager at Viscom International, Inc., and Field Marketing Manager at Fusion Marketing. Tiffany is a graduate of Georgia State University where she earned a Master of Science degree in International Business and Marketing.","name":"Tiffany Bloomer","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanybloomer/","twitter":"https://twitter.com/aventissystems","website":"https://www.aventissystems.com/"},"status":"enabled","title":null,"type":"New BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/uploads/user/profile/ba6814b280fdb5e59c8ea92d50872a0d34494.jpg","profile":{"company":"Aventis Systems","jobTitle":"President","website":"https://www.aventissystems.com/"}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Business Basics","slug":"business-basics"},"sub":{"name":"Entrepreneurship","slug":"entrepreneurship"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"IT partners can benefit small businesses in numerous ways, including by providing planning and scalability help and offering user support.","title":"3 Reasons Why Your Business Needs an IT Partner - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[{"id":"1-it-strategy-and-planning","title":"1. IT strategy and planning"},{"id":"2-increased-efficiency-and-scalability","title":"2. Increased efficiency and scalability"},{"id":"3-constant-support-and-happy-customers","title":"3. Constant support and happy customers"}],"json":[{"component":"ul","children":[{"component":"li","children":["Small businesses can benefit greatly from finding an IT partner."]},{"component":"li","children":["Most small businesses point to efficiency and support as the top reasons for finding an IT partner."]},{"component":"li","children":["IT partners can help with planning, scalability and support. "]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Most successful companies don't get where they are without forming beneficial business partnerships. In today's technologically driven, on-demand world, a strong partnership with a managed service provider is essential for businesses. This is because every business, no matter the industry, relies on technology. Without such a partnership – especially if technology isn't your company's forte – you could be asking for trouble. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Think about it as it relates to security alone. Your systems and data could be vulnerable without the right planning and protection. Your employees access the company network via your computers. Customers locate your business information on your website. Office visitors need guest access to your network. With all that going on, hackers and cybercriminals must still be kept at bay. Throw in all of the little IT issues that come up every day, from jammed printers and software patches to setting up new employees on computers. "]},{"component":"p","children":["By collaborating with an IT partner that specializes in IT infrastructure and processes, you can save yourself a world of hassle and, in many cases, deliver tangible savings to your bottom line. Here are three reasons you should align your business with a resourceful IT partner."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"1-it-strategy-and-planning"},"children":["1. IT strategy and planning"]},{"component":"p","children":["Just as you have a strategy for your business's success, you also need an IT strategy. Having an IT expert as a partner can prove very beneficial in helping you to map out an IT growth path that makes the most sense for the size, scale and functionality of your organization. They can also make you aware of many useful solutions that you might not otherwise be aware even exist. "]},{"component":"p","children":["A smart IT partner will help you develop a plan that also supports overall business operations. This means making sure your IT department can support overall business goals and aligning IT budgets with corporate budgets. "]},{"component":"p","children":["If you're still not convinced that you need to develop an IT strategy, consider your network security. By developing a plan to protect your network, along with a strategy to keep it up to date with the latest security strategies, you will be a proactive player in protecting your organization. What you don't plan for now can cost you dearly later. "]},{"component":"p","children":["According to Verizon's most recent ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Data Breach Investigation Report"]},", 43% of all data breaches target SMBs. Cybersecurity firm 4iQ, in its ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://4iq.com/2019-identity-breach-report/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["2019 Identity Breach Report"]},", stated that cybercriminals targeted small businesses at an exorbitant rate in 2018, increasing nearly 425% from the previous year. To top it all off, ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.insurancebee.com/blog/smb-owners-unprepared-for-cybercrime","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["InsuranceBee's survey"]}," of more than 1,300 SMB owners shows that more than 80% of businesses lack the money they would need to recover from a cyberattack or data breach. And I haven't even mentioned the repercussions of downtime or other network security issues."]},{"component":"p","children":["Preparation is the only true way to avert or minimize disasters and ensure that business operations can continue. Protecting your business begins with understanding its vulnerabilities and safeguarding against the risks you face. By working with an IT partner to prepare for the worst-case scenario, you can avoid business disruption, downtime and other issues. By relying on an expert, you can also rest assured that your systems are available and reliable, no matter what disasters you encounter. "]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"2-increased-efficiency-and-scalability"},"children":["2. Increased efficiency and scalability"]},{"component":"p","children":["By utilizing an IT partner, you can scale your IT infrastructure up or down to meet your needs with far greater speed and less upfront hardware expense than if you tried to do it internally. Scalability is especially important when dealing with a growing business, since you can scale servers and other infrastructure as needed without going out of pocket for new hardware. "]},{"component":"p","children":["In most instances, you will find an IT partner delivers better equipment and services than you could otherwise afford. Rather than purchasing new equipment and maintaining expensive hardware and software internally, you can focus on your core business. "]},{"component":"p","children":["New hardware and software implementations will also go smoother, without disruption to daily operations. An experienced IT partner can help ensure the implementation is done right the first time, and with experts managing the migration, you can focus on the business at hand."]},{"component":"p","children":["With the trend of cloud-based services and cloud servers, many companies become overwhelmed by the process and potential disruption to critical business functions during implementation. Here, again, an IT partner can handle the entire implementation and save you the day-to-day headache."]},{"component":"p","children":["If all goes as planned and your company grows, you'll add more employees, more computers and expand your network. While growth is great for business, it could create problems for novice IT staffs. An expert will know how to successfully scale with your growth and vigilantly protect your data repository."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"3-constant-support-and-happy-customers"},"children":["3. Constant support and happy customers"]},{"component":"p","children":["Another advantage is having IT expertise at your fingertips 24/7. Why should you spend part of your day dealing with unexpected downtime, managing software upgrades or security patches, and maintaing hardware and software when you could have an expert handling it for you? They understand how to better utilize your IT resources. In fact, according to a ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.comptia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/2015/06/01/customer-awareness-and-adoption-of-managed-services-trending-upward-new-comptia-research-reveals","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["CompTIA survey"]},", more than two-thirds of companies used an outside IT partner."]},{"component":"p","children":["Even those with an IT department found the additional expertise and knowledge of an outside partner more efficient than hiring another full-time employee as the company grew. The same report found that 56% of companies with 100 or more employees ranked efficiency and support as the main reason for using an IT partner. IT emergencies can happen outside of normal business hours. IT partner companies are staffed 24/7, giving you the support necessary to run your IT operations whenever you need."]},{"component":"p","children":["Reduced downtime is another huge benefit, as an IT issue costs you money for every minute it is not resolved. A study by IDC found that ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.carbonite.com/blog/article/2015/10/downtime-costs-small-businesses-up-to-%24427-per-minute","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["80% of small businesses experienced downtime"]},", with the cost ranging from $137 to $427 per minute. If you or an employee experience an unfamiliar problem, you could spend hours trying to figure out a problem, while a trusted IT partner who has dealt with the same issue dozens of times can make a quick fix. "]},{"component":"p","children":["With an IT partner, not only do you have an experts on call whenever you need them, but you also often have the benefit of newer, up-to-date hardware with managed antivirus and security services to mitigate your risk. It also means that your employees are less likely to lose productivity due to technical issues or a downed network. Your customers will also be happier and more likely to do repeat business with you because they had a pleasant and successful experience with your website."]},{"component":"p","children":["So, before you decide to take on or expand the IT portion of your business, consider finding a resourceful IT partner that can help drive you to success. The entire premise of IT management is to align technology with your business goals to create value and ensure the smartest, most efficient use of your technology assets. "]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5d6/3eb049c658afe248b4570/1500-0-","caption":"dotshock/Shutterstock","isBlurred":false},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"QA 0920 Why Your Small Business Needs an IT Partner....","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/qa-0904-why-your-small-business-needs-an-it-partner/","slug":"qa-0904-why-your-small-business-needs-an-it-partner","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5d6/ff24a54d26d731b8b459f/1500-0-","dek":"Without an IT partner, small businesses may face numerous technology-related problems.","lastModified":"2019-09-11T07:00:00Z","published":"2019-09-04T07:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"QA 1002 Why Your Small Business Needs an IT Partner","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/why-your-small-business-needs-an-it-partner/","slug":"why-your-small-business-needs-an-it-partner","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5d9/4fa7d54d26daf438b4572/1500-0-","dek":"Without an IT partner, small businesses may face numerous technology-related problems.","lastModified":"2019-10-02T18:00:00Z","published":"2019-10-02T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"8 Important Cybersecurity Measures for Small Businesses","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/cybersecurity-measures-for-small-businesses/","slug":"cybersecurity-measures-for-small-businesses","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5dc/867c77b43740d048b4567/1500-0-","dek":"Data theft is still a major headache though massive strides are being made to curb this menace. 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