With more than five decades of combined experience in managed IT services for small businesses, these three SandStormIT professionals have seen how managed IT services can help small businesses succeed. Here are the top three pieces of advice they have for small business owners.
1. Always Consider Opportunity Costs
“As a small business owner, you’re used to doing it all. And it may seem like you’re saving money doing things yourself, but you’ve got to think about opportunity costs.
“Ask yourself, ‘What did that three hours that I just spent on an IT problem actually cost me?’ Could those three hours have been better invested in different, more lucrative ways in your business?”
John Hammett, Infrastructure Architect, SandStorm IT
When you spend time on IT, you’re losing the chance to create new products, cultivate new customers, or manage your team,” John adds.
Simply put, an opportunity cost is this: Whenever you decide to do one thing, you are choosing not to do something else. That “something else” has value, and you’re losing that value when you choose not to do it. Ideally, you’ll choose the option that brings you the best return on investment and reject the options that have a lower value to your business.
According to Investopedia, “Considering the value of opportunity costs can guide individuals and organizations to more profitable decision making.”
Often small business owners think they’re saving money by doing everything themselves. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate how you’re spending your time. Is that the best use of your time?
IT issues are complex and trying to figure out or fix technology is a huge drain on your limited time, yet the continuity of your business depends on it. Using managed IT services for your small business will give you more time in your schedule, allowing you to focus on things that will grow your business. In the end, outsourcing IT may actually increase your bottom line.
2. Backup. Backup. Backup.
“The most important piece of IT advice I could give a small business is that backups are non-negotiable.”
josh Yarbrough, senior infrastructure technician, Sandstorm it
Josh further explains, “A backup is your first line of defense against a cyber attack. Don’t think that you are too small of a business for hackers to target. We’re seeing an increase in cyber attacks on small businesses.”
A cyber attack can happen to any business. However, small businesses are tempting targets because they often have less IT security than a larger company with a more robust cybersecurity infrastructure.
In fact, 43% of all data breaches involve small and medium-sized businesses. And 61% of all small businesses have reported at least one cyber attack during the previous year.
To protect against a cyberattack, strong cyber security practices coupled with current backups are a crucial part of any disaster recovery plan. Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many businesses lose all of their data when a disaster happens. These businesses either because they weren’t doing backups or their backups weren’t done properly. Larger companies often have the margin to recover; however, tragically some small businesses struggle to stay afloat.
Managed IT services for your small businesses can give business owners peace of mind that backups are happening. A managed services provider (MSP) can help you prepare for just about anything with a custom contingency plan. With cloud-based backup or off-site data storage solutions, you can get back to normal operations by quickly restoring lost files after a system failure, power loss, or even worse.
Read more about the true cost of cybersecurity breaches.
3. Focus on Doing What You Love
“You started your business because you were passionate about something. But the reality is that lots of small business owners get bogged down in areas where they don’t have the expertise, especially when it comes to IT.
“Business owners who find ways to outsource the things they aren’t passionate about are the business owners who are the most successful.”
Justin Oliver, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Sandstorm IT
Hiring managed IT services for your small business can get you back to doing what you love and what you are good at. It is possible to outsource those parts of your job that drain your time, energy, and passion. You might ask yourself a few questions:
- Do I enjoy managing the IT issues in my company?
- Am I confident that I have the expertise to stay on top of changing cybersecurity threats?
- Is IT management how I want to be spending my time?
If you answered “no” to these questions, it’s probably a good time to explore hiring managed IT services for your small business. Many business owners have found that this one step has freed them up to focus on the areas of their business where they have expertise and passion.
Career coach and founder of The Hired Group, Ryan Khan, sums it up well with this advice: “Master your strengths, outsource your weaknesses.”
Read more about the benefits of managed IT services.
Learn More about Managed IT Services For Small Businesses
Even though you may not be passionate about IT, when you hire an IT managed services provider, you’re hiring someone passionate about IT!
At SandStorm IT, we know how important it is for your business to run efficiently and securely. Your small business should have the trustworthy IT support you need when you need it.
If you want to know more about how hiring managed IT services for your small business can give you peace of mind, we’d love to talk.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and we’ll create an IT plan that’s tailored to your needs.