When your server shuts down or you can’t find your data files, you need help right away. But if you don’t have tech staff onsite, you’ll just have to sit there and wait until your IT company can send someone. In the meantime, you’re wasting time and money because your employees can’t do their jobs.
Does Your Company Have Onsite IT Staff?
The problem is that many small businesses in and around PA can’t afford to employ a full-time tech. Salaries for capable IT professionals, along with the benefits and insurance expectations required to hire one, are cost-prohibitive for companies on a tight budget.
However, if your staff is sitting around without the use of their computers and they can’t do their jobs, in the end, you’re spending your hard-earned money paying employees to do nothing. Clearly, your business needs onsite IT service so it can continue to function. So doesn’t it make sense to contract onsite IT support for one or two days a week?
How Can You Afford Onsite IT Staff?
Having onsite IT staff doesn’t always mean employing them. Today you can find qualified help from a Managed IT Service Provider who will charge you an affordable fixed monthly fee for onsite services.
Whether you need an IT professional once a week or more, you can schedule your onsite tech service according to your current needs. Your costs will be predictable, and you can scale the hours of service you require up or down as your business requirements change. It’s like having the best of both worlds – the IT service and expertise you need without all the overhead.
Why Do You Need IT Staff Onsite?
1. Your Onsite Tech will understand your IT system. With an IT professional there at least once a week they’ll keep up with the inner workings of your technology and will be able to troubleshoot problems more easily because they understand your system in and out. They’ll also understand your operations and workflow, and what technology individual staff members need to do their jobs. If Jason in accounting needs a new program to do his financial reports, your onsite tech will be there to help decide the right course of action. It’s like having a specialist instead of a generalist working on your network and IT solutions.
2. Your Onsite Tech will know if your software and hardware are up to date. Software patches and updates will be applied as they should to prevent security vulnerabilities that can let hackers in. They’ll also be in charge of keeping your licenses up-to-date and ensuring that you stay abreast of any needed hardware upgrades. If you need new hardware, they’ll know what you require and can shop around and find the best deal for you, whether this means purchasing new equipment or leasing it through a Hardware-as-a-Service agreement so you won’t have to spend your capital reserves, and you can write off the lease as an operating expense.
3. Remote Monitoring & Management is great – but sometimes you just need a tech in-house. When your internet access goes down or your business phones aren’t working, you’ll have a technician onsite who can figure out what’s gone wrong. They can act as your liaison with other vendors like your phone company or Internet Service Provider to get you back up and running quickly. This saves you and your staff the stress of having to do this yourself during an already hectic time.
4. You’ll trust your onsite tech to communicate what you need to know. With the continuity of service you’ll receive from an onsite technician, you’ll trust that he’ll know what’s best when it comes to making decisions about your technology. He can also help you decide if you need new technologies or extra IT support when taking on a big project. And he can even help you make strategic IT decisions for your company down the road. Your onsite tech understands your needs now and your goals for the future, and can develop an IT roadmap that will take you there in the most cost-effective way.
5. You’ll be able to arrange for additional IT support if you take on a new big project. You’ll never be without the IT staff you need. If you need to switch to a new EHR solution or migrate your technology to Microsoft Office 365, you’ll have the specialty support you need for these projects. If your onsite tech needs more assistance, he can quickly call for help from his IT company. Once again, you can contract for precisely what you need and nothing more.
6. Onsite techs will maintain your IT system proactively. Rather than waiting for things to break, your tech will have been monitoring your network for irregularities and can fix problems right away before things get worse. And because your onsite tech understands your technology, he can get to the root of issues, so any problems that you do experience are solved once and for all.
7. In an emergency, most techs you’d employ will be home after hours. With an onsite tech from an IT service company, their off-hours team will be there 24/7 if your system goes down. And your onsite tech can meet with them the next day to follow up and make sure the problem was totally and adequately resolved.
8. Your IT security posture will be stronger with help from an onsite tech. Not only will he ensure that you have the multi-layered security solutions needed to detect and eradicate cyber threats, but your onsite tech can also ensure your staff is educated and aware about how to avoid being a victim of a phishing or other scam. They’ll be there to talk to your team about safe internet and email use.
9. Your backups will be reliable and recoverable. If, in the end, your company does get hit with ransomware and your data is locked, or if an employee accidentally deletes your digital information, your onsite tech will have assured that your backups are up-to-date and recoverable. Backups onsite aren’t enough. They will ensure you also have a cloud-based offsite backup copy that you and your staff can access from wherever you are.
10. You’ll have peace of mind. Technology is always changing and evolving, as are cyber threats. With a dedicated tech onsite who also has a team to depend on if he needs some extra hands or specialized experience, you’ll have peace of mind that everything will be covered. You and your staff can let go of IT worries and concentrate on your business.
In Summary – Why Should You Use Outsourced Onsite Tech Services?
Outsourced Onsite Tech Services from your IT provider allows you to have a tech onsite without significant added costs. You can contract for the number of days a week you need onsite support, and your fee will remain predictable and easy to budget for. Get help with big projects when you need it, and cut back on the number of IT employees you hire. You’ll have the people and the help you require if a problem crops up during the day or in the middle of the night.
You’ll know that your technology will work at peak performance and your tech will keep you informed if you need something more to ensure that it does. You’ll also have access to IT professionals with experience in your industry, and who knows about the latest cybersecurity threats. And, even better, since outsourced onsite techs aren’t directly employed by you, the overhead you would have paid for benefits, insurance, and sick or vacation days can instead be used to grow your business.