Sometimes, D.I.Y. isn’t the best or most cost-effective solution to a maintenance problem!
What do many small business owners have in common? They try to save money by handling IT management and network maintenance themselves. Like many do-it-yourselfers, they soon discover that it would have been cheaper just to pay for the services they needed instead of doing it themselves.
Outages and crashes aren’t just annoyances. They prevent a company from serving existing clients and generating new leads, which can have a profound impact on the financial health of the business.
The Losses Are Huge
Small businesses lose $24 billion annually in productivity when they ask non-technical employees to manage IT systems, according to an AMI-Partners small business study commissioned by Microsoft Corporation. Businesses in North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East with 100 employees or less participated in the study.
Researchers discovered that Involuntary IT managers (IITM) not only have difficulty correcting thorny IT problems but also have less time to devote to their primary duties. In fact, IITMs spend an average of 300 hours per year managing IT systems.
Reluctant IT Managers Don’t Do the Best Work
Not surprisingly, IITMs surveyed weren’t enthusiastic about their technical duties. Twenty-six percent said that they weren’t qualified, while 36 percent felt that managing IT systems was a nuisance, according to the study.
Unqualified IITMs not only struggle to repair complex technical systems, but may also be more unhappy at work due to their extra duties. If they leave, they take their knowledge of your systems with them. When your IITM resigns, an equally unprepared staff member must resume their responsibilities, which only decreases productivity further.
Cost-Effective IT Management Solutions Are the Answer
If your business can’t afford to hire an IT employee or manager, you might think you have no choice but to try to handle IT management yourself. Luckily, there’s another option. IT consulting companies like SOHO Solutions can manage your systems for less than it would cost to hire a full-time employee. We have the manpower and expertise to troubleshoot problems and get your systems up and running quickly when outages occur.
IT consulting companies can:
- Perform network maintenance and monitor backups
- Support your entire network infrastructure, including desktops, printers and peripherals
- Create a disaster recovery plan
- Improve security and ensure that your data is protected
- Monitor your system for errors and alerts and take actions to prevent problems
- Help you recover quickly from crashes
- Handle upgrades and patches
- Offer cost-saving suggestions
- Predict network failures with trend analysis
- Measure system performance
It’s not surprising that 33 percent of the small businesses surveyed reported an interest in cloud solutions. Virtualizing servers and networks can save you money that can be better spent on other areas of your business. Transitioning to the cloud on your own can be a daunting process. IT consultants make the switch painless and are available to support and maintain your cloud-based networks and applications.
Is your company plagued by outages and other problems that affect productivity? Contact us and find out how we can help you. We’ll be glad to create a custom IT infrastructure support plan that fits your needs and your budget.
Sources:
Thevarguy: SMBs Lose $24 Billion in Productivity Annually From Winging IT Management
