Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Choose Managed IT Services for Small Business Computer Support

By Robert Johnson


Many small and medium-sized businesses are caught in a technological dilemma. On the one hand, they are very dependent on their computers and networks to run their day-to-day business; e-mail, the Internet, accounting software, order tracking, payroll - it is all vital to a company. But on the other hand, the expertise to keep those computers running, up-to-date, and secure is, in terms of hiring personnel, quite expensive, both through salary costs and the training time it takes to stay current. The best solution for GTA businesses is to evaluate the external SMB IT Support Toronto can offer in order to establish a managed IT services relationship.

Managed IT services are the best way for a small business to reap the rewards of having their own "IT guy" without having to hire, train, and retain them. And managed services are a continuous relationship, rather than the typical computer consultancy that arrives only when there is a disaster - and leaves a big bill behind.

Sure, having your own "IT guy" is desirable. The problem is, there is such demand for their services that small businesses often cannot afford to keep them, particularly if their computer systems are not terribly complex. Computer support is a necessity, but if it is too costly, it can become a drag on the business rather than an enabler. And the potential loss of any one employee with so much crucial knowledge is a vulnerability to be avoided, if possible.

Some businesses try to get by using general in-house know-how for most things, and then hire consultants when necessary - usually when something has gone seriously wrong. While this can appear to save money in the long run (provided you do not have to call in the consultants too often), it comes at the cost of living dangerously. You never know when the other shoe is going to drop, so budgeting for IT becomes problematic. And when something does go wrong, the delay in having a consultant come in and get up to speed on your network configuration can be very costly to your business.

The balanced approach is to hire a firm to manage your IT needs. This allows you to control the costs of your IT needs without any personnel issues. You get a partner that will maintain and monitor your systems and act to prevent problems before they happen. They can also help you implement expansions and new technologies safely.

The Toronto small business community will always need more IT support than it can realistically expect to hire directly. Luckily, there is no need to go through that process when there are Managed IT Services Toronto companies can provide that offer reliable alternatives.




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