SMBs, small and medium-sized businesses, have a difficult relationship with technology today - even though they may not be aware of it. SMBs are reacting to the changing marketplace, which is becoming more complex and faster. That's why managed IT services are important.
The most successful business owners today use ever-evolving technology to grab their customers' attention and imagination, convert them and manage their day with unparalleled ease and clarity. The Internet age is an exciting time to be in business. Every business has access to incredibly powerful technology that has changed the face of commerce.
This increased dependency on technology comes with a painful truth. IT can allow us to accomplish amazing things that we would never have thought possible 10 years ago. IT can be a dangerous, unstable, and finicky scaffolding on which we build our highest hopes and dreams. Even the most advanced IT needs to be shaped to our requirements and kept safe from outsiders.
Although technology is a major part of the business, most owners view it as an additional expense and not a core component of their business. They tend to skimp on managed IT services. However, being cheap can come with a price - one that is much higher and more costly than you realize.
These are the three biggest mistakes that you can make when you underspend on Managed IT Services.
1. Instead of building your technology budget around your actual requirements, you are spending technology on a poorly planned and unrealistic budget.
SMBs with limited resources can easily see saving money on hardware and software as a win. This leads businesses to choose outdated, inefficient, and expensive solutions. Cutting corners is not a wise choice in a world that the majority of your day-today operations are governed by your digital equipment, where small businesses are constantly at risk of cyber-attack, and where data is a valuable commodity that can disappear at the speed a failed backup,
Your investment in improving your digital strategy and strengthening your cyber security might not yield immediate, tangible returns. However, adequate managed IT services are an investment. You are investing in long-term productivity, security and efficiency for your business by using the most current technology.
2. This is a recipe for disaster.
It's one thing for a computer to suddenly fail, or for an Internet connection temporarily to go down. If you don't invest in technology, your business could be vulnerable to catastrophic events that could potentially cost you thousands. Cybercrime is one of the most prevalent and least understood of these threats.
The 2016 State of Cyber Security in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Report shows that half of all U.S. small business were victims to a cyber-attack in 2015. This number has been steadily increasing. Ransomware is the most common type of attack. This malware locks out entire systems and forces them to pay huge sums of money to retrieve it. Even if you think you are secure, there are still risks. Businesses can be shut down by server failures, system downtime and backup loss just like a hacker.
3. Your competition is winning.
It takes more than copying the latest strategies of thought leaders in your industry to outwit your competitors. This requires you to anticipate future trends and then act on them. You can always count on technology to bring about the future of your business.
Cloud services, new and constantly updating software, CRMs and a staggering array of productivity-enhancing tools are just a few of the advances your competitors are considering (if they haven't snatched them up already). Your company will be gone if you don't invest in the future.
Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need the help of IT professionals who can provide you with reliable and effective managed IT services.
SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/
Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence
