How to Choose a Managed Service Provider for Your Business
Almost half of all businesses that outsource IT do so to free up valuable resources. Cost savings runs a close second as a reason to outsource IT.
They are two very good reasons to outsource, plus you might get access to skills and expertise that you don’t have in-house.
A managed service provider can help your business by taking over one or more aspects of your IT department.
The next step in the process is to figure out how to hire the right information technology support company to work with.
Are you ready to find out how to hire managed IT services for your business?
Let’s get to it!
1. Your IT Needs
You can’t find a good managed service provider if you have no idea what you want to hire them for. If you’re a small business with no IT staff or experience, you’ll probably need a fully managed service provider.
Large companies with IT staff could outsource a couple of parts of the IT department, such as security or help desk.
You may need to reach out to a few managed service providers and have them help you figure out your needs. They can audit your IT infrastructure and give you a quote.
2. Availability
You can’t afford to have your systems go down and not have an IT provider available to help. Most businesses say that an hour of downtime costs more than $10,000.
You can still lose customers outside of normal business hours. They could try to go to your website only to find that it’s down.
The top managed service providers have systems in place to ensure they are available at all times. They have monitoring services in place. The managed service provider is aware of downtime before you are.
3. Experienced
There are different areas of experience you want to look at. Of course, you want to look at technical expertise.
It’s important to make sure the managed service provider has experience with your specific networks. For instance, if you rely on AWS as your cloud provider, a managed service provider has to have that experience.
They need to be experienced in providing IT support services for other businesses. You may consider working with a service provider that has experience in your industry.
That can be essential if you are in a regulated industry. Healthcare providers have to comply with HIPAA along with other data privacy regulations. Working with a provider that already has experience with regulatory compliance is useful.
You also want to work with a company that understands the ups and downs of running a business. They can help you develop an IT strategy now to help you grow.
4. Scalable Services
Scalable services are necessary if you plan to grow your business or you have a seasonal business. The managed service provider has to be able to adapt to your changing business needs.
The worst-case scenario is that you’re stuck in a contract paying for services that you don’t use.
5. Emphasize Security
Security is often a top concern for every business. A cyberattack could cost your business much more than an hour of downtime. Many businesses shut down months after a security breach.
The managed service provider you work with must make security a top priority. Ask them if they have a
6. Affordable Services
You’re going to have to talk about price at some point. The good thing about working with a managed service provider is that the pricing is often easy to understand.
Many service providers offer a flat rate for their services. They may do this for fully managed services or offer other services a la carte, depending on your needs.
You should know what your budget is before you start searching for managed services.
7. In-House Staff
Yes, even outsourcing companies outsource. There are IT managed services that serve as account executives. They focus on selling, as opposed to doing any of the technical work.
The technical work is usually performed by outside contractors.
The bottom line is that you want to know who you’re dealing with. Be sure to hire companies that have in-house staff to handle your IT needs.
You’ll be able to hold everyone within the organization accountable.
8. Testimonials and Reviews
Managed IT services companies have to have a strong track record of helping other businesses. You’ll likely find companies that have happy customers. Check out the online reviews and website testimonials.
Ask managed service providers for more information about their happy customers. It’s one thing to keep networks up and running.
Dig deeper and ask how their contributions made a difference to the finances of their clients. You want to get a sense of the ROI you can see by hiring them.
9. Proactive vs. Reactive
This is a huge difference between good companies and great managed service providers. Good companies are fast to react with systems break down.
Great companies do everything possible to prevent that from happening. They perform regular maintenance, backups, and monitoring. The proactive approach also ensures that your business utilizes the latest technology.
This site is a great example of an IT service provider that takes a proactive approach: https://www.orbissolutionsinc.com/las-vegas-it-company/. You want to find something similar to meet your business needs.
Working With the Right Managed Service Provider
A managed service provider is an essential part of the growth of your business. By outsourcing your IT tasks to an outside company, you can save money and free up resources.
That gives your company room to grow, as long as you work with the right managed service provider. Be certain of your IT needs and look for providers that have the experience to meet those needs.
Make sure that you can scale up as your business grows and they always take a proactive approach. That’s how you’ll stay ahead of the technology curve and your competition.
Check out the other great articles on this site for more business and tech tips today!
