Start-Ups Outsourced IT Support ?
As anyone who’s done it will know, business start-ups aren’t necessarily easy. In fact, there’s a lot to think about, a lot to do and a lot to budget for. This means that many people may be asking themselves, quite reasonably, whether or not start-ups really need to budget for outsourced IT support. The answer to this is – probably. Let’s divide this question into two parts and look at them separately.
Do Start-Ups need IT support?
Whether or not you are better to have IT Support in-house or use a Managed IT Support provider is difficult to answer. It will depend on the question of whether or not you actually need IT support at all.
Does my Start-Up need IT Support – Four Questions to Ask?
Does the business handle customer data?
If you handle any customer data through any IT systems that are specific to your company (e.g. your own website or emails sent through your own servers), then you need IT support. GDPR means penalties for failure to keep data secure are much more rigorous than they once were, plus there is the cost of reputational damage too.
Does the Start-Up communicate regularly with other people via online channels?
If so, you’re going to be pretty frustrated if IT outages leave you cut off from the outer world, at least via your main device. Problems with your configuration and ongoing software issues will make a significant difference to your productivity. For your employees and partners, having somebody on board who can troubleshoot and resolve problems that arise will save you money and frustration.
Does the business use software (including cloud software), which can be/needs to be configured?
If you do, you’ll probably find it helpful to pass the job on to someone who really knows what they’re doing. Outsourced IT support staff work on this stuff non-stop, so they are experts and can protect your business from problems that your own staff may struggle with.
Does your Start-Up have data that needs be protected?
This means your own data, such as product lists and prices and internal support documentation. This is data you don’t want to be either accidentally exposed if it’s not meant to be seen, or accidentally deleted if it is; Managed Cyber Security can help to provide you with the specialist knowledge and software you need to protect this proprietary data.
In-House IT expertise vs outsourced IT Support?
Very few start-ups are likely to be able to justify having a dedicated IT professional in-house, which means the choice is between having an employee being the informal “IT guy” or having proper outsourced support.
If the questions above have led you to conclude that you do need IT support, then it is strongly recommended that you get back-up from professionals and look to engage a Managed IT Services provider. They will be sure to be able to do whatever you want them to do, whenever you need them to do it. This makes more sense, rather than taking the risk of your amateur support tech being off sick/on holiday/overworked or just out of their depth.
