At some point, every business leader asks themselves, "What should I consider when hiring a tech support provider?"
It's a good question and the answers aren't cut and dried. Your business is unique, as are its technology needs. As you think through what technology you need and what challenges your business faces related to technology, it's important to consider several things. You need to assess whether your company will have an internal (in the building) or an external (a technology partner) team. If your company already has an internal team, that doesn't disqualify it from utilizing an external team. Companies with an internal team often find that an external partner is an enormous asset - supplementing internal employees and providing resources that can't be found within company walls. You need to consider the cost of your tech support and the money that your solution may be saving you. Finally, you need to look at today and tomorrow and find a solution that will fit both.
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Here a few things you should keep in mind when considering what kind of tech support is right for your business:
If you already have an internal IT team (or internal IT person), you may be thinking 'this doesn't apply to me.' But, it does. Internal IT teams are often understaffed and have too few resources to do the job they need to. Due to lack of budget and a general lack of infrastructure, it can be challenging for an internal IT team to meet modern business technology challenges. Instead of sticking with only an internal team, many companies supplement that with a partership with an external team. Working together, a mixed solution can provide everything a business needs.
Unfortunately, there's a cost to every business service you need. Fortunately, there are also savings. The key is to weigh those two against each other and see what the balance is. For example, partnering with a third party IT company is going to come at a monthly cost. However, paying that cost is likely to result in a ton of savings. In fact, when you consider the money saved from not hiring new employees, paying for training, paying overhead, etc, the cost can look small relative to the money saved in the longterm.
What are your IT support needs today? What about tomorrow? Are the answers different? If they are, you need technology support that can change with your needs. If you plan on keeping your IT team entirely internal, you'll need a plan for hiring, training, and supporting more people. If your team is external (and you've partnered with an IT company), you'll want to have a conversation about scaling and learn how your partner can help your business when it's time to grow. Technology moves quickly. Be ready for change.
Consider every angle when choosing a tech support provider. Having the right type of support for your business can make life easier and help your company find the success you're looking for.
