For small businesses, unique challenges lurk around every corner. There's not unlimited budget and resources to go around, so small business owners need to stay creative in how they operate.
That presents some bigger hurdles on occasion. Take technology and IT support, for example. If a small business has an IT department, that "department" is likely a single individual on a strict budget without much influence or access to continued training. That person faces a stacked deck in providing the IT support necessary to help the business stay competitive and grow. Instead of pushing that person out to sea, in a flimsy rowboat with one paddle, consider technology collaboration.
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Information Technology collaboration is the idea that working with an external IT team can supplement the IT resources of a small business and solve a ton of problems:
Technology tends to grow at a dizzying rate, with no signs of slowing down. For even the biggest businesses, this creates a need for rapid adaptation and that's a tall task. For small businesses, it can be a nearly impossible task with the resources they have on hand. With the help of an external IT team, small businesses can keep up with growing technology more effectively. An external IT team will have access to the latest equipment, a full team of IT professionals (not on the small business' payroll) and the know-how to help companies react to and implement the latest available technology that can help keep them competitive.
Again, one person is not the most reliable IT option. That individual could fall ill, that individual could look for work elsewhere (and take all of their specific knowledge with them), and that individual may have blind spots in their skill set that they can't compensate for. The technology needs of small business are endlessly shifting and changing. Any single individual would have little to no chance of providing the necessary flexibility that the business needs call for. Working with an external IT team, a small business can gain access to a full team of IT professionals. That takes the headache of retaining and training personnel entirely out of the equation.
For a small business on a tight budget, devoting resources to IT is unlikely. As a result, small business internal IT teams (or individuals) are behind on training and lack the necessary expertise to meet their company's needs. Partnering and collaborating with an external IT team eliminates that quandary. Expertise and up-to-date training are included in an external team. Plus, the responsibility for providing those things falls to the technology partner and not the small business. That frees up resources for other departments within the business that need it.
Just because a business qualifies as 'small' today, it doesn't mean it's destined to be that forever (or even for long). The goal of each business is to grow. But, with limited technology resources and limited personnel, it makes scaling exceedingly difficult. If an internal IT department is unprepared to scale, it's wise for small businesses to look to an external IT partner to collaborate with. As small businesses plan out growth, it's imperative that they have the IT resources to make it happen.
For small businesses, technology collaboration with an external IT team is an excellent solution to any and all technology limitations.
