IT support may be the last thing on your mind when starting a new business – but don’t put it off forever. It could be the one thing that guarantees your success in a competitive market.

In today’s tech-driven economy, could your new business really survive without at least some reliance on IT?

It’s highly unlikely, isn’t it?

Yet with countless other important considerations to take care of when starting up,  finding business IT support in London is probably the last thing on your mind.

Don’t let it stay there for long, however.

Without reliable support on hand, your brand new venture may have an even harder time getting off the ground in an already highly-competitive market.

Today, we’ll discuss exactly why IT support for business is so important, and explain everything you need to know about investing in effective, affordable solutions that will help your business to thrive in today’s modern economy.

Why You Need SME IT Support:

Most Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) require at least some level of technology in order to compete in today’s market.

Even if your technology requirements are minimal, let’s say a single desktop computer with access to a cloud server solution for secure data storage and cloud-based applications, you’ll still face the same challenges as a large-scale company with a diverse array of hardware integrated into a vast, complex network.

That challenge?

Keeping your technology performing at its best so that you can meet the needs of your customers and grow your business.

Fail to do so, and you’ll be left with consequences which range from reduced productivity due to slow-performing networks, to a complete loss of customers when a critical server failure means they can’t access the services they expect from you.

Needless to say, as a new business working to establish yourself in your industry, those are the sort of consequences you want to avoid at all costs.

So, what’s the solution?

Invest all your precious time trying to fix the issue yourself?

Sure, it’s an option, but solving IT issues can be frustrating at the best of times. When you lack the expertise needed to solve complex problems, however, it becomes a complete nightmare.

Besides, as a new business owner, is your time really best spent fixing computers?

Or is it better spent driving your business forward?

It’s the latter, isn’t it?

Which is why taking the time now to find reliable SME IT support in London may well prove to be one of the best moves you make for the long-term success of your startup.

Budgeting for Business IT Support in London

Let’s be honest:

As one of the most vital investments you’ll make in your early days, IT support for business isn’t to be taken lightly.

With a tight budget, you need to know that you’re getting maximum R.O.I (Return on Investment), which ultimately means exploring two distinct options:

In-House or Outsourced Support?

If you’re going to be making substantial use of modern technology, hiring a full-time employee has probably crossed your mind.

In-house staff certainly have their benefits, particularly when it comes to working on tasks that require a physical, onsite presence, such as setting up a new server room, carrying out network maintenance, or repairing hardware.

But here’s the thing:

For every advantage of employing a full-time IT specialist, there are several disadvantages.

According to a report published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research,  the true cost of hiring staff to most SMEs is between £25 and £35 thousand per worker. That includes non-wage costs such as National Insurance contributions, accommodating that staff member and all the HR tasks that need to be carried out. That’s on top of the already premium-level salary you’re going to need to attract the most talented professionals specialising in business IT support in London.

Then there’s other factors to consider:

• What happens if your servers crash after your staff have gone home for the night?
• What if there’s a cybersecurity issue on the day your staff take ill or have booked annual leave?
• What will your IT staff do when there’s no problems to fix and all essential network and server maintenance has already been carried out?

If you’re determined to go down the full-time employee route, these must all be given careful consideration, though there is, of course, an alternative:

Outsourced IT Support for Business

Any provider of quality business IT support in London should be able to provide all of the benefits of hiring a full-time employee without the added costs and logistical challenges.

They should also be able to provide simple answers to the questions we’ve just asked above.

If technology breaks down in the middle of the night, early in the morning, at weekends, or Bank Holidays, an outsourced IT provider that operates 24/7/365 can be there to take care of it.

And when there’s nothing to fix, upgrade, or maintain?

The flexible, bespoke nature of monthly outsourced IT support plans means you aren’t paying for a specialist to sit around twiddling their thumbs and costing you money.

What to Ask a Potential Support Provider

If you do decide to outsource, there’s several key questions you should ask to determine you’re getting the absolute best value for money from your new support provider.

These are.

Are you available 24/7/365?

Technology holds no regard for time, and won’t necessarily wait until your support team have clocked on for a 9-5 shift before it breaks down.

Issues such as server downtime, poor performing WiFi and data loss can happen at any time.

When they do, you need to access to support immediately, especially if you’re a modern company that doesn’t operate within typical business hours.

Do you provide network monitoring?

One of the most essential IT support solutions, network monitoring keeps a close eye on your entire system, 24/7/365,  and alerts your provider to signs of potential problems, whether that’s a vulnerability in your security or an overloaded server that’s headed for a crash.

Picking up on these issues early enables an IT specialist to resolve them quickly, before they do any significant harm to your infrastructure. Not only does his avoid the problems of reduced productivity and loss of business resulting from an IT failure, but it also avoids the expensive costs of making repairs after the damage has been done.

What happens if my business expands? Can you cope?

Business IT services should grow as your business grows.

This means not only being able to cope with the increase in helpdesk issues that arise when you have more employees using your technology, but also being there to help you implement the new technology that you need to support this growth, whether that’s migrating away from the limitations of physical servers into the scalable infiniteness of a cloud solution, or  deploying new hardware so that your staff are well equipped to do what they do best:

Help your new business to thrive in today’s tech-driven economy.

To find out more about the benefits of scalable, 24/7/365 Business IT support in London, contact Pacific Infotech online today, or call now on 020 313 76707.