IT plays a major role in any business, thus it’s likely to be one of your top expenses. Recent cost estimates have found that it can cost a company anywhere from $40,000 to $65,000 a year to hire a single in-house IT technician. It can cost $1,000 or even more to buy an IT management System application and training costs could start at a whopping $2,500 per person. What’s more, the IT support costs listed above don’t include the expense of purchasing new hardware, fixing old hardware, dealing with software problems or failures, or handling the aftereffects of a cybersecurity incident.
Thankfully, there are ways to drastically lower your IT support costs so you can use your hard-earned cash to grow your business and reach your core goals. The following are some tried and proven ways to maintain a cutting-edge IT department on a limited budget.
Do you have a back-up system that backs up your data in real-time? Such a system could save you tens of thousands of dollars if your business is hit by a ransomware attack. Instead of shelling out large sums of money to a malicious cybercriminal, you can simply ignore the ransom demands, wipe your systems, and start afresh.
Even companies that aren’t victimized by a ransomware attack can benefit from a top-tier back-up system. Having regular back-ups ensures you won’t lose important information in the event of an IT crash or natural disaster. Furthermore, companies that use a cloud server to store information will be able to access it with ease from any location, making it possible for employees to do their jobs even if they aren’t able to come to the office.
Buying new hardware is an additional expense but it’s one that can help you save money in the long run. New hardware is not only reliable but often faster than old hardware, thus enabling your staff members to accomplish more during the day. What’s more, regular upgrades help you avoid IT breakdowns that make it impossible for you to continue regular operations until the problem is fixed.
If you aren’t using a SaaS platform such as Microsoft Office 365, you’ll need to update your software when notified. These updates can be time-consuming but don’t ever skip them. They safeguard your systems by eliminating vulnerabilities that a hacker could use to gain access to your network.
Employee error is the leading cause of costly data breaches. Providing ongoing IT training to all your employees will help them be able to identify and avoid common cyberattacks such as phishing scams and malicious emails. Given the fact that the average cost of a data breach is a whopping $3.92 million, there is hardly a more effective way to cut IT costs than to schedule ongoing IT training sessions.
As an added benefit, IT training can teach employees how to work with the programs your company uses to process orders, handle customer service calls, log information, keep track of data, and more. Giving your employees the training they need to do their jobs right boosts business efficiency, reduces errors, and improves employee morale.
You can save tens of thousands of dollars every year by partnering with an IT managed service instead of hiring your own in-house IT technicians. IT managed service providers offer all the tools and services you would get from a team of IT experts, including IT consulting, cloud transition services, IT managed services, IT monitoring and support, cybersecurity services, and IT training and testing for business employees. As an added benefit, you’ll gain access to an entire team of experts, enabling you to avail yourself of IT expertise that can propel your business forward and enable you to reach your core goals faster and more easily than would have otherwise been possible.
IT managed services specialize in the IT industry. They ensure that their technicians continually stay abreast of IT trends and developments to provide customers with the highest possible level of service and assistance. What’s more, IT services offer flexible, scalable service plans to ensure you get the help you need without spending a penny more than you should. Even companies with an existing IT department can benefit from co-managed IT support services to ensure IT systems are continually monitored, maintained and optimized for improved performance.
Boston Help Desk is a leading IT managed service provider in the Boston area, offering top-tier IT tools and assistance to businesses of all sizes and from all industries. We partner with leading IT companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Datto, SonicWall, Sophos, TechSoup, Webroot, and Acronis to provide customized IT services that will not only lower business costs across the board while enabling you to improve customer services and boost profits. Get in touch with us at your convenience to discover how we can help you improve your IT set-up to enable you to reach your long-term business goals.