Some businesses can skimp on IT and get by just fine—but not very many. Indeed, any time you plan for business growth, you’d do well to look at your IT system and calculate whether it will be able to handle an additional load or whether it will need to be reconfigured or flat out replaced.
Large companies have the luxury of a chief information officer (CIO) or a chief technology officer (CTO).
As C-level executives, these highly trained individuals have the experience and knowledge to plan and implement computer systems that will facilitate growth.
They are also expected to understand the business side of operations so thoroughly that they can contribute to the overall strategy and leadership of the company.
In other words, CIOs and CTOs are business technology bigwigs. And they have salaries to match. According to Salary.com, yearly pay for CIOs ranges from $150,000 to over $350,000, with $244,000 being the median income.
Let’s be realistic. Very few small-business owners can afford this type of salaried employee, no matter how valuable their skills.
And the majority of owners will readily admit that they’re not comfortable acting as their own CIO.
The world of business computing is changing too quickly, and so are security and compliance issues. What’s a small business to do?
Call in the experts, of course.
How to Plan for Your IT Future Without Breaking Your Budget
Not to digress, but you can buy just about anything on the Internet. Some things are awesome bargains; other things are dubious at best.
Hiring random people who claim to be IT experts falls in to the second category. You might be getting a great deal; you might also be getting an inadequate system and a lot of expensive problems to fix.
So, before you hire a company, be sure to check out their reputation with the Better Business Bureau. Or look for local companies that come with good recommendations.
It doesn’t hurt to ask around, especially other small-business owners who have recently expanded their operations.
Now, most companies will give you two options: managed IT services, which are usually provided on a monthly basis, or one-time jobs. Which one is right for you?
If you already have an IT staff in place, or if you’re comfortable running your daily IT and just need assistance from time to time, a one-time project may work best for you.
If you’re not tech-savvy, and you’d rather have someone else take care of your IT, consider managed IT services.
If you’re already knee-deep in problems, and you have no idea where to go from here, give Techsperts Services a call, and we’ll discuss your options.
We can also help you determine just what IT systems your business needs and which support options are right for you.