How to leverage managed IT services as a startup in 2022

How to leverage managed IT services as a startup in 2022

[6 min read]

It’s no doubt that startup companies and small and medium businesses (SMBs) encounter difficulty scaling upwards, especially in today’s market.  The IT industry seems never-ending, and there’s massive competition for new innovators and business founders as we head into 2022.  

 

On top of a highly competitive market, businesses face pressure as we transition to remote, work-from-home, and hybrid work environments. These changes stress small and medium IT departments, driving up operational risks and costs. 

 

Additionally, businesses must continue to bolster their cybersecurity and networking capabilities to keep up with the changing market and staffing complications. Organizations with the resources and budget to rectify these issues often flow through these IT bubbles without many problems. 

 

However, SMBs can’t always compete with powerful or legacy corporations. So, how do SMBs capitalize on available resources to keep up with larger companies? Managed IT service providers (MSPs) supply the solution. 

 

We’ve already discussed MSPs and IT management services in our other articles, “What are managed IT services?” and “What are the benefits of managed IT services.” We encourage you to read them if you are unfamiliar with MSPs and their services. This article will look at how companies leverage MSPs and use managed services to their advantage.

 

Efficient Cybersecurity & more

Cybersecurity is one of the most popular services SMBs seek out from managed service providers. MSPs grant unparalleled value to companies that want to protect their data or secure their workplaces. 

 

Cost is one of the primary benefits of using MSPs for cybersecurity. This is also how SMBs and succeeding companies leverage MSPs to reduce spending and improve their financial resource allocation. 

 

The International Data Corporation states that for every 100 users, businesses can save over $400,000 annually by working with a managed service provider. MSPs provide tremendous value in this regard.

 

Usually, MSPs have the resources, personnel, and bandwidth to support numerous high-fidelity projects concurrently. Once your business is ready, most MSPs provide subscription plans that can actively scale up or down depending on your business’ needs. This is how succeeding organizations in the current market leverage their net costs and the savings of using MSPs

 

Moreover, MSPs also provide their clients with much-needed breathing room. Imagine having dozens of resource-demanding, time-intensive, and expensive operating tasks off your plate.

 

Businesses can receive the same quality expertise through MSPs instead of recruiting, training, and compensating large IT teams. Companies also have peace of mind that their practices abide by all legal requirements and industry standards. 

 

Some MSPs will provide their staff’s credentials, certifications, and experience for added peace of mind. 

 

This principle applies to all managed IT services, not just cybersecurity.

 

Managing tasks to free up staff

Managing tasks or operations that you don’t have the resources, time, or expertise for can leave the team members you have on hand to focus on more pertinent matters. Thriving businesses in the industry live by this principle, by offloading tasks that they can’t or don’t want to devote resources to. 

 

As a result, IT departments of SMBs and even multi-million dollar corporations no longer worry about tech support, monitoring and controlling data, bug fixes, updates, or even hosting servers and databases; it’s all taken care of. 

 

Businesses can apply the business-managed service methodology to various aspects of entrepreneurship; IT is not a limiting factor. Contemporary companies implementing this strategy use their newly available time, resources, and less-stressed staff to tackle assignments that accelerate their growth and lead to upward scaling. 

Everyone, from large corporations to a small team of entrepreneurs can benefit from leveraging the benefits of MSPs

What to keep in-house

While managing system administration and IT infrastructure services grants businesses valuable headroom, successful organizations don’t usually manage everything. Check out our various other articles for assistance in recognizing which services you are better off keeping local.

 

Strategize and implement

Depending on your business’s needs, current resources, talent, budget, and size, the services you and similar organizations may manage will vary. How much your managed IT services cost changes depending on how many services you expect to outsource and how demanding they are. 

 

Identify which services your business will benefit most from managing, and use the resources you save to devote to other aspects of the company. Here are some popular managed services SMBs and large businesses use:

 

• Monitoring, controlling, and management of servers and databases
• Remote communication management  
• Cloud services and management
• Cybersecurity, disaster preparedness, and data recovery
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
• Business IT support services
• Many more

 

Managed IT services for small businesses can be the gateway to exponential growth, smooth scalability, and efficient resource use. If you, your company, or your team has difficulty analyzing all the factors, consider enrolling in management consulting for startups.

From there, they can show your team the best examples of company resource use, how long a company is considered a startup, and what managed IT services are most effective for small businesses.