Why Small Businesses Need IT Support and for What

Whether you are a one-person show or have a few employees for your small business, you likely need some type of IT support, even if you think you do not. Many people believe that because they do not have a room full of servers, they do not need tech support, but the reality is that tech support covers far more than big-ticket issues.

When something with your business technology goes wrong, it can severely impact your bottom line. Customers may have a hard time getting to your website or contacting you for questions and orders. We will tell you all the reasons why a small business needs tech support.

IT Support for Your Small Business

If you are a business, then you probably have a website. It could be informational and a way for customers to get to know your services and products or an e-commerce site where they purchase items directly from the site.

There is no server in your home or office hosting the site. There is no bank of computers handling all the data. Everything is online, but you still need support for it.

One of the biggest worries a business has is a data breach. The idea of customer information, such as credit card numbers, getting out into the hands of thieves is a nightmare. An IT professional can help you set up the cyber security on your website and keep it safe from hackers.

There are also times when your website might go down or if you need to make changes to it outside of the minor things you can do. These are all things an IT professional can handle. They can also contact the various companies used in your online presence, such as hosting, content management, and other systems.

Even if there is a problem online from your payment processor to your hosting provider, there is no online problem your IT person cannot help address.

Computer Problems Will Happen

Even if you do not have a bank of servers in your business, you likely have some type of computer equipment. You likely have a modem for your Internet, a network hub, computers, and printers. These are items needed just to do business these days.

While most days are problem-free, there are always occasions where problems develop. The Internet goes out and you are cut off from the online world. Perhaps you cannot connect to your network drive and you cannot access company assets and information.

Your IT support specialist can help solve these problems. By yourself, it can take hours or days to figure out the issue by calling the various manufacturers and Googling it. Your tech support can do it much faster and without all the phone calls.

It is not just problems they can help address. If your computers systems are getting old and you need new ones, IT professionals can help you choose the right hardware and software. They can install and configure everything for you.

If you need program updates, they can do that too. There is no tech issue they cannot handle for your small business.

Can I Afford IT Help?

This question is one of the most common questions concerning small businesses. Money is already tight, and you do not think you can hire another person just to handle the technical problems.

There are several options a small business has when it comes to IT professionals. If you have a lot of technological infrastructures because your business is tech-related, then you may need to hire a full-time IT professional. However, most small businesses do not have enough work to justify the cost of a full-time IT professional.

Electronic equipment is complex. When different pieces interact, it becomes even more complex. One small problem can cause you serious monetary losses if it is not handled quickly. A full-time IT person can maintain existing systems to reduce the risk of issues and is right there when something comes up.

The downside is paying a full-time salary. You can always go with a part-time person, but computer problems do not care if the IT guy is there or not. You cannot wait for his shift to start if your website goes down or you cannot process payments at your store. A part-time person can keep everything maintained but may not be available when problems happen.

IT Professionals Available On-Call

While most small businesses cannot afford to hire an IT person, they can afford to keep an IT company on-call. Tech professionals understand the needs of small business, so companies sprouted up that offered on-call IT services.

Unlike hiring a person, you contact the IT company only when you need them. They may schedule regular maintenance, etc., but they are off-site when not needed. The small business calls them when issues arise, and they send professionals out to the business.

Keep in mind that off-site IT professionals will need access to your computer infrastructure, so they may house passwords and logins at their business, but they are experts in security and make sure that information stays where it needs to be.

They can even connect remotely, so they do not have to physically be at the business.

You Can’t Not Afford IT Help

We live in a fast-paced world and even a few hours of downtime can impact your business significantly. Customers will not trust a business that constantly has computer problems. If they cannot buy from your site because the payment processor is down, then they will go to your competitor.

Even if you are a small business run out of your home, you need access to professionals that can help you when disaster strikes. Computers and technology are part of the business landscape and every business needs them. Do not let hackers or computer problems ruin your dreams of being a business owner.

Keep IT support services in your budget and you will never have to worry about it.

It Is Part of Today’s Business Culture

Every business from large to small has some time of electronic infrastructure. You may think you do not need IT support because you are a small business, but you are wrong. Computers get viruses and websites get hacked.

Computers break down and programs need updating. IT professionals help you solve the problems you cannot. If you want to know more about IT services and how they can help your small business, then explore our site.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.