If you run one of the 33.2 million small businesses across the US, you likely are always looking for new ways to run more efficiently. Deciding between on-site IT support and managed services is a big question for those looking to grow.

Read on to learn whether you require in-house IT solutions or outsourced alternatives.

Who Needs On-Site IT Support?

On-site IT is managed in-house. Your small business will contract and train its own IT professionals. They work for you, meaning you’ll know exactly who you’re authorizing to store and maintain your sensitive data.

This can be comforting, and it also means that they’ll have a vested interest in keeping your IT infrastructure strong. They’re included among the employees that will sink or swim with your business!

But on-site IT also has a lot of downsides. You’ll need to invest in training and onboarding specialized professionals who require salaries and benefits. You also will probably need to pay for multiple IT experts over time as you grow and expand, so scaling can be costly.

The only companies that really need in-house IT are those with very few employees. It’s also ideal exclusively for companies that don’t plan to expand much.

Managed IT: A Top Alternative

Managed IT support services are generally the better option for small businesses. These off-site IT support professionals do not require any training or re-training. They also are well-versed in the latest tech and equipment so you don’t need to worry about getting behind.

Managed IT is also a great choice because you can get 24/7 answers to your questions. You don’t need to wait for one or two in-house IT professionals to be on call. You’ll also get access to top-notch security and firewalls as well as a proactive disaster recovery plan.

When you invest in managed IT, you’ll also be extremely scalable. Your company can grow to hundreds of employees and the large outsourced team will manage larger systems with more data. You won’t need to hire a ton of new people but can instead take advantage of a big group of pre-trained employees who specialize in systems like yours.

Who Needs Managed IT?

You’ll want a managed IT if your company:

  • Has more than a few employees
  • Plans to grow in the coming years
  • Doesn’t have the resources for unnecessary salaries and benefits for in-house workers
  • Doesn’t want to pay for additional security, authentication, and firewall technologies
  • Wants the latest network design tailored to fit current best practices
  • Requires a pay-as-you-go payment model

Basically, unless you’re a stagnant small business made up of only a few workers, outsourced managed IT is the correct choice.

Get Started With Top Small Business IT Services

Now that you know whether your company needs on-site IT support, it’s time to take advantage of the top small business IT services available. Inception Network Strategies is committed to providing managed IT solutions, pay-as-you-go support, cloud backups, and more. Contact us with any remaining questions and start managing your IT infrastructure the right way.