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3 Most Common IT Support Costs for Small Businesses

Find out Which IT Support System Works for Your Business

Starting a new business will involve lots of hidden costs along the way, you often wouldn’t think about the need for IT support. Understanding the potential information technology costs that may arise for your business will help you to plan as you build your brand. Knowing the potential foreshadowed costs allows you to strategically budget and allocate funds to start preparing for your IT needs to come. 

Where Will You Need IT Support?

As your business increases, there will be a greater need to expand. This could look like new software development, increasing data-saving outlets, or integrating technology with your business strategy. You may not have all the answers to achieving these solutions - this is where IT support comes into play. You need to think about if you want an IT department on standby within your company, or if you would prefer to have IT support brought in whenever needed. 

Three Different Cost Streams

IT costs often come in three different cost streams; you can have a one-time need for support, and a consistent support team on hand for your company, or create an internal company system. 

1.One-time Support

2.Consistent Support System 

3.Use your Company Resources

One-Time Support 

Sometimes an out-of-the-blue need for information technology will arise for your company. This is an unpredictable cost that truly depends on the IT situation that occurs. Ultimately, you do not have to do last-minute research in an attempt to find a trustworthy company. Instead, as you are starting up your small business, this is the time to begin determining what IT support software company will be great to mitigate your future problems. 

Having one-time on-call support is best for situations when you need to perhaps install software, and it would be best done by a professional IT specialist. Needing a specific task done one time will likely be far more cost-efficient for your company, rather than having an IT support team on standby or as its own department. 

Consistent Support System 

Using an outside company to help ensure your IT needs are being met will be a relatively easy cost for your company to budget off. The company will likely have a clear-cut monthly fee or salary that needs to be paid for the employee to be on standby. As your business expands and becomes more medium-sized, there will be a greater need to expand from potentially one to maybe three workers. 

Outsourcing support from an expert means any unexpected troubles you run into - they are there and ready to help. Thinking about adding in more people to your team, even outsourced, could be a daunting idea for your newer business. Though we need to recognize, compared to outsourcing standby support, implementing internal company resources will likely dramatically increase that cost. 

Use Your Company Resources 

Having an in-house IT team will likely be the most costly compared to the other IT support methods. Ideally, we can see how having expert support implemented within every facet and department of your company is advantageous. As technology becomes a driving avenue of expansion for companies, it is clear how in-house support is a remarkable tool. 

This method is best to be utilized by a larger company. The bigger the company, the more everyday technological problems may occur throughout the entire business - this ensures your IT department is in use and constantly helping to progress your business. While this can be an asset for a larger business, we would recommend small to medium-sized businesses steer away from this path because it can create unnecessary costs for your company. In a small business, creating an IT department early on - means those workers may not be strategically utilized as often as they should be to really be worthwhile. 

In Conclusion: Identify The Right Method For You

Knowing the IT setup you want within your business now can help to clear up future concerns. Fusion Computing has a great article detailing these different IT costs for businesses and includes what a potential cost breakdown could look like for companies at https://fusioncomputing.ca/cost-of-it-support-for-small-business/.

Having a reliable company you know can provide you with a strong software support system is key to growing your business. What cost stream works best for your company?

Find out how ISU Software can help propel your company towards success, contact us!