Small businesses frequently struggle to stay competitive with much larger corporations in their industry. When you’re fighting for the same clients on a budget that’s a tiny fraction of your competitors’, it’s natural to try to find places to cut back on expenses. Unfortunately, one area that small businesses cut back on far too frequently is in the tech support department. They rely on troubleshooting from their local computer stores or have the most computer-savvy person on their staff step in when needed.
But this can cripple your business and stunt your growth; rather than making you more competitive with those big corporations, you’re holding yourself back. Here’s why managed IT services in Orlando are essential for small businesses to grow.
Staying Up to Date on Technology
One of the significant ways in which small businesses tend to fall behind their much larger competitors is in the area of technology. It’s natural for those large corporations to get the latest and greatest tech sooner than small businesses. Small-business owners frequently exacerbate this gap between themselves and their competitors by not making an effort to stay up to date on the latest relevant technology for their industries.
Business technology is continually evolving. From process automation to new ways to interface with your clients and manage their accounts, you must be aware of your industry’s latest innovations at all times. Even if you can’t acquire the new technology immediately, staying abreast of these changes allows you to adapt and keep pace with your competitors as much as possible.
An IT company is regularly tuned in to the ever-changing world of technology, and they can apprise you of new technology that’s coming into the market, as well as giving advice on which new processes, software, and equipment might benefit your company the most. And if you choose to implement a new piece of software or equipment, they can help you streamline the integration process. This alone makes them an invaluable tool in helping your business to grow.
Educating Your Staff
Training always takes time and costs money, whether you’re onboarding new employees or training every team member on a new process you’re implementing. Without formal, professional training, your employees will be battling their way up a steep learning curve as they try to adapt to new routines while maintaining productivity. And, if we’re entirely honest, some won’t make an effort at all.
A trained professional can step in and provide in-depth training and ongoing support so that converting to a new process or piece of software is less intimidating for your employees. They’ll be more willing to adapt and make the change more quickly and smoothly than without proper training.
Prevent Data Breaches
Large corporations and small businesses are equally prone to security breaches. Recent years have shown an increase in attacks against small businesses because these businesses tend to have much less security protecting their data. Now, over 70% of cyber-attacks target small businesses.
According to Security Magazine, one data breach can cost your business between $36,000 and $50,000—or at least, that’s the average cost of a data breach for a small business. And while that might seem like small potatoes compared to the millions that large corporations lose in such violations, it frequently represents a much larger percentage of a small business’s income. It can be enough to close your business for good.
Don’t leave your business’s future to chance. Contact Millennium Technology Group today for professional IT support in Orlando.