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Growth is not just a goal; it’s necessary for survival, and no one knows this better than a small or medium sized enterprise where margins are tight and balancing top-notch offerings with tight budgets is a daily challenge.
One way to stay ahead of the curve is to ensure that every penny is spent wisely. However, for every business, there are several non-negotiable critical expenses – IT services are one of them. Fortunately, the technology ecosystem has several innovative solutions to maximise ROI.
In this article, we look at one of these solutions – bundled IT services – and how they canhelp SMEs overcome the expense Vs. need conundrum to drive growth.
Growth Roadblocks Removed by Bundled IT Services
Roadblock 1: Limited scalability and Flexibility
Let’s take the example of a retail company experiencing rapid growth. The company needs cloud-based infrastructure to expand its online presence, but it is not large enough to tie up CAPEX in hardware or software investment. Not yet established as a national household name, it needs to factor in seasonality and changing customer demands and requires a dynamic, scalable eCommerce model that meets its current needs while minimising costs.
Enter outsourced cloud services! IT service providers offer pay-per-use models along with a host of other services, helping them meet current demands and use their cash wisely.
Fully outsourced IT services give them the speed and efficiency that traditional infrastructure often cannot provide. Legacy or small infrastructure is often plagued by performance bottlenecks, which can hinder expansion into new markets or cannot handle a surge in customer demand.
Roadblock 2: Limited Budget
Regardless of how well the company is doing currently, finance departments of SMEs err on the side of caution – keeping budgets tight is almost second nature in companies still in the process of establishing themselves.
Tight cash flows restrict their ability to invest in robust IT solutions. However, without adequate technology infrastructure, businesses might struggle to compete in today’s digital marketplace. Again, bundled IT services offer cost-effective solutions that can be tailored to fit their needs.
By bundling multiple services, such as IT support, cloud hosting, and cybersecurity, businesses can access comprehensive IT solutions at a fraction of the cost of individual services.
Roadblock 3: Lack of IT Expertise and Resources
For companies with small or one-man IT teams, managing and juggling complex IT requirements becomes increasingly difficult as the organisation scales up. For example, dealing with big or small technical issues, implementing new technologies, and keeping an eye on cybersecurity while managing half a dozen separate contracts and vendors can quickly become unmanageable.
A bundled IT service provides SMBs access to a team of experienced professionals who can handle all aspects of their IT needs. From proactive monitoring and maintenance to help desk support and strategic planning, IT outsourcing ensures expansion plans do not need to be held back by their limited resources.
Roadblock 4: Data Security Concerns
In a world where cybercrime rules the news cycle, SMBs must be careful about data security. A hacked website or a data leak could spell doom for any business, but SMEs are especially vulnerable as they neither have the brand goodwill to weather negative publicity nor can they afford to hire skilled IT teams to ensure complete security.
Bundled IT services fill the gap for much-needed skills around cyber security. For minimal expense, businesses can get state-of-the-art, multi-layered cybersecurity technology to protect their interests and stay on top of any compliance needs of their industry.
Roadblock 5: Lack of IT Support
Often, SMEs have generalist teams managing their IT infrastructure and are sometimes unable to provide round-the-clock high-level support.
Take the case of a retail eCommerce establishment or a small hospital, where services must remain up and running 24/7, and even a tiny glitch can impact customers. Using bundled IT services from a third party opens up the option to engage always-on IT support for businesses that might not want to employ full-time professional resources to cover rare eventualities.
From limited budgets and lack of expertise to inefficient technology infrastructure and data security concerns, SMEs face many IT concerns that can become serious roadblocks to their continued growth.
The Bottomline
Outsourcing to IT service providers is a great way to overcome all of these! Enterprises and their employees can focus on their business, safe in the knowledge that skilled professionals are taking care of their IT needs – while being mindful of their business model’s unique resource constraints and needs.
If you are interested in bringing the many benefits of bundled IT services to your organisation, then do give the Onezo team a call . We eliminated complex contracts and multiple points of contact for your technical solutions, leaving you with reliable IT infrastructure and lightning-fast support in a time-saving monthly plan.