How did we get to the end of 2021… already?
At this time of year, business owners and managers like us look ahead to the start of another year. Who knows what 2022 has in store? Do you have big targets and goals for the year? Are you now reviewing your budgets for 2022?
It’s reported that 56% of businesses plan to increase IT spend next year, primarily due to the flexible working changes encouraged by the pandemic. But while you’ve probably wondered at least once “what exactly are we paying for?”, it’s unlikely you’ve ever considered whether you’re paying enough for your IT and technology support.
😳
We get it, these are unusual times. Even in the best economy, you don’t want to throw money away or spend more than you need to. But technology is different – very different. There’s a reason we say we partner with our clients. Because we’re not just a supplier, giving them a service.
That’s the easy thing to do. We decided a long time ago it’s not something we want to do. Instead, we get deeply involved in every aspect of their business and its future growth. This is an in-depth and highly resource-heavy process. Yet it’s totally necessary, so we can:
- Fully understand every single business we’re working with
- Ensure their technology makes it easy for them to hit their growth goals
- And ensure their technology never, ever holds them back
This is one of the reasons our clients choose to stay with us for years and years and years. Picking an IT provider on price alone is a false economy. If you’re paying too little, you’re running one of these four big risks:
Big risk one: You’re getting a cheap service rather than a true partnership
The goal should NOT be to pay as little as you can to your IT support provider. You know the old saying: ‘If something seems too good to be true, it probably is’.
One of the biggest marketing headaches we have in our business is that ordinary business owners and managers (like you) don’t truly understand technology and all the complexities that go with it.
To be fair, you don’t really need to. We’re here to translate it for you. But it means when you compare the offerings and prices of different IT companies, you might think you’re comparing apples to apples… when actually you’re comparing apples to oranges.
If a supplier is cheap, it’s for a reason. Perhaps they don’t invest in all the clever tools that keep their clients safe. There are lots of them, but they’re all 100% necessary to provide a consistent, quality service.
You know the other old saying… “if you pay peanuts…” This also leads to the next big risk…
Big risk two: Your provider is under resourced
Anyone can set up an IT support company. There are zero barriers to entry. And a lot of these new starters are technicians who have decided to go it alone.
Nothing wrong with that. That’s how our business started a very long time ago. What they soon discover (as we quickly found out) is that these days there is a LOT more to truly proactive technology support, than just fixing computers when they are broken.
That way of thinking about IT support expired ten to 15 years ago. Today as a technology partner, it’s our job to think strategically about cyber security, infrastructure, and your business growth. That means working ahead to prevent problems, and doing strategic reviews to ensure you are truly supporting every client in every way.
Our entire business is built around this way of working. The problem with a lone technician who is out winning clients in the day and then servicing them in the evening, is they struggle to operate at a strategic level. If you personally started your business, you’ll know what it’s like in the first few years.
As much as we all “wing it” a bit at the start, you really, really don’t want to put the technology strategy and data security of your business in the hands of someone who’s in that startup zone. Because another risk is…
Big risk three: Your provider is not proactively doing what they should be doing to keep your business and its data protected. This leads to your staff suffering decreased productivity and increased hassle
It’s great to have an IT support company available when things go wrong. There’s a lot to be said for the benefits of a responsive helpdesk. However, the real goal is for you and your team to NOT have to contact the helpdesk regularly.
You see, a big part of the way your technology partner should work is to take a 100% strategic approach.
What does that mean?
It means investing in the latest clever (and expensive) tools to monitor what’s happening to every device on every part of your network. Constantly looking for early symptoms of issues that can create problems and interrupt your staff.
And then fixing those problems, before anyone is even aware of them. It’s in everyone’s best interests to reduce the number of times you have to reach out for support. Your people are more productive, and it’s more efficient for us to plan proactive work than respond to reactive work.
This also includes keeping everything updated, all the time. Hardware and software. It’s one of the most important practices of data security. And something our team is laser focused on every day.
Let’s move to the final risk…
Big risk four: You will quickly outgrow them
We’re all pursuing business growth. But it will cause huge problems if your business outgrows your IT support provider. That’s more about the attitude of the IT business’s leadership, than the size of it.
What you need is an ambitious technology partner who can grow with you. Of course, this higher level of strategic support comes with a higher cost. But it’s worth bearing in mind that you really do get what you pay for. You’re effectively paying to insure your business against a total disaster.
Time to talk about your business in 2022?
Back to that question again – are you paying enough for your IT support?
If you’re not getting the level of service that you think you should be, the answer is probably no. Is it time to do something about it?
Whenever your contract ends in 2022, it’s worth us having a conversation now.
Book a 15 minute no obligation exploratory call with our IT strategist
Ph:609-309-9939