Even if you aren’t fluent in today’s technology, you still need the best I.T. to flourish in your business. With the right outsourced I.T. services provider, you can rely on them for great I.T. so you can focus on what you do best.
When you are the manager of a midsize business, you really have to know your stuff. And, when you’re great at what you do, it’s natural to want to stick with what you know. That’s especially true if you’ve spent years learning your business inside and out.
So, if technology hasn’t always been a part of your business model in the past, you may be reluctant to put too much emphasis on it now. Perhaps you’ve tried to use technology in your business and run into some major snags. Or, maybe you have an office full of technology, but it just seems more trouble than it’s worth.
Ideally, you’d like to take full advantage of technology to do your work faster, more accurately, and more easily. Yet you have to stay focused on your own industry and the services you provide in your unique business. So learning about technology may not seem like much of a priority.
But here’s some good news: you don’t have to be tech-savvy to use information technology to your greatest benefit. All you need is the right outsourced I.T. team. Here are sixteen ways they can help you flourish.
1. Transform Your I.T. from a Burden to a Benefit
When it comes to I.T., there are few things worse than dealing with technology that just seems to make your work harder. You invest significant resources into getting what seems like the latest and the greatest technology only to discover that it doesn’t do what you hoped it would.
You know technology should be helping you, but it ends up creating more work instead. Rather than being able to focus on your business, you find yourself tied up with technology issues time after time.
Your managed I.T. services provider helps you get the most out of technology. At the same time, they cut out the hassles of bad I.T. so you can get back to what you do best, aided by I.T. that really helps.
2. Give You the Right Hardware Setup for Success
If you’re getting ready to introduce new technology into your business, it’s important to start out with the right I.T. infrastructure. Even if you already have a lot of technology, you may need a better foundation.
Your outsourced I.T. provider has the expertise needed to improve your basic I.T. systems. They can recommend the best servers, backup systems, and any type of hardware that you need. They know and understand all the complex specifications of each component so they can recognize the I.T. products that can help you most. 
Add to that their extensive experience in dealing with different types of hardware, and you have a team that can set your basic systems up the right way.
3. Suggest the Best Software for Your Unique Business
The software options for businesses are virtually limitless. But you’re a business leader, not a software expert. So, how can you possibly be expected to know what is the best software for your business?
Fortunately, you don’t have to do all that research on your own. Your outsourced I.T. services provider does it for you. They’ve worked with businesses that do what you do, and they go a step farther to tailor software suggestions to your unique business.
You’re still in charge of making the final choice, but you do it with information gathered by experts who know as much about the options out there as you do about your own business.4. Optimize Your I.T. Integrations to Simplify Your Systems
Your I.T. systems may be more complicated than they need to be. This can happen for several reasons.
First, you might have added technology a little at a time over the years without considering how each new component would fit in with your current systems at the time. You may have seen each I.T. component for its own advertised benefits without thinking about the big picture. Or, you may have been relying on an I.T. company that doesn’t have a broad enough background in all the different types of technology you use.
For the best integration, you need a team of I.T. experts that have extensive knowledge and experience with all types of systems and software. And, you need a team that understands how to get everything working together to produce optimal results.
5. Automate Repetitive Tasks
Every business has repetitive tasks to do. If you’re an accountant, you have to make calculations, compile reports, and get those reports to your clients. If you’re a lawyer, you have to figure billable hours, manage client intake, and gather data on cases.
That’s why it’s a great idea to automate as many of these repetitive tasks as possible. Once they are taken care of in the background, you can put all your energy toward more complex tasks like consulting services and building a better business strategy.
These are things that require a human touch, and with the technology taking care of the boring tasks, you’re freer to concentrate on them.
6. Streamline Processes to Improve Employee Retention
Your best employees are bright and responsible. They want to love what they do, and they want to do it to perfection. But if your technology isn’t up to par, they may become dissatisfied in their work very quickly.
As you streamline your office procedures with the best technology solutions for your unique business, your employees become happier and more fulfilled in their work. They stick with you because they know they can do their best and do it without the headache of bad I.T.
7. Be Your Go-To Team for Every Aspect of I.T.
Do you have an I.T. provider that is great at one part of the job but inadequate at others?
The beauty of working with an outsourced I.T. services provider is that they have experts in every aspect of your I.T.
They’re incredibly skilled in helping you find the right systems for every part of your work. They help you configure your system for maximum simplicity and effectiveness. They understand individual components and put them together for the best overall system. And, they provide the best security possible so that all your data and your systems stay safe from cyberattacks and data loss.
8. Solve I.T. Problems 24/7
One of the worst things about working with an inadequate I.T. company is that they aren’t there when you need them. Your employees are dealing with a software bug, a security breach, a natural disaster, or a hardware issue with no help in sight.
If your I.T. provider is off work for the day, out on vacation, or sick at home, you have no one to go to for help with your immediate problem. Everyone at your office is frustrated, your customers are getting impatient, and you may face significant downtime.
By working with an outsourced I.T. team, you’re never alone. You get solutions to your I.T. problems no matter when they happen. Whether you need a simple answer from help desk support, or you have a crisis that requires more extensive assistance, your outsourced I.T. team is ready to help 24/7/365.
9. Get Ahead of the Competition
If you’re in a highly competitive industry, you’re always looking for ways to set yourself apart as the best company. You want to attract more customers and serve them better, so they’ll stay with you for the long term.
Well, guess what? Your outsourced I.T. services provider can help you do that.
How? They can help you avoid mistakes that come with inferior I.T. They can help you gather and analyze big data to find new clients and give all your clients what they need from you. They can help you boost your productivity. And, they can help you use technology to do more and do it better than others in your industry.
10. Stay in Tune with I.T. Trends in Your Industry
Your business isn’t just a single entity. You’re also part of an industry full of businesses providing similar services as yours. Whether you’re in oil & gas, manufacturing, or even healthcare, it always pays to be in tune with today’s I.T. trends as well as upcoming technology solutions that are specifically geared to your industry.
Some I.T. companies provide generic, one-size-fits-all services. Some are only proficient in certain aspects of I.T. But the best I.T. companies are outsourced I.T. services providers who have both industry-specific expertise and a broad base of I.T. knowledge. They can help you stay ahead of I.T. trends in your industry, suggesting and implementing software solutions that propel your business to greater success within your particular niche.
11. Discover New Opportunities
Discovering opportunities to grow your business can be a difficult task. When you’re busy with your day-to-day operations, it’s hard to find time to devote to finding the best avenues for expansion. Your outsourced I.T. team can help with this, too. Through data analysis, they can help you find new markets, develop new products and services, and reach out to potential customers that want what you can offer.
12. Meet and Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations
Knowing what your current and potential customers want from you is a good first step towards growing your business. Along with this, your managed I.T. services provider can help you put processes into place that increase customer satisfaction.Whether that’s improving your telecommunications, adding a customer portal, or providing the new services that make them happiest, your outsourced I.T. team can help you go beyond ordinary expectations to outshine other businesses in your industry.
13. Rely on Your I.T. Team the Way You Rely on Your Mechanic or Your Tax Accountant
It’s really no problem that you don’t know everything about I.T. After all, if you don’t know much about cars, you don’t go take a course in auto mechanics. You rely on a good mechanic to take care of your car. And, if you don’t understand tax laws, you don’t spend hours poring over the tax code. Instead, you count on your tax preparer to guide you and fill out the forms correctly.
The same is true of I.T. services. When you have a reliable, knowledgeable I.T. team, you can trust them to take care of your technology and help you find the best ways to use it.
14. Analyze Your Business’s Future I.T. Needs
Having great I.T. for today can really help your business succeed. Yet the world keeps moving on, and technology keeps marching along with it. But just because some technology product is new, it doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. Besides this, you need to prepare for changes that are coming up that your current I.T. company may not grasp very well.
Preparing for tomorrow starts with knowing where you stand today. The next step is to analyze how your business will change in the years ahead. Then, you need to analyze how technology can help you move more confidently and surefootedly into the future. Your managed I.T. services provider helps you visualize the transformation of your business to meet future demands and opportunities with the technology that’s right for you.
15. Create a Long-Term I.T. Plan
Once you know what to expect in the coming years, you need a plan. A good I.T. company will work with you to develop a five-year plan for your information technology. Together, you determine what types of software and hardware you’ll need and want in the next five years.
You’ll create a step-by-step plan for retiring outdated I.T., adding new I.T. software, hardware, and services, and preparing your business for the next phase of your growth. Then, they help you implement the changes you’ve planned when the time comes.
16. Get an I.T. Team with the Skills You Need
Hiring the right I.T. company to take care of your technology is difficult if you aren’t well-versed in technology yourself. You don’t know the skills to look for, the experience to expect, or the questions to ask.And, if you try to hire individuals to run an in-house I.T. department, you don’t know how to sort through the applicants to find the right fit. But when you choose an outsourced I.T. provider with a solid reputation and a long history of success, you know that they can handle whatever needs you have now or in the future.
Outsourced I.T. services can do a world of good for the health of your organization. They can help you use technology to its greatest benefit no matter how little you know about it yourself. With the right I.T. team, you can rely on technology that works as it should, helps you satisfy both customers and employees, and gives you an advantage over the competition.
You have a team with broad I.T. knowledge as well as industry-specific expertise. And, you can create a workable plan to build on today’s I.T. success.
Are you ready to move past any fears, frustration, or confusion you’re feeling about your current technology situation? If so, JMARK is here to help. We’re a leading managed I.T. services provider with all the expertise needed to help you make the most of your technology. Call us at 844-44-JMARK, email us at [email protected], or send us a quick message through our Contact Us page. We’re ready to provide you with the best I.T. services to help you flourish now and in the years to come.
