You might be surprised to learn that approximately 20% of small businesses in the United States fail within the first year. There’s no shortage of causes behind this occurrence, such as poor financial management or no market need. One of the most notable contributing factors is improperly handling network downtime.
Working with the right managed network services provider can help you overcome the issues you face, but not everyone understands the benefits they can expect. Let’s explore the key information you should keep in mind when moving forward so you can make the right decision.
1. Focus on Your Company’s Other Obligations
When you hire a managed network services provider, you’ll free up plenty of time to focus on your company’s other responsibilities. This is especially important for small businesses, as they often don’t have abundant time or resources.
Even with the right amount of experience, handling your network in-house can still be time-consuming. Having the freedom to focus on your other responsibilities can help you scale your business sooner than anticipated as well.
2. Improved ROI
When you have a solid strategy in place for resolving network issues, you can substantially improve your ROI. Most companies achieve this by minimizing related expenses and improving their operations. An in-house network team often can’t help you reach peak levels of performance.
Outsourcing to managed network services, though, allows you to recoup your costs and leverage your network-based strategies. As your company scales, you can take this boost in ROI to the next level.
3. Minimized Network Downtime
Downtime is one of the worst situations your company can deal with, as it substantially decreases your productivity and causes you to bleed revenue. For example, imagine you pay a team of 10 people at your organization an average of $50/hour.
For each hour they can’t work due to downtime, it costs your company $500. A single workday of lost productivity is approximately $4,000. This also doesn’t include opportunity costs, such as the number of missed sales.
You can also damage your client relationships. Outsourcing to a professional managed network services team allows you to avoid situations like these due to their resources and tools.
4. Maintain Compliance
Even a single compliance issue can lead to major complications. For example, imagine if your network policy infringed upon industry compliance standards. People could lose trust in your company, and you could also incur expensive fines.
A great example of this situation is the 2017 Equifax data breach. The company’s reputation never fully recovered, and they had to deal with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
Hiring the right managed network services provider will ensure you adhere to the required regulations. They’ll identify areas of concern and help you take the best course of action for your needs.
5. Cost Reduction
Many people overlook how effectively you can reduce your costs by hiring a managed network services provider. Most software comes with a substantial learning curve. You’ll have to train your team to use it properly, which can cause lapses in your company’s performance.
You might need to budget for professional training, as well, and there’s also a chance your team doesn’t use the software to its fullest extent.
Your professional managed network services provider will handle this obligation for you, allowing you to quickly make use of the necessary tools. You can then invest this money into other areas of your company. Cost reduction is crucial for small companies with tight budgets, as it can provide valuable breathing room.
7. Reduced Complexity
As technology develops, it continues to grow and transform at an exponential rate. This vastly increases the complexity of network infrastructure.
Increased complexity also requires top-tier talent to handle. Your managed network services provider can ease this burden and keep complexity to a minimum.
Having less complexity also makes your networks easier to manage in-house. This can reduce the overall stress your team experiences, improving their morale and keeping them motivated.
8. Improved Security
The cybercrime industry is estimated to cost the world over $10 trillion by the end of 2025. A large portion of this cost is the amount of sensitive data hackers procure from businesses.
Most companies aren’t equipped with the required tools to protect themselves against security threats like data breaches and ransomware. Problems like these can plague businesses of any size.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming your company isn’t large enough to serve as a lucrative target. Hackers often prioritize small companies since they don’t have the resources to defend against their attacks.
Finding a Managed Network Services Provider
Not all managed network services providers are created equal, and it’s essential to find the right one for your needs. This plays a large role in the results you’ll get. Listed below are some of the most notable attributes to keep in mind when looking for managed network services.
Reputation
What do other people have to say online about the company? There should be no shortage of positive feedback from previous users. Keep an eye out for fake reviews, as well.
These are often posted in batches and contain many similar keywords. How do they respond to criticism? Never choose a managed network services provider that gets defensive or aggressive. This could indicate they won’t be willing to resolve issues that arise.
Client testimonials can provide valuable info about what you can expect from the company. These are far more in-depth than conventional customer reviews.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
This contract guarantees a certain level of service while working with them. In context, this could involve keeping downtime to a minimum or guaranteeing 100% uptime.
If these terms aren’t met, certain consequences occur. A common example is a client getting a discount on future services.
In some cases, they could have the opportunity to get out of their contract early. Read your service level agreement carefully before signing anything. Without this level of protection in place, you risk having your performance fall short of your needs.
Pricing
It’s essential to check their pricing structure before choosing a managed network services provider. You get what you pay for regarding the company you work with, and you should always avoid the cheapest options you encounter.
These are likely to deliver subpar results and fall short of your goals. In some cases, this could prove to be a security hazard. It’s worth noting you don’t need to spend as much money as possible when looking for someone to hire.
Somewhere in the middle of the price range can meet your needs without stretching your budget. Make sure they don’t impose miscellaneous fees, as these can quickly add up.
Stay wary of businesses pressuring you into signing an agreement. Instead, look for ones that allow you all the time you need to make your decision.
Emphasis on Security
Never hire a service provider that doesn’t emphasize security. While most professionals allocate plenty of resources toward keeping your data safe, it’s worth double-checking.
They should have no trouble providing info about the protective measures they’ll take. If they deflect questions like these, this is a red flag you can’t ignore.
Ask if they’ll provide training for your employees, as well. Many issues can be prevented with the right amount of knowledge.
For instance, imagine if your team didn’t know how to recognize phishing attacks. This would put your entire organization at risk due to all the opportunities hackers would have. Service providers can help prevent this with proper employee training.
Level of Experience
The more experience the firm has, the better they’ll be able to meet your needs. Firms that have been around for at least a decade can handle key nuances inexperienced firms couldn’t.
Inexperienced firms won’t always fall short of your goals. However, you’re essentially rolling the dice by doing so. Look for firms that frequently work with companies like yours.
They should have no issue understanding your needs and developing ways to satisfy them. Keep this in mind when moving forward so you can make the best decision.
Customer Support
With enough time, problems will inevitably arise. If you don’t have the right level of support, they could be difficult to overcome. In some cases, it could even be impossible to handle them.
The company you work with should have a robust customer support policy. Getting left in the dark can impact your performance for extended periods. Even brief underperformance can harm your company’s reputation.
Assess how easy it is to get in touch with them. No matter how good their customer support is, it won’t mean much if nobody’s around to handle your concerns.
,p>It’s customary for firms to provide 24/7 service. This is often in the form of outsourced employees, chatbots, or both. Regardless of how they do so, ensure they’re available when you need them.
Don’t Overlook Managed Network Services
Without the right managed network services on your side, handling IT issues that arise can be difficult. The information in this guide will help ensure you make the best decision for your organization. From here, you can take your performance to new heights.
Vertical IT Solutions prides itself on offering fast results without sacrificing quality. We also own our cloud infrastructure and make customized plans for each of our clients. You’ll learn more about the many other benefits we offer when you book a call with us to speak about our managed network services today.