Technology drives success. For small businesses, however, tech adoption can become an operational stumbling block.
If small businesses spend too little, they can’t stay competitive. If they spend too much, long-term ROI may be out of reach. One report shows that SMB spending actually outpaces that of enterprise counterparts in areas such as wireless technology and digital devices. Meanwhile, Gartner notes that 57% of Small businesses regret their software purchases, with 38% saying they cost too much money.
The solution? Small businesses must find a balance between budgets and benefits.
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Why Small Businesses Benefit More From Managed Services
Customers and compliance regulations don’t care about business size. Buyers want the same service from small businesses that they get from larger companies, and regulatory bodies expect SMBs to keep pace with security, privacy and data collection changes.
But small businesses have fewer resources. Technology staff play multiple roles in an organization as companies try to balance budgets, growth and IT security. To bridge the gap, IT services are essential. With a wealth of options now available, however, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details.
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The Top 5 Small Business Tech Services
While market and industry needs vary, five services stand out as functional, cost-effective options for small businesses.
- Managed IT Services: These include anything relevant to offloading operational tasks. One of the most popular managed service options is break-fix: Employees can connect with third-party IT professionals on demand to help answer complex questions or address technology issues. This is especially beneficial during periods of growth or change when overworked staff can’t devote as much time to IT.
- Security Services: Small businesses are often targeted by malicious actors. Attackers use small business networks as testing grounds for new techniques, and cybercriminals count on security gaps to slip through unnoticed.
Security services help small businesses with tasks such as vulnerability assessments, penetration testing and data encryption. Along with the peace of mind that comes from knowing key tools and data are protected, the completion of regular assessments and testing is often a requirement for obtaining cybersecurity insurance.
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- Staff Augmentation Services: Staffing remains a challenge for small businesses. Skilled IT staff are hard to find, and often prefer the clearly defined roles of enterprise frameworks to the changeable nature of small businesses. Staff augmentation services let businesses bring in IT professionals for short-term projects or long-term assistance. Available expertise varies from frontline staff and help desk personnel to networking experts and CIOs. In most cases, augmentation happens in person and onsite, but virtual options are also available.
- Data Management and Governance Services: As small businesses move to cloud-based services and look to reduce the number of active software licenses, data loss can occur. At best, this results in wasted time as data is found and repopulated. At worst, it may lead to compliance audits or legal challenges.
Businesses also need to ensure that the right people have access to the right data for the right reasons. If they fail to deliver on due diligence requirements, they may face sanctions, fines or other consequences. Data management and governance services can ensure data continuity and assist SMBs in creating effective rules for data access and use.
- AI Readiness Services: Small businesses can’t ignore the growing impact of AI. Readiness services such as workshops, assessments and infrastructure upgrades make sure that when a small business is ready to adopt AI, its IT environment is up to the challenge.
The best way to get started with new services is with a conversation. CDW experts can evaluate current needs, recommend best-fit solutions and streamline the implementation process.
Start your services journey and connect with a CDW expert today.
This article is part of BizTech's AgilITy blog series.
