Tech Support for My Business
What do you need tech support to look at?
Looking for IT tech support for your business? Before you reach out to providers in your area we encourage you to consider a few important things. Below is a breakdown of the practical questions you need to ask yourself, staff, and the other stakeholders in your company.
4 Practical Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Tech Support Provider for Your Small to Medium Business
1. Am I Happy With My Software?
If you and/or your staff is frustrated with the software as a service (SaaS) that your company needs to service customers/clients and manage day to day operations then you need to connect to a tech support firm that has partnerships with (and expertise in) the top SaaS for businesses. Don’t assume that you know the answer to this without consulting with users (employees and other stakeholders). Perform a survey of all users to find out what their frustrations are. A shift to the right cloud-based scalable software can make a huge difference. If you’re not using one of the following you could be missing out on a huge opportunity to create new efficiencies in team communication and project collaboration:
- Microsoft Office 365
- Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)
- VMware
- Veeam
- Other (call 1-855-SAV-TECH to ask about custom software solutions for your business)
It’s important to note that adoption of any software isn’t enough on its own. A tech support firm for your business will customize it, ensure that you staff leverages all of its features, and secure it from cyber intrusion and other disasters. Even MS 365 and Google products require backups, and that is a big part of what tech support is here for.
2. Am I Happy With My IT Hardware?
The perceived fault with your SaaS (above) may not be endemic to the software itself, but due to the IT hardware your business may still be using. Physical servers and workstations may simply not be updated and/or powerful enough to manage your day to day needs.
Given that there is typically a significant investment required you should not depend on simple online research (nor discussion with retailers) to decide which IT hardware is best for your company. Outside tech support will audit your existing IT hardware and consult closely with you about your business needs, and help you determine a more scalable and efficient solution. In fact, you may end up saving longterm costs and physical space by switching to cloud based solutions that will make old equipment redundant. You can always sell off the latter on Craigslist and use the funds to throw an office party to celebrate your upgrades!
3. Do I Want to Handover All IT Operations?
This is an important one. Do you want someone to come in and take on ALL of the digital bits and pieces for you while you focus on manufacturing, marketing, sales, production, or whatever it is you need to do to satisfy customers, clients, and/or vendors? In such a case you need a managed services provider (MSP) who offers fully managed solutions. Alternatively you may be unsure and need to consult with an MSP to come up with a more appropriate custom-managed solution. Or you already have some in-house IT support and need a co-managed solution to supplement for certain gaps. View more on our managed IT services for greater insight.
4. How Much Budget Am I Willing to Allocate to IT?
Prior to 2020 (the pandemic) IT spending as a percentage of revenue ranged from over 7 percent in banking and securities to less than 2 percent in construction and manufacturing. The overall average for all sectors was 3.28 percent. That data is meaningless today.
Not one single business could avoid the call to accept (or increase) digital transformation through 2020. It was forced on those who lagged behind prior to 2020 and moving forward into 2022 businesses must make IT a larger percentage of revenue. Set aside the aforementioned percentage averages and even proportions by industry. Your IT budget should not reflect what your industry is doing, but what your business needs to do to be more competitive.
But how much are you willing to allocate to IT? This may not be a question you or your CFO can answer on your own. We recommend consulting with a tech support firm prior to making this final determination. But first, have a look at our guide to making sure your IT budget matches your digital transformation goals.
The solution to your online search for “Tech support for my business” is right here. Contact SAV Technology in Greater Vancouver BC to schedule a consultation.