Calculating the true cost of IT support
IT support is essential for every company. The problem is, with so many IT support options available nowadays, choosing the right approach for your business can seem overwhelming. Here’s everything you need to know about why it’s so important to invest in IT support and how ignoring your company’s IT support needs could cost you more in the long run.
Why you need IT support
Put simply, IT support helps you do two things:
- It helps you keep your business operational.
- It allows you to minimize the financial costs and reputation damage associated with frequent or significant downtime.
Downtime costs the average business around $10,000 per hour, according to recent reports. What’s more, employees spend, on average, 30 minutes per week fixing IT problems. This time adds up, and it’s impacting on your company’s growth prospects.
How IT support reduces costs
The reality is that not having IT support may cost you more in the long run than committing to an effective IT solution now. With IT support, you can:
Predict your IT costs
Most IT support providers offer services at a predictable monthly rate, which helps you plan your IT budget in advance. Rather than facing unexpected outlays that overstretch your IT budget, you’ll be able to anticipate your spending.
Reduce downtime
IT support teams are all about keeping you operational. With IT support on your side, you’ll reduce your risk of costly downtime, and you’ll get back online as quickly as possible if disaster strikes.
Boost productivity
The less time staff waste on IT troubleshooting, the more time they have available to get on with their important work. Increased productivity helps to grow your business.
Before you invest in more IT support, it’s important to choose a solution that works for your company’s individual needs and, of course, your budget.
Tips for calculating the cost of IT support for your business
To understand the real cost of IT support for your company, you first need to know what you’re already spending on IT. Then you can decide how to properly allocate your IT budget. Here’s how to get started.
Review your expenditure
Consider how much you’re spending on:
- Hardware and network infrastructure
- Software, including antivirus and cybersecurity packages
- Staff training
- End-user operations, including troubleshooting
- Lost productivity (take the number of hours your system or individuals computers are down, and multiply this by the average hourly wage)
Understand your goals
Decide what your short and long-term IT goals are. You can work out these goals based on your business risks and priorities. For example, if you manage healthcare data, cybersecurity, compliance, and comprehensive staff training will be high on your IT support priority list.
Ultimately, although IT support can sometimes seem expensive, it could cost you far more to ignore your IT support needs than to make the initial investment.
Choose the right support
Although IT support may seem like an unnecessary expense, it’s more than worth the investment in the long term. What’s more, there are many ways to keep IT support affordable, and it’s possible to design an IT support strategy in line with every corporate budget. For more information on the costs and benefits of IT support for your company, contact us now.
