If you’re a startup entrepreneur, you’re probably going to need a lot of help because you must make many decisions and juggle many different tasks at once. It can become overwhelming if you don’t have a good team backing you up. But that’s what most startups and small businesses are missing—they don’t have the right people in place to help them with the day-to-day aspects of running a business. After all, it’s not always easy to justify spending your budget on additional support services, especially when it comes to IT.
So, if you’re a budding entrepreneur and you’re wondering whether you should hire IT consultants for your startup? The answer is yes, plain and simple. Here are the reasons why:
It’s Cost-Efficient
Many startups concentrate too much on bringing operational expenses down. So, to save on salary expenses, they sometimes hire onsite IT staff that do not have much expertise and experience. However, if you’re in South Africa, it makes more sense cost-wise to get an expert consultant from top IT companies in Johannesburg because they could provide a high level of service at flexible terms.
Since these external IT providers are not regular employees, you may only get their services part-time or when you need them. Thus, you only spend on consultation fees, not fixed salary expenses. Soon, you’ll realize getting an external IT provider is more cost-efficient because you are getting value for your money. You are also saving costs on training, on-boarding, and other expenses commonly associated with an onsite IT team.
Offers Access To New Technologies
Again, due to budgetary constraints, most startup businesses don’t have access to the latest software and new technologies. But if you want your venture to succeed, you must find ways to upgrade your business, particularly when it comes to acquainting yourself with the latest technologies. These advancements are usually helpful in making you more competitive in your industry.
Most IT consulting groups have the resources to hire experts in their field and get hold of advanced software and apps needed in various IT fields. Thus, if you don’t have the capital to invest in the latest trends in cybersecurity, IT management, or networking, you can gain access to these technologies or expertise by hiring external managed IT providers.
Helps You Focus On Your Goals
There are tons of responsibilities attached to becoming an employer. If you are starting your company, you don’t need distractions to steer you away from what’s essential, such as concentrating on your money-making endeavors. Through the help of outside IT providers, you’ll continue to enjoy top-notch services without the hassles of having full-time employees. With contractors, you can concentrate on things that will help you launch your startup faster, including spearheading marketing campaigns and building relationships with customers.
Provides An Objective Perspective
Since the core business of most startups these days have to do with technology, many leaders have already invested in IT infrastructure and staff. Unfortunately, because of lack of experience, many budding startup entrepreneurs commit the mistake of stretching the roles of their tech teams from, say, taking care of the IT infrastructure to getting involved in product development. So, it’s not surprising that some businesses encounter security, productivity, efficiency, and IT-related issues.
If you feel that your startup is in this type of predicament, it may be an excellent time to seek the help of outside IT consultants. They will provide you with an outsider’s view of your situation. Since they don’t have a personal attachment to your company, they will be more objective in giving you advice on improving your systems and remedying problematic areas. Additionally, your IT consultant’s extensive experience with various companies allows them to provide you with innovative solutions that you and your in-house team may have missed.
Helps Enhance Security
Many small businesses, including non-tech startups, don’t know how to secure their operations. They think that cybercriminals will not waste time on their small enterprises. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Moreover, hackers and other online scammers love targeting small companies because the security in such establishments is often lax and vulnerable.
Also, if you are not careful enough with your network, your employees could steal information or even cause problems with your system. When that happens, your business will be at risk for many issues.
One way to mitigate risks and improve your security is through the help of external IT providers. They could assist in implementing risk reduction measures such as monitoring, encryption, password protection, antivirus software, and firewalls. Furthermore, they can help train your employees about network security and other preventative measures, such as having backups.
The Bottom Line
It would be best to research and hire the right IT consultant to impact your startup positively. However, the cost is one primary reason many startups are thinking twice about hiring one. But if you look carefully, there are far more reasons why it would be beneficial for startups to hire outside experts to serve their company’s IT needs.
