Vendors claiming to offer managed IT services for small businesses are everywhere these days. But not all small businesses are alike – or even remotely similar. Gartner classifies organizations with fewer than 100 employees or less than $50 million in annual revenue as “small businesses,” even though a company with $49 million in annual revenue and 99 employees has very different IT needs than a startup or a tightly knit professional services firm.
Within this broad classification of "small business," there is one type that goes unacknowledged by 95% of IT providers advertising to the market – it’s called the “small office” or workgroup (also referred to as a "micro-business" or "micro-SMB"). Small offices have less than 20 employees and are typically sole proprietorships, partnerships, or home-based businesses.
Regardless of size, all businesses should leverage outsourced IT support to increase their market competitiveness. But, a small business infrastructure and a small office infrastructure have different requirements for their IT services. Let’s consider these distinctions and how a Managed Services Provider (MSP) can provide unique outsourced IT support to help businesses of all sizes remain competitive in the marketplace.
"Small Office" Infrastructure Requirements
A small office network is often at the beginning of the spectrum of IT operational maturity. These businesses tend to apply consumer-oriented digital products in their daily operations, rather than professional products focused on increasing productivity. They may experience frequent service disruptions.
The small office needs close guidance to install the best equipment and software to minimize downtime and friction in their business processes. The objective is to find tech products and IT services that suit the workgroup or small office needs. The good news is that many digital products are scaled and priced accordingly to accommodate small office networks that have fewer users.
Partnering with a Managed Services Provider will help small offices or workgroups access the latest managed IT services at an affordable and fixed monthly cost. The goal is to help these small offices begin the digital transformation process so they can harness the resources to scale up their operations.
Small Business IT Support Requirements
Many small businesses (or SMBs) are already using managed IT services from an MSP. If so, they have started the critical process of digital transformation as they leverage cloud capabilities, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and other innovations in their daily operations.
They may also be moving away from older legacy systems and need help to transition to newer ones. At this stage, there’s also the challenge to find the perfect combination of digital products and IT services that work well together and yield greater business growth.
Small business IT support seeks to fulfill key business requirements that include a move towards more innovation, enhanced customer experience, greater productivity, cost minimization, and quick execution on critical projects. An MSP can also provide affordable access to enterprise-grade technology to spur their growth in market share.
Managed IT services are ideal for SMBs as they are easy to scale in response to changing market conditions. At this stage, the goals are to achieve digital transformation, develop the policies and procedures that manage cybersecurity risks, and promote business growth and longevity.
Are You a Small Business or a Small Office Network?
In which category does your business fall: small business or small office? Regardless of where you are, Net Friends, an expert Managed Services Provider, can help you. Small business networks and small office networks require customized IT services. We provide small business IT support and fulfill small office infrastructure tech requirements to help your business move to the next level of growth.
Choose Net Friends for Managed IT Services
Net Friends is your ideal IT partner to help your company achieve operational maturity. We offer a suite of managed IT services, as well as managed IT infrastructure services, IT staffing, and IT security and strategy services to satisfy your company’s requirements.
We take the time to learn about your unique business operations and provide extensive outsourced IT support at a fixed and affordable monthly cost. You will have access to Tier 1-3 IT experts, responsive help desk support, and other tech support services to help you and your team make the most of the latest innovations.
Contact us today to leverage the best managed IT services to maximize your network and widen your profit margins.
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