Some businesses don’t start looking for IT consultants or managed services providers until they are in dire need of one. Companies often see IT as a necessary evil rather than a necessity, even though IT is at the heart of modern business. You may even be reading this blog and thinking to yourself, “But Ben, isn’t IT just overhead? We all need computers, but it’s not all that big of a deal”. Well, let me answer that by sharing a few myths and truths about IT consulting that might change your mind.

Imagine this, your car engine quits, and you pull over to the side of the road, all while knowing you’re already running late to the airport. You get that sinking feeling in your stomach. You need a solution as quickly as possible. However, this is not the best time to determine who will fix your car. That makes you vulnerable to exploitation. The fastest solution will likely be costly, reactive, and entirely dependent on available personnel and equipment. In addition, more potential damage will happen if the repair is improperly applied or the equipment isn’t a good match for your system.

Myth or Reality

Time to Reframe IT Consulting for Your Business

Let’s bring that back to IT and your business. A pivotal device fails, all hell breaks loose at the office, and productivity comes to a screeching halt. It’s time to find someone to help solve your emergency, but most IT companies give priority responses to their long-term clients. So, if you don’t have an MSP you’re working with already, you could be waiting with idle employees and blown deadlines for hours or even days. In addition, the “default” tech person in your office hasn’t had a chance to do his actual job in two weeks because they’ve been trying to do their best to put out fires for everyone else in the business. Your clients, who have their own deadlines, aren’t interested in why you can’t deliver on your contract.

Scenarios like the one above are why many see IT as a necessary evil at best or a nightmare expense at worse. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Below you’ll find some myths about IT consulting. Let us help shift your mindset so that technology can empower your business and become one of your greatest assets. Here are some myths we’d like to transform into new IT truths for you and your business, as well as some details on how we achieve them.

Myth #1: IT is all reactive and therefore isn’t worth the investment
New IT Truth #1: Investing in IT develops your business when you’re proactive 

Many of our customers come to us with horror stories like the worst-case scenario example. When you’ve been hit in the pocketbook with gauging, unplanned expenses like this, it’s natural to want to rein in your IT budget. However, investing in your technology on a proactive basis stabilizes your budget and saves money in the long run. In turn, this forethought will enable you to afford systems that power your business, rather than struggling to limp along on the band-aid installed during the last crisis. This is the foundation for our Managed IT Services, a requirement for all our customers, and turns IT into a planned part of your development budget.

Myth #2: IT is a pain point for your business
New IT Truth #2: IT Empowers your business and increases productivity. 

Don’t be a victim of technology! When a failure can take down a company and cause panic, people become victims of technology. Many people feel tethered to their tech instead of feeling empowered to make it work for them. It’s time to take charge and capitalize on your capabilities. We’re in the business of understanding how you operate. We work with you to strategize how technology systems can make your business more money and more functional. Sometimes you can increase productivity with simple and inexpensive solutions, like better internal data structures and standardizing software. Sometimes the proper hardware in the right hands can save hours of labor. It’s time to let IT help your business succeed. Let us make your life easier.

Myth #3: IT Offers no ROI
New IT Belief #3: IT Offers a return on your investment. 

When it comes to technology and consulting, the last roadblock for many is the question of ROI. Quantifying the ROI of your IT systems often means looking beyond what is easily measured. For example, ROI can be the cost you didn’t spend on a lawsuit after a security breach or the software that allowed you to offer an entirely new service to your customers. Smooth-IT can assist you with strategic planning that ensures your technology pays off, helps you make even more money, and provide better service to your customers going forward.

With our Managed IT Services, we’ll take care of your technology so your technology can take care of you. You don’t have to ask for it, schedule it, or think about it. We’ve got you covered.

Visit the service pages on our website to learn how we can help you leverage technology as a business-building tool.