How to create The Master IT Plan for your business

This paid piece is sponsored by IT Outlet.

Managed service providers, or MSPs, help bridge the gap for companies that can’t manage their own IT needs but aren’t big enough for a full-time IT staff. MSPs in the IT space have become a major contributor to the growth of small- to midsized businesses because of their ability to provide the service of a full-time team without the attention requirements and fiscal needs of in-house staff.

Ready to explore MSP options for your business? Take this short quiz, or read below to see what to look for.  

Best MSPs focus on two areas

Although most MSPs offer services ranging from some form of general maintenance on existing hardware and software setups to performance optimizations or upgrades, the best MSPs do more. In today’s world, businesses of any size have to prepare and deal with rapid changes in the IT space, including cyber threats, data security, fast-evolving tech and the expectations of customers.  

IT Outlet’s managed service provider team excels at executing on tech issues that matter right now — think faulty hardware or outdated software issues that keep you from meeting a deadline this week — while also aligning client needs with the requirements and trends coming in the future. At the heart of every great MSP is the multifaceted approach adopted by IT Outet’s MSP team: focus on today, and focus on the future.  

“Most companies are just getting by with their IT needs,” said Dusty Sperlich, IT director at the Brandon-based firm. “This leads to negligence in areas of security and needs for future growth. Many times, our new clients could have saved time and money by using our MSP team sooner.” 

Strategies, services of best MSPs

The best MSP strategies start by assessing and then dealing with the tech and data that a business already has. Leveling up the security requirements to match the demands of the modern cyberworld is key.

“A lot of first-time clients haven’t properly thought about data security,” Sperlich said. “You have to think about protecting what is currently sitting on your site but also making sure that your data is protected and moved to an off-site location.” As Sperlich and his team see time and again, there are so many businesses out there relying on a single USB drive to back up the data crucial to their entire company. IT Outlet backs up client data in three locations in the case of disaster. 

Risk of skipping IT MSP

• An inexperienced on-staff IT professional could cost a business on average $50,000 a year.
• A cyber incident costs small organizations on average $7.68 million.
• 60 percent of small businesses go out of business six months after a security breach.
• 43 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses.
• 60 percent of data breaches happen because of outdated software.

Biggest benefit of MSP to your business

With IT Outlet, you are getting an entire team of “nerds,” skilled and up to date in all things IT. Their goal is to let businesses focus on their businesses. “We have experts in each area necessary in an MSP that can take the headache and hassle of IT away,” Sperlich said.

Important reminder on IT Outlet plans: Each plan is designed to grow with a business. There are no hidden costs. There are no wasted hours. New users can be added to the plan at any phase. Create your master plan today.

IT Outlet has The Master IT Tech Service Plan

As they always say, IT Outlet has “The Nerds You’ll Love To Know.” Every MSP shows why. The basics of every MSP through IT Outlet includes: 

• 24/7 support available.
• No block hours. IT Outlet doesn’t charge for small fixes.
• Proactive and preventative approach. They save the business money over time and fix problems before they occur.
• Contract price is $50 per user per month.
• IT Outlet’s team proactively patches, updates and manages business applications and networks, ensuring your devices are always up to date.