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Technology empowers modern small businesses to drive innovation, enhance collaboration, and streamline operations daily. However, it also brings headaches when critical systems fail or important data is lost.
Small businesses often lack robust in-house IT infrastructure and expertise, leaving them vulnerable to technical glitches that affect productivity and sales and frustrate employees and customers.
Research shows that small businesses with less than 100 employees are more prone to social engineering cyberattacks than larger businesses. With this, seeking reliable, budget-friendly IT support is no longer an option, but it’s becoming necessary.
Keep reading as we explore how having a small business IT technical support can resolve technology-related issues and find some tips on how to make sure to receive the best IT support service.
Common IT Challenges for Small Businesses
Technology offers numerous advantages that can help businesses automate processes and improve efficiency. However, even the most robust information systems are not immune to technical issues and failures.
Here are some of the most common IT challenges that businesses have to deal with integrating technology into their operations:
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Cybersecurity threats and attacks
Small businesses are prime targets for cybercriminals due to inadequate defenses like multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and staff security training, which larger corporations routinely implement, leaving them vulnerable to exponentially more frequent attacks, including phishing, ransomware, and password stuffing.
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Old computers and software
Outdated hardware and software are incompatible with newer operating systems and applications. It slows down workflows and makes employees less efficient. Older technology usually doesn’t have features and security patches.
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Losing data and recovery problems
Hardware failure, cyber-attacks, and other incidents can cause permanent data loss without reliable real-time backups and a tested disaster recovery plan. This disrupts workflows and impacts customer service.
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Getting apps and systems to integrate
Small businesses often use a mix of old on-premises systems and new cloud apps, which don’t integrate well. APIs can connect them but require technical skills most small businesses lack. This results in fragmented systems that prevent unified workflows and data insights as the business scales.
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Meeting compliance rules
Regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance require strict access controls, system security, data encryption, retention policies, audits, and breach notification. Ongoing compliance is challenging for small IT teams.
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Not enough knowledge about technology
Small businesses rarely have in-house technology experts who understand core areas like security, infrastructure, and business applications. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for them to leverage technology to support company goals and operations effectively.
Without small business IT technical support, they will struggle to implement solutions tailored to their unique needs and environments.
Types of Small Business IT Technical Support
Small business IT technical support comes in various types that cater to different needs:
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Remote Technical Support
Businesses get immediate assistance virtually via remote desktop access, phone, email, etc. Since IT technicians can remotely diagnose and troubleshoot problems in real-time without the need for an in-person visit is unnecessary, minimizing downtime.
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Managed IT services
Small businesses can outsource the management of their technology infrastructure and systems to a third-party service provider. Through a managed technical support solution, businesses can take advantage of the expertise of IT professionals who can take care of tasks that are out of their league.
Tasks that can be handled through managed IT services are network monitoring, security, maintenance, backups, and software updates.
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Break-Fix Model
This is one of the most affordable options, as the business will only seek assistance and pay for the service when something breaks. This works for small companies with relatively simple tech setups and limited budgets. However, problems may take longer to diagnose and fix without regular maintenance and monitoring.
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Specialized IT Support Services
When a business faces complex IT issues in its day-to-day operations beyond basic troubleshooting and maintenance, it’s best to seek help from a specialized service. The business already knows the problem, so the IT experts can skip the preliminary diagnostics and focus directly on the root cause.
This tailored assistance is cost-effective for resolving technical roadblocks without wasting time figuring out the issue.
Choosing A Small Business IT Technical Support
When choosing an IT support provider for your small business, it’s essential to consider several key factors:
Identify your specific IT needs. Consider the size of your business, the complexity of your IT systems, and your industry. This helps determine the right IT support.
Evaluate the services offered. This includes network management, hardware/software support, cybersecurity, data backup, and cloud services. See if they meet your business requirements. Select a provider experienced in supporting businesses like yours. Expertise in your industry is ideal. They will grasp your challenges.
Assess scalability. Evaluate if the IT provider can expand support services and capacity as your business adds more staff, opens more locations, increases network demands, or the overall scope of your technology use grows over 12-24 months.
Understand pricing models. Some offer flat monthly fees, and others bill hourly. Confirm no hidden charges. Costs should suit your budget.
Check references and reviews. Do background checks to ensure you partner up with a reliable provider, have a sense of customer service, and have goals toward client satisfaction.
Let Magellan-Solutions’ IT Technical Support Shoulder The Tech Work!
Are you overwhelmed trying to manage your small business’s growing technical needs on top of daily operations? Between installing software, securing data, fixing network issues, and handling device problems, critical systems failures distract you from priorities.
Let Magellan Solutions reliably shoulder your increasing technology workload instead! Our IT experts proactively monitor systems so you can focus on your core business goals without distraction. Count on round-the-clock support if trouble strikes, too. Magellan Solutions specifically caters to small business IT technical support solutions.
Contact us today to take advantage of our affordable enterprise-level IT solutions to empower your small business growth.