Do small businesses need managed IT support? 4 common myths

You may be wondering if your small business really needs IT support. Before you make up your mind, let’s bust some myths that we’ve heard from small businesses looking to improve their IT.

1. Small businesses can save money by doing their IT in-house

Every business has a resident IT expert. But we often see small businesses rely on this person for their IT infrastructure and everyday problem-solving, instead of investing in managed IT support. (Aaand then, we usually have to unpick a lot of technical timebombs to make sure things are both actually working correctly, and are not a hazard.)

In other cases, the business owner runs their own IT internally. But the beauty of investing into IT support is that managers, directors, and CEOs can instead spend their time running the business and generating income! No business owner should be worrying about Wi-Fi or solving their printer problems.

There are two reasons why small businesses don’t end up saving money by doing their IT in house:

1. It can cost small businesses more to untangle IT problems and to fix cyber disasters that have occurred due to inadequate IT, than it costs to have professional IT support that prevents issues.
2. Small businesses miss out on the opportunity to operate at their full potential, and grow. When professional IT is used strategically, it can improve business operations and make the day-to-day running of the company seamless, effective and stress-free.

2. Cyber criminals don’t target small businesses

The thinking behind this one is that there are ‘bigger fish to fry’ out there in the business world. People may think that cyber criminals will target bigger businesses that are more well known and have more resources like data and cash to steal.

However, cyber criminals will make a buck in the most risk averse way possible. And this can entail targeting small businesses who haven’t prioritised their cyber security.

A common reason why cyber criminals target small businesses is because the small business may have large clients or partners. By finding a ‘way in’ through a smaller business that does not have robust cyber security, attackers are able to infiltrate the larger companies they work with. Not only does this put a business’ valuable resources in harm’s way, but also its reputation.

Cyber attacks can happen to any business, but small businesses tend to be the least prepared to prevent and fight an attack, and most likely to be targeted.  That’s why it’s important to protect yourself and your work with robust online and digital safety. Managed IT support can help achieve this.

3. Small businesses don’t need complex IT support like larger companies do

First thing’s first. Managed IT support is never complicated at Kyte IT. We keep things simple and transparent for our clients.

But in general, all businesses need to tick the same, basic IT boxes.

• Hardware & software
• Emails, phones, mobiles, and instant messaging
• Securely storing and accessing client data and company documents
• Backing up client data and company documents
• Online security (for emails and web browsing)

And your fundamental IT infrastructure is scalable with your business as it grows. It’s important to have the basics not only covered, but working at 100% efficiency to set you up with everything you need to do what you do best!

Sure, bigger companies might need a lil extra technical pizazz. But the IT basics are the foundations of a great business.

4. Email spam is a problem that small businesses just have to deal with

Many people don’t know that email security is something that can be improved. Fed up with all that junk and spam coming into your inbox? Well, it doesn’t have to be an annoying problem that you have to delete out of your life, and inbox, every single day.

Email security can be improved on a technical level by investing in good IT support. The process involves fine-tuning your internal email spam filters – which is a plus for preventing and blocking cyber-attacks, too.

For more information on how to handle email spam, check out our other blogs:

• Email security: Protecting your business from cyber threats
• How to tell if an email is a scam or spam
• Why am I getting so much spam email? And tips on how to stop it
• What is Anti-Spam and Why Does Your Business Need It?

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