Are you a small business looking to upscale your business and take the next step to secure the IT side of your work? It’s time you join hands with a managed IT service provider! Not only will you be able to get assistance and access to top-notch services, but also professionals in the field who will help you take your business to higher lengths. Get a chance to protect yourself and your client’s future. Protect your website, launch new tools to streamline business operations, train your employees, and safeguard while building trust with your clientele.
Come along as we explore all the possibilities and explain why it is essential for small businesses to hire MSPs!
Managed IT Services for Small Businesses
Managed IT services are IT functions that are outsourced to professionals. These professionals contract with other vendors called MSPs or managed IT service providers. These MSPs help oversee and manage everything proactively while fulfilling all your IT requirements. This is helpful for small businesses because they can access a wide range of IT expertise and management skills that they might struggle to afford otherwise. Generally, this support is either provided monthly or through annual subscriptions.
But it all comes down to one question: which managed IT services do small businesses require? Let us explore all our options!
6 Most Important Managed IT Services that Small Businesses Need
As a small business, we believe you may require all of the following services to help your business flourish:
1. Strategic Planning
Managed IT service providers can help you build a tech strategy that will help you and your employees in using the services that MSPs offer to you. This is called the strategic plan, which is also your blueprint. It shows how businesses operate and how IT improves all those operations. The Strategic IT plan includes all of the following things:
- Regular meetings are conducted to boost the growth of the company and to become much more efficient.
- View the results annually and then make adjustments accordingly.
Using a solid strategic plan, you can avoid emergencies and improve your overall operations. For instance, it can prevent slow-running machinery and even old software.
2. Documenting the System
This is a detail of the network systems and their schemes; the details are variable. It includes data flows through your IT infrastructure. It should also show connections, devices, software, and storage relationships. The documentation should consist of all of the following:
- Thorough IT documentation that can help small businesses.
- The IT network diagram will assist in any future upgrades and even repairs.
The professionals at Ashton Solutions create an accurate map to showcase how the work will be done.
3. Monitoring the Server
Hiring managed IT service providers means you can access tools that monitor the server. These tools assist in telling how everything is working and may intervene when needed. The tools help in detecting different signs of cyber attacks and other problems. When hiring professionals for your small businesses, you get the following advantages:
- Qualified staff that responds to any network alerts.
- They make sure the cloud services are well-managed.
- Less downtime and chaos occur when you have a professional onboard.
4. Cybersecurity
Most clients experience ransomware, phishing, and malware problems before hiring a professionally managed IT service. The goal of a cyber security team is to prevent the mentioned issues and other attacks. Through precautionary solid measures, make your company a target for people willing to take it on. Managed IT services for small businesses are the easiest way to do this. These are some of the services that should be included:
- We provide regular updates and training to employees.
- Antivirus protection at all times.
- Installation of firewall, monitoring servers, and updates.
- Providing encryption for your emails, PCs, mobile phones, and laptops.
- Documentation of each procedure and policy
- Installing security patches and software updates instantly
This way, employees can prevent cyber losses and leakage of important data. Different policies and procedures should be reviewed, and upgrades should be made regularly.
Managing Passwords
Managing passwords is important so your employees have a convenient source to generate safe passwords. Discourage the use of repeated passwords across different platforms. Adding an OTP service every time employees log into your portal also helps.
Backing up Data and Recovery Plans
This is another critical factor contributing to cybersecurity, where data backups are essential. They help in recovery plans and ensure everything gets back to how it was in case of a data breach.
Monitoring the Dark Web
This helps you see whether your employee’s personal information, such as passwords, user IDs, and other data, is on sale on the dark web. This way, you can monitor and track any lapses and guide your employees in protecting their information.
Cybersecurity can help your small business by protecting your bottom line and your employees’ reputation. In case of a breach, it will take a very long time to rebuild the company’s reputation and customer trust. Hiring an MSP like Ashton Solution can help in all of the following ways:
- Compliance with state or federal regulations
- Legal protection against liability
5. Technical Assistance
When small businesses get IT support, they can quickly troubleshoot different issues to determine their size. Whether software glitches, mechanical breakdowns, or user errors, calling the right source can help correct and resolve problems. The tech support includes all of the following:
- Providing remote support through phone or online
- On-site assistance
- Knowing their real-time online stats
6. Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Assistance
Did you know that you need a decent backup device to have the ability to make sure your operations go smoothly? Instead, it is crucial to be prepared for all of the following in case there is a break of data:
- Preplanning effectively
- Onsite and cloud backup solutions should be in place
- Planning a response plan that employees must follow
If you get a professional onboard, you can get backup and disaster recovery, which includes an initial assessment through which your current backup system is tested. Professionals assist with configuring your IT infrastructure with backup services, internet, and server cloud recovery options. With a detailed disaster recovery plan in place, you can get documented and tested. There are also options for providing hardware backups and emergency power sources to streamline operations.
7. IT Asset Management
Asset management is a system through which you can manage your company’s software and hardware updates. It also assists companies with a productive team of employees and a better budget. The main aim isn’t to have new services but adequate equipment and services and avoid unplanned expenditure.
Backup and disaster recovery should include all of the following:
- Inventory
- The proper schedule to replace your IT equipment
- Preparing to replace PCs
8. Managed Email Services
Managed email services incorporate a wide range of handling the company’s email system through an external provider. This promises efficient and secure communication through email. These services usually include maintenance, hosting, filtering spam emails, and archiving. They also include advanced security measures taken to protect companies against cyber threats.
We cannot understate the significance of email security for both small and medium-sized businesses. Emails are known to be one of the essential sources of communication for a company and are also prone to threats. These include the distribution of malware, phishing attacks, and breaches of data. Effective email security means maintaining privacy, protecting sensitive information, maintaining privacy, and ensuring the integrity of communication channels. These are essential to streamline business operations and to keep the trust of customers.
9. Software Patch Management
Software Patch Management services include the system notification system, update installation, testing, and acquisition. All of these services include operating systems and applications that are up-to-date with the latest patches to improve functionality and fill any security gaps. Effective patch management is essential for maintaining the integrity of the system and preventing attacks.
We cannot overstate the significance of keeping the software up to date. With regular updates, gaps in security can be addressed, new features can be added, and existing ones can be improved. This can enhance the overall performance yet add to the stability of the business. Small and medium-sized businesses often lack resources for a dedicated IT department, so patch management services are quite essential for protecting their digital assets from increasing cyber threats.
Choose Ashton Solutions for your Managed IT Services!
To sum up, managed IT services ensure small businesses get support in managing networks, providing cloud solutions, and assisting with cybersecurity and protection. They also enhance security and efficiency while managing costs. As a small business, your aim must be to streamline all operations and leverage MSPs for your strategic benefit.
Use the expertise provided by the professionals at Ashton Solutions, who offer managed IT solutions to small businesses that may not have in-house resources to manage their IT side of operations. Learn how partnering with us can help you scale your IT infrastructure and also assist with operations. Get in touch with our team to learn more about our services and begin transforming your approach towards IT!
