Building your business: these are the signs that you’ve outgrown in-house IT

Watching your business grow, expand and succeed is exciting for any company – especially so in the current global climate. But when it comes to the critical factors that keep your business running behind-the-scenes, it’s easy for your requirements to outstrip the original processes you had in place quickly. If your company has rapidly grown, these kinds of issues are even more likely.

When it comes to IT support, every business needs to have a solution that fits their needs. But when your company is growing, sticking to tried and tested in-house IT just isn’t going to cut it. Here are a few of the signs that it might be time to outsource your IT services and upgrade from your current setup:

Issues aren’t getting solved quickly enough

Practically every modern business requires technology to function in day-to-day tasks. So if you find you’re experiencing downtime before fundamental IT issues are solved, whether that’s due to lack of availability or a queue of work ahead of you, that’s a sign your IT isn’t doing everything it needs to. Ideally, simple issues and questions should be resolved immediately, allowing you to get back to your work with as short an interruption as possible. With outsourced IT, this is far more possible than it is with an in-house service that’s no longer up to scratch.

Too much work, too little time to get it done

Overworked employees make mistakes – and IT is often one of the areas that become stretched as a company grows quickly. This can lead to things falling through the gaps or work simply not getting done on time. At best, this can be frustrating, and at worst, this could lead to security risks that need immediate attention. If your in-house IT department is overwhelmed by the amount of work they need to do, that’s a clear sign that outsourcing is required. And sooner rather than later, if possible.

Your IT security systems are outdated or not up to standard

Cybersecurity is a serious concern for any business, especially as they grow and open themselves up to potential cyberattacks or hacking. While the in-house IT employees you hired as a small company are perfectly capable of meeting that specific niche, that doesn’t mean they have the skills or specific knowledge to manage IT security for a far larger company than their area of expertise. This can lead to systems becoming outdated or being more suited for small start-ups and businesses than it is for companies of your size. To meet those growing needs, bringing in outsourced cybersecurity experts is your best bet.

You’re behind on putting vital cybersecurity policies in place

Much like your security systems, putting the processes in place for better cybersecurity is also something that quickly falls by the wayside – even after the requirements laid out by GDPR. With a need for internal IT growth, the focus is often on building those networks, expanding systems to meet new demands and bringing in new tech. While these are all necessary, your cybersecurity can be compromised as a result – putting your employees and company at risk. Outsourcing to a service that can provide IT support for all areas of growth, including cybersecurity, is your ideal next step.

You’re hopping from disaster to disaster – with no room to improve

A common sign of in-house IT no longer working is continually putting out fires without any room for improvement. As any business grows, it’s no surprise that there are things to work out and snags along the way. But with a company that’s growing rapidly, this can lead to your IT team – or person – hopping from emergency to emergency without any chance to slow down and figure out what could be done better or improved upon. This can lead to your IT support being reactive, when what you need is proactive IT support to head off problems before they occur, as well as prevent them from happening again. That’s precisely what an outsourced service can provide.

You already have to source some parts of your IT support externally

If you’ve begun to require more niche or specialised services for your business, then you may already be outsourcing select parts of your requirements to any number of different companies. The problem with this approach to outsourcing is that it can overcomplicate the process. With your in-house IT as the point of contact, they may spend more time communicating between multiple parties rather than achieving the work they need to. Outsourcing everything to one dedicated IT service is the smart option – offering the benefit of expertise without the multiple people to chase.

You want more options for IT solutions

Having an in-house expert for your IT services can be an excellent benefit when you start your business. But as growth happens, you’ll likely want to gain additional insight and opinions into the best IT solutions for your expanding requirements. Especially considering the increased cost of IT solutions based on your company requirements and output. Outsourced IT can provide that valuable insight based both on the current experience of the solutions on the market and from an outsider perspective. Both relevant services that in-house IT can’t quite provide.

Are you ready to grow your IT alongside your business? Then Cara is the ideal solution. Providing services in the Macclesfield, Stockport, Cheshire and Manchester area, we’re the outsourced IT company that expands with you. Get in touch today to find out more about why our IT support is the best fit for your growing company.