In-House vs. Managed IT Services: Which Is Better?

When you own a business, your life is full of tough decisions. Sure, running your own business sounded glamorous at first, but now you’re responsible for keeping it running like a well-oiled machine. 

You have to stick to a budget, manage employees, attract customers, do your own marketing, protect your technology, and more. How can you balance everything at once? 

You need an IT team at your side to take off some of the burdens. Even then, though, you have another big decision. Will you outsource managed IT services, or will you hire an in-house IT team?

We’re here to help you make your decision by comparing these two valid options. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is an In-House IT Team?

First, what is an in-house IT team? An in-house IT team is a team of tech professionals who work to keep the technology that your business relies on in tip-top shape. Almost all businesses in 2021 rely heavily on tech, so this team is a crucial part of your business. 

Here are a few pros and cons of hiring your own team.

Pros of an In-House Team

One of the top benefits of hiring an in-house IT team is that you know that your team has experience in your specific industry. They know the ins and outs of what your business needs because they’ve chosen to specialize and work with you full-time.

When you work with an in-house team, you also get to build relationships with your staff. You learn about their specific skills and quirks and integrate them into your business. 

You also get the benefit of reliable and quick on-site help. You don’t have to hire a contractor to take care of hardware problems because there’s always someone nearby to fix things. 

Cons of an In-House Team

Not everything about hiring an in-house team is ideal. 

In-house IT workers come at a high cost. While large businesses are able to afford these IT professionals, smaller businesses may struggle to afford their salaries. Even hiring a single IT professional may not fit your budget. 

You also have limitations with your team. All IT professionals have strengths and weak points. While you may have a well-rounded team, you can’t possibly have enough professionals to have one that can specialize in each area of IT. 

In-house teams also aren’t available when they’re off the clock. If you choose to have them come in to help you anyway, you’re going to have to pay overtime (which further cuts into your budget). 

What Are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services are outsourced IT professionals who work together to keep the tech side of your business running. For instance, managed IT services in Orange County offer a variety of service options from reliable cybersecurity to leading-edge IT infrastructure, and they have a full team ready to help you whenever you need it.

Here are a few pros and cons of outsourcing your IT team. 

Pros of Outsourcing IT

First and foremost, outsourcing IT services is often the most affordable option. For large corporations, this isn’t a consideration. When you’re a small business owner, however, every penny counts. 

You don’t pay the salaries of these IT professionals. You pay a flat rate that’s consistent until you need to scale up your services.

Speaking of scaling up, managed IT services are scalable. As your business grows (or struggles) you can scale up or down to match your needs. You never have to worry about outgrowing the services. 

When you outsource IT services, you have a full team of professionals, such as Jennifer Johnson at Bestructured, each with their own special skills. If one person doesn’t understand a specific aspect of IT, there’s someone else available that does. 

Your IT team will be around 24/7. When you have an IT emergency on your hands, you don’t need to wait until morning or pay someone overtime. Every second counts when you have an IT disaster. 

Finally, you get access to better security and software when you opt to outsource your IT. Most small business owners can’t afford the best software around, but managed IT companies have access to it already. 

This will keep your business more secure and help you prevent serious IT blackouts or disasters. 

Cons of Outsourcing IT

So what about the downsides of outsourcing your IT team? While there are plenty of benefits, it’s not always perfect. 

When you outsource, your team won’t specialize in your industry. They have experience in a variety of industries, but if your business is very niche, the team may struggle. 

While the services are scalable, you might find it difficult to pick and choose exactly what you need if the company only offers packages. Affordability sometimes makes outsourcing worth it, but you need to consider your needs before making a decision. 

Managed IT teams tend to send people out to help you with hardware issues. They often have contractors on-call (or they’re able to work with a contractor in your area) to take care of any hardware emergencies.

That said, if you need immediate help, this isn’t always good enough. In-house IT teams are available to fix your problems right away.

Managed IT or In-House IT: Which Is Best for You?

Here’s our opinion: managed IT services are the obvious choice for small business owners based on affordability, a wide range of skills, and 24/7 IT support. For larger businesses that have the funds to hire their own team, an in-house IT team may be a better option. 

So which one is right for you and your business? Start looking into “managed IT services near me” to see if they’re right for you. 

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