How long can you expect one person to look after your HVAC business’ IT? As you grow and evolve, so will your IT needs – you can’t just have that “IT guy” take care of it forever, right?
You probably hired your IT guy because, at the time, he was the best choice for your business. He knows his stuff, and he’s done a decent job of keeping your technology running. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to reevaluate every now and then.
Consider these “red flags” when it comes to IT support…
1. Is The Investment You Made In Him Still Paying Off?
Think about it. Salary, benefits, vacation time… it adds up. We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars you’re shelling out each year on top of the cost of keeping your technology current and footing the bill each time something needs to be fixed or replaced.
It may surprise you to find out just how expensive even a single IT staff member really is. To start, let’s consider their wages, based on data from PayScale.
An IT technician will cost you somewhere between $45,000 – $71,000 per year. The range is dependent on how experienced the technician is, what types of certifications they have, etc.
But that’s not the only cost of an employee like this. This number fails to account for costs associated with employment, such as:
That’s not to mention whatever amount of time you’ll spend recruiting, interviewing, training and managing this employee on an ongoing basis.
Sure, he might still be a good guy, but is he still a good investment? Especially when compared to the low cost of having an entire IT team at your disposal.
2. Is He Keeping Your IT Environment Optimized?
Whether you agree or not, it’s a fact – Ponemon Institute estimates that every minute of even partial downtime can cost as much as $5,600.
The main cost of downtime is not the fix itself, it’s the halt in your HVAC business’ productivity. If an IT-related or natural disaster occurs and takes critical systems offline, employees will be unable to complete their tasks, yet your normal business expenses will carry on. The economy of downtime is unforgiving – it grinds your business to a halt, racks up expenses, and keeps you from getting anything done:
If he’s not actively fighting downtime, then he’s cost you even more money. Your IT guy is great – but he’s just one guy. What your business really needs is an IT department.
3. Did He Tell You There’s Nothing To Worry About When It Comes To Security?
There is no such thing as a 100% guarantee that your HVAC business is safe from malware, hackers, and ransomware. Threats are everywhere, and the guy who barely has time to stay on top of antivirus updates most definitely can’t protect your business on his own.
Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too small to be a target. In almost half of all the cyber breaches that have occurred, a small business was the target. Consider these stats reported in Verizon’s Data Breach Report and Forbes:
What you need is a team of cybersecurity specialists who can stay on top of things like zero-day threats, and make sure that your data is safe when something nasty inevitably breaks through your defenses.
In order to get past the pain points of the “one-man-IT-army”, you need to invest in a better form of IT support – fully managed IT services. SemTech IT Solutions can help.
Our Managed Service Plan prioritizes preventative maintenance and responsive support:
If you’re tired of putting up with the limitations of your IT guy, then don’t bother with him any longer. Your growing business deserves an equal level of IT support.
Like this article? Check out the following blogs to learn more:
Ten Things to Consider When Comparing IT Companies in Orlando
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Information Technology Aligned With Your Business Goals?
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