While an in-house IT help desk, a team within your company dedicated to handling technical issues and support, might seem like the best choice, there are often hidden costs that can make this approach more expensive than outsourcing. And despite the tighter control and responsiveness that an in-house team can offer, the benefits may not outweigh the many drawbacks of having IT support on the payroll.
This article explores the hidden costs of in-house IT help desks and explains why outsourcing IT support might be a more affordable and strategic choice for your business.
Not just salaries: The hidden costs of in-house IT help desks
When budgeting for IT support, you might assume that labor costs are the only expense to consider. However, IT staff incur various additional costs beyond just their salaries. Here are some of those costs:
Recruitment and training expenses
To recruit IT support technicians, you have to advertise job openings, screen candidates, conduct interviews, and possibly pay recruiter fees. This process not only takes time but also incurs direct costs. Once hired, new employees will need to undergo training to get up to speed with your company's systems, tools, and processes. This incurs costs in training tools and will likely result in some lost productivity— and that’s just during the initial stages of hiring new staff.
Overtime and benefits
Salaries for experienced IT professionals can be substantial, but when you factor in benefits such as health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off, the total costs can easily add up. Moreover, if your company requires off-hours support, you need to either hire more shifters or pay some hefty overtime.
Equipment and software
Once you’ve hired staff, you have to equip them, which includes purchasing and maintaining computers, servers, networking hardware, software, and subscriptions to vital services. And these expenses are not one-time costs; they require ongoing investment to ensure that the IT infrastructure remains up to date and secure.
More than just a subscription: The cost advantages of outsourcing IT support
Outsourcing IT support can lead to significant cost savings compared to maintaining an in-house team. Managed IT services providers (MSPs) offer services on a subscription-based model, which means you only pay for the services you need without the overhead costs that come with hiring full-time employees. This cost-effective approach is especially beneficial for businesses with limited IT budgets, as it ensures stable expenses each month. Additionally, there are indirect cost-saving factors associated with outsourced IT support that can further reduce your expenses.
Greater access to expertise and knowledge
MSPs employ teams of IT professionals with diverse expertise and specialized skills, which enable them to address the unique IT needs of a wide client base. By outsourcing, you gain access to this broad knowledge and experience that would be difficult and expensive to replicate in house. Whether you need assistance with cybersecurity solutions, network management, cloud services, or software development, MSPs have the resources and expertise to address your specific needs, and it’s all included in your subscription.
Scalability
As your business grows or experiences fluctuations in IT requirements, MSPs can easily and cost-effectively scale their services to match your needs. This way, you don’t incur the costs and productivity loss associated with hiring additional staff and managing increased IT workloads.
Focus on core business activities
By outsourcing IT support, you can take one more thing off your mind and leave it to the experts. With this renewed focus, you can concentrate on strategic initiatives, core operations, and business growth.
Get your money’s worth by hiring the best
Not all outsourced IT providers are created equal, so to really stretch your IT budget, it’s best to partner with an MSP that is experienced, knowledgeable, and reliable. For businesses in the DC Metro Area, that ideal partner is outsourceIT. We’ve been helping SMBs of all industries optimize their IT budgets with valuable, cost-effective IT support for over 20 years.
Contact outsourceIT today, and we’ll show you how you can slash your support costs and get more value out of every IT dollar you spend.
To learn more, download our FREE eBook, Managed IT Services Provider or In-House IT: Which Is Best for Your Business?
