| While we recognize the important of having IT | | | | a full time employee busy you may hired |
| Staff to maintain and improve our business | | | | someone part time. An alternative is to offer a |
| systems, it can be difficult for small and mid-sized | | | | position with primary IT service responsibility but |
| business to decide whether they need full-time IT | | | | with additional job criteria as well. You may pay |
| staffing. Before hiring full-time information | | | | the full cost of hiring a professional but will ensure |
| technology employees carefully consider your | | | | the job will yield a full day's work even though IT |
| options. If you have a business that is | | | | services might not be needed for that day. |
| technology-based and relies on its computers for | | | | If you currently have employees who step in to |
| daily operations of the company you may need | | | | provide IT services when needed it's wise to |
| someone available at all times to solve problems | | | | monitor the IT load. At some point you may find |
| as they arise. | | | | the loss of the employee hours for the primary |
| The IT staffer would be responsible for reacting | | | | jobs they are responsible for is greater than the |
| quickly to problems in your computer systems | | | | cost of hiring a dedicated IT staffer. If your IT |
| and for keeping your system updated and running | | | | go-to person is also your top selling salesperson |
| smoothly. The additional expense of creating such | | | | you may lose sales when he is called away from |
| a job as a permanent addition to your company | | | | his job to fix the computer system. |
| will be justified the first time your system | | | | For a small business not technologically focused |
| crashes and you are desperately trying to find an | | | | the smart move is to outsource IT services. This |
| expert to help you out. When it comes to | | | | can be accomplished through using a temporary |
| technology, time really is money for your | | | | agency and hiring short term as needed or you |
| business. | | | | may opt to pay a monthly retainer to an IT |
| Analyze the costs you have incurred in the past | | | | professional who will be on call for your business. |
| year from computer downtime, repair and loss of | | | | For small and mid-sized businesses, providing for |
| customer satisfaction. You may find those costs | | | | IT services is about maintaining the balance |
| are far greater than the cost of providing in | | | | between employee time and costs. You can |
| house IT services. Consider the possibility of | | | | choose from several options from hiring full-time |
| creating a new position that combines IT service | | | | employees to outsourcing all your IT services but |
| with other responsibilities. | | | | only you can make the decision best for your |
| If you feel there are not enough technical to keep | | | | business. |