In today’s busy tech world, most business owners don’t have time to manage all the components required to run their business. Even just managing customer support can be exhausting and costly with an in-house team.
Although business owners are often pressed for time and money, certain services are critical to an organization’s success. For this reason (and several more), business owners are now relying on managed service providers to lighten their load and still stay profitable.
Businesses that use MSPs commonly include web hosts and cloud-based software providers.
If you’ve always wondered why managed service providers (MSPs) have become the new standard, here are the top 5 reasons businesses contract with MSPs.
- MSPs can get the job done in a fraction of the time
If a business owner can’t handle all of their tasks, what’s different about a managed service provider?
Business owners trying to manage their own services tend to use multiple applications to get everything done. For example, businesses use individual applications for reporting, invoicing, shipping, financials, CRM, marketing, email marketing, and all other tasks.
Managed service providers use special software platforms that consolidate tasks into one application. For instance, MSPs use one application to manage the aforementioned tasks plus manage client accounts, leads, marketing, remote sessions, and more.
MSPs were created specifically to save businesses time. For example, Syncro MSP saves companies 20+ hours per month by integrating tasks and streamlining business processes through automation.
- MSPs streamline invoicing and payments
What business doesn’t need their invoicing and payment systems streamlined? Managing invoices and payments eats up large chunks of time. Estimates need to be approved or rejected, and if approved, they need to be turned into actual invoices.
Once a client receives an invoice, it takes time to process their payment, mark the invoice paid in the system, and then coordinate their payment with the business’ financials. Paying someone by the hour to manage payments adds up fast on payroll.
A streamlined MSP platform helps businesses automate the invoicing process so that estimates can easily be turned into invoices, and invoices can be easily paid through popular payment platforms. The software can also integrate with the company’s main financial software like QuickBooks, which makes it easier to keep up with tax liabilities.
- MSPs can provide strong cybersecurity protection
With 43% of cyber attacks targeting small businesses, causing most SMB victims to go out of business, a managed service provider can be a life saver.
MSPs know they have a responsibility to implement tight cybersecurity practices for their clients. Reputable MSPs will use top-of-the-line firewalls, networking equipment, and all the latest software to prevent and thwart dangerous cyber attacks.
The other reason MSPs provide strong protection from cyber threats is because they deal with so many customers, they can’t afford not to provide the best protection. If their data centers are attacked, they’ll already have an offline backup that will automatically restore customer data to the last known good configuration to maintain uptime and meet their guarantees.
Since MSPs work with a large number of clients, they can afford to implement the best cybersecurity solutions around.
- MSPs reduce operational costs
As with any service, a managed service provider costs money, but the monthly fees are far less than it costs a business to juggle everything internally within their organization.
MSPs have streamlined processes and its resources are shared by other clients. This makes MSP services affordable.
- Consistent customer service
Customer service is central to an organization’s reputation. It’s a risk whenever a business outsources their customer service.
MSPs specialize in customer service – it’s what they do all day long. When a business utilizes MSP services from a reputable company, they’re getting high-quality customer service that will remain consistent across all service channels. For example, customers contacting the sales department, pre-sales, and product return departments will all receive the same top-notch customer service from a reputable MSP.
Are MSPs worth it? Absolutely
While there are many strong benefits to using a managed service provider, there is one downside. If your MSP isn’t local, they won’t be able to pop over in person to fix your equipment if it malfunctions. This is a problem that primarily affects businesses in the IT field. For those whose MSPs are entirely software-based, it’s hard to identify a downside that isn’t outweighed by the convenience of saving time and money.