We’ve all seen news coverage of a fire at a strip mall or in a multi-story office complex. But, how often do any of us stop to think what would happen if we owned the business next door?

Looking to enhance your IT posture? You might be considering working with a managed services provider (MSP).

Big businesses have access to a wealth of IT resources. But when your staff operates in a number of geographic locations, allocating IT resources can be a nightmare, no matter the size of your IT staff.

When you own or work for a small or medium-sized business (SMB), you juggle a multitude of competing demands: delivery deadlines, employee turnover, customer satisfaction, cash flow, and more. As you do the cost-benefit analysis on the fly, it can be tempting to do everything yourself because it may seem faster, easier and cheaper. You may think that partnering with an IT managed services provider (MSP) is only cost-effective for bigger businesses with a big budget.

After working with hundreds of clients as an MSP, we’ve noticed that prospective customers often have similar questions in the discovery phase of our working relationship:

Strategic IT management can make the difference between success and failure for any organization. Whether it’s managing service requests efficiently, making sure your backups are really backing up, or planning for an upcoming software refresh, having dedicated IT resources that are appropriate for your business is key.

You’ve signed on the dotted line, completed your technology project, purchase, or have begun a managed services agreement. Congratulations! Based on our previous client feedback, I imagine and hope that’s been a great experience. Now comes the elephant in the room. The conversation that some folks shy away from: how do you pay Kelser for the product and/services we provided for your business? I can assure you that it’s relatively simple, straightforward, and we do our best to make it as painless as possible. Trust me, I’ve been Kelser’s manager of accounting for almost a decade, so I’ve had that conversation countless times with clients in your same spot.

You’ve consulted with an IT firm or managed service provider (MSP) and decided that a technology refresh could help your business. Your old Windows 7 workstations are limping along anyway and were creating security concerns on top of that. By switching from desktops to laptops you’re also meeting the needs of your more mobile workforce. But what now? You’re staring down a 30-workstation hardware refresh all at once. You already know that it’s a valuable and worthwhile investment. You’re just not sure what your options are for funding this IT purchase. You’re not alone in having these kinds of thoughts at this moment. Across my nearly two decades in finance and as Kelser’s vice president of finance, I’ve worked with a ton of businesses that are where you’re at right now. I’ve helped them navigate those unknowns to get them where they need to be.