Small business IT consulting services. Do you need it?

Who doesn’t want to make decisions in their business operations more confidently? For this reason, consulting services can greatly support your business with the expertise to guide your business in the right direction.

Now we already know that there is no way to run an effective business without an adequate computer or devices like smartphones or tablets, and let’s not leave behind the need for good network configurations and proper data security. These are all essential components of the contemporary business world. 

But we also know that it may be a considerable difficulty for startups and small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to reap the benefits of technology to its max if they do not have the financial resources to support a large in-house IT department. That is where small business IT consulting services like ours come in. 

The software consulting market in the United States expanded from $57.2 billion in 2020 to $63.3 billion in 2021. It shouldn’t be surprising as even though the field of information technology (IT) remains quite new, it is impossible for modern businesses to function without it. 

Due to the enormous benefits small business advisory services offered to SMEs with limited budgets and IT resources, the market has noted some enormous growth.

• By the year 2022, the global software consulting market in the US expanded to a value of $273.13 billion!
• From 2023 to 2030, it is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1%.

A small business consulting company may assist your business in overcoming a variety of obstacles, including:

• Planning, developing, and implementing new IT strategies,
• Training employees to use specific software, 
• Migrating to the cloud, 
• Improving cyber security, 
• Maintaining devices such as smartphones and laptops,
• And much more.

We know that getting small business IT consulting services is a considerable investment. It’s tough to decide if you need them or not. But in this article, we’re going to convince you of the many benefits that SMEs get from working with a small business consulting company. 

And when you’re ready to hire the experts, you can also use this guide to choose the right consulting partner that can help you achieve big goals without wasting your in-house resources. Let’s get the basics out of the way first.

What are small business IT consulting services?

First, know that any organization that advises another on how to enhance its business procedures via the use of various technical methods is considered to be providing a technology consulting service. 

Now, off of that, small business IT consulting services provide SMEs with professional counsel and support to implement and use tech solutions to:

• Streamline operations,
• Boost productivity,
• Generate more returns on investment (ROI),
• And increase the overall performance of the business.

When you reach out to small business advisory services specializing in IT, they will aid your business by closely collaborating with you (the business owners) and other major stakeholders. Our main goal is to provide you with recommendations for the best technological strategies that will help your business. And most of us (at least the ones that are result-driven) do so based on the understanding of:

• Objectives of using certain tech solutions,
• Requirements to implement them, 
• And the challenges that you may face in doing so.

Small business IT consulting services encompass a broad range of offerings. For example, you can hire them to use tech to manage finances, set up and manage a website or application, social networking, or aid team communication. 

For example, we’ve helped several businesses in the past with:

• website development projects, 
• API integration, 
• quality assurance and testing of their solutions, 
• and even decide on features of web design that can enhance the user experience of their customers and drive traffic. 

But this is just a short summary of what small business IT consulting services may help you with. The requirements of your company will determine the specific areas in which your tech consultant may assist you.

So by now, you should understand what is small business IT consulting services. Now let’s get to the main question- do you really need them?

The truth is, every business that operates online or uses any kind of device in its operations or plans to scale in that direction will benefit from IT consultation. Let’s look at some of the really significant benefits small business IT consulting services will offer if you go for one. 

Why your small business needs IT consulting services?

Get cost-effective mentorship

Let’s get this straight– employing a full-time IT employee can be really expensive. A small business owner like you might be needed to pay for: 

• Their salary, 
• Their benefits, 
• Their workspace, 
• And other hiring and talent acquisition expenses that a business incurs while recruiting. 

But when you go for small business consulting services cost, it can be much more affordable. They’re the experts, so they usually navigate certain issues on a timeline and deliver results for predetermined pay. And let’s not forget that you will even save on the overheads of their operations along with all the hiring costs we mentioned above. 

While we’re talking about cost-efficiency, let us also mention that you can reduce business costs too when you work with small business IT outsourcing services. 

According to research conducted in 2003, outsourcing IT services saves 60% of expenses for US companies. It makes sense because technology consultants have sufficient experience working with SMEs to recognize what is going to be successful and what is not. So instead you wasting resources in learning how to successfully operate a company through a process of trial and error, they will assist you in getting results as they are equipped with evidence-based tools. This will surely make it possible to go into the year with planned expenditures and stay within the boundaries of your budget.

Make decisions with confidence

The Consortium for Information and Software Quality estimates that in 2020, poor software quality cost US businesses a tremendous amount of $2.08 trillion! Do you know how losses like this occur? It could be due to some of the most common things, such as:

• Failed operations, 
• Failed initiatives, 
• and buggy code in older systems. 

There’s no doubt that it’s quite challenging to determine which software or operating systems would provide the optimal performance for a certain application. You generally need to:

• Begin by looking for a solid solution that will cater to your specific needs (and there are hundreds to browse through).
• Then choose the right provider with that solution that will meet your requirements in terms of the breadth and depth of the services it offers.

All the well-reviewed business consulting services should be well familiar with every conceivable software option and its nuances. They know what you won’t naturally know, and that is:

• Which platforms are the simplest to deal with, 
• Which gives the most valuable services, 
• And which charges excessive prices. 

They will provide you with guidance on the options available to you and information regarding potential solutions so you can make tech choices for a solid infrastructure with confidence.

Scale with ease

It’s not easy to track down, keep up, or keep holding onto resources that will help your business grow over the years. Especially when 2023 marked a 17-year high in a talent shortage. Even if you have a solid workforce now, you might have to:

• Scale up or down with the time and needs of your business. 
• Your business may also demand increasing or decreasing the amount of expertise or services at different stages of your business growth. 
• Plan properly when to scale and how to scale.

Know that if your business scales way too fast or without proper planning, you’ll be prone to go down the hill quickly too. Take a lesson from 90% of new businesses that fail during their first few years. While there’s a wide spectrum of causes for startup failure, from naivete to lack of market demand, scaling up too soon is a key cause of the problem.  

If you decide to have an in-house IT department, maintenance will be crucial. Do you really want to deal with that hassle? A company that offers IT consulting services for small businesses may help relieve this problem by giving you much easier access to the tools, strategic advising, and adaptability that you may need at different stages of your business. And guess what? You don’t have to worry about expanding or contracting the staff in the IT department, ever! 

Enjoy reduced downtime

Unneeded downtime in the IT infrastructure due to some kind of problem has to be the most stressful situation for SMEs. Did you know that significant losses may occur in as little as a few minutes if the system fails? A minute of downtime costs $5600 on average, and an hour costs $300,000. So it’s not too far-fetched to say that certain problems as listed below can have a devastating effect, especially on a small business. Some of the common problems are:

• Internet outages, 
• Malware attacks, 
• Data loss or theft, 
• or system errors keeping consumers to make purchases on your site. 

With the help of IT consulting services for small businesses, you can rest easy knowing that experts like us will always be available to take care of and monitor your:

• Systems, 
• Its security, 
• and its maintenance.

With IT consulting services for small businesses, you will have access to round-the-clock support in case of emergency or need help troubleshooting.

Boost your business’ productivity

When you partner with someone providing top-notch small business IT consulting services, they will help you and your team of employees to fight productivity dips. For example, your consultant can suggest certain cloud-based custom softwares or some other tools that will make collaboration easy or automate certain tasks.

Additionally, they can help you devise a framework that supports productivity and collaboration with these tools:

• System planning, 
• Deployment,
• And upkeep (while also disseminating industry knowledge.) 

With a reliable small business consulting company for IT, you don’t have to worry about the things that you’re not an expert of. The consultants will see to it that they get the tasks completed with their extensive resources. 

Now you know of some huge advantages of working with IT consultants. But how do you determine if a specific small business consulting company is capable of giving you the benefits we mentioned above? Keep reading to learn about all the important things you need to consider when choosing your IT consultant.

Things to consider when choosing IT consultancy agency

Industry expertise

First things first – a small business consulting company‘s experience in your field should be one of your top priorities. Having experience with various clients, we know that we can provide top-notch input to businesses that we understand the best. This is why we suggest anyone looking for any kind of consultation service find someone who has worked with businesses like yours before. This ensures that they are well-versed in the problems and needs of your business. On the contrary, if you consult an agency with little to no experience in your field, they may end up wasting your time and money.

Flexibility and availability

How would you feel if you’re having a tech emergency and the consultant is not available? Do we need to point out that the consultant is wasting your resources? If you don’t want that to happen, you need to think about the following before making a decision:

• Their responsiveness, 
• Turnaround time, 
• and capacity to tailor to the specifics of your project. 

In our understanding, the best small business IT consulting services are flexible enough to meet your demands, whether that means working remotely or sending staff to your office. They should also have an accessible line of contact open for you to voice any issues or questions you may have. Catering our clients with the best possible solution is our priority. For this reason, we’re always open ears when you need help.

Problem-solving capabilities

Now, the next most important thing– are they capable of helping you find the right solutions? 

Find out how well your shortlisted small business consulting company navigates issues. Having worked with businesses in several industries, we know that every problem is different and needs a bit of deep digging. Therefore, an excellent consultant firm will have the analytical and critical thinking chops to identify and address intricate IT issues. 

The IT consultancy agency you choose needs to be always on your toes to catch issues early on. It must also provide a creative side in suggesting ways to improve your company’s operations. Find partners in consultancy agencies that have already solved difficulties that you may face successfully.

Review their references

Everything may look great about a specific small business consulting company, but you can’t make a decision until you’ve checked its reviews and references. You must know what the previous and current clients have to say about them. You may make a better judgment and have more faith in your option if you get honest feedback from references. Here are some tips to consider:

• Get in touch with current or former customers to hear about their experiences and see if they recommend working with them. 
• You can look for reviews on their LinkedIn profile or check out their Clutch profile. 
• Inquire about the agency’s credibility, openness, and quality of the problems they’ve solved.

Strong web design and development

In this digital era, having a solid online presence is essential in modern-day working businesses. When selecting an IT consulting firm, be sure they have experience creating stunning, yet functioning websites and other digital solutions. Attracting customers online and keeping them interested requires digital solutions that are both attractive and easy to use. Check if your preferred small business IT consulting services can optimize websites for search engines, build user-friendly interfaces, and use cutting-edge online technology. 

Offshore software development businesses can save a lot of costs while providing top-notch expertise in this domain. Only because we’re an expert in web and app development, we’re able to advise our clients on how they can improve the user experience on their digital solutions and drive traffic. If you choose a partner who can do the same for you, they’ll also help you increase your revenue and sales.

Other qualities to look for

Think about what else might make collaborating with an IT consultant company a better experience for you. A lot of people complain about the communication gap when they’re collaborating with IT consultancy firms remotely. So that’s one thing to keep in mind. Find someone that:

• Promotes open lines of communication, 
• Honest interactions, 
• And teamwork.

 And there’s no doubt that having the following qualities will also be a necessity:

• Excellent project management abilities, 
• Attention to detail, 
• and Timeliness. 

But ONE MAJOR thing that we think is VERY IMPORTANT: Their values must align with your company’s values. This will ensure a long, fruitful working relationship.

How anglara helps a small business achieve its business goals?

With this article, you now know what small business IT outsourcing services can offer your business. Even if you’re not a tech company, relying on small business IT outsourcing services and consultation services can help you strategize ways to keep up with the digital era and compete with advanced technologies on your side. 

As one of the leading small business consulting firms in India with 5+ years of experience, Anglara has an intimate familiarity with the special IT difficulties encountered by SMEs in different industries. We’ve recognized the unique requirements of 40+ small businesses and have responded by providing a full suite of IT consulting and managed services. If you need assistance with any stage of a tech project, from brainstorming ideas to developing an MVP, we’re here to help. Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Branding
• Web design
• Web development 
• Technical development
• Mobile app development
• Social Media service

We will support your small businesses in every way by putting the best plan into place and elevating your digital transformation journey. We welcome you to get in touch with us now by filling out the form below. Our team of skilled experts is ready to assist you in reaching your business goals and satisfying all your IT requirements.