Pretty much every business has a network, whether or not they know it! However, not every business is tech-savvy, and not every business has an internal IT team that can help them manage their network, and that is okay! With network consulting services, small businesses can be empowered to focus on providing their goods and services – which is what they do best. However, even business’s that are relatively tech savvy need help from time to time, which might lead them to hire a firm like iPoint to help them with network consulting services.

A network, by definition, is two or more computers that are linked to share resources, such as files, telephone lines, radio waves, etc. This includes a point-of-sale (POS) system, servers, any cloud hosting, email, desktops and laptops, and even smart phones.

Today, we hope to create a better understanding of when to hire network consulting services.

1. When You’re Not Comfortable DIYing Your Company’s Technology

We currently live in a world where a plethora of information is at our fingertips, and one search away, and this remains true for networking information as well. However, it is incredibly common to start searching online for troubleshooting information regarding a network, and find that it is too much information, and completely overwhelming! There are times when doing the wrong thing can have disastrous consequences on your workstations and servers. This leads many small business owners to feel most comfortable outsourcing their networking needs to a third party to handle their IT, or reaching out to a third party for network consulting services to discuss the best way of managing their network.   Network consulting services is a great option for those who are relatively techy, and are interested in DIYing their network, but maybe want a little guidance and help.

2. When You’re Not Sure What Software You Need

It is very common to hire network consulting services when your business is working with different vendors for their software needs. An expert can help you determine which vendor has a product best suited for your company’s needs. Many network consulting specialists will also have partnerships with specific vendors that can create opportunities to receive better rates for certain software and services. Hiring a third party for network consulting services can also help prevent issues, as an expert will be able to help you predict which software works well with your network, and which ones will be incompatible.

3. When Your Company Manages or Stores Sensitive PII

PII stands for personally identifiable information – which is any data that can identify an individual, such as client names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, driver’s licenses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc. Sensitive PII is any PII that can harm an individual if your company experiences a data breach, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, driver’s licenses, passports, etc. Hiring networking consulting services can help educate your team on best practices for keeping that information safe.

4. When Your Company Is Growing

In a growing company, it is important to have a network that is scalable to changing size. Hiring network consulting services can help establish a network that is scalable to a company’s changing needs. In addition, network consulting services can help growing companies save money on computers and servers that are added to their network through previously established partnerships. For example, iPoint has a partnership with Dell, which allows us to get hardware from them at a discounted rate.

5. When You’re Creating Your Company’s Emergency Mitigation Plan

At iPoint Technologies, we firmly believe that every company should have an emergency mitigation plan before an emergency happens. Hiring network consulting services while you’re creating your company’s emergency mitigation plan allows you to have key insight into the important ways to preserve your technology in an emergency. More importantly, networking consulting services can help you know your options for data preservation and recovery should an emergency happen, and help you choose which software will be best for your needs.

6. When You’ve Experienced a Cyber Security Incident

Experiencing a cyber security incident can be a scary experience, and it can be hard to know exactly what to do, and how to know when your data is once again secure. An expert in network consulting services can help you determine what type information was stolen, how it happened, and help you create a plan of action for damage mitigation, including how to communicate the incident with your clients in a professional manner.

7. When You’re Company is Experiencing Persistent Network Problems You Cannot Solve Internally

Even companies with seasoned IT professionals occasionally experience an issue that they cannot resolve – like, why does the printer regularly disconnect from the network, or why the exchange server stops syncing. Sometimes getting an outside opinion from network consulting services can help clear the fog and bring new light to the cause of an issue. For an existing IT team, this can seem like it is more trouble than it is worth since most MSPs require contracts, but iPoint does not! At iPoint, we are proud to offer a-la-carte services with no contracts, or minimum support hours required.

8. When You Need Specialized IT Services

Some businesses have very specific networking needs, and therefore may need very specific assistance. Networking consulting services can simplify the process of meeting those specific needs because networking consultants may either a.) offer those services, or b.) have a contact who provides those services. This can remove the guesswork of finding the right person to provide highly specialized IT services.  

9. When Hiring an Internal IT Team isn’t in the Budget

According to Glass Door, an entry level IT professional makes approximately $55k per year, before calculating the cost of benefits. Many small business owners don’t have the kind of budget that allows for an internal IT department, and therefore choose to hire network consulting services and pay only for what they specifically need. Hiring a third party to provide network consulting services also allows small businesses to work with seasoned professionals who can resolve IT problems with the confidence that an entry level professional may lack.

10. When You Simply Want to Make Your Life a Little Easier

Running a business is hard, and it is a real treat to let someone else do the heavy lifting, the software research, and deal with the technical complications associated with running a business. Are you still not sure if hiring a third party for networking is right for you? At iPoint technologies, we offer free initial consultations so we can help you figure it out. Give us a call today!