- 17 April 2024
- Posted by:
- Category: Blogs
7 Ways IT MSPs Offer Creative Agencies Peace of Mind
Technology is essential for modern businesses. However, only 17% of small business owners are happy with their current technology setup. The IT team you choose can significantly impact your business operations.
Managing IT can be challenging if it isn’t your bag. Many SMEs overcome this by partnering with an IT MSP. They can help reduce stress and help you find peace of mind by saving you time and money. This allows you to focus on your tasks and priorities.
What does an IT Managed Service Provider do?
An IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a specialised company that manages and is responsible for providing a range of IT services. These services can improve stability and efficiency, and typically include the following:
This is in addition to general support as required. An IT MSP works in the background to ensure your technology works for you.
What makes a good IT MSP?
A good IT MSP integrates with a creative agency’s work style, improving operations without interrupting creativity. They facilitate reliable communication channels and expedite operational processes. This ensures that you not only meet but exceed your client’s IT security expectations. They’ll uphold a flexible environment that allows creative minds to flourish without technical constraints.
1. A more secure business
Enhanced managed security measures are not just about protecting data; they’re about safeguarding the peace of mind of your clients, employees and other stakeholders. Digital threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Introducing a robust IT policy will reduce risk for both you and your clients.
A good IT MSP knows how important digital files are for a creative agency. They’ll work to protect these files from potential risks. For example, an IT MSP may introduce a zero-trust policy or multi-factor authentication to further protect data. An IT MSP works in the background, employing and managing protective measures whilst you go about your day.
2. A better-equipped workforce
The right tools can elevate the quality of work produced, and this is where equipment and IT management come into play. A proficient IT MSP ensures that creative professionals are equipped with the right tech that facilitates collaboration with colleagues and clients both onsite and remotely. This flexible and accommodative way of working can support mental health, empowering employees to produce their finest work with ease and confidence.
A good IT MSP will support Macs as well as Windows PCs so people can use the device that works best for them and their role.
3. Tech you can depend on
Reliability in technology is a cornerstone of creative success. With access to a dependable helpdesk and more reliable tech, agencies can rest assured that any technical hiccup becomes a minor blip rather than a catastrophic or frequently reoccurring frustration.
Dropped calls, inaccessible files or email transmission problems can be enough to set the wrong impression with a prospective client. A good IT MSP will be able to reduce the likelihood of all these and help you maintain a consistent track record across your clientele.
A reliable IT MSP will also even liaise with third-party providers for you. Being caught between suppliers is hugely frustrating so you’re best off finding an IT MSP who will give you comprehensive cover for all IT-related elements – ie dealing with the items they can’t fix directly as well as the items they can.
4. Cost-efficient creativity
By simplifying operations and reducing the need for in-house IT staff, agencies can allocate more resources to their priorities.
For example, cloud management services require much lower capital and running costs. They generally operate on SaaS, ie “pay-as-you-go” models. Combined with transparent pricing and simple monthly fees, an IT MSP can make budgeting much easier. Having a clear idea of predicted spend not just for the current financial period but also for years ahead will be good for your state of mind.
5. Regulatory compliance
Compliance with GDPR is still a critical aspect of modern business. Complying with specialist industry – or individual client – IT regulations is becoming increasingly important to retain clients. An experienced IT MSP can help creative agencies navigate them, providing peace of mind and protection from legal complications. The MSP should help to draw up IT policies and these can then form the basis of IT procedures which ensure that everyone – operations, HR, finance and production – are all on the same page.
6. A solid contingency plan
An IT MSP with a proactive approach will better safeguard against revenue loss, productivity dips, data breaches, and reputational damage. Through vigilant monitoring and cloud storage solutions, an IT MSP prevents problems from becoming serious, ensuring that the creative process is uninterrupted.
A good IT MSP will liaise with insurers to determine coverage and ensure all risks are mitigated. A dependable IT MSP may offer services such as:
- Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
- Disaster Recovery (DR)
- What if modelling
- Risk analysis
7. Stress-free scaling
As agencies grow, scaling up operations can be difficult if the limiting factors are only dealt with as and when they arise. A good IT MSP thinks ahead, providing the planning necessary to expand without the usual growing pains. This may include implementing cloud services designed for simple scaling alongside experienced IT advice on long-term strategy.
A good MSP provides comprehensive support – from the user helpdesk through IT Management to an IT Director function which can support the board.
In conclusion, an IT MSP should be a partner in your creative journey and help to give you peace of mind. They save time, reduce costs, and let you focus on what you do best – creating.
Are you happy with your current IT situation? If you fall within that lucky 17%, that’s great! If not, why not book a call to see whether we can help.