Running a business can be a challenge in an environment in which every company is expected to have an online presence and have its IT (information technology) network set up to manage the complex company protocols properly and with full compliance. Access to this kind of technology and its digital complexities, and the supposed advantages that IT brings can often act to confuse business situations when systems go wrong. This dependence on IT is why many company owners are turning to IT support specialists, working in-house, many of whom find themselves being tasked with the general management of technology features and the IT solutions used by their employers.

However, this leads to another potential issue that can occur from time to time; the expense associated with hiring these types of experts can be prohibitive. As most will only find themselves needed when IT related issues arise, the fact that these in-house specialists can often require payment even when they are temporarily unnecessary is what has led to many companies adopting a different approach which relies on outsourcing these types of services to third party providers.

In the age of technology and digital activities, most businesses will find themselves relying on software in order to operate.

With the average annual wage for IT specialists within Australia now peaking at over $80,000 AUD per year, some companies are reluctant to keep these experts on the payroll – especially when considering that their skills are only utilised for 3-4 hours a week on average, according to a recent survey.

Over time, this substantial  outlay can take a drastic toll on a companies’ profits – and this is why thousands of business owners are considering their options as far as third party services are concerned.

From an internal point of view, the ability to minimise the costs associated with hiring these types of experts can be very substantial. Instead of having to pay a daily, weekly and monthly wage – the ability to hire a service provider on a temporary basis can potentially save thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

This is from an internal perspective however; whereby a company may require an IT specialist to help them with their systems and software every so often.

From an external point of view, and when the company actually offers IT services, things can become even more expensive. Not only will they need to ensure that they have an active IT consultant or programmer on standby to take care of the needs of their clientele; they will need to pay them for their availability, too.

By turning to a third party provider, it can become possible to ensure that all client needs are addressed, without having to consistently pay for a service that may only be needed every so often.

Some of the key differences between in-house and third party providers include:

* The ability to hire on an as-and-when-needed basis

* The potential to save money by hiring temporarilyThe ability to save time by outsourcing services to another agency

* The opportunity to focus efforts on managing a business, as opposed to dedicating resources to IT solutions

* The last point within the above list is well-worth considering for a number of reasons. 

Not only can taking care of technologically-inclined services take up a lot of time for a business; it can also result in assets being put to use within this type of service, when they may be better-suited to other activities instead.

For example, if your business employed 10 individuals including the CEO, with 3 of them being hired to take care of the IT services provided or required by your agency, then this could result in an expense of $240,000 AUD each year to cover the employment of these specialists (at the very minimum).

Now consider that the average cost of hiring an IT specialist per hour in Australia is between $100 and $200, with the median amount of time required by an expert being 3 to 4 hours per week.

Over the course of a year, a single specialist employed from an external source would then amount to $19,200 per year on average – an incredible $60,000 less than if the same expert was to be hired for in-house purposes.

The potential to save $60,000 per year could allow other assets to be invested in, further staff to be employed at a lower rate, or annual profits to be larger than they would be otherwise.This is why so many businesses are turning to third party IT providers; whether they are needed to take care of in-house responsibilities, or cater to client needs.

Furthermore, as these third party providers allow their services to be invested in with complete anonymity, it can be possible to utilise their features without having to make things obvious to any of your clientele – and this process can go on for as long as you require.

As the majority of these agencies can also be hired on a temporary or long-term basis depending on the needs of your company, it can be possible to hire them whenever they are needed and then terminate their employment until they are needed again, or if a cheaper alternative has been found.

With the potential to hire and put these services to good use whenever they are needed being as appealing as it is, the final benefit relates to the ability to avoid needing to define a permanent payroll, allowing taxation to be managed in an easier manner, too.

By outsourcing your IT support systems to a third party, you could focus on the day to day management, pay attention to the general operations of your organisation and minimise your expenses; all whilst knowing that your technological features are being looked after by an agency that is able to dedicate their time and expertise to any tasks that you assign to them.