It seems counterintuitive, but you can save a substantial amount of money by investing in individual IT solutions or “a la carte” IT support rather than bundled solutions. According to The Research Byte, industries invest 1.4% to 5.9% of their revenue on IT. That might seem insignificant, but if your business earns $50 million a year, that’s at least $700,000. However, does $700,000 offer value in terms of the IT services that you’re receiving? Are you being wise when it comes to your company’s IT spending or are you throwing your revenue down the drain?
What is A La Carte IT Support?
If you’re searching for IT solutions, opt for a la carte. A la carte pricing, compared to packaged pricing, favors your business as it allows you to pick the services you’ll actually use. Think of a la carte IT solutions as purchasing a meal deal from McDonald’s. It’s cheaper than buying food separately, but it’s not as cost-effective as it seems. You think it’s a steal, but if you throw away the food you don’t like, you’ll end up wasting your hard-earned dollars.
By now, your business has probably purchased Microsoft Office, a product that’s sold as a bundle. However, have you ever used all of the software, from Word to Sway? You’ve probably installed only a few of the software. That’s the problem with bundles — businesses are forced to pay for products that they don’t need. Unfortunately, there’s often no alternative but to buy bundles to avail of the services you do need.
That’s what a la carte IT support answers. With a la carte IT, you’ll be able to create your own bundles with the options you want. Want VPN but not VoIP solutions? Or maybe your business needs patch management and not asset management? Whatever you want, it’s not a problem. When you choose a la carte, no one’s going to force you to get IT solutions that you don’t need.
What Should You Always Choose A La Carte IT Support?
Companies tend to offer “all-in-one” IT solutions, but oftentimes, these don’t meet your business’s needs. Instead, you should consider purchasing standalone IT solutions or a la carte IT support. Here are a few reasons why:
#1 It’s Cost-Effective
Although you’ll get a bulk-load of features, you’ll likely end up with IT solutions you don’t need yet. Identify what your business needs now and buy within your budget. As your business grows, you will outgrow your software, but when that time comes, you’ll also be able to buy other solutions on an as-needed basis. For now, hold off on the features that aren’t useful. That way, you won’t have to waste your funds on services that’ll sit passively on the sidelines for years.
#2 It’s Fuss-Free
Be careful of bundled software because although they’re cheaper, you’ll also get a lot of things you don’t need. This will distract you from what you should be doing — building your business. If you purchase too many IT solutions, you’ll end up figuring out how to integrate them into your day-to-day operations. You don’t need to do that now — as they say, cross the bridge when you get there. With a la carte IT support, your team won’t have to invest time into irrelevant solutions.
#3 It’s Flexible
Compared to all-in-one solutions, a la carte IT support allows you to swap out the parts of the whole. For example, if your chat platform doesn’t meet your expectations, you can switch to a new chat platform at any time. In other words, choosing a la carte lets offers more freedom. In addition, a la carte IT support enables your business to combine the programs that are integral to its daily demands. You’re not burdened with solutions you don’t need.
#4 It’s Scalable
The problem with bundled IT is that it assumes your business will use all of its solutions. A la carte IT support, on the other hand, allows you to choose what solutions you need when you need them. Through this approach, your IT solutions are on par with your business’s needs. As your business evolves, you’ll have the opportunity to fine-tune your IT solutions.
How Can NST Help?
The bottom line is that bundled IT solutions are a bad idea because you aren’t in control of what you’re paying for. That’s why NST provides you with the options that suit what you need now, as well as what you’ll need down the road.
Through our a la carte approach to IT, we’ve been able to aid hundreds of business owners in growing their businesses at the right price and the right place. When you partner up with us, we’ll help you narrow down the products you need so you don’t end up with what you don’t. We’ll make sure that your IT solutions make sense.