Outsourcing IT: Your Top 5 Concerns Answered
When you picture a “small business”, you probably imagine a quaint corner shop with a cash register, a gumball machine, and shelves stocked with local goods. Oh, how things have changed.
Now, those same mom-and-pop shops are relying on digital platforms to sell across the country, high-tech cloud services, cybersecurity, and a whole lot more. And that’s all to stay competitive.
The problem? Small business typically means small IT teams. Yet, despite increasing tech pressures, the illusion of being “too small” can keep a company from reaching out for help.
That’s where MSPs come in. In this blog, we’ll break down the top five concerns SMBs have about outsourcing IT and show how the right MSP.
1. Outsourcing IT Is Too Expensive
Cost is unsurprisingly a huge factor when outsourcing IT. According to a poll by UpCity, 23% of small businesses claim high costs as their biggest challenge when outsourcing IT.
And these concerns are completely valid. Many may think, “Why pay more for outsourced IT when you could just hire an in-house IT expert?” The reality is that relying on a single IT person could be costing you far more in the long run:
One Full-Time IT Employee – $100,000
You’re paying for…
-
- Salary
- Insurance
- Benefits
- Office
- Equipment
- Payroll Taxes
- Recruiting
- Training
- Admin Costs
Managed IT Department – $75,000
You’re receiving…
- Predictable budget
- Unlimited support
- Security
- Disaster recovery
- 24/7/365 service desk
- And more
Now, consider what happens if your in-house IT person is sick, on vacation, or suddenly quits? Are they on-call if things go down overnight? Are they keeping up with compliance requirements, cyber threats, and tech advancements?
Chances are, they’re not. They’re only one person, after all, not an entire team.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have an in-house IT person (many companies choose a hybrid approach, both outsourcing IT and hiring an in-house expert), but relying solely on in-house can seriously cost you.
Bottom line: An MSP is far more affordable than you might initially realize.
2. Outsourcing IT Means Losing Transparency
How can you work with someone you don’t trust? You can’t.
Before partnering with any MSP, it’s important to do your homework. If they make vague promises (like saying “better cybersecurity” or “hardware upgrades” without showing you a plan) or leave you unsure of what they actually do, that’s a red flag. Transparency is the backbone of a healthy SMB-MSP relationship. In fact, compliance standards – something MSPs regularly help SMBs with – rely heavily on transparency and the ability to provide clear records of good practices.
Here are a few things to consider when outsourcing IT:
- Pricing: Are they upfront about their costs? A trustworthy MSP will be clear about monthly services, what counts as “out of scope,” and any extra fees.
- Jargon: IT is full of acronyms and technical terms. A reliable MSP explains everything in plain English so you’re never left in the dark.
- Regular check-ins: An MSP is first and foremost, your partner – they should act like one. You should expect consistent communication about upcoming plans, maintenance, and even the occasional check-in.
Bottom line: A good MSP will be upfront and clear about everything, from costs to projects and even the language they use to explain your tech.
3. Outsourcing IT Isn’t Always Reliable
If you already have an internal IT team, you may be worried about the changes that come alongside outsourcing IT services. Will your MSP take too long to answer requests? Will they even resolve as many issues as your current team does?
While we can’t speak for every MSP, we can share some of our own numbers to put your mind at ease:
- Average hold time: under 1 minute → Less time than it takes to brush your teeth.
- Average call time: 11:47 → About the length of a coffee break.
- Support Desk response time: under 36 minutes → Faster than a pizza delivery.
- Customer feedback: 97% positive
And unlike an in-house IT employee who might be on vacation, out sick, or juggling too many projects at once, our technicians are available 24/7/365.
Bottom line: As a small business, you’re our top priority. A good MSP has the people and the resources to make sure your requests are handled quickly and effectively.
4. Outsourcing IT Is for Large Businesses
Outsourcing IT isn’t just for the “big guys” (and let’s be honest – most “small” businesses aren’t all that small anymore). This mindset is just flat-out wrong.
In fact, SMBs often benefit even more from outsourcing IT. Here’s why: nearly half of all cyberattacks target small businesses. Why? SMBs typically don’t have the infrastructure, defenses, or in-house support that large enterprises do. That makes them easier targets for advanced hacking and social engineering tactics.
By partnering with an MSP, you’re not only getting stronger protection against these threats, you’re also giving your team breathing room to focus on their actual jobs while keeping your systems running smoothly.
Bottom line: MSPs aren’t just for enterprises. For SMBs, the right MSP can help protect your SMB from serious risk while improving systems across the board.
5. Outsourcing IT Puts My Business at Risk
It’s natural to hesitate before handing over the “keys” to your business. Giving someone else access to critical and sensitive data is a frightening thing. But MSPs handle this kind of information every single day – it’s what we do.
Without outside help, your data could be far more vulnerable if you try to manage everything on your own. That said, you should always do your homework. Research your MSP. Ask around. Talk to their clients. Have they ever had a breach? How do they handle threats like ransomware? A reputable MSP will be transparent and show you how they keep data safe.
Bottom line: It’s typically more dangerous to handle your data alone. A great MSP knows how to handle sensitive information and will treat your data with the same care and caution you would.
MSPs are Great, but They Aren’t Magic Either
Partnering with an MSP is a big change. And like any big change, it can take a little time to adjust. No MSP, no matter what they promise, will solve every issue overnight. We’re not magicians; we’re technical experts.
That’s why it’s so important to find the right MSP. The right partner doesn’t just work for your business – they work with it.
At The 20 MSP, we’ve been helping SMBs adjust and improve for decades. We understand your concerns, we hear your concerns, and we’ll work through them with you step by step.
If that sounds like the kind of partner you’re looking for, we’re ready when you are.
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About The 20 MSP
As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves thousands of businesses nationwide, including single and multi-location organizations, delivering white-glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 support. We believe in building lasting relationships with clients founded on trust, communication, and the delivery of high-value services for a fair and predictable price. Our client’s success is our success, and we are committed to helping each and every organization we serve leverage technology to secure a competitive advantage and achieve new growth.
