The Cost of NOT Having Dedicated IT Support: How an MSP Helps Save Businesses Money
Cutting IT costs can end up costing you far more than you expect. Without dedicated IT support, security incidents, downtime, compliance fines, and aging technology can quickly outweigh whatever you saved by going without support.
Simply put: you get what you pay for.
And while partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) may not seem like it, the long-term savings can give tight budgets some much-needed breathing room.
Here’s why:
Key takeaways
A managed service provider helps businesses save money by:
- Improving security to reduce security incidents.
- Increasing business continuity to mitigate expensive downtime.
- Reducing the overhead of needing to hire an internal IT team.
- Helping businesses remain compliant with regulations and avoid penalty fees.
- Providing 24/7 support and monitoring to cut back on tech waste.
The Cost of a Security Incident
You could spend zero dollars on cybersecurity and get by fine for years. But the second a cyberattack hits, that all changes.
While the average cost of a data breach for small businesses varies (the widely reported 4.4 million statistic includes worldwide organizations of all sizes and doesn’t reflect most SMBs), a breach can still be devastating. In fact, according to Viking Cloud’s 2025 Threat Landscape Report, 1 in 5 SMBs reported that they’d go out of business if an attack cost them just $10,000 in damages.
That’s why expert prevention is key.
How Dedicated IT Support Protects Your Business
MSPs are experts when it comes to cybersecurity, and partnering with one can drastically lower your chances of an incident. That means spending less money on recovery. An MSP offers:
Proactive 24/7 Monitoring and Improved Security
A good MSP is true, 24/7/365. That means they’re always available even on weekends and holidays. Thanks to remote monitoring software, they’ll know exactly when something goes wrong and can get to work fixing it right away.
Beyond that, they also help prevent incidents from happening in the first place by installing security tools and features such as multi-factor authentication (which can prevent 99.9% of attacks on your accounts), security policies, and much more.
Cyber Awareness Training
An MSP can also help train your team to spot social engineering attacks such as phishing. This is extremely important as human error is one of the largest cybersecurity risks.
Training is highly customizable and can be done through micro-videos, quizzes, simulations, or even games.
The Cost of Downtime
Cyberattacks, power outages, hardware failures, and natural disasters – these can all lead to downtime. And downtime gets expensive – around $9,000 per minute. And while you can’t always plan for downtime, with dedicated IT support, you can plan how you’ll react when it rears its ugly head.
How Dedicated IT Support Reduces Downtime
A good MSP will understand that the key to downtime is how fast you can get your business back up and running.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans
A business continuity plan (BCP) is a playbook on how to recover during a disruption. An MSP can help you create a BCP that outlines what should be prioritized, who should be contacted, and how to recover any lost data. They’ll also typically be the ones who help you execute the plan during a crisis.
Backup Solutions
Backup software consistently creates copies of your important files so if anything goes missing (either during an outage or by accident) you can recover them without issue.
The Cost of Internal IT
There’s always one big question when considering if you should partner with an MSP, and that’s:
“Wouldn’t it be cheaper to hire an internal IT employee instead?”
And while on paper, a single salary might seem cheaper, the answer isn’t quite as straightforward as you’d imagine. Let’s break it down.
Full-Time Employee Costs
With a full-time IT employee, you’re paying for:
- Salary
- Insurance
- Benefits
- Office space
- Equipment
- Payroll taxes
- Recruiting
- Training
- Admin costs
Approximate Total = $100,000 per year
That’s a pretty big price tag for a single person who may not always be available.
How Dedicated IT Support Reduces Hiring Costs
Partnering with an MSP is like hiring an entire IT department but without any of the overhead. And the savings don’t stop there, either. With an MSP, you don’t have to worry about your IT person taking vacation, getting sick, or leaving for another job. You also won’t need to budget for your IT employee’s software, tools, or ongoing training – the MSP should already have that covered.
So, yes, while on paper a single salary may seem cheaper, it’s often the case that partnering with an MSP will save you much more money in the long run, while giving you many more benefits.
The Cost of Compliance
Over half of small businesses say compliance requirements make it harder to grow their business (US Chamber of Commerce).
That’s because compliance can feel like an ever-changing labyrinth of regulations that many small businesses simply can’t keep up with. Unfortunately, falling out of compliance can lead to expensive fines – HIPAA’s fines alone can range anywhere from $145 up to over a whopping $2 million per violation.
And then there’s the reputational damage that comes along with falling out of compliance, which can dissuade new customers from your doorstep.
How Dedicated IT Support Improves Compliance
With an MSP, you can gain a lot more control over compliance.
Oversight and Audits
MSPs naturally help companies better organize their tech and provide much better oversight. Their remote monitoring tools help monitor, centralize, and secure data required by regulatory compliance frameworks.
This paper trail makes compliance audits far easier to pass, thus avoiding expensive fines while maintaining your reputation.
Future-Forward Attitude
MSPs constantly watch for new and evolving regulations. That means they’ll make it far easier for your business to stay in compliance, coming to you when adjustments are needed.
The Cost of Technology Waste
If you aren’t careful, technology can overstay its welcome. Computers that should have been retired years ago stick around, Microsoft 365 licenses go unused, and your employees work off undocumented personal systems.
This can end up spiraling into some serious waste. For example, repairs for systems over 4 years old can cost more than $427 per year per system, and SaaS sprawl can drain software budgets as licenses sit unused.
How Dedicated IT Support Prevents Tech Waste
It’s an MSP’s job to keep track of your tech. From a long-lost license to old computers, gaining dedicated IT support means regaining control of your tech.
IT Asset Management
This budgeting strategy tracks all of your IT equipment and software so it’s easier to maintain and retire when the time comes. Your MSP can help set up an IT asset management plan that works for your business, so your tech is being properly handled from procurement to retirement.
SaaS Audits
Working with an MSP typically means giving them access to your cloud software, such as Microsoft 365. From there, they’ll be able to see what software licenses you are using, what you have available, and when it actually makes sense to purchase new licenses.
That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect when the bill comes in at the end of the month.
Dedicated IT Support: Predictable Pricing Saves You Money
What would you rather have? A tech budget that seems to change every month? Or a stable, predictable fee that covers everything.
Because for one flat-rate fee, The 20 MSP offers its customers simple stability. With our 24/7 support, robust backup solutions, cyber awareness training, and software management, we make sure our customers keep their tech in check without ever having to spend more than what’s necessary.
If you’re looking for a partner who actually wants to help you save, reach out today. We can discuss your goals, where you’d like to tighten up your tech, and get a working plan in place.
FAQ: The Cost of NOT Having Dedicated IT Support
How much does a cyberattack cost a small business?
While the exact stats are skewed due to larger companies worldwide, cyberattacks can easily cost thousands of dollars and can even force small businesses to close permanently.
Is hiring an MSP cheaper than hiring an in-house IT employee?
While a single salary may seem more affordable, the cost benefit of an MSP far outweighs the price difference. That’s because an in-house IT employee won’t be able to commit to 24/7 support, will have only a limited amount of technical knowledge, and always has the potential of leaving for another job.
How can an MSP help with compliance?
MSPs can help you organize and secure your critical business data, making compliance audits far easier. Beyond that, they also can help you adjust to compliance changes and prepare for evolving regulations.
How does an MSP reduce downtime?
MSPs use proactive maintenance to prevent downtime in the first place. That said, downtime is inevitable in a disaster, which is why MSPs use detailed disaster recovery plans backed up by file restoring software so your business can get back online as fast as possible.
I’ve never had a cyberattack. Do I really need dedicated IT support?
Yes. While a cyberattack isn’t a 100% guarantee, the risk will continue to grow, especially as small businesses become increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. It’s far better to protect yourself now than to try to recover later.
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About The 20 MSP
As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves thousands of businesses nationwide, providing each one with white-glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 dedicated IT 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 clients’ 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.
