How a vCIO Can Help Your Small Business

The Chief Information Officer or CIO plays a very important role in your business success. CIOs are more important now as the technology is rapidly changing with time. In the past, CIOs were only required to check the internal network of companies. They were helping employees in resolving their IT issues. However, now they are also responsible for cybersecurity, big data analytics, strategic initiatives, complex software, cloud computing, and business processes. Most CIOs are demanding C-suite salary from companies. Their importance has increased with time. SMBs need a similar level of guidance and oversight that CIOs are offering. They need to ensure that their data is protected. Also, they need to create an IT strategy for their small business. But, they can’t afford to hire a CIO for their company. In fact, SMBs are at more risk because they are not prepared for cybersecurity. They don’t have enough technical expertise to handle these situations.

How you can keep up?

If you are an SMB, then you should consider working with a vCIO or Virtual Chief Information Officer. You can enjoy the benefits of the CIO at a very low cost. A vCIO is an actual person that will help you in creating your IT plan. These vCIOs won’t be on any payroll. You will directly get their services with a Managed IT solution. This will ensure that you have a fixed and predictable monthly cost. You will only pay for the resources that you are using. This will help you in forecasting your IT budgets. Hence, it will ensure that you don’t need to worry about unexpected IT expenses.

If you are working with a vCIO, then your employees don’t need to worry about simple IT issues. They can focus on improving mission-critical functions. Your vCIO will help you in troubleshooting your technical issues. They will also have access to a technical team. Thus, they will help you in solving problems like connectivity issues, slow systems, software updates, and printer errors.

Advantages of a Virtual CIO

1. Expertise

Most small businesses can’t afford to hire an in-house CIO. A virtual CIO will provide you on-demand services. You can pay them monthly fees for working for you. Their fees will be mentioned in their SLA or Service Level Agreement. You can also check the response time of your vCIO in their SLA. A vCIO will give you access to enterprise-grade technology. They will offer you IT strategic guidance which will help you in improving your IT strategy.

2. You can build a strong technology strategy

Many SMBs think that vCIO is only a vendor. But, they are not here to sell your more products or services. Their only role is to act as your in-house chief information officer. They will help you in building a long-term technology strategy for your business. This strategy will align with your unique needs and goals. They are similar to in-house employees who want your business to succeed. A virtual CIO will ensure that your business digital transformation is successful.

3. Better Employee productivity

In most SMBs, then employee productivity gets affected by simple technology problems. They don’t know how to solve these problems quickly. Hence, they will waste a lot of time searching for a solution. They might stare at loading pages for a long time. Sometimes your employee might break your whole system while solving a simple IT problem. If you are working with a vCIO, then they will help you in solving these problems. They will give more importance to the user experience. This will ensure that your employee can focus on their core roles.

4. Reduce operational risk

Most modern companies are dependent on technology. They are using it for storing their data. Also, they are providing services to their customers by using the latest technology. This increases the burden on your risk-management. Sometimes a simple IT problem can lead to a security or data breach. This will have a very bad effect on your business. System failures can interrupt business operations. You can’t provide your services to your customer due to the downtime. If you are working with a Virtual CIO, then they will help you in proactively reducing the risk. They will help you in making the right IT investments. If your systems are down, then they will help you in quickly bringing them up again.

5. Plan for future

Technology is the most important thing for modern business. You can use it for even beating large enterprises. However, if your systems are not working, then you will experience downtime. This will affect your business reputation and you will lose a lot of your customers. You should improve your IT infrastructure with time. It is important to invest in the latest technologies that will help you in competing. Your Virtual Chief Information Officer or vCIO will help you in discovering new opportunities for your business. You can use the latest technologies for improving your products and services. They will take a proactive approach to improve your products. Hence, they will help you in planning for the future. They will also create an IT strategy for your business which you can follow. If you already have an IT strategy, then they will help you in improving your strategy.

Conclusion

The traditional approach to managing IT is changing with time. Companies were directly hiring technology experts for solving their problems. However, this is not possible for SMBs now. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire can replace your entire IT department. If you don’t have an IT department, then you should definitely work with an MSP. They will help you in monitoring your systems and network. You will also get access to a professional and reliable vCIO. Bleuwire is helping SMBs in making smart IT investments. These investments will help you in achieving your business goals. There are many benefits of working with an MSP like cost-saving, productivity, and flexibility. If you need more information regarding vCIO, then you contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.