Technology has become an integral part of accounting firms in New Jersey. It’s made various tasks from bookkeeping to preparing tax returns to everything in between easier and more efficient. That’s why it’s so important for accounting firms to partner with a managed IT solutions provider (MSP). An MSP can help your firm use technology more efficiently and securely, which can save you time and money.
Here are five ways the right MSP will help your accounting company:
- Predictable costs
Most managed IT providers charge their customers on a subscription basis, meaning they bill clients the same amount every month for a set of services they provide. Service sets are usually offered in tiers, with higher tiers getting more tools/services to go with higher prices.
Having predictable costs lets you better manage your future expenses. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, in particular, can help with this, as they charge predictable fees by bundling software, integration, and support, and boil it down into a monthly fee. SaaS is a great way for smaller accounting firms to stay on top of their expenses while enjoying the best software available to do their tasks.
- Access to experts
Many smaller accounting companies turn to MSPs to leverage expertise they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. Accounting firms typically need a high level of IT expertise given how complex accounting software systems can get. Aside from that, accountants handle a lot of sensitive client information, so it’s a must for firms to have an adequate cybersecurity profile. But with limited resources, many accounting companies cannot hire large teams of highly-skilled IT professionals. Partnering with an MSP solves that problem.
- 24/7 availability
One reason why having an in-house IT team can get expensive is because the demands of tech work often exceeds the limits of typical work hours. For every successful 9–5 accounting business out there, there usually is a 24/7 IT team providing ample backup and support. For firms on tight budgets, such an IT team can be difficult to have.
An MSP can help ensure you have 24/7 IT monitoring and support while helping your accounting company stay on budget. They can even provide support to remote employees as long as workers have an internet connection.
- Heightened data security and improved compliance
Data security is absolutely critical in the accounting industry, so you should make it a priority. An MSP can outfit your system with the best available security systems to ensure that all your sensitive client data is protected. Many accounting firm-oriented MSPs can even help your organization fulfill its compliance duties. MSPs do this by 1) ensuring all accounting software correctly generate financial documents per US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and 2) providing audit access per Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requirements.
- Proactive monitoring and management
The brunt of an IT team’s work involves tasks that many workers on the operations side of business simply don’t see and/or understand. This is why many workers seem to think that the only job of an IT team is to respond to technical problems as quickly as possible. In reality, it is the IT team’s responsibility to ensure that the entire information system is running smoothly and protected from threats at all times. This means proactive maintenance and management of all hardware and software the business uses.
Needless to say, being in IT is a full-time job, one that even requires off-hours work. So instead of assigning IT tasks to your accountants, your business would be far better off partnering with an MSP. This way, your workers can focus on the tasks that make your customers happy and drive your business forward.
Provide your accounting business with IT solutions you can lean upon for success. Online Computers offers IT solutions for accounting firms that are available 24/7, don’t encounter downtime, integrate seamlessly, and stay on budget. Contact us today to learn more.