How to Scale Your IT Services as Your Business Grows

Almost all businesses cite growth as one of their top priorities. However, if you’re not prepared for it, growing too quickly can lead to operational challenges that ultimately slow your progress. Developing a plan to efficiently scale your IT services can prepare you to make the most of every growth spurt that comes your way. This guide will outline strategies for adapting your IT infrastructure to meet your growing business's needs and explain how a managed service provider (MSP) can simplify the process. 

Evaluate Your Current IT Capacity

Before you start making plans to scale up, you need to understand what your existing IT infrastructure can handle.

Key Areas to Assess

Analyze the following areas to get a comprehensive overview of your system: 

• Network performance: Can your network handle the increased traffic and data you anticipate experiencing? 
• Server capacity and storage: As your workloads increase with additional customers, can your current system keep up? 
• Security measures: Is your current cybersecurity posture compliant with data protection regulations and best practices? 

Actionable Steps

When your system needs to scale up, the following steps will help you create a plan to do so: 

• Conduct a comprehensive technology audit to identify outdated systems, overloaded servers, and inefficient workflows.
• Identify bottlenecks that are slowing you down as well as any risks related to cybersecurity gaps or potential system failures.
• Plan for your future IT needs by anticipating the resources and tools you’ll need to handle larger workloads. 

Upgrading Systems Seamlessly

Because upgrading your systems can be disruptive, it’s easy to feel like you’re too busy to upgrade. However, your upgrade doesn’t have to significantly interfere with your daily operations. 

To avoid major shutdowns and delays, implement upgrades in phases. Use a sandbox environment to test changes before you deploy them. This will allow you to identify and remediate any problems before switching your entire system. You should also have a disaster recovery plan in place, which includes redundant copies of your data. 

Examples of IT upgrades you may want to consider include: 

• Shifting your systems and networks from on-premise hosting to hybrid or cloud-based solutions
• Upgrading your hardware to support higher workloads
• Using automated IT monitoring tools to alert you to potential security or performance issues 

Leveraging Cloud Solutions for Scalability

One of the most effective scaling solutions is migrating your systems to the cloud. Cloud resources provide scalable storage and computing power as needed. You pay only for what you need, so you don’t have to invest in any resources you aren’t going to end up using. Your team can access your cloud-based applications from anywhere — a growing necessity with the increase in remote work and dispersed teams. 

Cloud solutions are available for all types of applications. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers deliver scalable server and network resources, while software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers offer easily deployable and scalable applications. You can even move your data backups to the cloud for a quick and easy disaster recovery. 

Implementing a detailed cloud migration plan is the key to a smooth transition. Start by figuring out what workloads you want to move to the cloud. Then pick a reputable, scalable cloud provider, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. Don’t think of moving to the cloud as an all-or-nothing proposition. You can go with a hybrid cloud model – either as an interim step or permanently — to incorporate the best of both worlds. 

The Role of Managed Services in Growth Planning

If your business is quickly growing, you may not have the internal IT talent to handle your urgent need to scale up. Internal IT teams require a significant investment in resources, and building one from scratch can take time away from the functions that will grow your business. A managed service provider lets you focus on growing your business instead of shoring up your infrastructure. 

An MSP can:

• Provide 24/7 monitoring of your IT systems for security and performance issues
• Offer scalable, efficient IT solutions without the need for an expensive in-house team
• Handle all aspects of your cloud migration and upgrades without disrupting your workflow

Here are some signs your company will benefit from partnering with an MSP:

• Your IT staff is overburdened and understaffed.
• You’re not sure if you’re fulfilling your data protection obligations, and the risks you face require expert oversight.
• Your business is outgrowing its current IT capabilities.

When you’re ready to work with an MSP, here’s what you should look for: 

• Expertise in business growth planning
• A proven track record in customizing IT solutions that align with industry needs 
• A deep understanding of data protection regulations, security protocols, and other compliance requirements

An MSP offers more than simple IT support. It's an extension of your business and a strategic technology partner. Working with an MSP ensures that your infrastructure can scale with your business in a secure, efficient, and cost-effective manner. 

Choose the Right Managed Service Provider

Standley Systems is a team of dedicated IT professionals with decades of experience in partnering with businesses to provide customized solutions that drive growth. We’ll work with you to develop a strategic plan to secure your systems and support your business as it scales. 

Contact us today to get started.