It’s no secret that the 2020 global pandemic changed the way companies operate and how we structure our workspaces. Most companies are offering fewer full-time, in-house positions in favor of hiring contracted workers and freelancers. But why?

A major reason is availability. Freelancers and contracted workers are more available than ever before. In a recent study by Statista, an estimated sixty million people worked as freelancers in 2022. Doing so allows a business to connect with professionals for specific projects or needs without an extensive onboarding process or tax navigation.

However, freelancers aren’t reliable when it comes to your IT needs. Say you’re approaching a critical deadline and your servers crash. Scrambling to hire a freelancer or crossing your fingers that the one you’ve worked with is available can set you back. This is where Houston, Texas IT companies come in.

By hiring an IT company like Xvand rather than building your own department, you can reap the benefits of hiring a freelancer while maintaining the consistency and expertise of an in-house IT department.

Difference Between In-House and Outsourcing

What is the difference between in-house and outsourcing? Most people think of unskilled or under-qualified workers working for your company in some mysterious country with poor conditions and pay. In truth, outsourcing is just hiring outside resources to help your business complete tasks and projects.

You can outsource workers domestically, which means that you can hire someone (or another company) to provide a service for your company in the United States. This way, you can collaborate with hired workers within your time zone, so you can receive the prompt responses you need.

In-house resources refer to existing employees. When you handle a task or project on your own or one of your on-boarded employees takes it on, then it is being handled ‘in-house.’

Advantages of Outsourcing IT Services

There are numerous benefits to outsourcing your IT services rather than investing in an in-house IT department. 

When you develop an in-house team, you’ll likely experience higher ongoing costs, employees may lack the necessary skills, and you can run the risk of employee burnout. If you need secure IT services now, outsourcing can be the perfect option for these reasons:

It’s Cost-Effective

When you hire in-house, you onboard new employees. Whether they’re part-time or full-time doesn’t really matter; you may have to pay for their employee benefits, purchase equipment, and materials to set up their workstations, find a space in your office for them, and navigate their taxes. This all adds up quickly, and if you don’t have enough work to keep them engaged full-time, you may still need to pay for their time in order to retain them.

Does remote IT support get taxed? Yes, even if you have your IT team working remotely, if you have onboarded them and issued them W2’s, you will still pay taxes for them.

By outsourcing your IT support to an IT company, you don’t need to worry about paying for training, office space, or managing W2’s. In most cases, you pay a flat rate to have your IT services available when you need them, 24/7. 

There’s no risk of overtime, no set-up or additional materials are needed, and you use a W-9 form for independent contractors and freelancers. At the end of the day, this saves you money and affords you round-the-clock support.

More Flexible Options

When you invest in in-house IT support, it takes a lot of time. Even before the setting-up and training processes, you need to craft job descriptions and applications, advertise what you’re hiring for, and interview applicants—the list goes on and on.

When you opt to outsource, you have exactly what you need at your fingertips. You don’t need to interview to hire new personnel when you notice gaps in your existing department. You simply let your IT company know what you need, and they connect you with the perfect match for the issue!

Access to Experts 24/7

Piggy-backing on the point of flexibility, when you hire in-house, you aren’t guaranteed round-the-clock support. Your employees will want a work-life balance and may not answer the phone on their time off or be able to troubleshoot outside of working hours. 

Additionally, there may be gaps in their knowledge. Every professional has specializations and unique skill sets that they bring to the job, and you don’t want to be caught upstream without a paddle only to find your hired team isn’t familiar with the server you’re struggling with.

Outsourcing your IT services can save the day at any time. A company dedicated to connecting various IT professionals to companies like yours will have a wide range of specializations and experts when you need them.

To Sum It Up

If you’re looking to take your IT services to the next level while saving time and money, Xvand has been in business for over two decades, providing expert IT resources to companies like yours. 

Best of all, you only pay for what you need. We don’t charge anything upfront and offer free customized estimates so you can anticipate what services you’ll need, and at what cost!