What are managed services?

Managed services are basically any type of service that a business outsources to another company. The most common outsourced sector of a business is HR (Human Resources), which deals with screening, hiring, training, and onboarding employees. However, when it comes to managed service providers, they go beyond HR and provide application, network, security, and many more services.

Business to Business Integration (B2B)

Businesses work with other businesses and B2B integration allows communication between two or more companies to be quick, easy, and efficient. B2B integration not only automates communication between businesses, but also between businesses and their vendors, businesses and their suppliers, and businesses and their customers. Some of the functions of B2B integration include but are not limited to:

• Communication services (e.g., email/mail, telephone)
• Internet services
• Supply chain management and transparency
• Video conferencing

Internet service providers can provide B2B integration services, but some businesses choose to go with a provider that specializes in B2B integration. With everything being run digitally, businesses are able to meet customers’ and clients’ expectations.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is just like traditional marketing, except all marketing efforts are done over the internet. Small businesses may opt to use traditional marketing instead of digital marketing— which may be beneficial for that particular business— but in order to expand a business, an agency that specializes in digital marketing can establish a digital strategy to help a business grow. Some different types of marketing strategies a digital marketing agency may use are:

• Advertising (Ads)
• Copywriting
• Email Marketing
• Graphic Design
• PPC (pay-per-click)
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Social Media Marketing

Having a significant online presence is crucial to the success of a business, big or small. An online presence means that your business should have a social media presence, on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; and your business should also have a website.

Information Technology (IT)

Continuing on with the digital trend, living in a highly digital world means that all digital aspects should be running smoothly and efficiently. When computer networks fail due to being out of date or because of some outside attack, this can do a lot of damage to a business. This is why small business managed IT services are crucial to have in order to keep business functions running smoothly. Some of the functions provided by IT managed services include:

• Authentication
• Cloud transformation
• Data backup, management, recovery, and storage
• HR functions, including payroll
• Network support and management

Small businesses may think that hiring managed IT services (or any outsourced service) can be too expensive, and choose not to do so. This is understandable, but the risks that come with not having these services can cost a lot more in the long run. It’s important for businesses (of any size) to budget for these types of services.

Transportation

Most types of businesses use transportation in some way, even if they’re not a business that provides delivery services. Businesses that provide products to their customers need a way for their products to be delivered, whether it’s to a physical store location for customers to come in and shop, or even if it’s an online business that has its products delivered to its customers. Transportation services are usually provided by service providers that make sure a business’s goods are transported in a timely manner.

Conclusion

If you’re just starting a business or if you’re wanting to expand your business, look into these managed services. Digital marketing and information technology services are especially needed to grow and secure a business. These two types of services go hand in hand. Business-to-business integration is also necessary if your business works with a lot of other businesses, and it allows for more effective communication between your business and your customers. Finally, transportation services help you to effectively transport your products to your customers.