The True Cost of IT Support in 2025
Why Small Businesses Are Switching to Managed IT Services
Think your in-house IT team has you covered? Last month alone, we helped three Tampa businesses recover from preventable disasters their internal teams missed. As Tampa’s #1 ranked MSSP (Inc 5000), we’ve seen how in-house IT fails – and what it really costs.
The Hidden Costs Behind In-House IT
Before we look at numbers, let’s talk about what your IT budget is really buying. A recent study shows the average Tampa business loses $5,000 per hour during IT outages. Yet most in-house teams still spend 70% of their time on basic maintenance instead of prevention.
Why In-House IT Keeps Failing
Here’s what we discovered after rescuing businesses from failed in-house IT:
The Skills Gap
One person can’t master it all. A Tampa manufacturer learned this the hard way when their “IT guy” missed critical patches, leading to a $108,000 ransomware incident. Our team spots these vulnerabilities before they become disasters.
The Coverage Gap
Threats don’t sleep, but your IT person does. When a Tampa insurance firm got hit at 2 AM, their in-house team didn’t notice until 9 AM. With our commitment to rapid-response, our SOC caught a similar attack in 3 minutes.
The Tools Gap
Consumer-grade tools mean consumer-grade protection. A local healthcare provider tried saving money on security tools – then spent $250,000 recovering from a breach. Our clients get the same protection trusted by defense contractors.
Breaking Down the Real Costs
What You're Really Paying For In-House IT
Let’s look at the minimum costs for basic in-house coverage:
Base Team
(3-Person Minimum)
- IT Manager: $95,000
- Systems Administrator: $75,000
- Help Desk Support: $55,000
- Benefits & Overhead (30%): $67,500
Total Personnel: $292,500
Required Tools & Infrastructure
- Security Tools: $36,000
- Monitoring Systems: $24,000
- Backup Solutions: $18,000
- Training & Certifications: $15,000
Total Infrastructure: $93,000
Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
- Recruitment: $20,000/hire
- Lost Productivity During Outages: $5,000/hour
- Security Incident Response: $50,000/incident
- Compliance Penalties: Up to $100,000
Total Hidden Costs: $175,000+
Total Annual Cost for Basic In-House IT:
There's a Better Way
What if you could get better protection for less? Our clients typically:
- Respond to threats 89% faster than in-house teams
- Prevent 98% of security incidents before they happen
- Save 40-60% compared to in-house IT costs
