Running a small or medium-sized business (SMB) often feels like spinning a dozen plates at once — only some of them are on fire. IT disasters, cybersecurity threats, and unexpected downtime? Those aren’t just pesky problems; they can be existential threats to your business.

So here’s the real question:

What’s peace of mind worth to you?

The High Price of Downtime

Ever considered how much downtime costs? According to Gartner, it’s a staggering $5,600 per minute. Let that number marinate for a second. (Now, that’s for all businesses… if you’re a smaller company, it’s likely not quite that high because you’re not doing the volume of a large enterprise, but it’s still a sobering statistic). Oh and one more thing? That was back in 2014… imagine what it would look like today.

For many SMBs, even an hour of downtime could mean tens of thousands of dollars down the drain — not to mention the reputational hit.

And here’s the kicker: a study by IDC found that unplanned IT outages don’t just hurt your bottom line; they hit your team hard too. Employee productivity can drop by up to 29%, and nearly 37% of SMBs lose customers because of downtime (and 17% have lost revenue).

For small businesses, the impact is even more brutal. Without the resources of an enterprise-level IT infrastructure, a single day of downtime could wipe out your profits for weeks… or worse.

Cyber Incidents: The SMB Bullseye

If you’re thinking, “That’s big business stuff,” think again. Nearly half of all cyberattacks target SMBs, according to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report. Why? Hackers know small businesses often have weaker defenses.

The financial fallout is just as sobering. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report pegs the average breach for SMBs at $120,000. And that’s before you factor in fines, lawsuits, or the Herculean task of rebuilding customer trust. Worse still? Many breaches go unnoticed for weeks, meaning the damage piles up before you even realize you’ve been hit.

The Stress You Can’t See

What about the toll you can’t measure in dollars and cents? If you’re running a business, you have more than enough to keep your mind occupied. Sales, billing, customer retention, hiring… do you really want a nagging voice in the back of your head at all times?

***My IT isn’t up to snuff, but I just don’t have the bandwidth or knowledge to address it right now*** … which becomes tomorrow… and tomorrow… and tomorrow… until something happens.

Now, think about how that stress affects the big picture. Every hour you spend worrying about servers or phishing emails is an hour you’re not using to build your business, deepen customer relationships, or create new opportunities.

The MSP Solution: Sleep Easy

This is where Managed Service Providers (MSPs) come in. For a predictable monthly fee, MSPs take the IT burden off your plate, offering:

• Proactive Monitoring: We catch and fix issues before they spiral into full-blown disasters.
• Cybersecurity Expertise: We keep your defenses sharp, reducing your chances of becoming a breach statistic.
• Disaster Recovery Plans: Whether it’s a ransomware attack or a freak weather event, we ensure you’re back up and running ASAP.

A study by MarketsandMarkets (2023) found that businesses using MSPs reduced their annual IT costs by an average of 25-30%, while also increasing operational efficiency by 50-60%. This is in stark contrast to the costs associated with dealing with cyber threats and data loss, which can be significantly higher.

Imagine Real Peace of Mind

Picture this: You go to bed knowing your systems are monitored around the clock. You wake up to zero alerts about malware or server crashes. And instead of playing IT firefighter, you spend your day growing your business.

That’s what MSPs offer — a chance to stop worrying about the “what-ifs” and focus on the work that actually moves the needle.

Don’t Just Manage IT — Master It

So, what’s peace of mind worth to you? For most SMB owners, it’s priceless. The good news? Partnering with Leverage doesn’t come with the sky-high price tag you might expect.

If you’re ready to stop stressing and start scaling, let’s chat.