Businesses are always trying to find a balance between efficiency and costs. When small and medium-sized businesses start experiencing rapid growth, the decisions get even tougher. A virtual chief information officer (virtual CIO) can be a great way to get the necessary help while keeping costs in check, but how do you know your business is a good fit?
Before you get a virtual CIO service, it’s a good idea to evaluate if your business needs one. Here are some good reasons:
- Your business is growing fast and you need better planning to keep your infrastructure current.
- You are noticing that your projects are stalling due to IT department inefficiencies.
- You are looking to grow a particular technology like the cloud or IoT and you don’t have the in-house expertise.
- Your business is flatlining and you need strategic thinkers to help you boost growth.
Here are some businesses that might not be a good fit for virtual CIO services:
- The IT infrastructure isn’t the core of your business and it wouldn’t affect your business growth.
- Your business is stable and you aren’t expecting any growth opportunities for now. You can still benefit from consulting a virtual CIO service, but you might not need to spend on a regular basis.
- You already have a chief technology officer (CTO) who is taking care of strategic planning for your business. Always make sure you are hiring a virtual CIO to complement the CTO position to avoid creating conflicts of interest.
Be sure to watch for my next blog in this series that describes how to hire a vCIO and the next posts that will dive deeper into the role of a virtual CIO and the benefits it can provide your business.