For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), technology is no longer optional; it’s the foundation of communication, collaboration, and growth. But when it comes to managing IT, business leaders face a critical question: should we hire and maintain an in-house IT team, or leverage managed application services instead?
The answer has direct implications for your bottom line, scalability, and even long-term competitiveness. Let’s break down the differences, costs, and advantages of each approach, and how Zarpra helps SMBs maximize value through managed application services and our LaunchPad™ program.
The True Cost of In-House IT
Many SMBs assume hiring an internal IT manager or team is the “safe” choice. After all, they’re on-site, know your systems, and can troubleshoot quickly. But this option comes with significant hidden costs:
- Salaries & Benefits: A single IT manager in the U.S. often costs $90,000–$120,000 annually, not including benefits and bonuses. A full team? Much higher.
- Training & Certifications: Technology changes constantly. Keeping staff trained in Microsoft, Google, security frameworks, and compliance is ongoing and expensive.
- Tooling & Licensing: Internal IT staff often rely on multiple overlapping tools to handle backups, monitoring, and ticketing systems, each adding to overhead.
- Limited Expertise: One or two people can’t be experts in everything; cloud migrations, compliance audits, automation, and application management require specialized skill sets.
In-house IT is often best suited for larger enterprises where constant on-site presence and a whole IT department budget make sense. For SMBs, however, it can quickly become a financial and operational burden.
What Are Managed Application Services?
Instead of hiring internally, SMBs can partner with a provider like Zarpra to manage core business applications and infrastructure. Managed application services cover:
- Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace setup, optimization, and licensing management.
- Collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, and Atlassian Jira/Confluence.
- Identity & access management with Entra ID (Azure AD).
- Cloud storage, backups, and security monitoring.
- Automation and workflow optimization across SaaS platforms.
With Zarpra, you don’t just get support, you gain a team of specialists who monitor, secure, and optimize your stack for a single predictable cost per user, per month.
Managed vs. In-House: A Cost & Value Comparison
| Factor | In-House IT | Managed Applications (Zarpra) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $90,000+ per IT manager (not including tools/licenses) | Predictable per-user/month pricing |
| Coverage | Limited to employee skills & capacity | A whole team of experts in cloud, compliance, and automation |
| Scalability | Slow and costly—requires new hires | Instantly scales as your team grows |
| Specialized Skills | Often missing (compliance, security, automation) | Built-in expertise across applications & regulations |
| Focus | IT staff are busy “putting out fires” | Proactive optimization and alignment with business goals |
For SMBs, the math is straightforward: managed services typically save 50–70% compared to building in-house capacity, while delivering broader expertise.
The Zarpra Difference
At Zarpra, we know SMBs need an enterprise-level IT strategy without the enterprise-level price tag. That’s why we built our Managed Application Services around flexibility, security, and value.
- Complete Coverage of Your Stack: We manage Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Atlassian, Zoom, and more.
- Enhanced Security: Identity management, access controls, backups, and proactive monitoring.
- Compliance Support: Align with SOC 2, GDPR, ISO, and PCI from day one.
- Scalable & Predictable Pricing: No sticker shock, no hidden costs, just transparent per-user pricing.
- Fractional IT Leadership: Access to vCIO, IT Director, or IT Manager expertise when you need it.
LaunchPad: The Perfect Starting Point for Small Businesses
For startups and SMBs just beginning their IT journey, Zarpra LaunchPad™ offers a guided path to success. LaunchPad™ ensures you:
- Select the right applications for your business model.
- Maximize free tiers and trial periods to save money early on.
- Establish strong security and compliance foundations.
- Avoid costly mistakes like overbuying licenses or skipping backups.
LaunchPad™ is designed to set you up right from day one, so your IT grows seamlessly with your business.
Final Thoughts
For SMBs, the choice between in-house IT and managed application services often comes down to cost, expertise, and scalability. While in-house teams work for large organizations with big budgets, most small businesses save money and gain better outcomes with a managed approach.
Zarpra delivers the best of both worlds: enterprise IT leadership and management without the enterprise price tag. Whether you need a trusted partner to manage your applications or a LaunchPad strategy to set up your business right from the start, we’re here to help.
Ready to reduce IT costs and boost efficiency?
Contact Zarpra today to learn how our Managed Application Services and Zarpra LaunchPad™ can transform your business.
