When to hire an IT person versus when to call an MSP
The choice between hiring an in-house IT person and a managed service provider (MSP) isn't about which is objectively better. It's about what fits your business right now. Both approaches work. The question is which one solves your actual problem without creating new ones.
Start with the simplest version of the decision: an MSP makes sense when you want predictable costs and don't need someone in an office every day. A full-time IT hire makes sense when you've got enough tech work to keep one person busy, or when you need someone embedded in your operations who understands your specific workflows inside and out.
How big does your tech workload actually have to be?
A rough rule: if you've got 10 to 15 computers, a few servers, and a reasonable network, you probably have enough tech work for someone's attention, but not full-time. That's MSP territory.
If you're pushing 25 computers and servers, with multiple locations or complex integrations, or if you're running specialized software that needs hands-on management, you're approaching the size where a full-time person starts to pay for itself. That person won't be idle. They'll be managing systems, handling user problems, planning upgrades, and doing security work that never stops.
Smaller than 10 computers? An MSP is almost certainly cheaper and more flexible. You don't have enough work to fill forty hours a week. Larger than 30 computers or with mission-critical systems running? You probably need both: an MSP for specialized expertise and backup, plus an in-house person who knows your business cold.
The math matters. A full-time IT hire costs you somewhere between 50 and 85 thousand dollars a year when you factor in salary, benefits, taxes, and equipment. An MSP typically costs between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars a month, depending on what you need covered. Do that math with your actual tech workload, not with a guess.
What's your real need: problems solved or someone you know?
This is the part people don't always think through clearly. An MSP sells you expertise and availability. You get access to people who specialize in networks, security, cloud systems, and whatever else comes up. Your costs are predictable. You're not responsible for finding coverage when someone's sick, and you're not depending on one person who might leave.
An in-house person sells you continuity and relationships. They learn how your business works. They know why you made certain choices years ago. They understand what matters most to you and what can wait. They're reachable when something breaks at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. They can spot problems building before they become crises because they're paying attention to your systems constantly.
Here's the decision rule: if you need someone who understands your business and is available whenever you need them, hire in-house. If you need technical problems solved and you can tolerate not knowing the person personally or waiting for a callback during business hours, an MSP works fine.
What about the work you can't predict?
One trap people fall into is assuming an in-house person means no surprises. That's not true. Your network gets infected. A critical drive fails. You need to migrate systems you didn't plan to migrate. A new compliance requirement hits your industry. Those costs show up for both approaches. With an in-house person, you've already paid their salary, so the incremental cost is low, but the project falls on their shoulders. With an MSP, you either pay for the extra work, or it stretches the scope of what you agreed to cover, which can get messy.
Many businesses find the real answer is a mix: a capable in-house person who handles day-to-day issues and knows your business, paired with an MSP relationship for backup, specialized expertise, and bigger projects. That gives you continuity and relationship upside from the hire, plus expert backup and cost control from the MSP.
Others do fine with just an MSP and get their continuity from good documentation and established processes. Others go all-in on hiring and handle everything in-house. The choice depends on your business size, how technical it is, and how much you value having someone embedded in your operations.
Make the decision based on what you know
The clearest way forward is to look at your actual IT work over the last year or two. Add up the hours spent on maintenance, troubleshooting, planning, and security. Be honest about how much of that work you're currently doing yourself or leaving undone. Then get quotes from an MSP or two for the coverage you actually need. Compare that to the cost of hiring someone, run a simple math check, and pick the approach that fits your budget and your need for relationship and control.
If you're not sure, start with an MSP. It's easier to hire someone later when you've confirmed you've got the work for them. It's a lot harder to go the other direction.