If your company still depends on one person to handle all of your IT, you’re not alone. Many St. Louis businesses rely on a single in-house IT specialist — someone who wears every hat, from setting up printers to fighting off ransomware.
But in today’s complex, fast-changing technology landscape, a one person IT department is no longer enough. What worked ten years ago can now leave your business dangerously exposed to downtime, cyberattacks, and costly inefficiencies.
At ThrottleNet, we’ve seen this story play out hundreds of times across St. Louis, Kansas City, and throughout the Midwest — a talented IT generalist doing their best, but fighting an impossible battle alone. This article explains the hidden dangers of relying on one IT person and how businesses can fix it without breaking the budget.
1. The “Jack of All Trades” Problem
Your IT person might be great at solving problems — but even the best generalist can’t be an expert in everything.
Modern business technology includes dozens of specialized systems:
- Networks, firewalls, and Wi-Fi
- Servers and cloud infrastructure
- Cybersecurity and compliance
- VoIP, printers, and mobile device management
- Microsoft 365 and cloud applications
Each area requires unique skills and certifications. When one person is responsible for all of them, something always gives — usually security, speed, or both.
“No one can be a full-time help desk, cybersecurity analyst, and network engineer all in one,” says Kevin Banks, Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) at ThrottleNet. “That’s why so many one person IT departments end up reactive instead of strategic.”
The result? Problems get patched, not solved. Growth projects get delayed. And small issues snowball into expensive emergencies.
2. Cybersecurity Risks Multiply
The biggest threat facing one person IT departments in St. Louis is cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks have exploded in recent years, targeting small and mid-sized businesses that lack the layered protections large enterprises have. A single ransomware infection or phishing scam can halt operations and cost thousands in recovery and lost revenue.
A solo IT admin simply can’t keep up with:
- 24/7 monitoring
- Patch management
- Threat detection and response
- Endpoint security
- Employee cybersecurity training
Even the most diligent individual can’t watch your systems around the clock. But cybercriminals can.
That’s why ThrottleNet’s clients are protected by a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) that monitors networks 24/7 — identifying and stopping attacks before they spread. Combined with next-gen antivirus, dark web monitoring, and ongoing user training, businesses get enterprise-level protection without the enterprise price tag.
3. When Your IT Person Leaves, So Does Your Knowledge
One of the biggest hidden risks of a one person IT setup is what happens when that person leaves, retires, or simply gets sick.
In most cases, they are the only one who knows:
- Passwords and admin credentials
- Server and backup configurations
- Licensing and vendor contracts
- Custom scripts and workarounds
If they’re suddenly unavailable, your business can lose access to critical systems, leaving your team stranded. In some cases, companies have spent weeks or months rebuilding from scratch after their sole IT person moved on.
ThrottleNet eliminates that single point of failure. With our managed IT services in St. Louis, every client’s network documentation, passwords, and system configurations are securely stored and maintained by a full support team — not just one person.
That means business continuity never depends on a single employee.
4. Productivity Takes a Hit
Even when things don’t break, relying on one IT person slows your business down.
When every support ticket, software update, and vendor call funnels through one person, the backlog grows — and so does frustration. Employees lose time waiting for fixes, leaders lose visibility into IT performance, and projects get postponed because “IT is swamped.”
ThrottleNet fixes that with a multi-tiered support model:
- Tier 1 Help Desk: Handles immediate issues with an average 2-minute response time.
- Tier 2 & 3 Engineers: Manage complex network, server, and cloud challenges.
- vCIO Team: Provides ongoing strategy, budgeting, and leadership oversight.
This structure ensures every issue goes straight to the right expert, keeping your business running efficiently and your IT department proactive — not overwhelmed.
5. Strategic Planning Falls Through the Cracks
A one person IT department usually operates in survival mode. They spend their days putting out fires, not planning for the future.
That means important projects — like upgrading cybersecurity defenses, migrating to the cloud, or modernizing phone systems — get pushed aside indefinitely. The business keeps operating on outdated systems and reactive fixes, falling further behind competitors who invest strategically.
With ThrottleNet’s vCIO services, St. Louis companies gain access to executive-level IT leadership. Your dedicated Virtual CIO aligns technology with business goals, creates a long-term roadmap, and ensures your technology investments actually drive growth.
“We don’t just fix IT problems,” says Banks. “We align technology with your business strategy — and that’s where transformation happens.”
6. Vendor Headaches and Hidden Costs
When your IT person is juggling multiple vendors — internet providers, printer leases, software renewals — they spend hours on the phone instead of supporting your team.
ThrottleNet’s Vendor Resource Management Program eliminates that chaos. Clients can make one call to ThrottleNet, and we handle all vendor coordination — from hardware repairs to service escalations.
This not only saves time but also ensures every vendor solution integrates smoothly into your IT environment, reducing hidden costs and compatibility issues.
7. The Smarter Alternative: Co-Managed or Fully Managed IT
If your business already has a one person IT department, the answer isn’t necessarily to replace them — it’s to empower them.
ThrottleNet’s co-managed IT services give your internal staff access to enterprise-grade tools, cybersecurity protection, and expert backup. Your IT person stays focused on high-value work, while ThrottleNet’s team handles daily maintenance, patching, and 24/7 monitoring.
And for companies ready to offload IT entirely, our fully managed IT services deliver comprehensive support — from network management to strategic planning — all at a predictable monthly cost.
The Takeaway: Stop Putting Your Business at Risk
Relying on a one person IT department in St. Louis might seem cost-effective, but the long-term risks are far greater: data loss, downtime, turnover, and missed growth opportunities.
Technology is too important — and too complex — to be managed by one overworked individual. You deserve a team of experts who keep your systems secure, scalable, and aligned with your goals.
With ThrottleNet, you get:
- 24/7 monitoring and cybersecurity protection
- 2-minute average response time
- 93% same-day ticket resolution
- Dedicated vCIO leadership
- Local expertise trusted by hundreds of St. Louis and Kansas City businesses
About the Video
This article is based on a TNtv segment featuring Kevin Banks, Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) at ThrottleNet. In the video, Kevin discusses the common pitfalls business owners face when relying on a one-person IT department and why that model no longer fits today’s fast-changing technology landscape.
He explains how ThrottleNet’s managed and co-managed IT services give companies access to a full team of specialists — from network engineers and cybersecurity experts to vCIO strategists — ensuring faster response times, stronger security, and long-term IT strategy.
Watch the full TNtv episode to learn how your business can move beyond the limits of a single IT resource and start leveraging a complete, proactive IT partnership.
Don’t wait for your next IT crisis.
Schedule your free consultation with ThrottleNet today and see how a managed IT partnership can replace uncertainty with confidence.
