The race to achieve compliance isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon that can make or break your business opportunities. Let’s break down what this journey really looks like and why timing is everything.
The Numbers Don't Lie: A Data-Driven Timeline
According to Drata’s 2023 research, companies spend an average of 4,300 hours annually on SOC 2 compliance efforts. That’s equivalent to two full-time employees dedicated solely to compliance — a luxury most small businesses can’t afford.
Let’s consider an example timeline for achieving compliance with internal staff.
In-House Implementation (12-17.5 months average):
- Initial Assessment & Planning: 2-3 months
- Policy Development: 2-3 months
- Implementation & Controls: 3-4 months
- Evidence Collection: 2-3 months
- Audit Preparation: 3-12 months
- Final Report & Certification: 6-8 weeks
How do these timelines translate into business impact? If unable to demonstrate compliance, your business may experience significant revenue opportunity losses.
- Average enterprise deal size affected by compliance: $500,000+
- Typical deals lost during non-compliant period: 2-3 per quarter
- Revenue impact: $1-1.5M in potentially lost opportunities
If working to achieve compliance in-house, here are what your costs could look like:
- 4,300 hours of staff time annually ($215,000+ at average salary rates)
- Training and education ($15,000-25,000)
- Technology investments ($30,000-50,000)
- Audit fees ($30,000-50,000)
Once compliance is achieved, it’s important to consider who will be responsible for regularly reviewing regulatory requirements and industry standards to ensure compliance is also maintained.
Now, let’s compare the timeline for in-house compliance management to using an outsourced compliance program instead.
Managed Compliance as a Service (MCaaS) Implementation:
- Initial Setup & Assessment: 2-3 weeks
- Framework Customization: 4-6 weeks
- Evidence Collection & Implementation: 8-12 weeks
- Security Testing: 2-4 weeks
- Final Audit & Certification: 4-6 weeks
After compliance is initially accomplished, an outsourced compliance program can continue to monitor for any changes in requirements. This keeps your business secure and always prepared for the next compliance certification request from a potential client.
The Small Business Reality Check
When managing compliance in-house, companies — especially smaller organizations — face significant time-consuming challenges that extend well beyond the basic timeline. These difficulties can not only delay compliance, but in doing so, expose a business to increased cybersecurity attacks.
The “Multiple Hats” Effect
- Standard tasks take 2-3 times longer when handled by staff with multiple roles
- Companies with fewer than 50 employees typically see implementation times extend by 30-40%
- Emergency business needs regularly interrupt compliance work, extending timelines
Resource Constraints
- Limited dedicated time for compliance tasks
- Constant context-switching between roles reduces efficiency
- Emergency IT issues take priority over compliance documentation
- Team members often work on compliance “when they have time” — which is rare
The Knowledge Gap
- Staff must self-educate on complex compliance requirements
- Learning curve is steep and time-consuming
- Training takes time away from other critical duties
- Without dedicated expertise, simple tasks take longer to complete correctly
Documentation Challenges
- Creating comprehensive policies requires extensive research
- Staff must document processes they’re simultaneously trying to improve
- Evidence collection becomes sporadic due to competing priorities
- Quality control requires multiple reviews, often by the same overwhelmed team members
Implementation Hurdles
- Changes must be coordinated around existing workloads
- Security improvements compete with business-critical projects
- Testing and validation often delayed by daily operations
- Limited bandwidth for proper change management
The True Value of Managed Compliance as a Service (MCaaS)
Time is money – especially when it comes to compliance certification. While in-house compliance implementation typically takes up to 17.5 months, Blip Tech’s MCaaS solution cuts that timeline in half. For small businesses where every hour counts, this acceleration isn’t just about time—it’s about survival and growth.
Let’s review the benefits of choosing an MCaaS program for your cybersecurity compliance goals.
Time and Resource Optimization
- 60% faster implementation compared to in-house efforts
- 4,300 annual hours saved
- Continuous compliance maintenance vs. periodic scrambles
- Faster certification by 6-9 months average
Cost-Effective Solution
- Predictable monthly costs
- Reduced internal resource requirements
- Included cybersecurity technology stack
- Minimized lost opportunity costs
Operational Excellence
- Dedicated compliance experts focused on your certification
- Automated systems requiring minimal attention
- Structured, proactive processes
- Seamless integration with existing operations
Business Impact
- Your team can maintain focus on core responsibilities while achieving compliance goals without the burnout of juggling additional duties.
- With enterprise deals increasingly dependent on compliance certification, every month saved in implementation represents direct revenue potential.
At Blip Business Technologies, we’ve streamlined the compliance process through our MCaaS solution, helping businesses achieve certification efficiently and effectively, as verified by industry standards and client success metrics.
Don’t let your business become another statistic. Schedule a consultation today to learn how Blip’s MCaaS solution can fast-track your certification process and protect your revenue opportunities.
