The world is fast becoming digital, if it isn’t already and for most small business owners, IT services are most certainly in demand, yet there are good providers and not so good providers, all offering similar services. In order to help you navigate the minefield, here are a few mistakes to avoid when looking to join forces with a managed IT service provider.
- Going for the cheapest quote – This usually leads to an unsatisfactory outcome; rather you should be focusing on the provider’s reputation within your local community. Equally so, the highest price doesn’t necessarily mean the best service and while you do want to keep running costs down, compare quotes from other service providers.
- Believing the sales hype – Every single company will tell you that their services are second to none and some will promise the Earth and a lot more! Ask for a few client references and also check to see whether they have an independent review system, which is the best indication of what to expect. Every established managed IT services provider would be able to furnish you with customer reviews and that is better than taking pot luck. Prepare a list of questions to ask the representative and based on their answers, you can make an informed decision.
- Not asking for an initial assessment – When you first make contact with a managed IT services company, they should carry out an initial IT assessment, which would be free and without obligation. This should form the basis of their proposal, which should be clearly presented by someone who knows what they are talking about. It should be noted that not every managed IT services provider will offer a free initial assessment and it is a good sign when they do. Here are a few tips for the small business to make the best out of social media.
- Failing to include IT hardware support – The managed IT services provider offers quite a few services; one being IT hardware support and if you don’t pick up this service, you will be sorry. When that color printer shows an error message, it is usually when you really need that print and we all know how unreliable office PCs can be. Any hardware issue can be promptly dealt with by one of their many technicians and there will be times when you are glad you decided to opt for the hardware support.
- Buying IT hardware without consulting the experts – It is quite a significant investment to upgrade all your office IT hardware and you do want the best value for money, which is why you should always use the IT consulting service. Buying low spec hardware might mean you have to do it all over again in a couple of years and that would be costly.
Another aspect of managed IT services is cyber-security; essential for every business and the managed IT services company do offer cyber-protection for all of their clients.