When you started your small business, you may have decided IT wasn’t a priority. After all, you know how to use your computer, and you may even have an employee who can handle some basic troubleshooting. As your company grows, though, you are likely going to reach a point where you need a dedicated IT person. At this point, you have two choices: hire someone or partner with a Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) such as 911 PC Help.
While hiring your own IT expert sounds like the best option, it will cost you. In addition to paying a competitive salary, you’ll have to cover their benefits as well as provide equipment and office space. Outsourcing your IT to an MSP costs much less. There are other benefits to outsourcing, such as having access to a team of professionals who have expertise in a wide range of IT areas.
How do you decide which IT service provider to partner with? There are so many out there that picking one can be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t familiar with how MSPs work or how to compare them. If you aren’t sure how to determine which MSP is best for you, here are some things to keep in mind.
What Do You Need from an IT Management Service?
The first step in finding the right IT management service is to know what you need from them. What services are you looking for? Do you need someone to take a few things off your plate, or do you need a partner who can handle all of your IT? Do you have anyone doing IT already? Most small businesses don’t, so you may need to outsource everything. Even if you do have someone, they’re not going to be an expert in every area of technology.
Make up a list of everything you need an MSP to do. It’s okay if your list simply says, “Everything!” Many small companies do want a partner who can handle it all. If you have specific needs, such as cybersecurity, be sure to make note of them.
Once you have this list, you can start looking for potential partners to build a long-term relationship with. If an MSP doesn’t offer items you need, you know they’re not a good option. Ideally, you’ll be able to make a list of at least three MSPs that meet all of your needs. Once you’ve done that, you can start comparing them using the following criteria.
What Value Do They Bring?
Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to see which MSP can provide what you need. As a small business owner, you’re already very familiar with careful budgeting and stretching every penny. You can’t afford to hire an IT company that doesn’t provide good value or fill any missing skill gaps. They need to address everything on your list, plus things you may not have thought of.
What equates to good value? In some ways, it’s really up to you to decide if you’re getting your money’s worth from a vendor. Ideally, though, a good bay area IT partner is going to take on everything you need them to, will be very responsive and communicative, will be proactive rather than reactive, and will always be honest and upfront with you. If it’s hard to get in touch with someone and it doesn’t seem like your MSP is doing very much, they’re not bringing much value to the table.
How Responsive Are They?
Response time is one of the most important factors in Area. When your network goes down, you don’t have time to play phone tag or wait several days for someone to answer an email. Every minute your servers are down or something isn’t working is a minute you’re losing money. If you have customers who rely on your services and you can’t provide them because of an IT issue, they may move to a competitor. You can’t afford that.
Determining how responsive a company is may not be easy. This is where you will want to read unbiased reviews online and talk to the company’s previous customers. An MSP should provide you with references if you ask for them, and you should. You need to know how they have worked with previous and current customers so you can have an idea of what to expect. If you learn that they don’t always respond to emails or answer the phone, you may want to reconsider working with them.
Do They Have Good Reviews?
Yelp, Google, and many other sites offer user reviews for various companies, including IT providers. Be sure you check reviews for any company you’re thinking about working with. Be sure to read more than a few, too, and look at both very positive and very negative reviews to get a balanced picture of the company. A few negative reviews may not mean much, but if every review under three stars mentions the same thing, it may be an issue.
Also, remember to take some reviews with a grain of salt. A review of zero stars that does nothing but slam the company may have been left by a competitor, while a glowing review that makes the MSP sound too good to be true may have been a paid review. That’s not to say that every very good or very bad review is fake, of course, especially if the company has a lot of similar reviews.
What Credentials Do They Have?
Does the company have specific certifications listed on its website? Have they won awards or been mentioned in publications? Certifications tell you that the company’s team has the expertise you need, while awards show that they stand out in their field. Award committees, publications, and other organizations that recognize excellence also typically do their due diligence, so they have likely weeded out any MSPs that don’t provide quality service. It’s another sign that you can trust the provider.
Do They Fit Your Budget?
In a perfect world, you would pick the IT services provider that best fits your needs regardless of cost. Unfortunately, few businesses have that option. You’re going to have to take budget into account, even if it’s just to weed out those providers that are too expensive. Of course, you don’t want to always go for the most affordable option just because it’s the least expensive, either. You need to make sure you’re getting the best value for the price, and that means looking at everything the MSP offers.
If a company will take on all of your IT needs for one price, or another will do most of what you need for a little less, are you really saving money? You still have to have someone do some IT work, even if it’s not that much. You have to pay them, provide the equipment they need, and take into account that the time they’re working on IT is time they’re not doing anything else. When you add up all, it’s costing you more than it would be to partner with the higher-priced provider.
Ready to Find the Right IT Management Service Provider? Call 911 PC Help
If you need a partner to take on all aspects of your IT, we’re here to help. 911 PC Help is a full-service IT provider. We offer everything from cybersecurity and cloud services to business VOIP and IT project management. We pride ourselves on our fast response time and upfront, honest communication. Whether you need someone to help you get your IT framework set up or are looking for a partner to proactively maintain your technology and troubleshoot issues, we’re here for you. Contact 911 PC Help today to learn more or to get a second opinion on your technology.
