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6 Factors to Check When Choosing Professional IT Support

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Written By Adeyemi Adetilewa

From time to time, every business owner will need some help to reach their goals. No matter how much experience you have as a business owner, it is likely that you might have to consider outsourcing your IT support.

This is especially true today as small businesses, who don’t often have the security budget or the in-house team that many larger businesses enjoy, are becoming an increasingly bigger target for cyber-attacks.

The good news is that outsourcing IT support is easier than ever, but it is important to take your time to choose the right provider for you. 

1. Get Referrals

Getting in touch with your professional network is one of the best ways to find the right IT support for you. You want to ask around and find a service utilized by somebody in your network that you trust to only recommend companies that they have had a good experience with.

Speak to business partners, suppliers, contacts, colleagues, friends, family, and even your competitors to get some ideas for IT support services that fit your needs. Additionally, consider an IT support service with a proven track record, like Impreza IT.

If you are looking for IT Support Kent based, know that Impreza IT is a reputable Microsoft Partner working with a range of small to medium enterprises in the area. 

2. Check Online Reviews

Choosing Professional IT Support: 6 Big Factors to Check NowYou can use the referrals that you’ve gathered, but if you are in a situation where nobody can recommend IT support or you don’t have many referrals to consider, it is worth checking online to find a suitable IT support provider for your business.

A quick Google search is the best place to start, and don’t forget to check online reviews on Google and other third-party sites like Trustpilot, where you can find honest and unbiased accounts of what it’s like to work with a certain company from current and past clients.

Keep in mind that every business gets a bad review from time to time, so don’t let a couple of one-star reviews put you off if the rest are overwhelmingly positive. The only time it is worth noticing is if the majority of reviews are negative. 

3. Consider Your Needs

It is important to consider what you are going to need from an IT support company in order to come up with a shortlist of potential providers and make it easier for you to choose a business that is a good fit.

Consider whether you are going to need technical support, want an IT helpdesk, or need an IT company to assist with making your business more secure and reducing your risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.

Many IT support providers will offer a wide range of different services, but some are more specialized in certain areas compared to others. 

4. Technology

If you are already using certain technology and software for your business and want to continue using these, it is worth keeping this in mind to ensure that you choose a provider that can continue using your current solutions when you hand over the work to them.

This is especially important to consider if you have a small in-house IT team and want to outsource the rest of the IT in order to allow them to work collaboratively with an IT support provider. 

5. Your Budget for IT support

Another key factor to consider when outsourcing IT is your budget. There are various services on offer to suit a wide range of different budgets, so having a budget in mind before you begin will help you narrow your choices down to those that are affordable for you.

Consider ways that you may be able to cut costs when working with certain providers if needed, and ask questions about fees and charges.

Knowing how you will be expected to pay is key. Most IT support providers charge a flat monthly fee for a set amount of services. 

6. Get an Interview

Choosing Professional IT Support: 6 Big Factors to Check NowBear in mind that an IT support provider will be working for you, so it is important to interview them before you make a decision, in order to help you determine whether or not the company is a good fit.

Along with asking questions about the important stuff like employee qualifications, accreditations and certifications, experience, and the services that they offer and what to expect from them, go further and determine whether or not this company is going to be a good fit for your company culture.

After all, IT plays a huge part in any business today, and working with a company that clashes with yours might not always bring about the best results, especially if you want to foster a close relationship with them as an IT partner.

Getting to know more about the company, people and the culture can help you decide if they are closely aligned enough with your business to have the type of partnership that you want. 

Today, the majority of small businesses will have to consider outsourcing IT to an expert provider at some point. Keep these factors in mind when choosing the right IT support for you. 

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