If two decades of experience as a Southern California IT provider has taught us anything, it’s that most business owners and managers don’t like looking for help with technology. It isn’t that they don’t want their hardware and software running smoothly, of course, but that many aren’t sure what they’re getting for their money – or even what they should be looking for in the first place.
With that in mind, today we thought we would share a few quick thoughts about different outsourced IT vendors. We aren’t going to target anyone specific, of course. Instead, we want to lay out a few guidelines you can easily follow.
Specifically, we want to let you know what bad, good, and great IT support look like. Let’s start at the bottom…
Bad IT Can Feel Like a Necessary Evil
When you aren’t getting great IT help, you can feel like you’d rather ignore the problem than pick up the phone and deal with your vendor. That’s because unreliable IT teams are slow to respond and can be unpredictable in their billing. What business owner wants to call someone for assistance when they aren’t sure when help will come, whether the problem will really be fixed, or how much it’s going to cost them?
In this way, bad IT vendors can feel like a necessary evil. If you have to spend money on technology support, but feel aggravated about it every time, then you are very likely working with someone you shouldn’t.
Good IT Help is Easier to Use
Good IT assistance is a lot easier to deal with. Technicians will respond promptly to requests, answer questions clearly, and send invoices that are reasonable and transparent. Most importantly, they’ll actually solve the problems you hire them to deal with.
When you have a good IT vendor, you might fear losing an important piece of hardware software, but at least feel secure in knowing you have someone you trust who can be called at a moment’s notice. That’s a big improvement over bad IT.
Great IT Assistance is Forward-Thinking
When you have a great IT provider, you get all the benefits of working with a good one along with one all-important bonus – your vendor works with you to plan ahead. They help you to set your technology budgets, anticipate changes with apps or devices, and work proactively to ensure you’re never affected by unplanned downtime.
The net effect of all of this is that your business runs more smoothly, your IT expenses are predictable, and you’re always getting the highest level of care and advice from your team. This is what every small business owner should be striving for, and there’s no reason to settle for less.
Are You Getting the Outstanding Managed or Co-Managed IT You Deserve?
If you aren’t getting the IT help you deserve for your small business, now is the time to make a change. Contact our team today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll be happy to meet with you to discuss your technology and business goals and then provide you with a no-obligation quote so you can see exactly how we work.
Don’t wait – it might be the one step you take that saves you a ton of time, money, and frustration in 2018!