If you are a small business, you have no doubt struggled, at times, with tech support. Often, the most tech-savvy person in the office becomes the default person to help you get your computers working.
If you've identified that it's time to hire a company to help you with your small business desktop support or your small business network support, you might want a simple guide to help you know what to look for. Consider these four areas of expertise while conducting your search.
Cost
It should be obvious that the first on the list is cost. As a small business, you have to manage the numbers a lot more critically than your large business counterparts. Do your research and make sure you are getting the right service for your buck. Ask the following questions:
- How often do you have tech issues?
- Is your network secure? (You might need an assessment on this)
- What did you spend last year on tech expenses?
- How much time is your staff spending to resolve tech issues now?
Use this information to pick a budget that makes sense for you.
Reliability
When your computers are down, you could lose a lot in opportunity costs not to mention real, hard dollars. Understand these questions to determine your outsourced reliability:
- What is the company's response time with their current clients?
- Are they available after hours or just during business hours?
- Are you happy with that?
- What will happen if that company terminates an employee or has an employee on vacation?
Range of Services
Your needs are as unique as you are. You'll find that your needs will also evolve as you grow. Ask the following questions:
- Does the company have a skillset that matches all your current needs?
- Does the company have a skillset that will grow with you?
- Will you be required to hire multiple professionals to cover all your needs?
Customization
Some tech support companies have a standard approach and require that you live in their world. Some will allow you to create custom solutions. If customization is important to you, ask the following questions:
- Will you be able to choose services a la carte, so you aren't paying for services you don't need?
- Does your potential vendor have experience creating custom solutions for unique problems?
- Does this company have experience growing with companies, so you don't have to replace them when you get bigger?
At CPC Office Technologies, your tech is our focus, and we'd love to chat about services and solutions that meet your budget, tech support needs, and that fit into the specifics you uncovered by asking these questions. Learn more about our suite of Managed IT services or contact us today.