As a business owner, deciding where to invest your money is a critical step in driving growth and can understandably take some deliberation.
When it comes to investing in IT support, you know you need technology to keep your business running, but with different costs and options, how do you know what is best for your business? In our opinion, it shouldn’t be about the price tag, but the value your business gets from professional IT support.
When you’re investing in areas like IT support, knowing the value and benefits it brings to your business can help transform that decision from seeing it as “just another expense” to a smart investment to help your business grow.
What are the different pricing models for IT Support?
1. Break-Fix Support
This is the traditional model where you call (or hear from) someone only when something goes wrong. Imagine your computer crashes, and you’re frantically ringing for help. Sounds familiar?
Pros:
- Pay only when you need help
- No ongoing commitment or initial contract
Cons:
- Typically higher hourly rates
- Unpredictable costs
- The longer the fix takes the more the provider earns
- Not based on outcomes
- Potential for extended downtime
- Reactive rather than proactive
- Higher long-term risk
Ad-hoc break-fix support offers flexibility by allowing you to pay only when help is needed, with no ongoing commitment or initial contract. However, it often comes with higher hourly rates, unpredictable costs, and a focus on time spent rather than outcomes, potentially leading to extended downtime, reactive responses, and higher long-term risks.
2. Managed IT Services
A more strategic approach that’s becoming the standard for forward-thinking businesses.
Pros:
- Fixed monthly fee for guaranteed outcomes
- Proactive monitoring and maintenance
- Regular security updates
- Predictable budgeting
- Strategic technology guidance
Cons:
- Learning curve of how managed support works for your business
- Upfront contract commitment
While managed services often involve an upfront contract commitment, this provides clarity on what you’re committing to. It ensures predictable costs and avoids unexpected expenses, making budgeting easier in the long term. While it might appear more expensive initially, this transparency eliminates those surprise costs down the road and the uncertainty when it comes to break-fix.
And although there may be an initial learning curve as your team gets familiar with how managed support works for your business, this investment in understanding leads to smoother operations, faster issue resolution, and greater efficiency in the long run.
IT support isn’t a one-size-fits-all service. It should be custom-fitted to your business needs. But we get it – you want to understand what you’re actually paying for.
What Goes into IT Support Pricing?
The cost of IT support typically depends on a few key factors:
- Business Size: More employees, more devices, more complexity
- Level of Support: From basic help desk to comprehensive managed services
- Complexity of Your IT Infrastructure: The more complex your systems, the more support needed
- Proactive vs. Reactive Support: Prevention is always cheaper than cure
- Remote vs Onsite Support: Remote support tends to be more cost-effective, but certain issues may require onsite visits, which can increase costs
- Response Time Guarantees: Faster response times or 24/7 availability often come at a premium.
- Specialised Services: Some businesses may require industry-specific support or compliance services, which can add to the overall cost.
If you are comparing costs from different IT providers, it’s worth noting that each IT provider will structure their packages differently, so you may be comparing apples with oranges. Make sure you can chat through with them to understand what is included and what is not included.
The Hidden Costs of “DIY” IT Support
It’s easy to think that you will save money by handling your IT internally, however there may be hidden costs you haven’t considered:
- Downtime Costs: Every hour your systems are down can cost hundreds, even thousands of pounds
- Staff Productivity: When employees are troubleshooting IT issues, they’re not doing their actual job
- Security Risks: A single cyber incident can cost more than years of professional IT support
- Missed Opportunities: Outdated or poorly managed technology can hold your business back
When it comes to paying for IT support, it’s more than technology. You’re not just paying for someone to fix things or “do technical” things. You’re paying for peace of mind, reduced downtime, enhanced security, strategic technology guidance and improved business efficiency.
Our Approach: Managed IT Support with Technology Strategy Meetings
We believe IT support isn’t about someone magically solving your tech problems and is a lot more than just fixing computers. We’re not just here to patch problems – we’re here to prevent them, optimise your systems, and create a technology environment that empowers your team to work smarter, not harder and ultimately support your business growth.
We don’t just fix problems – we prevent them. As part of our fully managed IT Support package, we include Technology Strategy Meetings. The objective of the meeting is to budget, create and roadmap goals aligning to your business requirements. We take away your frustration of having to budget and roadmap the IT systems all by yourself.
With our IT expertise and knowledge of your business operations, we can help develop a roadmap tailored for your company. This means you’re not just buying support; you’re investing in your business’s future.
A Real-World Example
“The impact of the COVID pandemic for everybody was staggering. To focus on the business side of it, I quote a position that we had where we had 24 hours notice to shut the office. I moaned for years to Press Start why we spent so much money on IT, and on that day, I found out why. With Press Start support, within 24 hours, all staff that remained working were able to move straight to a home set up with telephone contact and IT contact meaning the business could run as ‘normal’ as it can be.
That was exposed even more by the fact that the majority of our competitors and solicitors shut the doors. We carried on operating, focusing on rental properties carefully under COVID conditions, resulting in an increase of our market share from 45% to 75%. So I’ve never wanted to have to go through that again, but our IT position enabled us as a business to carry on, and obviously we still reap the benefits of that to this day.”
Robert Lewis – Balmforth Estate Agents
Is Investing in IT Support Worth It?
If you’re using technology to run your business (and who isn’t these days?), professional IT support isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.
The real question isn’t how much IT support costs. It’s how much it could save you.
If you’re thinking about whether you should be investing in IT Support, ask yourself these questions:
- Can your business afford unexpected technology failures?
- Do you want to spend your time managing IT or growing your business?
- Are you confident in your current technology strategy?
Ready to understand the true value of professional IT support?
