Believe it or not, 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses rather than larger companies. This means that if your business isn’t taking IT infrastructure and technology seriously, you may be making a huge mistake. Managing IT properly and ensuring great security is essential for keeping your business going strong while avoiding major setbacks.
If you want to hire IT services providers, however, you need to do your due diligence. In this IT services provider guide, we’ll tell you about the mistakes you need to avoid when hiring IT services.
- Failing to Check Pricing
One of the biggest mistakes made when by businesses when hiring IT services is not finding out about the pricing is early on. You should be sure that an IT Services Provider has transparent rates.
Some managed service providers will display pricing on their websites and will give at least a general idea of what the pricing will be. However, you may need to talk to a provider to find out how much their services will cost.
If the company doesn’t offer a lot of clarity about its pricing, there could be unexpected costs and hidden fees.
- Failing to Set and Understand Contract Terms
Another mistake made with hiring IT services is not making sure that the agreement and terms between your company and the IT provider are clear.
It’s important that you’re fully aware of what services you’re getting, at what times you’ll be able to contact the provider, and what the fees will be. You should also be sure to add a non-disclosure agreement so that any important data the company accesses will be protected.
- Failing to Ask For References
Failing to check references is also a big mistake when hiring an IT service company. You should be sure to ask for references, ideally from companies that are a similar size and in the same industry as your business.
If the service company can’t provide multiple references to you, you should look elsewhere for IT services.
- Not Asking About Extras
It’s also a mistake to not ask about extras when hiring an IT provider. There are many extras that an IT service provider may offer you, so you should find out what a particular service you’re considering provides.
Extra features such as free cloud backup, network server monitoring, and online bill payments can all be helpful in addition to the core services that you’ll get from an IT provider. Be sure that they’ll offer the services for free or for a low additional price.
- Hiring a Company That Is the Wrong Size
You should also be sure to consider the size of your company when hiring an IT service provider.
It’s a good idea to hire a company that is a reasonable size and is similar to your own business. If you’re a small business, working with a smaller IT company will likely help you to get more personalized service than when hiring one of the larger IT service companies that are out there.
Finding the Best IT Services Providers With These Tips
If you want to hire the best IT services provider, be sure that you’re not making any of these mistakes. IT services providers can be a great asset to your business, but you need to make sure that you understand their pricing, check their references, and evaluate them thoroughly.
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