IT Services

What to Look for in Small Business IT Support

Posted on by Dan Lauritzen
business owner using laptop
03
Oct

Small businesses truly are the backbone of the American economy. According to recent studies, small businesses account for 44% of all job activity in the United States. They also contribute 43.5% percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Small businesses should be kept safe and secure, and that’s why it’s so important for small business IT support to be a focal point for these businesses.

Here are several key factors you should look for when choosing an IT support provider for your small business:

Locally-Based

One key thing to look for in an IT support provider is a local presence. Why is this necessary? There are several reasons:

  • Better Understanding: A local small business IT support company will have a better understanding of the specific needs and challenges of businesses in your area. They’ll also be more familiar with the local business climate and the state regulations that apply to your business.
  • Established Relationships: They’re more likely to have established relationships with other local businesses. These relationships can be beneficial when it comes to things like referrals and word-of-mouth marketing.
  • Availability: If you have an issue with your IT system, it’s much easier to get in touch with a local IT company than it is to reach a national provider.

Familiarity with Local Industries

When choosing an IT support provider, consider selecting a company that’s familiar with the industries that are common in your area. They should also be familiar with the specific regulations and compliance issues that apply to your business.

For example, if you’re a small medical office in the healthcare industry, you’ll want to find a small business IT support provider with experience working with healthcare organizations. Your IT partner should be an expert in HIPAA compliance regulations and should know how to secure protected health information (PHI). By teaming up with an IT company that’s familiar with your industry needs, you gain confidence that your organization will meet compliance standards.  

Bandwidth to Support Your Business

When it comes to IT support for small businesses, you also want to make sure that the company you choose has the bandwidth to support your business. If you have a small business, you might not need as much support as a larger business.

However, if you have a lot of employees or customers, you’ll need an IT company that can handle the increase in demand. Also, ask about the company’s capacity and whether they have plans to expand in the future. You need to make sure they can keep up with your business as it grows.

Full Support

It’s important you select an IT company that offers a full range of support services. Some good services for small businesses include the following:

  • Training: This is a service that provides training for your employees on how to use your IT system. This can be helpful if you have new employees or if you make changes to your system at any point.
  • Help Desk Support: Help desk support provides 24/7 assistance for your employees. They can call the help desk with any IT issues they have and get help from a live person.
  • Technical Support: Having remote support for your IT system is essential for maintaining efficiency. A technician can connect to your system remotely and fix any issues you’re having.
  • Cloud Services: This feature provides entry to cloud-based applications and storage. This can be helpful if you need to access your data from anywhere, or if you want to use cloud-based applications.
  • Security Services: This service helps you protect your IT system from security threats. An IT provider can help you install security software and monitor your system for threats.

You might not need all of these services right away, but it’s good to know that they’re available if you need them in the future.

Experience

You want to choose a company that has a proven track record of providing quality IT support to small businesses. Ideally, you should choose a company that has been in business for several years and that has served a large number of small businesses. This will give you confidence that the company is well-equipped to handle all your IT needs.

Ratings and Reviews

Be sure to check out ratings and reviews before you select IT support for your small business. You can find these online, and they can give you a good idea of what other small businesses think of the company. The reviews are a great way to get an unbiased opinion about the company and this feedback can be very helpful in making your decision.

Partner with Simple Systems

Now that you know what to look for in an IT support provider, it’s time to find the right one for your small business. Simple Systems offers all the services you need to keep your business running smoothly. We have experience working with small businesses in a variety of industries, and we can tailor our services to meet your specific needs.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your small business.

Dan Lauritzen

Dan is the Founder and CEO of Simple Systems, an IT support company based in Salt Lake City, Utah providing Managed IT Services for a host of clients with all the services of a full-time IT staff without the expense. Our primary goal is to provide the same service to our clients that we expect from others. Our work gets done quickly – we tend to delight and surprise our clients by finishing before the deadline. Simple Systems (SS) first opened its doors in 2007. Over the past 9 years, we have enjoyed working closely with 100’s of small businesses and home users around the Salt Lake Valley. In 2009, SS was honored to be nominated in the Utah Student 25. We are proud of this distinction and look forward to continued growth. In 2012, we opened our retail location in Holladay, Utah to provide home PC customers a more cost effective way to have service and support.