When picking a new IT company, especially for a CEO or small business owner, it’s important to think about how much the services might cost. Unexpected costs can catch many companies off guard, especially when they are changing things or growing. It is very important to know what to look for and how to negotiate service prices.
1. Service Scope: Core vs. Add-Ons
The difference between core IT services and add-ons is an important thing to think about. With some IT companies, services like network monitoring, security updates, and user help are all included in the price of the package. Others offer these as extra services that can be added on at extra cost. Whenever you compare quotes:
Check out what’s included: Carefully compare the services that come with the base package to those that cost extra. For instance, basic troubleshooting might be covered by standard IT help, but more complicated technical problems that need more specialized knowledge might not.
Be aware of common Add-Ons: Know about common add-ons that may not come with base packages, like cybersecurity protection, data backup and recovery, and advanced system care.
2. Costs of scaling up and hiring new staff
When a company grows, its IT needs also grow. Getting new employees up to speed is a key process where costs can vary a lot. As you bring on new employees:
Getting new devices and setting them up: Getting new devices is supposed to cost money, but what about setting them up, keeping them safe, and using them?
Make sure that your IT provider tells you if setting up and deploying devices is part of their normal package or if it costs extra.
User Licenses and Software Access: If you hire new people, you may need to give them more software licenses or access rights. Find out if these fees are included in the original onboarding package or if you will have to pay extra for them. (Most licenses are additional but is there a cost associated with admin of purchase/activation?)
3. Terms of Service (SLAs) and Response Time
SLAs are important for making sure that service is good, but they can also change prices. Response times for fixing problems can be different depending on the amount of support, from basic to premium. When looking at quotes:
Read up on Response Tiers: Find out if you have to pay extra for faster answer times or better service. Do you know, for instance, if 24/7 help costs extra? Or, will fixing after hours cause the bills to go up?
How Much Does Incident Management Cost? Ask the IT company if incident management costs extra or if the contract covers a certain amount of incidents.
4. Changes to the infrastructure and integration
There may be extra costs when you make changes to your IT infrastructure, like moving systems to the cloud or adding new apps. When talking about contracts:
Fees for migration: Moving data and apps to a new platform can require a lot of hard work. Check to see if these migration fees are part of the original setup or if they are charged extra. Mostly commonly this will fall under project work and a day rate should be agreed upon.
Conclusion
When choosing a new IT provider, it’s important to think carefully about the prices, especially when it comes to how scalable and flexible the services are. CEOs and small business owners can avoid unpleasant surprises and negotiate contracts that meet their needs by fully understanding the range of services that are offered, the costs of hiring new staff, the reaction times, and any changes to the infrastructure.
