Almost every small or mid-size business (SMB) owner or CEO depends on computers to run their business. Getting the right technology is one of the most important factors in the success of the enterprise. How to select an SMB IT Consultant then becomes a primary consideration.
As your business grows, you must decide whether to hire your own IT staff or outsource the network maintenance, data security, website, e-commerce, POS systems and other IT equipment and software to an SMB IT consultant and managed services provider (MSP). Many business leaders choose to outsource so they can focus their resources on what they do best.
Once the decision to outsource is made, the job of selecting the right IT consultant must be tackled. Before you make a list of questions to ask potential consultants, ask yourself, what am I really looking to get from IT in my business?
If the answer is, “IT is a commodity, I just want it to work,” then just about any competent IT consultant will do. Probably several will be willing to bid the lowest price for your servers, network equipment, desktops, laptops, other equipment. You will get what the lowest price buys.
On the other hand, if what you want most is to leverage technology to grow the business and increase revenues while costs decline, that narrows down the selection pool considerably.
You want an ROI on your IT investment that meets your expectations and those of your investors. Consequently, finding an SMB IT consultant that can show you how to achieve that goal becomes your objective.
When choosing an SMB IT consultant, you may also be seeking some or all the following:
I also suspect that you want your consultant to address errors immediately and stop the project until they are understood and resolved. You’re looking for honest updates and progress reports, expected outcomes and accurate completion dates.
Most of all, you probably want a consultant that understands your business, and can contribute to and help you execute your plan for success. You want an SMB IT consultant who is a partner in your success, believes in you and your ideas, and can envision how IT will help you get there faster and more securely.
We know that along the way you expect proactive service, responsive support, a high level of expertise, predictable fees, state-of-the-art technology, and adequate support staff. And, you really would prefer to have a personal relationship with your partner in success who is helping you with such an important part of your business.
So, if these criteria for how to select an IT consultant to help you grow your business are important to you, here’s a list of 25 questions to ask when selecting an SMB IT consultant.
Ask yourself this simple question at the beginning of a search for an outsourced IT resource or if you’re working with an internal IT department or team where a “build or buy” decision is under consideration. Don’t fix what’s not broken, but if you’re the slightest bit unhappy or concerned about how IT support works inside your company, here are a few more questions that will help you find the best possible IT partner.
Nobody wants to work with a grouch or someone who can’t communicate well. Look for an SMB IT consultant that is pleasant to deal with personally and professionally. Don’t overlook intangibles, such as the consultant’s motivation, attitude, honesty, ability and culture fit.
If software and hardware manufacturers like Microsoft, HP or Xerox think highly of the IT consultant, then you can bet they are competent and well-trained. Look for credentials that include Microsoft Partner of The Year, 200 Top Microsoft Partners, Cloud Specialist, Premier Partner, etc. Numerous IT partner recognition awards indicate a high level of competence.
Look for an IT partner that has in-depth experience in your specific industry. Experienced doctors can listen to you talk about the symptoms and then provide the correct diagnosis and treatment. Good SMB IT consultants should be able to swiftly grasp work processes and information flow, identify issues or bottlenecks, and quickly recommend an effective and affordable solution.
All IT consultants can provide a couple of references. Ask them to give you the contact information of long-term customers so you can verify the level of satisfaction yourself. Review their customer case studies as well.
It’s easy to compare typical IT consultant hourly rates by making a few calls. However, what’s more difficult to identify is how many hours a project or repair takes. If you elect to hire an IT consultant by the hour, they should be able to give you a cost range or examples so you’re not completely surprised by the invoice.
The best way to hire professional IT services is with an all-you-can-eat, flat monthly fee IT support contract. This approach generates predictable IT costs and no surprises. Quality IT services for small businesses are more cost-effective and predictable than relying on the boss’s nephew.
IT professionals have tools that can quickly evaluate your netw
ork and zero in on what’s wrong. Don’t spend more money on diagnosing problems than solving them.
Payment and financing options often make possible an investment in revenue generating technology that otherwise is out of reach. A professionally run IT business will have a number of options available.
Given the right information, almost all IT solutions can be monetized. Empirical knowledge is hard to come by, but reasonable assumptions can help determine the ROI of IT investments. If anti-spam software will speed the review of email by 15-30 minutes each day, the ROI to an office of 20 people is significant. Ask the IT consultant to help you identify and calculate the potential ROI of proposed solutions.
You want to purchase IT professional services that provide the best value: the quality of service or product compared to the cost. Ask for bottom line evidence that the proposed IT solutions will save you money by saving time, reducing maintenance or avoiding problems.
Demonstrated means customer success stories, industry trends, research data or test results. Some IT consultants can create a test environment or pilot project to simulate the results of a specific hardware or software solution before deployment. Depending on the IT problem being addressed, you may get an opportunity to test-drive the solution without actually installing the technology.
Technology is a tool to help create a competitive advantage, grow revenues and impact your bottom line. Ask your IT professional how to best utilize the technology that’s been deployed in your business. Just because you have Windows 10 or use Office 365 doesn’t mean you know how to maximize its potential. The right tools and the right knowledge will create a competitive advantage and increase revenue.
Service
Most businesses need 24×7 IT support coverage. If you have a website, it needs to be always up. Network support, desktop support, security monitoring or server support may be needed at any time. So, ask yourself, “What KIND of coverage is available?” Great coverage consists of around the clock monitoring and repair of problems; even better, some SMB IT consultants have the tools to “anticipate” and fix IT issues before they cause damage or downtime.
A good IT consultant measures support staff performance and will guarantee response times. Ask them to share their track record or proof of how they have taken care of customers. When your network or computers are broken or down, you’re out of business or, at the very least, crippled in terms of workflow and productivity. Response time is down time.
Remote computer services are faster and costs less than onsite visits by an IT support technician. A professional SMB IT consultant should have both onsite and remote IT support capabilities. Various tools available today make remote trouble-shooting easy. If the IT professional doesn’t have remote IT technical support capability, they are not technically qualified to help your business.
How they track customer satisfaction indicates the level of competency and professionalism. If they don’t systematically track it, then ask yourself if you want to do business with them. If they do track it, dig deep into what that means and how they do it.
Tip: Customer satisfaction monitoring is often integrated into the IT consultant’s trouble-ticketing system. Ask to see it in action.
A job-ticketing or tracking system is a must for an SMB IT consultant and its customers. It automates and tracks each support request so that issues don’t fall between the cracks. It’s rare, but some SMB IT consultants have the trouble ticket system tied into a monitoring system that can be viewed real-time by employees.
Downtime can be fatal to a business. A rapid response from your computer support provider can reduce the costs and impact of a disabled website or enterprise system. Ask about escalation policies and how problems will be fixed and by whom.
Full-spectrum service includes training customers to use IT systems software and hardware. In-depth training, when required, may best be handled by vendors or accredited trainers referred but not typically employed by the SMB IT consultant.
Competence
A security breach or ransomware attack can devastate a company in a few days. Check for the security certifications held and training completed by both the IT support technicians and the business. Make sure you know about both types.
Information technology is changing daily. Cloud services and Internet of Things (IoT) options and devices provide exciting opportunities for moving the business forward. If they don’t keep up with the latest technologies, you may end up with an obsolete or less-than-optimal solution.
SMB IT consultants should also be leaders in implementing mobile and tablet solutions for business. Freeing employees from their desks, registers and vehicles increases productivity and enhances customer service. Ask them to show you how.
IT companies should master innovations by using the technology first to run their own businesses or in a test environment.
Great SMB IT consultants invest in their personnel to stay current on OEM and vendor certifications and training. Technology is changing so rapidly that outdated training means that you’ll likely pay for their inability to solve IT problems quickly, if at all.
Disaster recovery, or business continuity, cannot be ignored. Failure to find an appropriate solution could risk your business. A competent IT professional will help you create a disaster recovery plan and provide a variety of options including cloud storage and backup for an effective and affordable disaster recovery solution.
IT solutions that support a better, healthier environment are a priority for a lot of businesses. New technologies are constantly appearing that reduce the carbon footprint of computers and networks. Your IT consultant should be able to address these issues as well.
Bonus Section – Retail Technology
Retailers have special requirements for IT, including PCI compliance, EMV systems, mobile POS, ecommerce, guest Wi-Fi, payment automation and merchant services. A suitable SMB IT consultant for retailers will offer complete, one-stop retail technology solutions.
From wireless systems that also function as traffic counters to digital marketing experts, it’s rare to find an SMB IT consultant that also provides revenue-enhancing retail technologies and services like EMV deployment strategies.
The best ones offer digital marketing services like search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing and automation, comprehensive analytics, digital ads with real-time bidding, and search engine marketing. New technologies such as social data collection and auto-replenishment should also be in their solution set.
Very few SMB IT consultants have achieved this level of recognition as a retail technology leader.
Conclusions
Choosing the right IT Consultant is vital for any SMB. eMazzanti – leader MSP based in the New York Metro Area offers unmatched breadth and depth of services, helping you boost agility and reduce costs and carbon footprint. It can deliver enterprise-class services, accountability, reliability, and security.
To learn more, contact us today.
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