If you run a small business in Chicago, you are probably thinking of ways to reduce the cost of IT support while maintaining the best IT service possible.
Most Chicago IT consulting firms are moving toward the model of a flat monthly service fee, typically based on the number of computers and servers that are supported and maintained. These plans usually include a bundled set of IT services, such as 24/7 monitoring of servers, regular maintenance, and proactive notification about potential problems. These are all good things—but do all small businesses need them?
It isn’t hard to understand why Chicago IT support firms are moving to the monthly model. For one thing, companies that sign up for them are usually locked in for at least a year—and sometimes for several years. The model provides a guaranteed source of revenue for the IT firm and creates a contractual obligation that is difficult for the small business to break.
But it is important for the small-business owner to understand the details of the flat monthly fee model. It is perfect for some small businesses, since the monthly payment is fixed. Others may find that they are paying for an insurance policy that isn’t often used. One important factor to keep in mind is this: If a network system is set up properly, not much monitoring and maintenance should be needed. If issues and problems are constantly coming up, something was not properly set up in the first place.
Overall, it is important to find an IT consulting company that has flexible support plans, allowing you to move from an as-needed model to a monthly fee model, or vice versa, without much hassle. In general, support provided on an as-needed basis will be the lowest-cost support, but it is important that some minimal maintenance is done. For example, antivirus applications and system backups can get off track if they aren’t maintained by a professional. This can lead to big and expensive issues later on. The best solution might be to work with a company on an hourly, as-needed basis at first, so that you can evaluate their service for a few months before jumping into a monthly plan or a longer-term contract.