The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world in 2020 in many different ways. When the dastardly virus arrived, no one knew how severe it would be, yet nearly a year later we are still living with it and its consequences. Many of us have lost our jobs or become furloughed and for those of us lucky enough to still have jobs, we find ourselves working from home. This has led to many people reassessing their lives and as a result one of the most popular choices is to leave the corporate world forever and to set up your own company. It is a big leap, and there is no time like the present, but it is important to get it right the first time, and this means not spending a fortune at the outset. One of the most vital things any new company needs is an IT support service because the business world runs on technology, so in this article, we are going to take a look at what startup companies should look out for. Read on to find out more.
Contracts
Using an IT support service is paramount for a start-up business because you will need a website, email, networking capabilities, and a whole lot more as you develop and grow. However, funds are often at a premium at the startup stage so you mustn’t get lured in by a company seeking a long-term contract from you. It is increasingly common for IT firms to ask you to sign 2 or 3-year deals, but this makes no sense as you do not know what level of service they will provide, and how long you will require their services. Make sure you choose a firm that is happy to grow with you, without any concrete obligations. They will be more interested in seeing you doing well, than a company that has guaranteed an income from you for the foreseeable future, and you will also most likely save money at the same time.
Proactivity
Some IT companies will have you sign a contract with them and then will not engage with you unless they are actively fixing something that went wrong. This is all well and good, but it is not exactly what you should be looking for as a startup firm. What you need is a company that is proactive and actively seeks to stop problems from happening before they do. This means designing your systems in such a way that there is room for growth, and that they can be tailored for the exact nature of your business. There are many rogue companies so make sure you do your research, you can click here for ideas from a reputable firm, or you can scour the internet looking for reviews from other users. Just ensure that you have a proactive, forward-looking firm, and then your IT support service will get off to the best possible start.
Data Security
Data security is crucial in the 21st century, indeed there is hardly a day that goes by without hearing of another data breach at a huge multinational firm. When you are setting up a new business your data is key, and can often be the most valuable thing that you own. This means that you have to work with an IT support firm that has your security at the forefront of its mind. It must be their number one priority, otherwise, you run the risk of there being a breach and all of your data leaking to your rival companies. Do not skimp here, make sure you receive testimonials from other happy clients and ask the prospective firm to demonstrate how they will look after your data before you engage them to handle your IT support.
Response times
Inevitably, despite your best efforts, there are going to be things that go wrong with your IT, from your website failing to your cloud storage not working. This is the nature of the beast and is often unavoidable. To combat this, you need an IT company that guarantees fast response times. You cannot be in the position whereby your website is down as this will be costing you lucrative sales, so ensure that response times play a big part in your service contract.
As we have learned a start-up company should be looking for several things when it comes to their IT support service. You should not be signing any long term contracts, you need a company that is proactive and will look to fix problems before they happen, response times should be defined and data security should be their number one concern. If you find a firm with these attributes then you won’t go far wrong.
