The Short Version
- Most businesses on break-fix IT support pay more per year than a managed contract — and get less
- “Same-day response” without a written SLA means nothing enforceable — ask for the document, not the promise
- A provider based 80 miles away can fix most things remotely — hardware failures, server installs, and new office moves need local engineers
- Cyber Essentials certification held by the provider itself tells you they run a secure operation, not just that they talk about security
Most Northamptonshire businesses end up with their IT support company the same way they ended up with their accountant: a recommendation from years ago, a price that seemed reasonable, and nobody looked closely until something went wrong. When something does go wrong — a server down on a Monday morning, a ransomware message on screen, a member of staff unable to log in for three hours — is when you find out what you actually bought.
Choosing an IT support company deserves more scrutiny than most businesses give it. The monthly fee is visible; the gaps in what is covered are not. This guide covers the six areas that separate a provider worth signing with from one you will want to leave within a year.
Know What You’re Actually Buying
IT support divides into two fundamentally different models, and the distinction matters more than price.
Break-fix support
Break-fix means you call when something breaks and the provider charges by the hour to fix it. There is no monitoring, no patching, no proactive work. The provider has no financial incentive to prevent problems — every incident generates a billable call. For a business with one or two staff and simple IT needs, break-fix may be adequate. For any business relying on IT to operate, it leaves you exposed.
Managed IT support
A managed service provider (MSP) charges a fixed monthly fee per user or per device and takes responsibility for the health of your IT environment. That includes remote monitoring of every device, automated patch deployment, helpdesk access during business hours, and proactive work to prevent issues before they cause downtime. The financial incentive runs in the opposite direction: the MSP earns the same fee whether your systems are stable or failing, so stability serves them as much as it serves you.
How to tell which one you have
Ask your current or prospective provider directly: is this managed or break-fix? A managed contract should specify the number of users or devices covered, what is included within the monthly fee, and what is charged as an extra. If the answer is vague, or if you have been paying hourly for each call, you are on break-fix. Compare 12 months of invoices against a managed contract quote — the managed figure is often lower, and the scope is considerably wider.
A managed IT contract typically covers helpdesk access, remote monitoring, patch management, antivirus management, and Microsoft 365 administration within the monthly fee. On-site visits, hardware, and project work (office moves, server installations) are usually charged separately. Confirm exactly what falls inside and outside the monthly cost before you sign.
Response Time Commitments: Get It in Writing
Every IT support company claims fast response times. The question is whether that claim appears in the contract as an enforceable service level agreement (SLA), or whether it is a marketing statement with no consequence if it is not met.
What a real SLA looks like
A proper SLA defines priority levels and the committed response time for each. Priority 1 is a complete outage affecting the whole business: the SLA might commit to a response within one hour and resolution within four hours. Priority 2 is a significant issue affecting one person or one system: two-hour response, next business day resolution. Priority 3 is a minor issue with a workaround available: four-hour response, 48-hour resolution. These are examples; the actual figures vary by provider. What matters is that they are defined, documented, and tied to a remedy if missed.
What “best effort” actually means
If a provider says they respond “as quickly as possible” or “aim for same day”, ask what happens if they do not. If the answer is nothing, you have a verbal commitment with no weight. Ask for the SLA document before the sales conversation ends. A provider that cannot produce one is not operating at the standard a business should expect.
Remote vs on-site response
Clarify whether the SLA covers remote response only or includes on-site attendance. Remote support resolves the majority of day-to-day issues. Hardware failure, network problems, and anything requiring a physical presence cannot be fixed remotely. Ask: what is your committed on-site response time for my postcode? For businesses in Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, or Northampton, a local provider can attend the same day. A provider based in London or Birmingham may not be able to.
Local vs Remote-Only Support
Remote support tools have made geography less important for routine IT work. An engineer in any location can connect to your machine, diagnose the problem, and resolve it in minutes. This covers around 85 to 90% of typical business IT issues.
The remaining 10 to 15% requires someone in your building. A failed hard drive, a switch that needs replacing, a new member of staff whose workstation needs setting up, a new office that needs cabling and configuration — none of these can be done remotely. When you need on-site help, the location of your IT provider’s engineers determines how long you wait.
What “local” actually means
Some IT companies describe themselves as local to Northamptonshire while operating from a head office two hours away and sending subcontractors for on-site visits. Ask specifically: where are the engineers who will attend my site based? How many of them are there? What is your confirmed on-site response time for a P1 at my address?
A provider with engineers based in Northamptonshire — covering Rushden, Daventry, and everywhere between — can make on-site attendance a realistic part of any SLA. A provider operating from a distant city cannot credibly commit to same-day on-site response.
Overseas call centres
Some managed IT providers route first-line support through overseas call centres before escalating to UK engineers. This reduces their cost base and extends their capacity, but it also means your staff describe problems to someone working from a script before reaching an engineer who can actually resolve the issue. Ask whether all helpdesk staff are UK-based and whether they are direct employees or a third-party call centre.
Credentials to Look For
Certifications tell you something about how a provider operates, what standards they hold themselves to, and whether they are recognised by the vendors whose products they manage.
Microsoft Partner status
If your business runs Microsoft 365, look for a provider that holds current Microsoft Partner status. At the higher tier (Microsoft Solutions Partner), the provider has demonstrated a minimum number of certified engineers, maintained customer satisfaction scores, and passed technical assessments set by Microsoft. This matters practically: a Microsoft Solutions Partner can raise support cases directly with Microsoft and access licensing at rates they pass on to clients.
Cyber Essentials certification
Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed cyber security certification. A provider that holds Cyber Essentials for their own business has had their internal systems assessed against the five baseline controls. A provider that cannot pass the basic tier of a scheme they recommend to clients raises an obvious question. Ask whether they are certified and ask to see the certificate.
Professional indemnity and cyber liability insurance
If a provider makes a configuration error that exposes your data or causes a prolonged outage, professional indemnity insurance covers your claim against them. Cyber liability insurance covers costs arising from a breach that occurs on systems they manage. Both are standard for professional IT providers. Ask for confirmation that both policies are current before signing.
Contract Terms: What to Check Before You Sign
A managed IT contract is typically a 12-month minimum term with a 30 to 90-day notice period. These are standard. The terms worth scrutinising are the ones that are less visible.
Price escalation
Most managed IT contracts include an annual price review clause. The common formulation is RPI plus a fixed percentage, meaning the monthly fee rises automatically each April regardless of whether your headcount or usage has changed. Check what the cap is. RPI plus 3% on a £1,500 per month contract adds £900 to £1,200 per year. Contracts that allow uncapped increases or tie to a proprietary index warrant negotiation before signing.
What happens when you leave
Ask what happens to your systems and data if you decide not to renew. You should own your Microsoft 365 licences, your domain name, and your data. A provider who holds your licences under their own tenant rather than yours creates a migration cost when you want to move. Ask for your own tenant from day one and confirm your licences transfer with you.
Onboarding and offboarding costs
Some providers charge a setup or onboarding fee to configure their monitoring tools on your devices. This is reasonable where it reflects real work. An offboarding fee — charged to remove their tools when you leave — is less standard and warrants a direct question. Know what you are paying at both ends of the contract before you commit to the middle.
- Minimum term and notice period clearly stated
- SLA document attached, not just referenced in passing
- Exactly what is included in the monthly fee vs charged extra
- Annual price increase cap and mechanism
- Confirmation that Microsoft 365 licences sit in your own tenant
- Data ownership and portability on exit
- Any setup or offboarding fees itemised
- Named contact or account manager assigned to you
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Take these into any sales conversation with a prospective IT provider. A provider that struggles to answer them clearly is telling you something.
- What is your committed response time for a complete outage, in writing?
- Where are the engineers who will attend my site based?
- Does your own business hold Cyber Essentials certification?
- Are all helpdesk staff UK-based direct employees?
- Will our Microsoft 365 licences sit in our own tenant?
- What do you do in the first 24 hours of a ransomware attack?
- Can you provide two references from Northamptonshire businesses of a similar size?
- Who is our named contact and what does a typical quarterly review cover?
Frequently Asked Questions
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