More and more businesses rely on IT for many of their day to day tasks and therefore it is vital that it is up and running as much as possible. Many IT systems are prone to developing faults, whether that be with the hardware or with the software. You may decide that you do not have enough requirement to hire your own IT person or department and instead outsource it. This can often be a good idea for smaller companies, but you do need to be aware that it could cause you delays. Some IT companies will give you a timescale in which they agree to come and try and rectify a problem. This is usually known as a service level agreement. It may be that you have to agree to a monthly retainer amount for this as they often have to prioritise customers who have already paid for a service.

Having your own IT person may cost more but it should mean that you don’t have to suffer with down time or loss of work due to computer issues. If you do decide to outsource your requirements, be sure to choose a company that is close by, should they need to visit you premises and that are available the hours that you need them to be. For example, if you are open at weekends, you may need 7 day a week support.