It is important to understand that you need good IT services in a growing business as much as you need good accountancy, marketing, law and other support services.
IT is going to allow you to work more efficiently and dynamically.
If the IT runs badly then your business will run badly, so finding a good provider that can stay one step ahead, understand how you work and have a clear vision of how technology can be deployed in your specific circumstances offers a true competitive advantage.
So let's start with a few key questions.
Where can I find a prospective provider? Are they just a hardware vendor? What questions should I ask them? What factors will help me decide? Are you local? I am of the opinion that IT providers should be local to your business operations, not because they need to get to you regularly and quickly (many IT issues are resolved via remote connection) but because you need to develop a relationship with your IT provider.
If you have an IT provider in London and are based in Manchester, how often do you think they'll come and see you? IT providers need to visit not just when there is an IT problem but as part of a wider Account Management process, chatting about your plans, your challenges, your needs and your requirements.
So, use Google as a starting point with search terms like "it support [x]" where x is your local area.
You can also take advice from other business owners you know by asking them who they use, or more importantly who they used to use; past providers may have been replaced for a reason.
Use local contacts to build up a picture of the local IT community.
You would be surprised to learn that in most locations there is a clear top 5 that emerges after research.
In larger cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow it may not be as straight forward but local networking contacts, friends and business owners can certainly help steer you in the right direction.
Are you just selling me stuff? This is the killer question as IT providers in the 'Outsourced IT Service' sense of the word are not hardware vendors.
They are not making their money by selling PC's, Servers and Laptops as in days gone by; they are selling advice and support.
They may help you procure IT hardware but it should not be their core business.
If a prospective IT provider starts talking about buying lots of new equipment then be wary, especially if they offer deals to "sign up today".
If you feel like you are being sold to then walk away.
Most professional IT support companies want to find out about your business, your existing infrastructure, how you use what you already have and are less interested in getting you to sign up for a £2k server at the first appointment.
What should I ask them? Firstly, don't be put off by IT support providers and don't feel you will be out of your depth.
Make sure you get them to understand how you work and don't let them use techno-jargon as it's just not necessary.
If they use jargon then simply say "Can you simplify that for me please" or put another way "OK, but how will that have a positive effect on my business?".
Always be looking at how their advice will positively impact your business and the benefits it will bring.
Technology in itself is not going to help you move forward, but targeted technology certainly will.
An example might be iPhone / Blackberry; if you run a call centre then will your staff benefit from all having iPhones? No, because they are in a fixed location all day.
Make sure that the solutions being discussed, regardless of technology, have a positive benefit for you.
The final decision After you have found a short list of possible providers, made sure they are local, ensured they are not just trying to sell you hardware and that they understand your business, how do you make a final decision? Well I would ask their existing clients.
Ask the shortlist of providers to put forward 3 clients that best fit your business type and if possible get them to put forward people in the same sector as yourself.
If you are an 8 user property letting agency then a 50 user solicitors is not a good comparison.
Get a telephone number and call the reference.
Ask questions about the service they receive, the length of time they have been supported by the IT provider and ask if the IT provider has had a positive impact on the business.
Remember that the IT provider will give you the names of their 3 best clients, so make sure you understand you will not be talking to people who are going to necessarily say bad things, but you can gauge the mood and if you get on well with the reference don't be afraid to ask them serious questions.
This could be the last chance you have to make sure you are making the right decision.