One of the most common questions we get from new prospective clients calling our office is “What do you guys charge for your IT services?”
While price certainly needs to be one consideration, it’s extremely important you make an informed decision and choose the right IT services company instead of using price as the main deciding factor.
This seems obvious, but the reality is that most CEO’s don’t really know what questions to ask or what to look for when choosing one IT company over another and therefore put too much weight on the quote.
What you want to avoid is getting lured into a lowball quote from an IT company that is in financial trouble, cutting corners to lower their fees to get you as a client, but then unable to afford to hire experienced, knowledgeable techs, dedicated account managers and the security tools they need to ensure YOU are actually getting the security, stability and service you need.
So, how much is “too much” and what are the signs that someone is underpriced?
Recently, an industry report from Service Leadership, the leading financial benchmarking organization in the IT services industry, revealed that a whopping 28% of MSPs (managed services providers, or IT services companies) were unprofitable, and nearly half of all MSPs were under 10% net profit.
While everyone likes a “bargain,” here are the reasons why “cheaper” is not the advantage you think it is when you choose an underpriced IT company:
In general, according to Service Leadership, the average “per user” fee for managed IT services is $205.07 to $249.73. Those IT firms with a below-average operational maturity level charge $146.08 to $157.49 per “user” (or employee using a computer or device they are supporting).
As you can see, if someone quotes you $120 a user for managing your network, it might feel like a good deal, but you have to ask yourself how they are able to charge nearly 50% less than IT firms that are operationally mature. The answer is obvious – they’re cutting corners, hiring cheap labor and leaving out critical security and compliance services.
If you want to know what types of questions you should be asking your managed services provider, then click here to download our executive guide, “20 Questions You Should Ask Any IT Company Before Signing A Contract Or Letting Them Touch Your IT.”
This report discusses in detail exactly what to look for to get exactly what you need without unnecessary extras, hidden fees and bloated contracts. But most importantly, it will show you how to get the right support you want in order to lower your risk and eliminate the frustration of dealing with a less than competent IT company.
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