How to Properly Evaluate an IT Consultant For Your Business

Living in the digital age, our businesses must effectively leverage technology in order to compete and thrive in our market.

Our ability to maintain safe networks and secure devices within our network is crucial.

If your business lacks a dedicated IT support team, then maintaining a safe network is easier said than done.

The truth is that for most small businesses, having single or even multiple IT experts on your payroll does not make much financial sense.

Small business owners can save thousands each year by outsourcing their IT support to a managed IT services provider.

With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, the market for Jacksonville IT consultants has flooded with options.

Finding the best IT consultant for you means more than just a few dollars in savings each month, it can mean the difference between staying in business and having to close your doors after a catastrophic attack.

If you have a limited understanding of networking, finding a competent IT consultant may seem like a challenging task. With your bests interests in mind, we have laid out a few recommendations for finding the right candidate:

Make Sure the Candidate is Qualified for the Job

Every business is home to a unique network; from the devices to the employees accessing the network.

A great way to set your business up for failure is to hire an IT consultant who is incapable of properly serving your business.

Choosing the right Jacksonville IT consultant means familiarizing yourself with the team’s work experience and clientele.

Also, be sure to look for any reviews on their listings; while that shouldn’t be the sole criteria for your choice, it can definitely help seal the deal.

As with any business, you may find some customer complaints on their listings - that in itself should not deter you from giving that business a shot.

What matters the most is how the business deals with complaints. Do you want your Jacksonville IT consultants to leave you hanging when your network crashes? Probably not, do your research.

Get a Feel For What to Expect By Being a Customer of Theirs

Having realistic expectations of your business IT consultant is the best way to avoid letdowns.

Familiarize yourself with their different service packages and the features of each.

With that being said, make sure that the representative is willing to help you in finding the right package for your business, and not too eager to oversell the account.

Evaluate their service plans thoroughly so that you know how often they are offering to come out for proactive visits, etc. with each plan.

Another important aspect not to overlook is their work hours and availability. Is there downtime in their schedule? Do they take weekends off? Cyber hackers never rest.

Given that most attacks are driven by artificial intelligence nowadays, the attacks are unrelenting.

You need a Jacksonville IT consultant with that same relentless pursuit. If you are the recipient of a cyber attack, you want to have the comfort of knowing that your Jacksonville IT consultant will be there as soon as possible to assist you.

Do they take holidays off? If your business is open during holidays, be sure to ask your managed IT services provider about their holiday hours. Be prepared with the correct information on who to call if you are attacked during a holiday.

Learn About Their Reporting

Is your Jacksonville IT consultant transparent? Do they keep you up-to-date on projects concerning your account?

If you’re a business owner, chances are you are overwhelmed by running your business and you’re looking to outsource your IT department to IT consulting firms in Jacksonville.

You shouldn’t have to learn all of the intricate details of network support just to understand your technology advisor’s reporting. Make sure that your consultant’s reports are provided frequently, are easily read, and informative.

You should be able to see how your consultants are employing their time working on your project.

Furthermore, your business IT consultant should report on any areas of service that are lacking or that are unnecessary in order to help your budget.

Finding a competent and transparent Jacksonville IT consultant can be a challenge.

At Techsperts, we put our clients’ needs first. We advocate effective solutions with none of the fluff. Call Techsperts today to discuss how we can help you.