Do you need an IT person for your small business?
Not always. An owner can often manage alone when few people use the tools, most work is in cloud tools, and there is a written list of every account and who can use it. Help is worth finding when logins are shared, nothing is backed up, a former employee's access is still open or no one owns updates. The options run from doing it yourself to pay-per-fix help, managed support, or a part-time or full-time hire.
When an owner can manage alone
As general advice, it often works when a few people use the tools, most work happens in cloud tools that update themselves, and the owner keeps a written list of accounts, who can use each one and who can remove someone. NIST's guide for small businesses suggests it may help to "assign a day each month to check for patches", meaning software updates. As general advice, a recurring date like that is a simple way for one person to keep up.
Signs you need help
- Shared logins. Several people use one password. NIST advises a separate account for each user, contractors included; the other signs in this list are general advice, not NIST's.
- No backup. Nobody can say when your customer records were last copied or has tried restoring them. The related answer on backing up business data covers it.
- A leaver's access. A former employee can still sign in, or no one can say which accounts they used. The related answer on removing an employee's access covers the list.
- No one owns updates. Computers, phones and the website are updated when somebody remembers.
- A day lost. A problem stops work for a day or more, or nobody knows who to call.
- Basic safeguards are missing. The related answer on small business cybersecurity basics lists where to start.
The options
| Option | Often fits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | A few devices and a short account list | Work stalls when you are busy or away, and the know-how sits in one head |
| Pay-per-fix help | Rare problems or a one-off project | Updates and backups happen only if you assign them to someone |
| Managed support | A team that wants a provider to take on updates, backups and accounts | The agreement's terms; the related answer on managed IT support explains how to read them |
| Part-time hire | Steady, regular work that does not fill a week | Cover when that person is away |
| Full-time hire | Enough daily work to keep one person busy | One person can become the only one who knows how things work |
Choosing help
NIST says "No one is an expert in every business and technical area" and that a small business may choose to outsource some of its technology needs. Its tips for finding a provider include asking for recommendations, requesting quotes against a clear list of the actions or outcomes you want, checking past performance and finding out who will do the work. The related answer on managed IT support explains how those agreements read.
As general advice, whichever route you take, keep domain, email and software accounts in the business's name, and keep the account list where the owner can reach it. Ascent Vision offers technical support, so read this with that in mind.
Sources
Related answers
- What is managed IT support, and what should it include?
- What are the basic cybersecurity steps for a small business?
- How should a small business back up its data?
- How do you remove an employee's access to accounts when they leave?
Ongoing technical support
The site goes down, email stops arriving, a domain is about to lapse, nobody knows the password. Many owners do not have a technical person. We are that person, for everything we build and the things you already have.