Picture this: You and your team show up ready to tackle the day, but before you can even get started, the internet crashes. Emails won’t send. Shared files won’t load. Work comes to a grinding halt. Now what?

If your business relies on technology—and let’s be honest, what business doesn’t?—unexpected downtime can be more than just an inconvenience. It can cost thousands in lost productivity and sales. Just look at what happened to MGM when their systems went down: key cards stopped working, casinos shut down, and even restaurant reservations were unavailable. That fiasco cost them millions.

And downtime is just one piece of the puzzle. Constant frustrations—like forgotten passwords, malware infections, or slow response times from IT—can pile up fast. When you’re always putting out fires, it’s hard to focus on growing your business.

Too many business owners pay for IT support that barely keeps up with the basics. Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself—waiting hours (or days) for a response, dealing with recurring problems that never seem to get fixed, or working with an IT provider who only shows up after the damage is done.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

How Does Your IT Support Measure Up?

We’ve put together a quick checklist to help you evaluate your current IT provider. If they’re not checking all these boxes, you might be settling for less than your business deserves.

• Do they answer their phone live and respond to emergencies within 60 minutes?
  When things go wrong, you shouldn’t be stuck on hold or waiting hours for help.
• Are they easy to reach for nonemergency issues, responding within an hour?
  Tech problems shouldn’t bring your team to a standstill.
• Do they proactively monitor, patch, and update your security settings?
  If you don’t know how often this happens, your business could be at risk.
• Do they provide proof that ALL your data is backed up, including laptops and devices?
  A solid backup strategy means nothing gets overlooked.
• Do they meet with you quarterly to review projects, performance, and improvements?
  IT support isn’t just about fixing problems—it should help you plan ahead.
• Are their invoices clear and transparent?
  No one likes surprise charges.
• Do they explain things in plain English instead of tech jargon?
  You shouldn’t need a dictionary to understand what’s happening with your IT.
• Do they actively discuss cybersecurity, recommend solutions, and offer employee training?
  Cybersecurity isn’t optional—your team should be your first line of defense.
• Have they provided you with full network documentation, including admin passwords?
  If they’re keeping the “keys to the kingdom” from you, that’s a red flag.
• Do their techs arrive on time, act professionally, and leave you feeling confident?
  You should trust and respect the people managing your technology.

Are They Going the Extra Mile?

A great IT partner doesn’t just meet the minimum requirements—they go above and beyond.

• Do they conduct regular disaster recovery drills to ensure your backups actually work?
  A backup that fails when you need it isn’t a backup at all.
• Are they helping you plan for scalable growth?
  Your IT should evolve with your business, not hold it back.
• Do they offer advanced cybersecurity tools, like AI-driven monitoring and endpoint detection?
  Threats are always changing—your protection should keep up.
• Do they optimize your network’s performance to prevent bottlenecks and downtime?
  Slow systems and recurring crashes aren’t just frustrating; they cost money.