Choosing IT support for a small business in Pakistan: questions to ask before you sign

Most small businesses choose IT support when something has already gone wrong, which is the worst time to make a careful decision. A few questions asked before you sign tell you a great deal about how a provider will behave when your systems are down. Use these with any company or individual, including us.

1. What exactly is included?

Ask for the scope in writing: which systems, which locations, which devices, remote or on-site visits, and what is billed separately. Vague scope is the most common source of arguments about invoices later.

2. How quickly will you respond, and how quickly will you fix?

Response (someone acknowledges and starts work) and resolution (it is fixed) are different. Ask for target times for each, by how serious the problem is, and what happens when they are missed. A provider who will not commit to a number is telling you something.

3. Who owns the passwords and administrator accounts?

You should. The business must hold the master administrator credentials for its domain, email, website and servers, and the provider should work through accounts that can be removed. If the only person who can log in is the provider, you cannot leave them.

4. What do you document, and who owns it?

Ask for network diagrams, an inventory of devices and licences, and the procedures they follow, delivered to you and kept up to date. Documentation that lives only in someone's head disappears with them.

5. How are backups done, and when did you last restore one?

A good answer names what is backed up, where the copies are, and the date of the last test restore. "We have backups" is not an answer. A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan.

6. How do you keep systems secure and up to date?

Ask about security updates, antivirus or endpoint protection, multi-factor sign-in, how quickly critical patches are applied, and what you can see of it. You are looking for a routine, not a promise.

7. What happens when the person who knows my systems is unavailable?

Small providers often depend on one person. That can be fine, but ask who covers illness and holidays, and whether that person can reach your documentation.

8. Where will the work be done?

Remote support is fast and cheaper for many problems. Some need someone in the room. If you are in Islamabad, Rawalpindi or another city, ask how quickly someone can be on site, and whether there is a charge for it.

9. Can I talk to someone you already support?

Ask for references from businesses of a similar size, and call them. Ask what happens on a bad day, not a good one.

10. How do I leave?

Ask what the notice period is, what you receive when you go, and how handover works. A provider who makes leaving easy has no need to trap you.

A note about us

We provide IT consulting and support alongside software work for organisations that want one accountable team. If you would like to compare what we offer against these ten questions, read about our IT consulting and support or get in touch.