Should You Get Your IT-Problems Fixed Or Prevent Them From Happening?

Would you rather wait until your technology breaks down, or never let it break down in the first place?

There are two basic ways of fixing your IT-problems:

1. Fix problems when they arise.
   
2. Prevent problems from happening in the first place.
   

Which one do you prefer?

Most businesses only get somebody to look at their IT when something is broken and it needs to be fixed immediately. This is called “break/fix” IT-support. Although this sounds smart, it can actually cost you a lot of money (and cause you a lot of problems) in the long run.

Let me explain.

Why People Use Break/Fix IT-Support.

Usually businesses only get IT-support when they find themselves in trouble. The biggest reason why they use this break/fix IT-support is because it sounds so simple.

When something breaks down, you just call the IT-guy, and they’ll come and fix it – often against a flat fee. You have no contracts. No obligations.

They think: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

But that can be a big mistake.

Break/fix techniques are becoming less and less effective for most businesses for many reasons.

In fact – they can lead to a lot of problems, and even cost you a lot of money.

By The Time You Get It Fixed, You’re Already Too Late

Break/fix IT-support is a reactive approach.

By the time you call someone to come fix your problems, you’re already too late. Your machine or system is already broken. And you won’t be able to use it until you get it fixed.

That means that you already have downtime. Your employees can’t do their work. Your productivity is already suffering. And you might not even be able to run your business until you get it fixed!

When your systems are down, you’re losing money. And the longer they’re down… the more money you lose.

And that’s if you even CAN get it fixed in the first place!

But that’s not always the case.

Most of the time when something breaks down, you can fix the problem and get it over with.

But sometimes, you might have permanent damage that can’t be fixed.

What does this mean?

You can lose crucial business data that you need to operate your business. Customer information, sales data, or other valuable information can be lost for good!

Can your business survive without your critical data?

If not, then you need to seriously reconsider how you maintain your IT.

Fixing Problems Gets Really Expensive

If you’d only need to get your technology fixed once, it’s pretty cheap.

But unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

Break/fix cycles are recurring. Stuff will keep on breaking over and over again. And every time it happens, you’ll have to pay somebody to come over and fix it.

These costs can add up quickly.

And they won’t go away anytime soon.

The big problem is that break/fix IT-support providers don’t have your best interest at heart. They’re often paid by the amount of time they spend working. So the slower they work – the more money they make.

Plus, they have no real incentive to make your network stable in the long run.

Since you’re paying them every time something breaks down, they are actually incentivized to keep your stuff breaking over and over again. They need you to have IT-problems regularly, so they can come in, fix it – and get paid again!

So when you call them, they might fix the immediate problem you’re facing…

…but they won’t do anything to prevent it from happening again in the future!

That’s a MASSIVE conflict of interest. You don’t want to have your computers break down every few weeks. You want your technology to keep on working all the time!

There Is A Better Way

Instead of waiting until your IT breaks down, why don’t you prevent that from happening in the first place?

By proactively maintaining your systems, that’s exactly what you do.

Most of the IT-problems you come across can be avoided. Whether you keep on getting spam or viruses, or your computers keep on breaking down… with the right proactive maintenance, you can prevent this from happening in the first place.

Your systems can keep on working. And you can save your business a lot of downtime, problems, and money.

You can do this yourself.

But unless you’re a technical expert… you probably won’t.

The truth is that most business owners just don’t have the time or knowledge to do this themselves. Your time is better spent doing what you do best: running your business, and making more money.

Luckily you don’t have to do it yourself.

Let The Experts Handle Your Technology For You

While many IT-providers offer solely break/fix IT-support, some IT-providers offer more.

They’ll give you a “Managed Service Plan” where they proactively maintain your technology for you.

A Managed Service Plan is the best way to prevent problems BEFORE they happen.

With a Managed Service Plan, you’ve got an IT-provider who’s on your side. They’ll do whatever they can to stop your systems and technology from breaking in the first place and keep it running in perfect condition.

They proactively monitor, manage and maintain your technology to keep it healthy and running smoothly. They’ll spot issues and proactively resolve them before they turn into a problem.  And they’ll help you strategize and budget your technology-expenses for the future to make sure you have the right technology to reach your business goals.

But they do more than just proactively maintain your IT for you.

They also take full accountability for your technology environment.

It’s more like having a partner. Somebody who you know and trust, and has your best interests at heart while taking care of your IT for you.

You’re in this together.

Their interests are aligned with yours.

The more your stuff breaks down, the more work they’ll have to do. So they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure your technology keeps running the way you want it to.

These Managed Service Providers are incentivized to keep working harder and smarter to make sure your network stays up and running – so you can operate your business.

Save Money And Boost Your Productivity

Proactive maintenance gives your technology environment more security and more uptime. It keeps your systems (and your business) running at all times.

That means that you can focus on running your business – and increasing your profits.

Plus, you’ll save money too.

Instead of having to pay someone every time you have a problem, you’ll just pay a fixed fee each month, and all your problems are taken care of. Because issues are tackled before they turn into a disaster, problems can be fixed cheaply and cost-effective.

This means you’ll have reliable, small costs you can budget in, instead of massive expenses that hit you by surprise.

If your business depends on your technology, then you can’t leave anything to chance.

You’ve GOT to make sure that the mission-critical systems you need to run your business are in great condition at all times.

Look at Managed Service Plan as a form of “insurance”. At a small fixed fee each month, you’ll prevent potential disasters from ruining your business when technical problems arise.

You’ll have the peace of mind that your technology and your business keeps running exactly the way you want it to.

The Best Way To Prevent Problems From Happening

Break/fix IT-support might seem easier in the short run. But in the long run, it costs you a lot of money and headaches, and can put your business at serious risk.

The best way to keep your business safe is to have a Managed Service Plan.

We can help you with that.

Interested?

Read more about our Managed Service Plan here, or contact us now.