Choose the right IT provider, on a contract that protects you
Most small businesses pick an IT company on a handshake and a price. I help you pick on facts, and get the promises in writing.
- Price
- Fixed-fee, quoted after a free call.
- Typical timeline
- 2 to 4 weeks
Sound familiar?
- We have never had an IT company and do not know where to start.
- Our IT company is slow to respond, and we do not know if that is normal.
- We got three quotes and they look nothing alike.
- Our IT contract renews automatically and nobody has read it.
What is included
- A written list of what your business needs from an IT provider, taken from the assessment or a short discovery session.
- A short list of managed IT providers (MSPs) that fit your size, location and the platforms you use.
- A plain-English request for proposals, so every provider quotes against the same scope.
- A side-by-side comparison of the proposals: what is included, what is billed extra, and what it really costs per month.
- Provider interviews and reference checks, with you in the room.
- A review of the service terms before you sign: response times, who owns your accounts and passwords, what happens to your data, and how you leave if it does not work out.
- AI questions in the provider scorecard: which AI tools the provider uses on your systems, what happens to your data in them, and whether they can run an AI pilot once it is handed over.
What you receive at the end
- A requirements document you can reuse every time the contract comes up for renewal.
- A comparison scorecard and a written recommendation, with the reasons.
- A list of contract terms to change or add before signing.
- A 30-day onboarding checklist, so you can tell early whether the new provider is delivering.
Who it suits
- Businesses getting outside IT support for the first time.
- Businesses unhappy with their current provider, or whose contract renews in the next six months.
- Teams that have outgrown the one-person IT helper and need a real support agreement.
Where this work happens
Mostly remote. Provider interviews can happen at your office in Carson City or Reno, or over video for clients elsewhere in the US.
Related services
The $1,500 technology assessment is the usual starting point, so the advice is grounded in facts. This service pairs well with Technology assessment and roadmap and Fractional IT director.
IT provider selection: common questions
What is an MSP?
A managed service provider: an IT company that supports your computers, accounts and network for a monthly fee. Most small businesses that outgrow "the computer guy" end up with one.
We already have a provider. Can you just review the contract?
Yes. The contract and service review can be scoped on its own, which is a good idea before any renewal.
Is this legal advice?
No. I review the technical and service terms: what the provider will do, how fast and at what cost. Your attorney reviews the legal terms.
What if the provider we pick does not work out?
The terms set up front include measurable service levels and a clean way out. As your fractional IT director, I can hold the provider to them month by month.
Talk it through first
IT provider selection and contract scoping is fixed-fee, quoted after a free call. The $1,500 assessment is the usual starting point, so the advice is grounded in facts.