Free IT buyer’s guide
How to choose an IT provider. Make them prove it before you sign.
Pick the provider that proves itself before you sign. A good one asks how your business runs, reviews your systems before it quotes, walks you through the agreement and puts you in touch with a current client. Use the 12 checks below on every provider you talk to, including us.
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12 checkpointsRed and green flags for each- 24 questionsTo ask on the sales call
- 9 contract sectionsTo check before you sign
Before you sign
12 checks before you choose an IT provider.
Each check is something you can see during the sales process. How a provider treats you before you sign is the best preview of how it will treat you after. Tick one off only when the provider has shown you.
| Check | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| 1. Do they ask good questions about your business? | They ask how your team works and which software you can’t run without before they talk about tools or price. |
| 2. Can they explain what they do in plain English? | You understand every answer without a glossary, and they check that you followed. |
| 3. Will they walk you through the agreement before you commit? | They go through it with you: what’s included, what isn’t, how long it lasts and how you get out. |
| 4. Can they give you recent, relevant references? | A current client about your size who has been with them more than a year. |
| 5. Do they have a clear onboarding plan? | A step-by-step plan with named people on both sides and a schedule for the first weeks. |
| 6. Do they review your systems and risks before they quote? | The quote is based on what they found in your setup. |
| 7. Do they prevent problems, or only fix them? | Monitoring around the clock, scheduled updates and reports that show the preventive work. |
| 8. Can they show you what’s included, and what isn’t? | A written list of services, and what counts as extra before the work starts. |
| 9. How do they handle support requests? | A ticket system, a named person you can reach and a clear path for emergencies. |
| 10. Do they work with your tools, or make you switch? | They support what works and explain the reasons and the plan when a change is needed. |
| 11. Do they have a process? | Documented routines for tickets, updates and reviews that they can show you in a few minutes. |
| 12. Do they act like a partner or a vendor? | They talk about your goals, say “I don’t know” when they don’t, and follow up when they said they would. |
Which type of support
Which type of IT support you need.
Settle this before you compare providers. The three models promise different things, and a lot of disappointment comes from expecting managed services from someone who only agreed to show up when called.
Break-fix
You call when something breaks and pay by the hour. It can work for an office with a few computers, no client, patient or financial records, and a business that can live with a slow day.
Managed IT
A monthly agreement covers monitoring, updates, backups, security and help desk support. It fits most organizations with 10 or more staff, sensitive records or an insurer or regulator to answer to.
Co-managed IT
Your IT staff keep the daily work, and a provider adds monitoring, security, documentation and specialists.
Our comparison of managed IT and internal IT covers what an in-house department costs and when each model fits.
On the sales call
Questions to ask a managed IT provider.
Ask these on the sales call and listen to how they answer. A good provider is glad you asked.
| Question | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Who will support us day to day? | They name the team and the person you’ll work with. | “That would be me, and I’ll get back to you when I can.” |
| What’s included in the monthly fee, and what isn’t? | A written breakdown with no gaps. | “It’s all unlimited,” with nothing in writing. |
| What happens if we have an emergency after hours? | A process for urgent issues and a straight answer on whether it costs extra. | “We’ll get back to you the next day.” |
| Do you review our systems and risks before you quote? | They look at your setup before they put a number on it. | “All our clients are on the same plan.” |
| Can I talk to a client who’s been with you more than a year? | They offer one without hesitating. | “Our clients prefer to stay anonymous.” |
| What happens if we have a security incident? | A written plan: contain it, tell you right away, document it and review it with you. | “We’ll fix it and let you know if it’s serious.” |
| How do you help us meet the rules we answer to? | They map your setup to HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule or your insurer’s questionnaire and give you the documentation. | “That’s for your lawyer, not us.” |
| If we leave, how do you hand things over? | Documentation, access and help for the next provider, on a timeline. | “We’ll figure that out if it comes up.” |
The guide has 24 of these, grouped by topic, with what each answer tells you.
In the agreement
What to check in an MSP contract.
Read the managed services agreement before you sign, while it’s easy. Most people only open it after something has gone wrong: they’re locked out, billed for work they thought was included, or caught by a renewal. These nine sections cause the most trouble. For anything with real money or risk attached, have your attorney read it too.
| Section | Watch out for | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of services | “General IT support” with no list of the services and devices covered | “If my laptop dies tomorrow, what happens under this agreement?” |
| Service levels | “Best effort” language, and no way for you to see whether targets were met | “How will I know when you miss a target, and what happens then?” |
| Term and cancellation | A renewal into another long term unless you cancel inside a narrow window | “How long does the handover take when a client leaves?” |
| Billing and payment | “Unlimited support” that the fine print contradicts, and vague “service adjustments” | For a one-page summary of what’s included |
| Work outside the agreement | Pricing “to be determined” or billed at the provider’s discretion | “What did your last three clients pay outside the monthly fee?” |
| Liability and insurance | No mention of insurance, and broad exclusions with no explanation | For a certificate of insurance |
| Data ownership and access | “Data stored in our systems remains our property” | “What do I get back, and how fast, when the agreement ends?” |
| Confidentiality and privacy | Rights to share your data with “affiliates,” and no controls on subcontractors | “Do your staff and subcontractors sign confidentiality agreements?” If you handle patient records, ask for a business associate agreement. |
| Changes and project work | Extra charges that don’t need your approval | “Give me three examples of requests that wouldn’t be covered.” |
Switching
Before you switch providers.
Confirm in writing that your company owns its Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace account, its domain names and its backup data, and that your agreement says how you get full administrator access back. Many careful providers keep the daily administrator accounts with their own team, which is good security. A setup with no way back to full control isn’t.
Then work in this order: choose the new provider, schedule onboarding, give notice to the current one, and run both through a transition window of 2 to 4 weeks. Shut off the old accounts and tools only after everything is tested. If you’re still deciding whether to leave, start with the signs you’ve outgrown your IT support.
What’s inside
What the IT buyer’s guide covers.
The three types of IT support, and profiles to find the one that fits
Six signs it’s time to switch, and five questions to ask yourself first
A clean handoff: your inventory, who owns what, your current contract and the order of steps
12 checkpoints, each with red flags, green flags and how we answer it
24 questions for the sales call and what each answer tells you
Nine sections of a service agreement to check before you sign
A plain-English glossary of the terms you’ll hear
A one-page checklist to take into every provider conversation
Chad Odom, who founded Wahaya IT in 2003, wrote it. We’re an IT provider, so each checkpoint includes a box on how we answer it. Hold us to the same test.
Free guide
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Questions about the guide
Is the IT buyer’s guide free?
Yes. Fill in the form and we email you the link. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
What format is it in?
A 57-page PDF in a small book size that reads well on a phone. The checklist at the end prints on one page.
How do I choose a managed service provider?
Watch how the provider behaves before you sign. Look for one that asks about your business, reviews your systems before quoting, walks you through the agreement, gives you a current reference and shows you an onboarding plan.
What should an MSP contract include?
A list of the services and devices covered, service levels, the term and how to cancel, what’s billed separately, liability and insurance, data ownership, confidentiality, and how project work gets approved.
How long does it take to switch IT providers?
Plan for a transition window of 2 to 4 weeks with both providers in place. Choose the new provider and schedule onboarding before you give notice to the current one.
Rather talk it through? Ask us the 24 questions.
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15 minutesTell us what you need from an IT provider.
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We’ll answer each check the way the guide asks us to.
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If we’re not the right fit, we’ll say so.
