What IT support costs a small business.
IT support for a small business is priced in one of several ways, set out below. Comparing quotes means comparing what each one covers, not just the monthly figure. Below are the models, what moves the price, and Braw’s prices as a worked example.
- Five pricing models compared
- What to ask before signing
The ways it is priced.
| Model | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Per user, per month | A fixed fee for each person, covering their accounts, devices and support. The bill rises and falls with headcount. | Teams that grow or change |
| Fixed monthly plan | One price for a band of users, such as up to 5 or up to 12, with set hours or services included. | Small teams that want a known cost |
| Per device | A fee for each computer, phone or server looked after. | Offices with shared machines |
| Hourly or pay as you go | Nothing monthly. You pay when you call for help. | Very small setups that rarely need help |
| Block of hours | Hours bought in advance, used as needed, sometimes at a lower rate. | Occasional projects and changes |
Some providers combine these: a monthly plan for the routine work, and an hourly rate for anything outside it.
What moves the price.
Two quotes for the same office can look very different because they cover different things. The main differences:
- How many users and devices are covered, and whether the price is per user or per band.
- Whether support is remote only, or includes visits to your office.
- Response times: next working day, same day, or within a few hours.
- Office hours only, or evenings and weekends too.
- How many hours of help are included each month, and whether unused hours roll over.
- Security tools such as backup for Microsoft 365, device management or extra email filtering, which some plans include and others charge for.
- Set-up or onboarding fees, and the minimum contract length.
Often a separate cost.
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace licences may be paid on top of support, either directly to Microsoft or Google or through the provider. Check which, and whether the provider adds a margin.
Hardware is separate too: new laptops, phones and printers. So are projects with a clear start and end, such as moving email to a new provider, setting up a new office, or replacing a server.
A worked example: Braw’s IT Care.
Braw’s plans are fixed monthly prices for a band of users, remote first, month to month. They are one example of the fixed-plan model, not an average of the market.
| Plan | Users | Price | Works out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Solo | 1 user | £49 a month | One user |
| IT Team | Up to 5 users | £129 a month | £25.80 a user, with every place filled |
| IT Office | Up to 12 users | £299 a month | £24.92 a user, with every place filled |
Every plan includes Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration and SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up and monitored. The larger plans add new starters and leavers, monthly checks and remote support hours. For urgent problems outside a plan, a same-day fix is £75 for the first hour. A one-off IT and security health check is £149. Licences are not included. There is no VAT to add to any Braw price.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- What exactly is included, and what is charged by the hour?
- How quickly will you respond, and is that written into the contract?
- What is the minimum term, and what is the notice period?
- Who holds the admin passwords for our Microsoft 365 or Google account? It should be you, with the provider given access.
- Are licences included, and at what price?
- What happens to our data and accounts if we leave?
IT support cost questions
Ask us something else →Is pay as you go cheaper?
In a month with no problems, yes. It also means nobody is paid to check backups, updates and security until something breaks, and there is no agreed response time when it does.
Do I need on-site support?
It depends on your office. Account, email and software problems can be fixed remotely. Printers, networks and new equipment sometimes need a visit.
Do you cover businesses outside Edinburgh?
IT Care is remote first, so yes for remote support. Visits are in Edinburgh.
Can we start with a one-off check?
Yes. The IT and security health check gives you a written report, and is credited against your first 3 months if you start a plan within 30 days. See IT support for the details.
A price for your office.
Tell us how many people you have and what you use, and we will tell you which plan fits and what it costs.
Ask about IT Care →