IT support for small business: what's included, what it costs and how to choose
Circuit Minds is a managed IT provider for UK businesses with 5 to 50 staff and no IT person of their own. This guide covers what small business IT support should include, the three ways to get it and what it costs, with our own prices (from £45 per user per month) published so you can compare.
Free for firms with 5 or more Microsoft 365 users. You keep the written report whether you work with us or not.
What does IT support for a small business include?
A helpdesk for your staff
Someone to call or email when something stops working, from a frozen laptop to a locked account. Remote support, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
Microsoft 365 looked after
Accounts set up for new starters and closed for leavers, licences kept tidy, shared mailboxes and Teams sorted, and admin access kept to the people who need it.
Laptops and phones managed
Every work device set up and controlled through Microsoft Intune, so new laptops arrive ready and a lost one can be locked or wiped remotely.
Security updates and antivirus
Windows, Microsoft 365 and apps kept up to date, with Microsoft Defender protecting every computer. The same basics Cyber Essentials asks for.
Safe sign-ins and email
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for everyone, so a stolen password isn't enough, plus filtering that stops scam and spam emails before they reach staff.
Backup and planning
Backup of your Microsoft 365 email and files, staff security training and regular IT reviews on CompleteCompleteRight for most growing businesses. £55 per user per month, minimum 5 users.Tap or click the name to compare plans. Full list on what's included.
What is IT support for a small business?
IT support for a small business means an outside provider looks after your computers, phones, Microsoft 365 and security, usually for a monthly price per user. They answer staff questions, keep everything updated, protect sign-ins and email, and back up your data, so nobody in the office has to be the IT person.
Written by Jazzy Khaneja, founder of Circuit Minds. Updated .
Do you need IT support yet?
These are the usual signs a firm has outgrown looking after its own IT:
- Someone in the office has become "the IT person" on top of their real job
- Nobody is sure who has admin access to Microsoft 365, or what happens when someone leaves
- Laptops get updated when someone remembers, if at all
- A customer, insurer or tender has asked about Cyber Essentials or MFA
- Email and files aren't backed up beyond what Microsoft keeps
- Your IT bills are unpredictable because you only pay when something breaks
What isn't usually included?
Quotes look cheaper when things are left out, so check these before you compare:
Microsoft licences. Usually billed on top. Plans require Microsoft 365 Business Premium (or equivalent), billed separately at Microsoft's list price. We manage your licences so you only pay for the ones you use.
On-site visits. Many providers, us included, work remotely and price visits separately. We quote each visit upfront.
Projects. Moving office, migrating email or rolling out new laptops is usually a separate, fixed-price job.
Hardware. Laptops, printers and network kit are bought separately.
What are the three ways to get IT support?
Each suits a different size of firm. Already have an IT person who needs back-up? See co-managed IT.
Pay when it breaks
Also called break-fix or ad hoc support
- Good
- You pay only for the hours you use, so quiet months cost little.
- Watch out
- Nobody is keeping things updated or watching security in between, and the bills arrive when things go wrong.
- Best for
- Very small firms with simple setups.
Employ your own IT person
In-house IT
- Good
- Someone on site who knows your business.
- Watch out
- A full salary plus employer costs, tools and training, and one person's skills to cover everything, holidays and sick days included.
- Best for
- Larger firms with enough IT work for a full-time role.
Managed IT support
A monthly price per user
- Good
- A predictable monthly cost. Updates, security and backups are done before they become problems.
- Watch out
- Most work is done remotely; on-site visits and big projects are usually priced on top.
- Best for
- Most firms of 5 to 50 people without their own IT person.
How much does IT support cost for a small business?
Managed IT support is usually priced per user per month. Across the UK quotes we see, most small businesses pay roughly £25-£100 per user, depending on how much security and backup is included. Our IT support cost guide breaks down what each price band usually covers.
We publish ours: EssentialsEssentialsThe fundamentals, done properly. £45 per user per month, minimum 5 users.Tap or click the name to compare plans £45, CompleteCompleteRight for most growing businesses. £55 per user per month, minimum 5 users.Tap or click the name to compare plans £55 and Secure+Secure+Security-first, built for regulated firms. £75 per user per month, minimum 10 users.Tap or click the name to compare plans £75 per user per month, ex VAT. A 10-person firm on Complete pays £550 a month, with unlimited remote support, backup and staff security training included.
Compare every feature on the pricing page.
How do you choose an IT support provider?
Ask every provider the same questions:
- Is the price per user published, or at least written down, with what's included?
- Are Microsoft licences, on-site visits and projects included, or charged on top?
- Does every plan include the security basics: multi-factor authentication (MFA), antivirus, security updates and email filtering?
- Is your email and files backup included, and has anyone tested a restore?
- Who actually does the work, and what are the support hours?
- How long is the contract, and how do you leave? Will they hand over your passwords and documentation?
More in our guide to choosing an IT support company.
Common questions
Do small businesses need IT support?+
If you use Microsoft 365, laptops and phones for work, someone needs to look after them: accounts for new starters and leavers, security updates, backups and MFA. Firms without IT support usually find one person doing it on top of their job, or nobody doing it until something breaks. Whether you outsource it depends on your size and how much risk you can live with.
How much does IT support cost for a small business?+
Our plans are £45, £55 or £75 per user per month, ex VAT, so a 10-person firm on Complete pays £550 a month. Across the UK quotes we see, most small businesses pay roughly £25-£100 per user per month for managed support. Our cost guide explains what each price band usually includes.
What's the difference between managed IT support and break-fix?+
With break-fix you call someone when something goes wrong and pay for their time. With managed support you pay a fixed monthly price per user, and the provider keeps your systems updated, secure and backed up so fewer things go wrong. Break-fix costs less in a quiet month. Managed support is easier to budget, and the updates and backups are part of the price rather than left to you.
Is remote IT support enough for a small business?+
For most day-to-day work, yes: password resets, Microsoft 365 changes, software problems and security updates are all done remotely, often faster than waiting for a visit. You still need someone on site for things like new office set-ups, network problems or hardware. We quote on-site visits upfront, per visit.
We have fewer than 5 staff. Can you help?+
Our managed plans start at 5 users. For smaller firms we offer the full 108-check Microsoft 365 audit and one-off projects at a fixed, written quote.
Do we need Microsoft 365 Business Premium?+
For our plans, yes, or an equivalent licence. It includes the security features we switch on for you, such as device management and safe sign-in rules. It's billed separately at Microsoft's list price, and we manage the licences so you only pay for the ones you use.
Can you take over from our current IT provider?+
Yes. We plan the handover with you and your current provider, collect the admin access and documentation, and check everything before they step away. Our switching guide explains how it works.
Find out where your IT stands before you compare quotes.
Free for 5 or more Microsoft 365 users. You keep the written report.