Houston Small Business IT Support: What to Look For

Houston Small Business IT Support: What to Look For (And What to Avoid)

Choosing an IT support company feels overwhelming. Everyone's website says the same things: "proactive support," "cybersecurity experts," "trusted partner." How do you actually tell who's good?

Here's a practical guide from someone who's been on the inside of the MSP industry.

The 8 Questions to Ask Every IT Provider

1. "What's your average response time?"

Good answer: "Under 15 minutes for critical issues, under 1 hour for standard requests."

Red flag: "It depends" or "We aim for same-day." Same-day is not a standard — it's a disclaimer.

2. "Is cybersecurity included or extra?"

Good answer: "Included. Endpoint protection, email security, and monitoring are part of every plan."

Red flag: "We offer cybersecurity packages starting at..." If security is an upsell, their base service leaves you exposed.

3. "What happens if I want to cancel?"

Good answer: "30-day notice, no penalties. We'll help transition you to your next provider."

Red flag: Multi-year contracts with early termination fees. If they need a contract to keep you, they know you'd leave otherwise.

4. "How do you handle backups?"

Good answer: "Automated daily backups, encrypted, stored offsite, and we test restores quarterly."

Red flag: Hesitation, vague answers, or "that's your responsibility." It shouldn't be.

5. "Can I talk to a current client?"

Good answer: "Absolutely, here are three references in your industry."

Red flag: Deflection or "we can share testimonials." Written testimonials can be fabricated. Phone references can't.

6. "What does your onboarding process look like?"

Good answer: A clear 2-4 week plan with documentation, parallel operation, and zero-downtime cutover.

Red flag: "We just install our tools and you're good to go." That's not onboarding — that's winging it.

7. "Do you support our industry's compliance requirements?"

Good answer: Specific knowledge of your requirements (HIPAA, PCI, CMMC) with documented processes.

Red flag: "Sure, we can do compliance." Without specifics, they're guessing.

8. "What does your pricing include?"

Good answer: A clear, itemized list. Flat rate per user. No asterisks.

Red flag: Vague pricing, "custom quotes," or a long list of add-ons that inflate the real cost.

Local vs. Remote: Does It Matter?

For Houston businesses, yes — it matters. Here's why:

• Hardware problems require hands. A remote-only provider can't fix your server, replace a failed hard drive, or set up a new workstation.
• Network issues need on-site diagnosis. Some problems can only be found by physically tracing cables, testing ports, and inspecting equipment.
• Relationship matters. Your IT provider should know your office, your team, and your business. That only happens face-to-face.

Our Approach

At Other Guys IT, we serve Houston and The Woodlands businesses with a simple promise: $100 per team member per month, everything included, and we'll actually pick up the phone when you call.

Book a free 30-minute IT assessment →

Call: (972) 244-3009