Businesses today can’t operate without computers. And, of course, the more computers a business relies on, the greater the potential for glitches. What is a small to mid-sized business to do about those cyber-hiccups when they begin to require more attention and expertise than in-house employees can provide and the cost of staffing an information technology person is outside the budget? For some, the answer is hooking up with a technology partner who can provide help on a pay-for-service arrangement or a prepaid contract.

Consultants say the best time to start interviewing for outside help is before a problem arises that prevents key personnel from accomplishing their primary duties. If the staff accountant also happens to be the technical person, and bills are piling up while hard drives aren’t booting up, it is time to seek outside help.

But with dozens of computer service firms listed in the phone book, how does a business pick the right partner? “Ask around” is the advice given by many shop owners. Ask similar businesses whom they use to repair their equipment. Ask employees where they take their home computers.

“It’s really surprising to me how many times I get companies bringing computers to me who have never dealt with us before, and when I ask why they chose us, a lot of times it’s a recommendation from one of their employees,” says Devin Charters, tech support manager for The Chip Merchant.

Starting Without References

Without recommendations, the search is more difficult.

“Look for specific expertise,” says Larry Langdon, owner of Crywolf Consulting. “Just like you wouldn’t want your plumber to build your kitchen cabinet.” Checking background and references is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. “Be sure to meet with someone and make sure you feel comfortable with them,” Charters says. “Don’t rush past this step and go for price.”

Calvin Hong, vice president of Comp City Computer Corp., suggests finding an IT partner whose services can be utilized on an hourly contract basis. “Anytime you need (help) you just call up that person to go out, on-site, to repair or do service,” Hong says. “This way you don’t need to staff anybody and you can cut down on cost.”

Hong says the right level of service is the most important element in making a partnership work. “The key is service a majority of the time, and then response time and technical knowledge,” he says.

To check into a provider’s technical knowledge, Hong recommends calling to ask the random service person general questions. “See whether the technician or the company is very helpful,” he says. “Other times it’s better to visit and talk to some of the salespersons.”

Charters suggests checking for certifications before entering into a professional relationship. Although not necessary, he says, it is reassuring to find a service person is certified to perform computer system repairs. Langdon says Mac owners should always use an Apple authorized repair center. This helps eliminate problems when something needs to be shipped back to the manufacturer.

“If you have a company that’s good in several areas, one-stop shopping is always preferable,” Langdon says. “You can build a relationship and they really get to know your system.” He says it is better to rely on the same company for as many services as possible, especially if a business is using that firm’s products. Charters agrees that sticking to as few contractors as possible is best, because “when you get too many companies involved it becomes a finger-pointing game. It’s better to go with one company because that company has to take responsibility for the whole computer system.”

But for businesses with multiple systems and various programs, that’s not always possible. It’s not uncommon for Crywolf to work with other companies inside the same business. Crywolf specializes in Macintosh computers and, although familiar with PCs, its technicians don’t claim to be experts in that area. They leave the details to those with the right credentials.

Langdon knows firsthand what happens when non-experts start making tweaks and fixes. “We spend a lot of time cleaning up after companies that don’t really do Macs that try to do Macs,” he says. “Probably 20 percent of our calls are going out and undoing things.”

Rosalind Alexander-Kasparik, Sempra Energy Solutions’ multimedia manager, calls Crywolf when a problem arises. Sempra has only a few Mac machines and Alexander-Kasparik has enough experience to fix many problems herself. It wouldn’t be cost effective to hire an in-house person to sit around and wait for something to go wrong. After working with the company for more than a decade, Alexander-Kasparik relies on Crywolf even for service referrals while on the road. “Otherwise we’d be stuck there on site, looking through the Yellow Pages.”

Upgrade Or Replace?

When a business is looking to expand its computer system, owners should get more than one opinion on whether to upgrade or replace a system.

“It all depends on what you need to have done,” Langdon says. “Check with whomever you trust. Don’t ask a Mac person what to do with the PCs and don’t ask a Unix person what to do with Macs.”

Charters suggests getting a professional analysis on both options. Find out what an upgrade would cost vs. buying a new system. How compatible will new software be with the old and how will the system run overall? Hong says it also is important to find out how much downtime the changes will require.

Upgrades cost money, time and possibly serious short-term productivity losses, factors that have to be weighed by each company and compared to the outcome. “It’s more time to figure out software glitches,” Hong says. “With hardware, you just replace it.”

Hong’s words also apply to technology partners. If the relationship isn’t working, replace it. Small to mid-size businesses don’t have time and money to waste on broken relationships.