Small business IT support on retainer

Small businesses such as trades offices, medical and allied health practices, accountants and community groups that need reliable IT without a full-time employee.

A monthly retainer per user or per device, plus charged project work like new office setups, upgrades and migrations to cloud services.

• Networking and Windows or Mac administration
• Cyber security basics
• Business communication and reliability

• Professional indemnity and cyber liability insurance, as mistakes can be costly for clients
• Privacy and data breach obligations, especially with health or financial information
• Write clear contracts that set out response times, what is and is not covered, and how to end the agreement
• Be careful about being on call, so agree support hours up front
• Check whether your state requires any licence for cabling work, as some low-voltage work may be regulated

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the tools, software and equipment you need and what you already own. Remote support tools and a laptop may cover much of what you need at first.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many clients you sign and the size of each retainer. That is revenue, not profit. The estimate assumes at least about 10 hours a week.

Check professional indemnity and cyber liability insurance, and your privacy and data breach obligations, especially with health or financial information. Write clear contracts covering response times and scope, and check whether your state requires a licence for any cabling work.