Small business IT support on retainer

Small businesses and nonprofits with roughly 3 to 30 computers and no in-house IT person.

A monthly retainer per user or per device, plus billable projects such as new computer rollouts and network upgrades.

• Networking and Windows or Mac administration
• Clear communication with non-technical staff
• Organized documentation and follow-through

• General liability and professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, check what covers data loss
• Written contracts that spell out response times and what you are not responsible for
• Clients in fields such as healthcare or finance may have data privacy rules, check what applies before taking them on
• Check with your city or county about business license requirements, and your state about sales tax on services
• Being on call: set clear support hours so the work does not take over your evenings

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on your tools, software, insurance and marketing. These are estimates, and your costs will vary with the services you offer.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many clients you support and your retainer fees. These figures are estimates only, and revenue is not profit.

Check general and professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, including what covers data loss. Use written contracts that set response times. Check data privacy rules for clients in healthcare or finance, plus local business license and state sales tax.