You only have 5 staff and your IT is ticking along all fine, so do you really need to pay for IT support? If your IT strategy is to just “Google it” then keep reading on. In this blog, we cover why even the smallest of teams benefit from reliable business IT support.

 

Can I Just Handle IT Myself for a Small Business?

Strictly speaking, yes. You can handle IT yourself and it may be fine over a period of weeks, months and even years. However, with the increasing reliance on technology for businesses, its important you don’t put paying bills and payroll at risk due to cutting corners and not properly investing in IT.

Over the past year, we have seen some of the biggest companies fall victim to cyber attacks. A gleaming example is M&S who have lost a predicted £300 million in profits due to the associated downtime and inability to use areas such as online ordering.

Do Hackers Really Target Small Businesses?

Yes! In fact, 32% of small businesses between 2023 and 2024 fell victim to at least one cyberattack. Studies also suggest that around 43% of cybercriminals target small businesses rather than large organisations.

The main reason being is that small businesses (SMBs) typically are more vulnerable and have weaker IT systems or defences against cyber attacks. This usually is down to a “too small to target” mindset rather than a funding issue. The UK government suggested the average cost of a cyberattack in 2024 was £15,300. This clearly makes the monthly investment in IT support a worthy one.

 

What IT Problems Do Small Businesses Face?

The problems faced by small businesses really aren’t that dissimilar to larger organisations. IT “problems” can be split into two areas however. These are cybersecurity issues and business technology issues.

Cybersecurity Issues – Cybersecurity issues cover anything which involves a potential risk or opening into your business which a hacker may exploit. This could range from poor email filtering through to needing a firewall put in place to secure a network. Ensuring solid cybersecurity is one of if not the most important thing a business can do in 2025. This however needs to be coupled up with knowledgeable and reliable support.

Business Technology Issues – Business technology issues could be anything from a printer not working to loss of files due to not backing up. These are the day to day issues which can harm productivity and need to be addressed in order to smoothen operations. This may also encompass things such as helping users set up their account with secure credentials etc.

What’s A Simple Way to Know If I Need IT Support?

There’s no one way to know whether you need IT support, however, there are clear signs that you would benefit. A few ways to tell are listed below

• Staff Complaints: Are your employees complaining that their computer is running slow or that the Wi-Fi keeps dropping out? If so, these are clear signs that your staff are requiring some support regarding technology.
• Data Backups: Do you know which pieces of your software needing backing up and if so, where the backup is kept and how to restore to it? If not, this is another clear sign you may benefit from support.
• Cybersecurity Concerns: If you have any concerns over cybersecurity and whether you’re doing enough to protect your business, chances are you may not be. This is where IT support truly shines due to the collective cybersecurity knowledge which can be tapped into.

 

What’s the Next Step in Exploring IT Support?

If you want to explore how support services could benefit your business, get in touch with us today. We can guide you through the costs, packages and features which your business needs. At Three Cherries, we take the gamble out of business technology.