Break-fix IT support is a liability masquerading as a cost-saving measure. Here's the truth: if you're still calling someone only when things break, you're not managing IT risk – you're gambling with your business continuity.
The reality is that most growing businesses cling to break-fix support long after they should have moved to managed IT services. They do this because the monthly cost looks scary on paper. What they don't calculate is the real cost of downtime, the productivity lost whilst waiting for someone to show up, and the opportunity cost of running a business that's always one hardware failure away from grinding to a halt.
What is Break-Fix IT Support?
Break-fix is exactly what it sounds like: something breaks, you call someone, they fix it, you pay them, and then you cross your fingers hoping nothing else goes wrong. It's the IT equivalent of waiting for your car to break down on the motorway rather than getting regular servicing.
Small businesses often start with break-fix because:
- They're worried about monthly fees – preferring to pay only when disaster strikes
- Their IT setup is simple – a few laptops and a printer don't seem to warrant ongoing support
- Problems don't happen often – until they do, and when they do, they're catastrophic
- Someone in the office "knows computers" – usually the person who once fixed their mate's laptop
Here's what these businesses don't realise: as soon as you have more than five people relying on IT to do their jobs, break-fix becomes a business risk you can't afford.
Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Break-Fix IT
If any of this sounds familiar, you've already outgrown reactive support – you just haven't admitted it yet:
- Frequent Downtime is Killing Productivity
Your systems crash regularly, the same software glitches keep happening, and network outages have become part of the weekly routine. Your team loses access to shared files or cloud applications, missing deadlines and frustrating customers. Every minute of downtime costs money – and your current approach guarantees maximum downtime.
- IT Costs are Unpredictable and Spiralling
One month you pay nothing, the next you're hit with a £3,000 bill for emergency server recovery or ransomware cleanup. You can't budget because you never know when disaster will strike. These surprise expenses don't just strain cash flow – they make financial planning impossible.
- You're Flying Blind on Security
No one is monitoring your systems for threats or early warning signs. You discover problems only after they've caused damage – the virus that's been quietly stealing data for months, the critical security update you missed that left you vulnerable. By the time you know there's a problem, it's already cost you.
- Response Times are Destroying Your Business
You wait hours or days for someone to show up. A broken server or email outage shuts down half your business while you sit there helpless. Your people can't work, customers can't reach you, and you're haemorrhaging money while waiting for a technician who might not even have the right parts.
- No One is Planning Your IT Future
Your current provider fixes things and disappears. They don't help you plan for growth, suggest improvements, or prevent problems. You're missing opportunities to streamline operations, reduce costs, or scale efficiently because no one is thinking strategically about your IT.
What is Managed IT Support?
Managed IT support isn't about replacement – it's about getting ahead of problems before they cost you money. A managed services provider becomes an extension of your team, cutting the friction and frustration that's currently eating your budget alive.
Here's what you actually get:
Network and Infrastructure Management: Someone monitors your network performance 24/7 – routers, switches, wireless networks, and cloud infrastructure. One throat to choke instead of juggling multiple suppliers when everything goes wrong at once.
Software and Hardware Management: Licence management that makes sense, software updates that happen automatically, and hardware procurement that's planned around your business needs – not emergency purchases at premium prices.
IT Strategy and Planning: Help with technology roadmaps so you can see where your IT is now and where it needs to be. Instead of stumbling from crisis to crisis, you're making deliberate decisions about technology investments.
Cyber Security Services: Endpoint protection, security monitoring, compliance support, and incident response. The boring stuff that becomes very expensive if you get it wrong – and catastrophic if you ignore it completely.
Data Backup and Recovery: Regular backups that actually work, disaster recovery plans that get tested, and business continuity solutions you can rely on when everything goes sideways.
Help Desk and Technical Support: Immediate response when your people need help, with proper ticketing systems so nothing gets forgotten or ignored.
Break-Fix vs Managed IT Support
|
Aspect |
Break-Fix IT Support |
Managed IT Support |
|
Approach |
Reactive – wait for disaster |
Proactive – prevent problems |
|
Payment Model |
Pay-per-crisis |
Predictable monthly cost |
|
Monitoring |
None – you find out when it's too late |
Continuous, 24/7 |
|
Support Availability |
When they can fit you in |
Guaranteed response times |
|
Strategic Planning |
Non-existent |
Built-in IT roadmaps |
|
Cost Predictability |
Completely unpredictable |
Fixed and budgetable |
When to Make the Switch
The right time to move from break-fix to managed IT services is before you desperately need to – but here are the warning signs that you're already overdue:
Employee Growth: More than 10 staff means more devices, more users, and exponentially more ways for things to go wrong simultaneously.
Increased IT Complexity: You've added servers, cloud services, or remote working. Your IT setup now has dependencies – when one thing breaks, it takes everything else down with it.
Frequent IT Issues: The same problems keep happening. You're paying to fix the same things repeatedly instead of addressing root causes.
Compliance Requirements: You need to meet GDPR, industry regulations, or customer security requirements. Break-fix providers can't help you stay compliant – they can only fix things after you've already failed an audit.
Ready to Stop Gambling with Your Business?
If you're tired of being held hostage by IT disasters, it's time to have a proper conversation about managed IT services. The question isn't whether you can afford the monthly cost – it's whether you can afford to keep gambling with your business continuity.
Want to understand what proper IT support looks like? Read our short guide to managed IT services or speak to one of our experts who can explain exactly what it would take to make your IT problems someone else's responsibility.
