How to Choose an IT Support Company in Perth: Small Business Checklist

If your business has outgrown calling a friend who is good with computers, you are probably comparing Perth IT providers and finding they all sound much the same. This checklist from Geeks IT Perth gives you seven questions that separate them, whether you run a small team or a growing office.

How do you choose an IT support company in Perth?

Choose an IT support company in Perth by checking seven things: a clear hourly rate or managed plan price, remote and onsite support during Perth (AWST) business hours, a written onboarding and offboarding process, Microsoft 365 experience, admin passwords in your name, a plain-English contract you can leave, and security basics.

This page is about ongoing support for a business. If you only need a home computer looked at, see our guide to computer repair in Perth or our computer repairs page. If you already know you want a managed plan, go straight to business IT support.

What types of IT support company are there in Perth?

Most Perth providers fall into one of three groups, and the right one depends on how much your business relies on its IT.

Whichever type you are considering, ask whether your clients, your industry or your cyber insurance policy set any security requirements, such as multi-factor authentication or backups, and whether the provider can help you meet them.

How do you shortlist IT support companies in Perth?

Before you run the checklist, narrow the field to three or four providers. Check recent Google reviews for named technicians and for reviews from business clients, not just home users. Confirm each provider lists a Perth address and a local phone number. Check that prices are published, whether as hourly rates or managed plan prices, because a provider that hides its pricing is harder to compare. Then run each provider on your shortlist through the seven-point checklist below and note who answers clearly and in writing.

The seven-point checklist

1. Pricing is stated before work starts. Ask what you will pay before any work begins. Your provider should give its hourly rate or plan price in writing, and tell you what a managed plan includes and what is billed on top. Red flag: no hourly rate or plan price in writing before work starts.
2. Remote and onsite support are both available, on Perth hours. Ask which problems are fixed remotely and which get a visit. Account, Microsoft 365 and software jobs can usually be handled remotely, while printer, network and hardware jobs usually need a technician at your premises. Then ask about response times, and whether support runs during Perth (AWST) business hours from Perth-based technicians rather than a helpdesk on east-coast or offshore hours. Red flag: only one option offered, or a helpdesk on east-coast or offshore hours.
3. Staff onboarding and offboarding follow a process. Can the provider show you its steps for adding and removing staff? They should cover accounts, devices, email access and shared files. The offboarding half matters most, because a former employee's account left active is an easy way to lose data. Red flag: no written process.
4. Microsoft 365 is managed properly. Who looks after your Microsoft 365 setup day to day? That includes licences, user accounts, email, multi-factor authentication and data backup. Ask what happens when a licence or mailbox needs changing. Red flag: nobody can name who looks after it.
5. You own the admin passwords and accounts. Your business, not the provider, should own your domain name, your Microsoft 365 global admin account and your password records. Ask who holds them today and how you would get them back if you left. Red flag: the provider holds them and will not share.
6. The contract is clear and you can exit. Before you sign, read how you can leave. An IT support contract should say what is covered, how problems are reported and how you can exit, including a handover of documentation and credentials. Ask for the notice period and what you receive on exit. Red flag: a long lock-in with no handover terms.
7. Security basics are in place. Ask how the provider handles enforced multi-factor authentication, regular patching, and backups with restores that are actually tested. Ask whether they are familiar with the ASD Essential Eight and how it applies to your business. A digital security check is one way to see where you stand. The next section explains why that question is worth asking. Red flag: no enforced MFA, no patching routine, or backups that are never test-restored.

What is the Essential Eight and why does it matter to a small Perth business?

The Essential Eight is a set of eight baseline cyber security mitigation strategies published by the Australian Signals Directorate. It covers application control, patch applications, configure Microsoft Office macro settings, user application hardening, restrict administrative privileges, patch operating systems, multi-factor authentication and regular backups.

It matters to a small business because the everyday weaknesses it targets, such as stolen passwords, unpatched software, over-powered admin accounts and backups that have never been tested, are the same ones that cause small business incidents. A provider does not need to talk in jargon, but it should be able to explain in plain English which of these steps are in place for your business and which are not.

A worked example: Geeks IT Perth

These questions apply to us as much as anyone, so here is how we answer the checklist.

• Pricing: Geeks IT Perth charges $205 per hour onsite and $125 per hour remote, with a one-hour minimum and no call-out fee. Managed plan prices are on our business IT support page.
• Remote and onsite: We offer both. Account, Microsoft 365 and software jobs are typically handled remotely, and printer, network and hardware jobs typically get a visit.
• Managed plans: Our business IT support page lists what each plan covers. Use it to check checklist items 3, 4 and 7 before you sign.

Here is what a Google reviewer, Michelle, said about working with us: "Thank you for fixing my printer issues and explaining to me why I was facing these challenges." That is the plain-English explanation this checklist asks you to look for. For more on how we work, see why choose us.

Does the provider cover your suburb?

Onsite support only helps if the technician can reach you. Ask any provider for the list of suburbs it covers, in writing. Our service areas page lists the Perth suburbs we cover. That includes Perth CBD, Osborne Park, Joondalup, Fremantle, Midland, Canning Vale, Rockingham and Mandurah, with remote support available anywhere in Perth.

Remote or onsite, and what it costs

Should a small business use remote or onsite IT support?

Most small businesses need both. Remote support suits software problems, account changes and Microsoft 365 issues, and it avoids travel time. Onsite support suits hardware, network and printer problems and anything that needs someone physically in the office. A provider that offers only one will eventually leave a gap. See how our remote support works.

How much does IT support cost per hour in Perth?

Geeks IT Perth charges $205 per hour onsite and $125 per hour remote, with a one-hour minimum and no call-out fee. For a fuller breakdown of what affects the cost of business IT, read our IT support cost guide or check the pricing page.

What is the difference between break-fix and managed IT support?

Break-fix support means you call when something breaks and pay per hour for the time spent. Managed IT support means you pay an ongoing plan price for support and monitoring, so problems are handled before they stop work. Break-fix suits a very small business with few devices, while managed support suits a team that relies on email, Microsoft 365 and shared files every day.

What should an IT support contract include?

A contract should state:

• what services and devices are covered, and what is excluded
• the hourly rate or plan price, and how extra work is billed
• how you report a problem and who responds
• who owns your domain, admin accounts and password records
• the notice period, and what handover you receive if you leave

If any of these are missing, ask for them before you sign.

Talk to us about your business IT

If you would like to run this checklist against our setup, call us on 08 6385 7940 or book a business IT appointment online.