Do I need Cyber Essentials to bid for government or supply-chain contracts?
Often, yes. If you're bidding for UK central government contracts involving sensitive information or IT equipment, Cyber Essentials certification is very often a mandatory requirement. It's also increasingly requested by larger private-sector clients as a condition of their own supply-chain security. Check the tender documents directly, but if security questionnaires or accreditation keep coming up in your sales process, that's a sign to get certified proactively rather than scrambling when a deadline appears. See how we support certification →
How much does an office IT relocation actually cost?
For a small office of up to around 20 staff, the IT side of a move typically runs £2,500–£12,000. That covers disconnecting, transporting, re-cabling and re-commissioning servers, network and phones, and it often makes up 20–30% of the total relocation budget once you include the removal firm and fit-out. The biggest cost driver isn't distance; it's how much of the new site's cabling and network needs building from scratch. See our office relocation service →
Signs your business has outgrown ad-hoc IT support
A few signs are common: IT problems get handled by "whoever's free" or a single freelancer who isn't always reachable, nobody can say with confidence when backups were last tested, or a new starter waits days for a working laptop. Any of these means ad-hoc support has stopped scaling with the business. Outsourced, proactive support tends to pay for itself in reduced downtime alone. See our managed IT support →
What to ask before hiring an IT support company
A handful of questions separate a good fit from an expensive mistake: What's your response time, in writing, not "we'll get to it"? Do you test backups by actually restoring them, or just confirm they ran? Who owns the passwords and admin access if we part ways? Is pricing per-user and fixed, or does it creep with add-ons? And critically for regulated sectors — can you provide a Data Processing Agreement and a written security policy on request? If a supplier can't answer these clearly, that's the answer. See our managed IT support →
Does your business need a Data Processing Agreement with its IT provider?
If your IT provider can access, store, or back up any system containing client or patient-level data, they're very likely processing personal data on your behalf under UK GDPR. That makes a Data Processing Agreement a requirement, not optional paperwork. It sets out what the provider can and can't do with that data, how breaches are reported, and where data is stored. Any supplier who hasn't offered you one, or pushes back when asked, is a red flag worth taking seriously. Ask us for ours →
