Why IT support pricing is so vague (and what the real numbers are)
Walk into any IT company's website and you'll see "tailored solutions", "bespoke packages", "call for a quote". What you won't see is a price. There's a reason for that — IT support varies a lot depending on what you need — but it also makes it impossible for a small business owner to budget.
Here's what nobody tells you: the price mostly depends on who you hire, not what you need. The same job — setting up Microsoft 365 for three people — might cost £60 from a solo IT person, £200 from a small IT shop, or £500+ from a managed service provider. The work is identical. The difference is overhead.
The three tiers of IT support (and what they cost)
Tier 1: Solo IT person — £40–£60/hour
One person. No office, no sales team, no account manager. You call them directly, they turn up or remote in, they fix the thing. This is the most affordable option and often the best fit for businesses under 10 people.
Typical rates in Nottingham/Derby: £40–£60/hour. Some charge a flat call-out fee (£20–£40) on top. Most don't have a minimum charge — you pay for the time they spend.
What you get: Direct access to the person doing the work. Fast response. No corporate process. Someone who knows your setup because they're the only one who touches it.
What you don't get: 24/7 cover. A team of specialists. An SLA with guaranteed response times. If they're on holiday, you wait.
Best for: Shops, salons, clinics, trades businesses, sole traders, cafes, small offices — anyone who needs IT help occasionally and wants to keep costs low.
Tier 2: Small IT shop — £60–£90/hour
A small team — maybe 3–10 people. They have an office, a phone number that rings during business hours, and a couple of engineers on rotation. More reliable than the solo option, but you're paying for their overhead.
Typical rates in the East Midlands: £60–£90/hour. Most charge in 30-minute or 1-hour minimum blocks. Some have a monthly retainer that includes a set number of hours.
What you get: More availability — someone is usually around during business hours. Broader skills across the team. A bit more process around backups and security.
What you don't get: The personal relationship. You might speak to a different engineer each time. Pricing can creep up with "extras" — hardware markup, software licensing fees, out-of-hours surcharges.
Best for: Businesses with 5–20 people who need regular support and can't afford to be without IT for a day.
Tier 3: Managed Service Provider (MSP) — £100–£150/hour or £300–£2,000/month
This is the full-fat option. An MSP monitors your systems 24/7, patches your software, manages your backups, handles your security, and provides a helpdesk your staff can call. They sell "peace of mind" and charge accordingly.
Typical pricing: Most MSPs don't do hourly — they sell monthly contracts. For a small business (under 10 users), expect £30–£80 per user per month, so £300–£800/month minimum. Some charge £100–£150/hour for ad-hoc work outside the contract.
What you get: Everything covered. Proactive monitoring. Compliance support. A proper helpdesk. Someone who'll notice your backup failed before you do.
What you don't get: Flexibility. Contracts are usually 12–36 months. You're paying for services you might not need (monitoring 15 PCs at 3am on a Sunday). The "account manager" who sold you the contract isn't the person who fixes your printer.
Best for: Businesses with 20+ staff, regulatory requirements (finance, legal, healthcare), or anyone who's been burned by downtime and needs guaranteed response times.
Monthly support plans — what you pay for ongoing cover
Most IT providers now prefer monthly retainers over hourly billing. Here's what the tiers look like:
| Plan type | Monthly cost | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic retainer | £49–£99/month | Priority response, remote support, a few included hours. Extra hours billed at a lower rate. | Solo operators, micro-businesses who want someone on call |
| Standard retainer | £150–£400/month | A set block of hours, remote + on-site, backup monitoring, basic security patching, Microsoft 365 management. | Small offices, shops, clinics with 3–10 staff |
| Fully managed | £500–£2,000+/month | All-in: 24/7 monitoring, helpdesk, security, backups, compliance, hardware procurement, the works. | 20+ staff, regulated industries, or anyone who can't afford downtime |
Reality check: Most small businesses in Nottingham and Derby don't need a fully-managed plan. A basic retainer at £49–£99/month with ad-hoc hours as needed covers the vast majority of real-world IT problems. The key is having someone who knows your setup — not a contract with a call centre.
One-off project costs: what specific jobs actually cost
Not everything is hourly or retainer. Here are real prices for common small-business IT projects in the East Midlands:
| Project | Typical cost | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| New PC/laptop setup | £40–£100 | Unboxing, Windows setup, data transfer from old machine, software install, printer connection, Microsoft 365 sign-in |
| Microsoft 365 setup (1–5 users) | £80–£250 | Domain setup, user accounts, email migration, shared mailboxes, Teams/SharePoint basics, admin handover |
| Wi-Fi network install | £120–£350 | Site survey, router/access point setup, guest network, security config, signal testing. Hardware extra. |
| Website build (small business) | £495–£2,500 | 5-page brochure site, contact form, mobile-friendly, basic SEO, domain + hosting setup. Ecommerce is extra. |
| Backup setup + testing | £60–£200 | Assess what needs backing up, configure automatic backups (local + cloud), test a restore, document the process |
| Virus/malware cleanup | £50–£120 | Full scan and removal, browser cleanup, security check, advice on prevention. Price depends on severity. |
| Email migration (per mailbox) | £20–£50 | Move emails, contacts and calendar from old provider to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace |
Hidden costs to watch for
Some IT companies make their real money on extras. Here's what to look out for:
- Call-out fees: Some charge £40–£80 just to turn up, on top of the hourly rate. Ask if travel is included.
- Minimum charges: "One-hour minimum" means a 15-minute fix still costs you the full hour. Solo operators rarely do this; MSPs almost always do.
- Hardware markup: If they sell you a £300 router for £450, that's £150 of hidden cost. Ask to source your own hardware where possible.
- Software licensing fees: Some resell Microsoft 365 at a markup. A Business Basic licence costs £4.90/user/month direct from Microsoft — if they're charging £8, you're paying a reseller margin.
- Out-of-hours surcharges: Evenings and weekends often carry a 50–100% premium. Ask upfront what "business hours" means.
- Contract lock-ins: MSP contracts are often 12–36 months with steep exit fees. If you're under 10 people, you probably don't need one.
So what should a small business in Nottingham or Derby actually pay?
Here's the honest answer, based on what I see locally:
- If you need help once every few months — just pay as you go at £40–£60/hour. No retainer. Call someone when something breaks. Most small businesses fall into this camp.
- If you need help most months — a basic retainer at £49–£99/month gives you priority response and usually a better hourly rate for the extra hours. Worth it if you're calling at least every 6–8 weeks.
- If IT downtime costs you real money (you take online bookings, you process payments, you have staff who can't work without their systems) — look at a standard retainer at £150–£400/month. The cost of a day's downtime usually dwarfs the monthly fee.
- If you're over 20 staff or in a regulated industry — you probably need a managed service. But get 3 quotes and compare what's actually included.
How Vengera prices IT support
I'm one person based near Long Eaton. No office, no sales team, no account manager — you deal with me directly. Here's what that means for pricing:
- Ad-hoc IT support: £40/hour. No call-out fee within Long Eaton, Beeston, Stapleford, Sandiacre and the immediate area. A small travel charge may apply further out (Nottingham city centre, Derby — usually no extra; further afield, we'll agree it upfront).
- Monthly support: from £49/month. Includes priority response, remote support, and preferential hourly rates for on-site work. No long contract — cancel any time.
- First chat is always free. I'd rather spend 20 minutes understanding what you need than guess at a quote.
- I don't mark up hardware or software licences. I'll tell you what to buy and where, or source it at cost if you'd rather I handle it.
That pricing only works because I keep things simple. No glossy brochures, no sales lunches, no office lease to feed. The money goes on doing the work — not on looking like a big company.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an IT support contract?
If you're under 10 people: probably not. Most small businesses do fine with ad-hoc support — call someone when something breaks. The main benefit of a contract is guaranteed response times and proactive monitoring (someone spots the backup failure before you do). If your business can survive a few hours of IT downtime, you don't need one.
What's the difference between IT support and "managed IT"?
IT support is reactive — you call when something's broken. Managed IT is proactive — someone monitors your systems 24/7, applies patches, runs security audits, and manages your backups without you asking. Managed IT costs 3–5× more but catches problems before they become emergencies. For most small businesses, reactive support plus a solid backup plan is the right balance.
Can I get remote IT support instead of someone coming to site?
Yes — and it's usually cheaper. Most everyday IT problems (email not working, software glitches, printer setup, Microsoft 365 configuration) can be fixed remotely. Remote support typically costs £30–£50/hour with no travel charge. On-site is only needed for hardware issues, network cabling, or when the computer won't turn on at all.
How do I know if an IT person is any good?
Ask them to explain a problem you've had in plain English. If they can't — or they default to jargon — walk away. Good IT people communicate clearly. Also: ask if they carry insurance (they should), ask for a reference from another small business, and trust your gut on the first interaction. If they make you feel stupid for not knowing something, they're not the right fit.
Should I pay hourly or get a monthly plan?
Track how often you've needed IT help over the last 6 months. If it's less than once a month, pay hourly. If it's monthly or more, a basic retainer usually saves you money — and you get faster response as a regular client. The break-even on a £49/month plan is about 1 hour of support per month at ad-hoc rates.
What areas do you cover?
I'm based near Long Eaton and cover Nottingham, Derby and the surrounding areas: Long Eaton, Beeston, Stapleford, Sandiacre, Ilkeston, Sawley, Breaston, Draycott, Chilwell, Toton, and anywhere within reasonable reach of the M1/A52 corridor. Remote support is available anywhere.