Most businesses that are unhappy with their IT support stay put far longer than they should. It's rarely loyalty. It's the fear of the handover: the old provider holding on to passwords, emails going missing, a week of nobody being able to log in.
We take over from other IT companies regularly, and we can tell you that a well-run switch is boring. Nobody loses a working day. Most staff only notice that there's a new number to call. The trick is doing the work in the right order, and doing most of it before the old contract ends.
This guide is the order we follow. If you're still deciding whether to move at all, start with our seven signs it's time to switch IT provider and come back here.
Start with the contract, not the new provider
Before you speak to anyone, dig out your current agreement. You're looking for three things. How much notice you need to give. Whether there's a fee for leaving early. And who owns what: the laptops, the firewall, the licences, the backup storage.
Ownership is the one that catches people out. Some providers lease hardware to their clients or bill licences through their own accounts. That's not a problem in itself, but it needs to be in the plan, because those things don't move automatically when you leave.
Don't hand in notice yet. Get the new provider lined up first, so the clock starts when you're ready to use it.
Get an independent look at what you've got
A good incoming provider should want to see your setup before quoting. An assessment covers your devices, Microsoft 365, the office network and your backups. It tells them what they're taking on, and it tells you whether your current provider has been doing what you've been paying for. Quite often that answer is the deciding factor.
Be wary of anyone who'll give you a fixed price without looking. Either they're padding it to cover what they can't see, or the surprises will turn up on an invoice later.
The things you must get back
This is the checklist that turns a messy switch into a calm one. Get these sorted early in the notice period and almost nothing can go badly wrong.
Microsoft 365 admin access
At least one global admin account that belongs to you, not to the provider. Check who's listed as an admin and remove anyone who shouldn't be there once the handover is done.
Your domain name
Find out who the domain is registered to and where. It should be in your company's name with a login you control. If it's in the provider's account, getting it moved is the first job.
Licences
If your Microsoft licences are billed through your provider, they'll need moving to the new one. It's routine, but it has to be planned so nobody's mailbox is affected.
Passwords for the kit in your office
Router, firewall, Wi-Fi, switches, printers, the door entry system. Anything with an admin login. You want them written down, not just remembered by an engineer you'll never speak to again.
Backups
Where are they, who pays for them, and can you get to them? Backups stored in your old provider's account can disappear when the contract ends.
Supplier contacts
Your internet provider, phone system, line-of-business software and anything else your old provider was dealing with on your behalf. Account numbers and contacts, in one list.
If you only do two things on this list, make them the Microsoft 365 admin access and the domain name. With those in your hands, everything else can be recovered, even if the old provider drags their feet.
A realistic timeline
Most small business contracts have a notice period somewhere between one and three months. That's actually useful. It gives the new provider time to prepare, so switchover day is a non-event.
- 1
Before you give notice
Read your contract. Check the notice period, any early exit fees, and who owns the hardware and licences. Book an assessment with the provider you're moving to, so they can see what they're taking on.
- 2
Notice period, first half
The new provider documents your setup: devices, accounts, network, backups and suppliers. Anything missing goes on a list for the old provider. Admin access and the domain get sorted first.
- 3
Notice period, second half
Monitoring and remote tools go onto your devices quietly in the background. Licences and backups move. Your staff are told who to call from switchover day and given the new number.
- 4
Switchover day
The new provider takes the calls. The old provider's access is removed and shared passwords are changed. If it's gone well, most of your team won't notice anything apart from the new phone number.
- 5
First 30 days
Quick wins, fixing the niggles that have been around for months, and a review of anything that turned up during the handover. You should have full documentation of your setup by the end of the month.
Telling your team
Keep it short. Your staff need to know three things: who to contact from which date, how to contact them, and that they might see a new piece of software appear on their laptop. That last part matters. If you don't mention it, someone will report the new monitoring tool as a virus.
It's also worth giving one person in the office ownership of the switch. Not to do the technical work, just to be the point of contact who can answer “is this normal?” for the rest of the team.
The mistakes that cause the downtime
- Giving notice before you've chosen a new provider. You end up rushing the handover into the last week.
- Leaving the domain until last. If it's in the wrong account, email and the website are exposed when the relationship ends.
- Switching on a Monday morning. Pick a quieter day mid-week, with the old provider still reachable if something odd turns up.
- Not changing shared passwords. Once the old provider has gone, anything they had access to should be changed. It's basic security, not a comment on them.
- Assuming backups move by themselves. They don't. Check the new backups are running before the old ones stop.
What a good new provider does for you
You shouldn't have to manage the handover yourself. The incoming provider should contact the old one directly, chase the passwords and documentation, and tell you only when they need a decision from you. They should also leave you with proper documentation of your setup, the same documentation that would make it easy to leave them one day.
That's how we run it. Every switch starts with a free assessment, we deal with your current provider on your behalf, and the move happens in the background while your team keeps working. You can see how it fits into our IT support services, and our guide to IT support costs in London will help you compare quotes along the way.
Common questions
How long does it take to switch IT support provider?
Usually about as long as your notice period, which for most small business contracts is between one and three months. The work happens during the notice period, so the new provider is ready to go on the day the old contract ends.
Will we lose any data when we switch?
You shouldn't. Your files and email live in Microsoft 365 or on your own systems, not with the provider. The risk is backups and anything stored in the old provider's accounts, which is why those are checked and moved before the switch.
Do we have to tell our current provider we're leaving?
Yes, in writing and in line with your contract. After that, a good new provider will handle the technical side of the handover directly with them, so you're not stuck in the middle.
What if our old provider won't cooperate?
It's less common than people fear, and most of what you need can be recovered without them as long as you still control your Microsoft 365 admin account and your domain. That's why those two come first.
Thinking about switching?
Start with a free IT assessment. We'll look at your devices, Microsoft 365, network and backups, tell you what a move would involve, and give you the findings whether you switch or not.