What each option actually covers

The one-off call-out fixes what's broken, when it's broken. You pay per job, and pay nothing in months with no problem. In exchange, you call when the fault happens, and take your turn: the response time depends on the schedule at that moment.

The contract shifts the effort forward. Backups are checked regularly, security updates are kept up, the state of the machines is monitored, and you have a point of contact who already knows your setup when you call. You pay every month, including the ones where everything's fine — that's precisely the point: the months where everything's fine are the result of what was done beforehand.

The honest calculation

Start by costing your day of downtime. A shop that can no longer take payments, a practice that can no longer access its files, a tradesperson who can no longer issue quotes: the real loss almost always exceeds the annual cost of a contract. Conversely, if your business carries on without the computer for two days, the calculation clearly tips towards the one-off option.

Then add the risk of permanent loss. A repairable fault costs one call-out; a customer file lost with no valid backup, or accounts that vanish before an audit, cannot be bought back. This is where the contract truly changes nature: its value isn't in the repair, it's in the verified backup.

When a one-off call-out is enough

One or two machines, no server, no critical customer data, a business that can tolerate a day of downtime. A sole trader whose whole work fits in a properly configured, already backed-up online space. A very seasonal business, active only a few months a year. In these cases, a full contract would be money badly spent — and we'll tell you so.

When a contract becomes worth it

Three machines or more, several people depending on the same tool, essential business software, a till, customer or medical data, a legal duty to keep records. As soon as there's a file whose loss would stop the business, the question is no longer "how much does it cost" but "who checks that the backup is working this month".

The second trigger is more subtle: it's the moment when someone on the team has become "the one who knows a bit about computers". That person wasn't hired for this, spends billable time on it, and can't guarantee the security of the whole system. The contract gives them their job back.

Questions to ask before signing, with us or with anyone else

What exactly does the package cover, and what still gets billed separately? Are the backups tested, and how often, or only run? What's your response time, and do you cover weekends? What happens if I cancel: do I keep my backups and my access? Do I stay the owner of my licences, my domain names and my accounts?

This last question is the most important and the least often asked. A provider who holds your access in their own name makes you captive. Ask for your accounts and domain names to be created in your own name, whichever provider you choose — that's what we'll suggest doing.

A middle path that's often enough

Between the two, there's a simple solution: a planned maintenance visit, two to four times a year, checking backups, updates and the state of the machines — with any repairs billed per job the rest of the time. Many very small businesses find this the right balance, and it lets you test the relationship before committing to a contract.

Our contract packages and their prices are detailed on the KDL Pro page. The initial audit is free: we look at your setup and tell you which of the three paths is right, including when it's the one that earns us the least.