Building Sustainable IT Support: Beyond the Single Dave Model
As we discussed in this week's podcast, you don't have to throw Dave under the bus to get proper IT support. The solution is building sustainable support structures around Dave, not replacing him.
Right. You've realised the single Dave model is unsustainable. Dave's drowning, you're one resignation away from disaster, and you need a better approach.
Good news: you don't have to go from zero to enterprise IT overnight. There are practical steps that won't bankrupt you or leave you more vulnerable than you already are.
Better news: you don't have to choose between Dave and external support.
The Hybrid Approach That Actually Works
Dave stays as your IT manager, but now Dave's got professional backup and specialised expertise to call on. Dave handles day-to-day tasks, business-specific knowledge, and relationship management.
When Dave needs specialist expertise (cybersecurity, cloud migration, major system failures, or just help desk overflow), that escalates to people who do that specific stuff professionally.
I work with loads of SMBs that have exactly this model. Dave manages strategy and coordinates with external specialists who handle what they're not equipped for.
What Dave Should Keep Doing
Strategic IT Planning: Dave understands your business, knows your growth plans, and can translate business needs into technical requirements. External consultants can advise, but Dave makes the decisions.
Daily Operations: User management, routine maintenance, minor troubleshooting. The stuff that requires business knowledge and relationship management.
Vendor Coordination: Dave becomes the single point of contact for all your IT suppliers. External specialists work through Dave, not around them.
Internal IT Training: Teaching staff how to use new systems, managing equipment, handling routine requests.
What Should Go to Specialists
Cybersecurity: Threat monitoring, security assessments, incident response, compliance audits. This requires dedicated expertise and 24/7 attention Dave can't provide.
Cloud Migration and Management: Moving to cloud services, optimising costs, managing complex cloud infrastructure. Specialist knowledge that changes too rapidly for Dave to maintain.
Major Infrastructure Projects: Network overhauls, server migrations, disaster recovery implementations. Projects that need teams of specialists, not one overworked person.
Emergency Support: When systems fail outside business hours or Dave's on holiday. Professional support that doesn't ruin Dave's family time.
The MSP Partnership Model
Managed Service Providers aren't just for businesses that don't have internal IT. The best MSP relationships support and enhance your existing IT manager.
Tier 1 Support: Basic help desk, password resets, simple troubleshooting. Frees up Dave for strategic work.
Tier 2 Support: Complex technical issues, system administration, advanced troubleshooting. When Dave needs expert help.
Tier 3 Support: Specialist expertise in security, networking, cloud services. The expensive knowledge Dave can't be expected to maintain.
Emergency Response: 24/7 support for critical issues, disaster recovery, major incident response.
The Cost Reality Check
Quality MSP support starts around £100-150 per user per month for comprehensive coverage. Sounds expensive? Let's do the maths.
Dave's total employment cost (salary, taxes, benefits, office space): £70k+ per year.
MSP support for 20 users: £30k-40k per year.
You're getting Dave plus professional backup for roughly the same total cost as Dave alone. Except now Dave's not drowning, you're not a single point of failure, and you've got access to specialist expertise when you need it.
The Smaller Business Options
If you're too small for comprehensive MSP contracts, there are still options:
Break-fix Services: Pay-as-you-go support when you need it. Not as efficient as proactive management, but better than hoping Dave can figure everything out alone.
Retainer Agreements: Small monthly fee (£100-300) for priority access to professional support. Emergency rates when you need them, relationship already established.
Cloud-First Approach: Move email, file storage, and applications to cloud services. Reduces the technical knowledge Dave needs while improving security and reliability.
Building the Right Support Structure
Start Small: Don't try to revolutionise everything at once. Pick one area (security monitoring, email support, emergency backup) and add professional support.
Choose Compatible Partners: Find MSPs that work with internal IT teams, not ones trying to replace Dave entirely. The relationship should enhance Dave's capabilities.
Maintain Clear Boundaries: Dave coordinates, external specialists provide expertise. Clear roles prevent confusion and ensure accountability.
The Dave Retention Benefit
Here's what happens when you give Dave proper backup: Dave stops working ridiculous hours. Dave starts focusing on strategic work instead of constantly firefighting. Dave becomes happier, more productive, and less likely to burn out and quit.
Most IT managers are relieved when they get proper support. They want to be strategic and forward-thinking, not constantly troubleshooting printer problems and password resets.
The Peace of Mind Factor
When your systems go down at 2am, you're calling people who fix this stuff for a living. Not waking up Dave, who's probably already working ridiculous hours and deserves to sleep through the night.
When Dave goes on holiday, takes sick leave, or eventually moves on, there's continuity. The business doesn't collapse because critical knowledge disappeared with one person.
Implementation Strategy
Phase 1: Document everything Dave currently does. Get professional help to extract knowledge from Dave's head before building support structures.
Phase 2: Implement cloud services to reduce on-premises complexity. Email, file storage, backup solutions that don't require Dave to be a specialist in everything.
Phase 3: Add specialist support in your weakest areas. Usually security monitoring and emergency support.
Phase 4: Establish ongoing MSP relationship for comprehensive backup. Dave remains strategic leader but has professional support for complex tasks.
The Transition Management
Communication is Critical: Dave needs to understand this isn't about replacement. It's about enhancement. Dave becomes the IT leader with professional resources to call on.
Start with Non-Threatening Areas: Begin with services that obviously help Dave rather than replacing Dave. Monitoring, backup verification, emergency support.
Involve Dave in Selection: Let Dave help choose MSP partners. Dave will work with these people, so compatibility matters.
Gradual Expansion: Don't dump everything on the MSP at once. Build the relationship gradually as trust and understanding develop.
The Quality Indicators
Good MSP Partners Will:
Work with your existing IT manager, not replace them
Document everything they do for your business
Provide transparent reporting on activities and costs
Offer training and knowledge transfer to Dave
Respect your business processes and culture
Red Flag MSP Behaviours:
Trying to push Dave out or work around them
Refusing to document procedures or explain decisions
Pushing expensive solutions without clear business justification
Lack of transparency in billing or activities
High staff turnover in their technical teams
Action Items:
Assess Dave's current workload (what takes up most time vs. what's most critical)
Research local MSPs (ones that partner with internal IT teams, not replace them)
Calculate total IT costs (Dave's employment cost vs. Dave plus MSP support)
Start with cloud basics (email, file storage, backup solutions)
Plan the transition (phased approach that doesn't overwhelm Dave or disrupt business)
The single Dave model isn't sustainable. But Dave plus professional backup? That's a strategy that can grow with your business.
Next Week: We'll be shifting focus from external support to internal threats. Insider attacks are increasing by 47% year-over-year, and small businesses are particularly vulnerable because they trust their people completely. Sometimes your biggest security risk isn't someone trying to break in – it's someone you've already given the keys to.
