Managed IT vs Break/Fix: Real Cost Comparison for Central Florida Small Businesses
What break/fix really means (and why it feels “cheap”)
Break/fix is simple:
- Something breaks → you call IT → you pay for time/materials → it gets fixed.
It’s appealing because it’s:
- easy to understand
- low commitment
- “we’ll deal with it when we need it”
The hidden catch:
break/fix is reactive by design. You’re paying for the problem after it happens—and after the business impact has already started.
What Managed IT actually includes
Managed IT Services (sometimes called managed network services) is a proactive model:
- you pay a monthly fee
- your IT partner monitors, maintains, updates, and supports your systems
- issues get prevented or handled early
On Atlantic Communications Team’s Managed IT side, examples of coverage include things like email management, backups, and antivirus/security protection.
Think of it like the difference between:
- only going to the doctor when you’re in the ER
(break/fix)
vs - routine preventative care + fast access when something’s wrong
(managed)
The “real” cost categories you should compare
When you evaluate Managed IT vs break/fix, don’t just compare the invoices. Compare the full cost:
1) Labor cost (IT time)
- Break/fix: hourly, unpredictable
- Managed: fixed, predictable
2) Downtime cost (the one everyone ignores)
Downtime is rarely “just inconvenient.” It’s:
- lost sales calls
- employees waiting around
- delayed invoicing
- missed deadlines
- reputational damage
Even if your IT bill is lower, downtime can make break/fix more expensive overall.
3) Risk cost (security + compliance)
Many small businesses don’t get hit because they’re “important.” They get hit because they’re unprepared.
If you aren’t consistently patching devices, backing up data, filtering email threats, and managing antivirus—your risk goes up.
A practical cost model (with realistic examples)
Below are illustrative examples to help you compare models. Your real numbers will vary based on user count, device count, line-of-business apps, and compliance needs.
Assumptions (simple and common)
- Small office with 10–25 staff
- A mix of desktops/laptops + basic network gear
- Email, file storage, line-of-business apps
- No full-time internal IT staff
Scenario A: Break/Fix for a 10-user office
A typical month might look like:
- 1–2 “small” issues (printer, email, login, Wi-Fi drop): 1–3 hours total
- Occasional bigger issue (backup failure, malware cleanup, server hiccup): 4–10 hours
What you pay:
- Some months: low
- Some months: very high
- Always uncertain
The big risk:
you can go months without doing the preventive work that avoids major incidents.
Scenario B: Managed IT for a 10-user office
A managed plan commonly covers:
- monitoring/maintenance
- patching & updates
- security stack oversight (AV + filtering)
- backup strategy + restore testing
- user support requests
For example, ACT’s managed services include items like email management, backups, desktop/workstation support, and antivirus protection.
What you get:
- predictable monthly cost
- fewer “surprise outages”
- faster response because you’re already a client (and already monitored)
What changes at 25+ users?
At 25 users, break/fix often starts to break down because:
- you have more devices → more issues
- you have more turnover → more onboarding/offboarding
- you have more security exposure → more incidents if unmanaged
Managed IT scales more cleanly because it builds consistent standards (patching, backups, endpoint protection, email security, etc.).
The hidden line item: “IT tax” on your employees
Here’s a cost almost nobody puts in the spreadsheet:
When IT isn’t managed, your staff becomes the IT department:
- someone “who’s good with computers” gets pulled into troubleshooting
- managers lose time coordinating vendors
- employees wait on broken tools
Even 30–60 minutes per employee per week adds up fast.
.
When Managed IT wins (most small businesses)
Managed IT usually makes more sense when:
- downtime costs you sales, productivity, or customer trust
- you handle customer data, payments, medical/legal info, or anything sensitive
- you have remote workers or multiple locations
- you’re growing and onboarding regularly
- your current setup feels fragile (“we hold our breath when updates happen”)
A decision framework you can use today
Answer these honestly:
- If email goes down for 3 hours, what does it cost you?
- If your files get encrypted, can you restore quickly—tested, not “we think so”?
- Do you know whether your computers are patched and protected right now?
- Do you want predictable monthly spending or surprise invoices?
- How many “IT emergencies” have you had in the last 90 days?
If your answers point toward risk, uncertainty, and downtime—managed services will usually be cheaper over a year, even if the monthly line item looks higher.
Why local support matters in Central Florida
For SMBs, the best IT model is the one you can actually execute consistently.
A local provider can:
- do onsite visits when needed
- help with network/cabling realities (not just remote guessing)
- coordinate with phone systems, surveillance, door entry, and Wi-Fi as one environment
Atlantic Communications Team has a combined communications + IT provider (phones, cabling, surveillance, and managed IT), which can reduce vendor finger-pointing when issues span multiple systems.
The simplest next step: get your “IT spend” under control
If you’re currently break/fix, you don’t have to jump straight into a big contract.
A smart transition looks like:
- Stabilize backups + recovery plan
- Harden email + endpoint security
- Add monitoring + patching
- Standardize support processes
Want a quick cost comparison for your business?
Reach out to us and share a few details:
- Number of users/devices
- Whether you have a server or a cloud-only setup
- Any compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI, etc.)
- How many
IT issues you’ve had in the
last 30 days
With that info, we’ll review your current situation, recommend the best support approach, and provide a clear Managed IT vs. Break/Fix cost comparison tailored to your business.
