Businesses, like people, need the right support and tools in order to thrive. Some areas of business give you room to experiment (take marketing, for example).

Other areas of business like your network and communications systems, however, depend upon having the right tools in place and proper designs that will allow you to grow over the years and easily maintain your network when the unexpected happens.

That said, few business owners have the IT skills necessary to find and integrate the right systems into their business. This brings them to the age-old question, who do I know to reach out to for help?

Typically, you will run into two types of professionals when you begin your search: generalists and specialists. Generalists may have a number of skills in different areas while specialists are designed to provide you with a specific type of support. But who are you supposed to choose?

If you are running into this issue while looking for help setting up your technical systems, let’s run through these two types of professionals and find out who will be the best fit for your needs. 

Specialists or generalists? A real-world example

One excellent way to understand the impact of choosing between a generalist and a specialist is in regards to your health.

Let’s imagine that you have broken your foot and require surgery to deal with the injury. Are you going to go to your family GP, who has knowledge about various health conditions and issues, or are you going to visit a podiatrist who specializes in foot and ankle care and will be able to repair your injury?

Generalists do serve their purpose when you need general advice and guidance. However, when you need help with a specific problem, you will want to go to a specialist who knows exactly how to take care of the issue and provide you with the most accurate and knowledgeable support that you need so you don’t have to waste time and money going back and forth dealing with an issue.

Going to a business coach who has some experience in setting up technical systems is not as effective as reaching out to an IT company that can guide you through the entire process of setting up the systems you need.

That said, not every specialist may be the right fit for you. You will need to take the additional step of choosing the right specialist.

What should you look for in a specialist?

Telecom specialists play a very specific role when it comes to your business and its communication systems. Fortunately, it can be relatively easy to find these specialists if you look for the unique qualifications and abilities they must possess. Despite this, not every specialist may be the right fit for your business.

But what should you be looking for when you are seeking out a specialist?

Some questions that you should ask yourself during the process include:

• How long has the company been in business? Do they have a proven track record of providing high-quality technical support for other businesses? Can they show you their portfolio of previous jobs?
• What type of services do they provide? Does this fit in with the needs of my business? 
• What qualifications and certifications do they have? How does this compare to other businesses that you may have come across? 
• What do their reviews and testimonials look like? Have they had any complaints that could prevent you from seeking out their support? 
• How far through the process do they guide you? Do they only provide certain technical solutions? Do they help you integrate them? Do they provide any additional services designed to make your new systems easier to use? Are they talkers or doers? Talkers are middlemen trying to get a cut. Doers do the job themselves and can save you money.
• Most importantly, are they cowboys just trying to provide the cheapest price or do they follow industry standards and use quality materials?

The above questions are designed to help you make sure that you are getting the best support for your needs. Even when hiring a specialist, it is important that you know they are qualified for the job before inquiring about their services.

Where do I begin?

Now that you know the importance of hiring a specialist over a generalist, your next question may be, where am I supposed to begin? 

If you need help establishing and setting up your communications, call center, data center, wiring, or phone systems, then feel free to reach out to us to learn more about how you can get started. You can request a quote or call our friendly team on (+1) 616-236-6490.