claudetools/projects/msp-pricing/marketing/MSP-Buyers-Guide-Content.md

The Arizona Business Owner's Guide to Choosing an MSP

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes and Find the Right IT Partner

Not a sales pitch - a framework for evaluating ANY MSP

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Arizona Computer Guru - Protecting Tucson Businesses Since 2001

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PAGE 1: COVER PAGE

[DESIGN NOTE: Full-page cover with professional imagery - Arizona desert landscape or Tucson skyline]

The Arizona Business Owner's Guide to Choosing an MSP

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes and Find the Right IT Partner

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Not a sales pitch.

This is a framework for evaluating ANY managed service provider - including us, our competitors, or that company your brother-in-law recommended.

Inside you'll find:

• The 7 red flags of a bad MSP (with real examples)
• Industry pricing benchmarks (actual numbers, not ranges)
• Questions to ask before you sign anything
• How to calculate the true cost of "cheap" IT

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Arizona Computer Guru 7437 E. 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85710 520.304.8300 | azcomputerguru.com

Protecting Tucson Businesses Since 2001

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PAGE 2: WHO THIS GUIDE IS FOR

Is This Guide For You?

You should read this guide if:

• You don't know what you should be paying for IT services
• You're comparing MSP quotes and the prices vary wildly
• You've been burned by an IT company that over-promised and under-delivered
• Your current IT provider keeps hitting you with surprise charges
• You're tired of calling your IT company only to get voicemail or offshore support
• You need cyber insurance but your IT setup doesn't meet the requirements
• You've been quoted "unlimited support" and wonder what the catch is
• You're stuck in a long contract with an MSP you'd like to fire

If you checked ANY of these boxes, keep reading.

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What You'll Learn

By the end of this guide, you'll know:

How to spot a bad MSP - The 7 warning signs that separate professional IT companies from the cowboys. These apply whether you're evaluating us or someone else.

What IT services actually cost - Industry benchmarks for endpoint monitoring, support plans, and cloud services. Real numbers from real MSPs.

The right questions to ask - 10 questions that will reveal whether an MSP is proactive or reactive, transparent or hiding fees, local or offshore.

How to calculate ROI - Why the cheapest option often costs you more in downtime, security incidents, and lost productivity.

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Our Promise

This isn't a sales pitch.

We're going to give you the tools to evaluate ANY MSP - including our competitors. We'll share our actual pricing, our philosophy, and even the questions you should ask to vet us.

Why? Because we believe transparency wins in the long run. The right fit matters more than the hard sell.

You might not choose us. And that's okay. But you'll make a better decision because you read this guide.

Ready? Let's start with the red flags.

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PAGE 3-4: THE 7 RED FLAGS OF A BAD MSP

Red Flag 1: "Unlimited Support" Promises

The Problem: An MSP promises "unlimited support" for a flat monthly fee. It sounds great - until you need them.

Why It Happens: "Unlimited" is a marketing term designed to win the sale. But in practice, these companies manage costs by making support inconvenient: slow response times, offshore call centers, artificial barriers to service.

What to Look For Instead: Transparent pricing with clearly defined service levels. A good MSP will tell you exactly what's included, what the response times are, and what happens when you exceed your plan.

GPS Example: Our Standard Support Plan includes 4 hours of labor per month at $380 ($95/hour effective rate). You know exactly what you're getting. Need more? Add prepaid block time ($100-150/hour) that never expires. Or skip the monthly plan entirely and just bank hours to use when you need them. No surprises either way.

What is GPS? Throughout this guide, you'll see references to GPS - that's Guru Protection Services, the managed IT and security packages we've developed at Arizona Computer Guru. We use GPS examples to show how a transparent MSP handles each situation.

Key Question: "What happens when I use all my included hours? What's the overage rate and response time?"

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Red Flag 2: High-Pressure Sales Tactics

The Problem: You just want a ballpark price, but the MSP insists you sit through a multi-step sales process first. They push hard to "get you on the calendar," require discovery calls before sharing any numbers, and make you feel like you're being sold to rather than helped.

Why It Happens: Sales-driven MSPs are trained to control the process. They want you committed before you can comparison shop. If getting basic pricing feels like navigating a used car lot, imagine what getting support will feel like.

What to Look For Instead: An MSP who will give you straight answers. It's fine if they want to meet in person - technology can be complicated, and a good MSP wants to understand your actual needs. But you shouldn't have to endure high-pressure tactics just to learn what you'll pay.

GPS Example: We like meeting clients in person when possible - not for sales pressure, but because it's easier to understand your setup when we can see it. When you point at a box and call it a router (but it's actually an access point), we can translate that in real-time. We'll share our pricing upfront, explain things in plain English, and never make you feel stupid for asking questions. Many IT people are dismissive or condescending - that's never tolerated here. We're kind, direct, and honest.

Key Question: "Can you give me a general idea of pricing before we meet? How does your sales process work?"

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Red Flag 3: Offshore-Only Support

The Problem: Your "local MSP" routes all support calls to an offshore call center. You deal with language barriers, time zone issues, and techs who've never seen your office.

Why It Happens: Labor arbitrage. Offshore support is cheaper, but the cost savings come at the expense of service quality and local expertise.

What to Look For Instead: Local or US-based support with actual people you can meet. Ask if the company has a local office and local techs who can come onsite when needed.

GPS Example: We're based in Tucson (7437 E. 22nd St). Our support team is local. We can be onsite within hours if you need us, and you'll talk to the same techs who know your systems.

Key Question: "Where is your support team located? Can I visit your office? Who responds to after-hours emergencies?"

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Red Flag 4: No Proactive Monitoring

The Problem: The MSP operates on a "break-fix" model. They only help you when something breaks - and they bill you every time you call. There's no monitoring, no maintenance, no prevention.

Why It Happens: Break-fix is more profitable in the short term. The more things break, the more they bill. There's no incentive to prevent problems.

What to Look For Instead: 24/7 monitoring, automated patch management, proactive alerts. A good MSP fixes problems before you know they exist.

GPS Example: Every GPS tier includes 24/7 monitoring, automated patching, and monthly health reports. We're alerted to issues before they become outages. Our goal is that you never have to call us because something broke.

Key Question: "Do you monitor my systems 24/7? What happens if you detect a problem at 2am? How do you prevent issues before they cause downtime?"

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Red Flag 5: Long Contract Lock-Ins

The Problem: The MSP requires a 3-year contract with hefty early termination fees. You're locked in even if the service is terrible.

Why It Happens: Long contracts protect MSPs who know they can't retain customers based on service quality alone. It's a revenue guarantee regardless of performance.

What to Look For Instead: Month-to-month agreements or short-term contracts (1 year maximum). A confident MSP doesn't need to lock you in - they earn your business every month.

GPS Example: We offer month-to-month agreements. If we're not delivering value, you can walk away. We keep clients because they choose to stay, not because they're trapped.

Key Question: "What's your contract term? What are the early termination fees? Why should I commit to a multi-year agreement?"

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Red Flag 6: One-Size-Fits-All Packages

The Problem: The MSP has rigid packages: Small, Medium, Large. If you have 12 computers but their "Small" plan covers 10, you're forced into the "Medium" plan and overpay.

Why It Happens: Package pricing is easier to sell and manage. But it prioritizes the MSP's convenience over your actual needs.

What to Look For Instead: Per-endpoint or per-user pricing that scales with your actual needs. You should pay for what you use, not what fits their pricing tiers.

GPS Example: We charge per endpoint: $19-39/endpoint depending on the protection level you choose. 10 computers? 22 computers? 42 computers? You pay for exactly what you have.

Key Question: "How does pricing scale if I add or remove users? Do I pay for what I use, or am I locked into a package tier?"

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Red Flag 7: No Local Presence

The Problem: The MSP is a national chain or a remote-only operation. There's no local office, no local techs, no way to meet them face-to-face.

Why It Happens: Remote-only is cheaper to operate. But when you need onsite support, hardware troubleshooting, or just want to meet your IT team, they're nowhere to be found.

What to Look For Instead: A local MSP with a physical office, local staff, and roots in your community. Someone who understands the Tucson market and can be onsite when you need them.

GPS Example: We've been in Tucson since 2001. Our office is at 7437 E. 22nd St. We're not a national chain - we're your neighbors. We know the local business landscape, we understand Arizona compliance requirements, and we can be at your office within the hour if needed.

Key Question: "Where is your office? How long have you been in this market? Can you be onsite if needed, and how quickly?"

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PAGE 5: PRICE VS. VALUE

What Should You Actually Pay for IT?

Let's talk numbers. Here are industry benchmarks for MSP services:

Endpoint Monitoring (per computer/server per month):

• Basic monitoring: $15-25/endpoint
• Business-grade protection: $25-40/endpoint
• Advanced security (EDR, compliance tools): $35-50/endpoint

GPS Positioning:

• GPS-Basic: $19/endpoint (essential protection)
• GPS-Pro: $26/endpoint (business protection - MOST POPULAR)
• GPS-Advanced: $39/endpoint (maximum protection, compliance tools)

How we determined these ranges: These figures reflect pricing we've observed from competing MSPs in the Arizona market, industry surveys from MSP trade organizations, and vendor pricing for the underlying security tools. Ranges vary based on what's included - lower-priced tiers typically include basic RMM and antivirus, while higher tiers bundle advanced EDR, email security, dark web monitoring, and compliance tools. Our GPS pricing includes more features at each tier than the industry average.

Support Plans (monthly labor included):

• 2-4 hours/month: $200-400/month ($85-100/hour effective)
• 6-10 hours/month: $540-850/month ($85-90/hour effective)
• Block time (non-expiring): $100-150/hour

GPS Positioning:

• Standard Support: $380/month (4 hours, $95/hr effective) - MOST POPULAR
• Premium Support: $540/month (6 hours, $90/hr effective)
• Priority Support: $850/month (10 hours, $85/hr effective)

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Real-World Pricing Scenarios

Small Office: 10 Computers

GPS-Pro Monitoring (10 × $26)        $260
Equipment Pack (router, printer)      $25
Standard Support (4 hrs/month)       $380
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TOTAL: $665/month ($66.50 per computer)

Growing Business: 22 Computers

GPS-Pro Monitoring (22 × $26)        $572
Premium Support (6 hrs/month)        $540
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TOTAL: $1,112/month ($50.55 per computer)

Established Company: 42 Computers

GPS-Pro Monitoring (42 × $26)      $1,092
Priority Support (10 hrs/month)      $850
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TOTAL: $1,942/month ($46.24 per computer)

Notice how the per-computer cost DECREASES as you scale? That's how per-endpoint pricing should work.

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The True Cost of "Cheap" IT

Scenario: The $500/month Break-Fix Shop

You hire a local tech who charges $65/hour and promises to "only charge when you call." Sounds reasonable. Here's what actually happens:

Month 1-3: Quiet months. You pay nothing (or minimal hours). You think you're winning.

Month 4: Your server crashes. No monitoring meant no warning. The tech bills 12 hours ($780) for emergency recovery. You lost 2 days of productivity (value: $5,000+ for a 10-person office).

Month 7: Ransomware hits because patches weren't applied. Recovery costs: $8,500. Lost productivity: $15,000. Cyber insurance deductible: $10,000. Total cost: $33,500.

Annual Total:

• Tech labor: $4,800
• Downtime incidents: $38,500
• REAL COST: $43,300

Compare that to a GPS-Pro plan ($665/month = $7,980/year) that would have prevented both incidents through monitoring and patching.

About these estimates: The $65/hour rate reflects typical break-fix technician pricing in the Tucson market. Productivity loss is calculated at $50/hour per employee (conservative for professional services). Ransomware recovery costs ($8,500) reflect data recovery services and emergency labor - actual ransoms average $50,000-200,000 for small businesses according to Sophos research. The $10,000 cyber insurance deductible is typical for small business policies. These are conservative estimates based on incidents we've helped clients recover from.

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The True Cost of Downtime

Industry averages for business downtime:

Business Size	Cost Per Hour of Downtime
Small (10-50 employees)	$8,000 - $15,000
Medium (50-100 employees)	$50,000 - $100,000
Large (100+ employees)	$100,000 - $500,000

Source: Gartner, IBM

A single 4-hour outage can cost a small business $32,000-60,000. Proactive monitoring that prevents that outage is worth 10x the monthly fee.

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The Cost of a Data Breach

Average cost of a data breach for small businesses:

• IBM 2023 Report: $2.98 million average (all business sizes)
• Small Business (< 500 employees): $120,000 - $1.24 million
• Verizon DBIR: 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses
• 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a major breach

What GPS-Pro includes to prevent breaches:

• Advanced EDR (catches threats antivirus misses)
• Email security (anti-phishing)
• Dark web monitoring (alerts if credentials are compromised)
• Security awareness training (monthly phishing tests)

Cost: $26/endpoint/month. Value: Potentially saving your business.

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What Goes Into MSP Pricing?

When you pay an MSP, here's what you're actually buying:

Technology Stack (per endpoint):

• Monitoring software (RMM platform): $3-8/endpoint
• Antivirus/EDR: $3-12/endpoint
• Email security: $2-5/user
• Backup/recovery tools: $4-10/endpoint
• Total tech stack cost: $12-35/endpoint

Labor & Expertise:

• 24/7 monitoring coverage (overnight shifts)
• Certified technicians (Microsoft, CompTIA, security certs)
• Ongoing training and tool development
• Emergency response capability

Business Overhead:

• Office space and equipment
• Insurance (E&O, cyber liability, general liability)
• Compliance and licensing
• Sales and administrative staff

A professional MSP typically operates on 30-50% gross margins after these costs. If someone is drastically cheaper, ask yourself: What are they cutting?

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ROI Framework: How to Justify IT Spending

Step 1: Calculate your hourly business value

• Revenue per employee per year: $150,000 (example)
• Work hours per year: 2,080 hours
• Value per hour: $72/employee

Step 2: Calculate downtime cost

• 10 employees × $72/hour = $720/hour of downtime
• 4-hour outage = $2,880 in lost productivity
• Add: Customer frustration, missed deadlines, reputation damage

Step 3: Calculate incident prevention value

• GPS-Pro prevents 2-3 incidents/year (conservative estimate)
• Value: $5,000 - $20,000/year in prevented downtime
• Annual GPS-Pro cost (10 endpoints): $3,120/year
• Net ROI: 60-540% annual return

Step 4: Calculate cyber insurance discount

• Many insurers offer 10-20% premium reduction for managed security
• Average cyber policy for small business: $1,500-3,000/year
• Discount value: $150-600/year
• Additional benefit: Meeting coverage requirements

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PAGE 6: THE GPS PHILOSOPHY

Why We Built GPS the Way We Did

When we designed Guru Protection Services (GPS), we made specific choices based on 20+ years of watching IT companies fail their clients. Here's why we do things differently:

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Transparent Per-Endpoint Pricing

Our Choice: $19-39/endpoint based on protection tier.

Why: You should know what you're paying before you call us. No games, no "call for quote," no hidden fees.

The Alternative: Package pricing ("Small Business Plan: $500/month for up to 10 computers") forces you into rigid tiers. Have 11 computers? You jump to the Medium plan ($900/month) and overpay.

How It Works:

• GPS-Basic: $19/endpoint (essential monitoring, patching, antivirus)
• GPS-Pro: $26/endpoint (adds EDR, email security, dark web monitoring, training)
• GPS-Advanced: $39/endpoint (adds compliance tools, ransomware rollback, enhanced backup)

Real Example:

• Client with 17 computers wanted business-grade protection
• Competitor quoted: $1,200/month (forced into 25-seat package tier)
• GPS-Pro pricing: 17 × $26 = $442/month
• Savings: $758/month ($9,096/year)

The client paid for 17 computers, not 25. That's how it should work.

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Local Tucson Presence

Our Choice: Physical office at 7437 E. 22nd St since 2001.

Why: When your server dies at 3pm, you don't want a ticket system - you want someone at your door by 3:45pm.

The Alternative: National MSP chains and remote-only providers. When you need onsite support, they dispatch a subcontractor who's never seen your network. Response time: 24-48 hours if you're lucky.

What Local Means:

• We know Tucson businesses (accounting firms, medical practices, construction, hospitality)
• We understand Arizona compliance (ADOA requirements, state tax systems)
• We can be onsite within 1-2 hours for emergencies
• You can visit our office and meet the team

Real Example:

• A medical office's network went down during patient hours
• We were onsite in 45 minutes
• Diagnosed failed switch, installed replacement from our local inventory
• Back online in 90 minutes total
• A remote MSP would have taken 2-3 days to ship hardware and schedule a contractor

Local matters when every hour of downtime costs you thousands.

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Proactive Monitoring vs. Reactive Break-Fix

Our Choice: 24/7 monitoring, automated patching, proactive alerts on every GPS tier.

Why: We make more money if your stuff doesn't break. That's the right incentive.

The Alternative: Break-fix shops only get paid when you have a problem. There's no incentive to prevent issues - in fact, more problems mean more billable hours.

How It Works:

• Our monitoring software watches your systems 24/7
• We're alerted to failing hard drives, memory issues, temperature problems before they cause outages
• Patches are tested and deployed automatically
• You get monthly health reports showing what we fixed before it broke

Real Example:

• Monitoring detected a server hard drive showing early failure signs
• We scheduled replacement during a maintenance window (client approved)
• Drive was replaced before it failed
• Zero downtime
• A break-fix shop would have waited until the drive died (3am on a Saturday) and charged emergency rates

The Incentive Difference:

• Break-fix shop: Makes $200/hour × 8 hours = $1,600 on emergency recovery
• GPS model: Makes $26/endpoint regardless, so we prevent the emergency
• Who's incentivized to protect your business?

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Month-to-Month Contracts

Our Choice: No long-term lock-ins. Month-to-month agreements.

Why: If we're not delivering value, you should be able to leave. We earn your business every single month.

The Alternative: 3-year contracts with early termination fees (often 50-100% of remaining contract value). You're stuck even if service is terrible.

What This Means:

• You can cancel with 30 days notice
• No early termination penalties
• No equipment buyouts (we own the monitoring infrastructure)
• We stay good or you leave

Real Example:

• A client came to us locked in a 3-year contract with a national MSP
• Service was terrible: offshore support, slow response, constant billing disputes
• Early termination fee: $18,000
• They had to wait 14 months for the contract to expire before switching

We never want to be the company someone is trapped with.

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Support Plans: Predictable Hours at Predictable Rates

Our Choice: Bundled support plans with included labor hours at $85-100/hour effective rates.

Why: You get better support at lower cost, and you know exactly what you'll pay each month.

How It Works:

Plan	Monthly Fee	Hours Included	Effective Rate	Response SLA
Essential	$200	2 hours	$100/hour	Next business day
Standard	$380	4 hours	$95/hour	8 hours
Premium	$540	6 hours	$90/hour	4 hours
Priority	$850	10 hours	$85/hour	2 hours, 24/7

Compare to our full hourly rate: $175/hour for non-plan clients.

Note: Support plan hours are use-it-or-lose-it each month - they do not roll over.

Real Example:

• Client on Standard Support ($380/month) used 3.5 hours in a typical month
• Value: 3.5 × $175 = $612.50
• They paid: $380
• Savings: $232.50/month ($2,790/year)

What Happens If You Go Over?

1. Support plan hours used first (included in your monthly fee)
2. Prepaid block time used next (if you've purchased any)
3. Overage billed at $175/hour (still better than emergency rates elsewhere)

Prepaid Block Time: Hours That Never Expire

Many clients prefer prepaid block time over monthly support plans. Here's why:

Block Size	Price	Effective Rate
10 Hours	$1,500	$150/hour
20 Hours	$2,600	$130/hour
30 Hours	$3,000	$100/hour

Key difference: Block time never expires. Support plan hours reset monthly. If you don't use your 4 hours this month, they're gone. Block time stays in your account until you use it - whether that's next month or next year.

Two ways to use block time:

• Standalone: Skip the monthly plan entirely. Bank hours and use them when you need them. Great for businesses with unpredictable IT needs or seasonal fluctuations.
• Supplement: Pair with a support plan. Your monthly hours cover routine needs, and block time handles overflow or special projects without surprise overage rates.

Many of our clients prefer the flexibility of block time - they pay once, use hours as needed, and never worry about "wasting" unused monthly hours.

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Equipment Monitoring: Extend Coverage Beyond Computers

Our Choice: $25/month for up to 10 devices (network gear, printers, NAS, cameras).

Why: Your router is just as critical as your server. If it dies, you're down.

What's Covered:

• Routers, switches, firewalls
• Printers, scanners, multifunction devices
• NAS (network storage)
• IP cameras, access points
• Any network-connected equipment

How It Works:

• Basic uptime monitoring and alerting
• Devices become eligible for Support Plan labor hours
• Quick fixes (under 10 minutes) included
• Add to any GPS tier

Real Example:

• Client's office switch (not monitored) died at 4pm Friday
• 22 employees offline, unable to work
• Emergency tech dispatch: $275/hour × 3 hours = $825
• Weekend hardware purchase at retail: $600
• Total incident cost: $1,425

If that switch had been in the Equipment Pack ($25/month), we would have been alerted to warning signs and replaced it during business hours. Cost: $300 for the switch (wholesale), zero downtime.

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Why These Choices Matter

Every decision we made in designing GPS was about alignment:

Transparent pricing means you can trust us. Local presence means we can help you fast. Proactive monitoring means our incentives align with yours (prevention, not profit from failure). Month-to-month terms mean we earn your business every day. Predictable support means you budget accurately and we deliver consistently.

We're not perfect. But we built GPS the way we'd want to be treated if we were the customer.

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PAGE 7: QUESTIONS TO ASK ANY MSP

Use these 10 questions to evaluate ANY MSP - including us. The answers will tell you everything you need to know.

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Question 1: "Can you send me your pricing before we schedule a sales call?"

Why This Matters: If they won't share pricing up front, they're either hiding something or planning to charge different customers different prices based on what they can negotiate.

Red Flags:

• "Every client is different, we need to assess your environment first."
• "Pricing depends on many factors, let's schedule a call."
• No published pricing anywhere on their website

Good Answer:

• "Here's our rate sheet. We charge $X per endpoint for monitoring and $Y for support plans. Let me walk you through it."

GPS Answer:

• "Absolutely. GPS-Pro is $26/endpoint, and our Standard Support is $380/month for 4 hours. Here's the full pricing breakdown [rate sheet provided]. What questions do you have?"

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Question 2: "Where is your support team located, and can I talk to them directly?"

Why This Matters: You want to know who's actually answering the phone at 2am when your network crashes.

Red Flags:

• "We have a global support team available 24/7." (Translation: offshore)
• "Our tier 1 support is outsourced, but tier 2 is US-based." (You'll spend 30 minutes with tier 1 first)
• Vague answers about "follow-the-sun support"

Good Answer:

• "Our support team is based in [City]. Here's our office address. We can arrange a time for you to visit and meet the team."

GPS Answer:

• "We're at 7437 E. 22nd St in Tucson. Our support team works from this office. You're welcome to stop by anytime during business hours. After hours, you'll get our on-call tech - who's also local."

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Question 3: "What's your contract term and early termination penalty?"

Why This Matters: Long contracts with penalties mean they're not confident in retaining you based on service quality.

Red Flags:

• 3-year or longer contracts
• Early termination fees exceeding 25% of remaining contract value
• Equipment leases that lock you in (and they own the hardware when you leave)

Good Answer:

• "Month-to-month or 1-year agreement. If you're not happy, you can leave with 30 days notice."

GPS Answer:

• "Month-to-month. 30 days notice to cancel. No termination fees. If we're not delivering value, you shouldn't be trapped."

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Question 4: "Do you monitor my systems proactively, or do I call when something breaks?"

Why This Matters: Reactive break-fix means they profit when you have problems. Proactive monitoring means they prevent problems.

Red Flags:

• "We're available 24/7 when you need us." (No mention of monitoring)
• "Monitoring is available as an add-on for an additional fee."
• "We'll set up monitoring if you want, but most clients don't need it."

Good Answer:

• "24/7 monitoring is included. We're alerted to issues before they cause outages. We deploy patches automatically. You'll get monthly reports showing what we prevented."

GPS Answer:

• "Every GPS tier includes 24/7 monitoring, automated patch management, and proactive alerting. Our goal is that you never have to call us because something broke - we fix it before you notice."

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Question 5: "What happens if I exceed my included support hours?"

Why This Matters: "Unlimited" is a lie. You need to know the real overage rate and policy.

Red Flags:

• Vague answers about "fair use" policies
• Overage rates 2-3x higher than the plan's effective rate
• "We throttle response times for clients who use too much support"

Good Answer:

• "If you exceed your plan hours, we bill additional time at $X/hour. Or you can purchase prepaid block time at a discounted rate."

GPS Answer:

• "Plan hours are used first, but they don't roll over month-to-month. If you go over, we draw from any prepaid block time you've banked ($100-150/hour depending on block size). Block time never expires, so many clients keep a reserve. No block time? Overages bill at $175/hour. Some clients skip monthly plans entirely and just use block time - it's more flexible if your IT needs are unpredictable."

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Question 6: "How quickly will you respond to an emergency?"

Why This Matters: "We're always available" means nothing. You need specific SLAs.

Red Flags:

• "We respond as quickly as possible." (No commitment)
• "Emergency response is prioritized based on contract tier." (Translation: you might wait)
• No written SLAs

Good Answer:

• "Here are our response times by plan tier [shows documented SLAs]. Emergency issues are prioritized. Here's how we define 'emergency' vs 'urgent' vs 'standard'."

GPS Answer:

• "Standard Support: 8-hour response. Premium: 4-hour response with after-hours emergency coverage. Priority: 2-hour response, 24/7. Emergencies (total outage) are always escalated immediately regardless of plan."

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Question 7: "What security tools and services are included?"

Why This Matters: Basic antivirus isn't enough anymore. You need EDR, email security, employee training, and dark web monitoring.

Red Flags:

• "We include antivirus." (That's not enough in 2026)
• "Advanced security is available as an add-on." (It should be standard)
• "You're responsible for employee security training."

Good Answer:

• "Our mid-tier plan includes EDR, email security, dark web monitoring, and monthly security awareness training. Here's what each of those means..."

GPS Answer:

• "GPS-Pro includes advanced EDR (catches threats antivirus misses), email security (anti-phishing), dark web monitoring (alerts if your credentials are compromised), and monthly security awareness training (phishing simulations). GPS-Basic has antivirus only. GPS-Advanced adds compliance tools and ransomware rollback."

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Question 8: "Can you help me meet cyber insurance requirements?"

Why This Matters: Most cyber insurance policies now require MFA, EDR, employee training, and offsite backups. Your MSP should help you check those boxes.

Red Flags:

• "We're not familiar with cyber insurance requirements."
• "That's between you and your insurance agent."
• "We can help with that, but it's an additional service."

Good Answer:

• "Yes. We work with several local insurance agents and we're familiar with common policy requirements. Here's what you'll need... [lists MFA, EDR, training, backup requirements]. Our [tier] plan covers most of these."

GPS Answer:

• "Absolutely. GPS-Pro includes most of what cyber insurance requires: MFA enforcement, EDR, security awareness training, and cloud backups. We'll provide documentation for your insurance agent showing compliance. We work with several Tucson agents regularly."

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Question 9: "What happens if my business grows or shrinks?"

Why This Matters: You need flexibility to scale up or down without penalty.

Red Flags:

• "You're locked into your contracted seat count."
• "We can add users anytime, but reducing requires a contract amendment."
• Rigid package tiers that force you into the next level

Good Answer:

• "You can add or remove endpoints anytime. Billing adjusts the following month. No penalties for scaling."

GPS Answer:

• "We bill per endpoint. Hire 3 people? Add 3 endpoints. Downsize? Remove endpoints. Billing adjusts automatically. No penalties, no contract amendments needed."

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Question 10: "Can you provide references from clients similar to my business?"

Why This Matters: An MSP experienced with your industry will understand your specific needs and compliance requirements.

Red Flags:

• "We serve all industries." (No specific expertise)
• Unwilling to provide references
• References are all from 3+ years ago

Good Answer:

• "We work with several [your industry] businesses in the area. Here are three references you can contact [provides names, companies, phone numbers]."

GPS Answer:

• "We've been serving Tucson businesses since 2001. We work with medical practices (HIPAA compliance), accounting firms (SOC 2), legal offices (confidentiality requirements), and construction companies (field + office IT). Here are three clients in your industry you can contact."

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Bonus Question: "Why should I choose you over your competitors?"

Why This Matters: This reveals what they actually value and how they differentiate.

Red Flags:

• Generic answers ("We provide great service and competitive pricing")
• Bad-mouthing competitors
• Can't articulate specific differentiators

Good Answer:

• "Here's what we do differently... [specific philosophy/approach]. Here's why we think that matters. But you should evaluate us against others - here's what to look for."

GPS Answer:

• "We chose transparency over sales games. We chose month-to-month terms over contract lock-ins. We chose local presence over offshore call centers. We built GPS the way we'd want to be treated as customers. But don't just take our word for it - use this guide to evaluate us AND our competitors. The right fit matters more than the hard sell."

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PAGE 8: ABOUT ACG & NEXT STEPS

Who We Are

Arizona Computer Guru has been protecting Tucson businesses since 2001. We're not a national chain. We're not venture-backed. We're a local MSP that's been here for 25 years because we do right by our clients.

Our Story:

We started as a break-fix shop in 2001 - the kind we now warn you about in this guide. We charged hourly, we showed up when things broke, and we made more money when clients had more problems.

That didn't sit right.

In 2015, we launched GPS (Guru Protection Services) - our managed services platform - with a different philosophy: proactive monitoring, transparent pricing, and month-to-month terms. We wanted to align our incentives with our clients' success.

Today we protect hundreds of Tucson businesses - from 5-person accounting firms to 100-employee construction companies. We've prevented countless outages, stopped ransomware attacks before they encrypted a single file, and helped local businesses meet cyber insurance requirements.

We're proud to be Tucson's MSP.

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What Makes GPS Different

We covered this throughout the guide, but here's the summary:

Transparent Pricing $19-39/endpoint depending on protection tier. Published rates. No "call for quote" games.

Local Tucson Team Office at 7437 E. 22nd St since 2001. Onsite support within 1-2 hours. You can visit us anytime.

Proactive Monitoring 24/7 monitoring, automated patching, proactive alerts. We fix problems before they cause downtime.

Month-to-Month Terms No long-term contracts. No early termination fees. We earn your business every month.

Predictable Support Plans $85-100/hour effective rates with bundled labor hours. No surprise bills.

Full-Stack Protection EDR, email security, dark web monitoring, security training, compliance tools. Everything you need to meet cyber insurance requirements.

Experience 25 years in Tucson. We know local businesses, local compliance, and local challenges.

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What Our Clients Say

"We switched from a national MSP to GPS two years ago. Night and day difference. When we call, we get someone local who knows our systems. Response time went from 24 hours to 2 hours."

• Sarah M., Accounting Firm, 18 employees

"The monthly cost is the same as our old break-fix provider, but now we actually have IT that works. No more surprise bills, no more weekend emergencies."

• David R., Construction Company, 42 employees

"Our cyber insurance required EDR and security training. GPS-Pro included both. Saved us from having to find and vet separate vendors."

• Jennifer L., Medical Practice, 12 employees

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Next Steps: Three No-Pressure Options

Option 1: Free Consultation

Let's have a conversation about your IT needs - no pitch, no pressure. We offer free consultations for prospective clients, and we prefer to come to you. It's more convenient for you, and it gives you the chance to show us the pain points firsthand - the server closet that runs hot, the printer that jams every Tuesday, the workflow that takes too many clicks.

We'll give you honest feedback and recommendations, whether that leads to working with us or not. Sometimes the best advice we give is "your current IT team is doing fine - here's one thing they could improve."

Call: 520.304.8300 Email: info@azcomputerguru.com

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Option 2: Free Security Assessment ($500 value)

We'll scan your network for vulnerabilities:

• Unpatched systems
• Weak passwords and missing MFA
• Phishing susceptibility
• Cyber insurance readiness

You get a detailed report with prioritized fixes. No obligation to use us afterward.

This is also a great way to validate that your current IT team is doing well. If everything checks out, you'll have peace of mind. If there are gaps, you'll know exactly what to address.

Initial scan: Free for prospective clients Recurring penetration tests and security scans: Available a-la-carte, even if you don't use us as your primary IT provider

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Option 3: Just Keep This Guide

You don't have to do anything right now. Keep this guide for when you're ready to evaluate MSPs. Use the red flags, the questions, and the pricing benchmarks to vet whoever you're considering.

If you end up choosing us, great. If you choose someone else but make a better decision because of this guide, we're still happy.

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Contact Information

Arizona Computer Guru 7437 E. 22nd St Tucson, AZ 85710

Phone: 520.304.8300 Email: info@azcomputerguru.com Web: azcomputerguru.com

Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Emergency Support: 24/7 for Priority Support clients

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New Client Offer (Limited Time)

Sign up for GPS within 30 days of receiving this guide:

• Waived setup fees (normally $500)
• First month 50% off support plans (save $190-425)
• Free security assessment ($500 value)

Total value: $1,000-1,425

Mention code "BUYERS-GUIDE" when you contact us.

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One Final Thought

You've invested 20 minutes reading this guide. That's more research than most business owners do before choosing an MSP. You now know:

• The 7 red flags of a bad MSP
• What IT services actually cost
• The questions that reveal truth from sales pitches
• How to calculate the ROI of proactive IT

Use this knowledge. Whether you choose us, a competitor, or decide to stick with your current provider - make it an informed decision.

Your IT infrastructure is too important to leave to chance. Your business depends on it.

Thank you for reading.

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Arizona Computer Guru Protecting Tucson Businesses Since 2001

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[END OF GUIDE]

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Document Notes

Total Pages: 8 Target Audience: Arizona small business owners (10-100 employees) Tone: Educational, transparent, confident but not arrogant Key Differentiators: Local presence, transparent pricing, month-to-month terms, proactive monitoring Call to Action: Three no-pressure options (quote, assessment, or just keep the guide) Design Notes: Professional layout with clear section breaks, real pricing examples, and specific Tucson references throughout

Next Steps for Design:

1. Add professional photography (Tucson landscapes, office shots, team photos)
2. Create infographics for pricing comparisons and downtime costs
3. Use pull quotes and callout boxes for key statistics
4. Include GPS branding (colors, logo) without being overly promotional
5. Make it printable (8.5x11 format) or digital-friendly (PDF)