Free download · Planning

The IT budget checklist for growing SMBs

Build a managed-IT budget that holds up all year — what to include, the line items most businesses forget, and where the hidden costs hide. Free, no obligation.

What's inside

Every line item, in one place

A category-by-category worksheet so you can build a realistic managed-IT cost plan — and walk into budget season without surprises.

  • Managed services — monitoring, helpdesk, RMM and patching, priced per seat.
  • Cybersecurity — EDR, email defense, MFA and security awareness training.
  • Software & licensing — Microsoft 365, line-of-business apps and license true-ups.
  • Hardware refresh — the replacement cycle most budgets ignore until something breaks.
  • Backup & disaster recovery — what real recoverability actually costs.
  • Compliance & contingency — audit/compliance work plus a buffer for the unexpected.
  • The "hidden cost" flags — the surprises that blow IT budgets, called out so you can plan for them.

Ready to put real numbers to it? See our transparent per-seat pricing and seat estimator.

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Who it's for

Made for the people who sign off the spend

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Owners & founders

Turn "IT just costs whatever it costs" into a predictable, defensible line on the budget.

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Finance & ops

Forecast managed IT, licensing and hardware refresh with confidence — and kill the surprise invoices.

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Office & IT managers

Make the case for the right level of service with a budget that accounts for security and recovery.

FAQ

IT budgeting questions, answered

What to include

What should a managed IT budget include?

A complete IT budget covers managed services (monitoring, helpdesk, security), software and licensing, hardware refresh, backups and disaster recovery, compliance, and a contingency line. The checklist walks each category so nothing gets missed.

Cost

How much does managed IT cost for a small business?

Most managed IT is priced per seat per month, so cost scales with headcount and the tier of service you need. Our pricing page shows transparent per-seat tiers and a seat estimator you can use to model your spend.

Where do hidden IT costs usually come from?

The big surprises are aging hardware due for replacement, license true-ups, unbudgeted security or compliance work, and downtime from incidents that weren't prevented. The checklist flags each so you can plan ahead.

Want real numbers for your team?

Book a free IT & security risk assessment and we'll help you size a budget that fits your seats, your risk and your compliance needs. No obligation.

Book a free risk assessment