Speciality
IT for Start-Up Businesses
The IT a new business actually needs on day one, set up properly from the start: a professional email address, the right laptop, phones, internet, backup and security.
Starting a business means making dozens of IT decisions quickly, usually without anyone to ask. Get them right and nobody notices; get them wrong and you pay to undo them a year later, when there is more data and more people involved.
QLine IT has helped many small businesses from their first day to their continued growth. We start by asking what you do and what you need your IT to do, then set up only what is worth having.
What we set up for new businesses
Email and domain
Your own domain and a professional Microsoft 365 email address, rather than a free account.
Laptops and computers
Equipment chosen for the job, set up and ready, with at least a 12-month warranty.
Phone numbers
A business number on a desk phone, a mobile or both, on a short contract.
Internet and 4G
Fibre, 4G or satellite, depending on where you are, with backup if the line fails.
File sharing and backup
Shared files for your team, backed up automatically from the first day.
Security and GDPR
Malware protection, two-factor sign-in, web filtering and the GDPR basics in place.
Data protection and GDPR from day one
Most businesses that handle personal data, even just customer names and email addresses, need to register with the Information Commissioner's Office and pay the data protection fee, unless they are exempt. UK GDPR then sets out how that data must be handled.
The procedures are not expensive, but they are easier to put in place at the start than to retrofit. We help you register, set up sensible procedures, and make sure the technical side (encryption, access control and backup) is in place. Check whether you need to pay the fee.
The right equipment, not the most expensive
A computer shop usually starts with "how much do you want to spend?". We start with "what do you do, and what do you need your equipment to do?". That avoids paying for power you will not use, or buying something that cannot run the software your business depends on.
Phones and internet without long contracts
Business phone numbers now run over the internet (VoIP), so your number can ring a desk phone, a mobile or both, from any location. Through our partner ONSIM, internet and phone services start on contracts as short as 30 days, so you are not tied in while the business finds its feet.
Support as you grow
Once you are up and running, our pay-as-you-go support is £90 an hour with no contract. When you reach five computers, Full IT Support at £26 per computer a month usually works out cheaper. See pricing.
Questions we're asked
Does a new business need to register with the ICO?
Most businesses that process personal data must pay the ICO's data protection fee unless they are exempt. The ICO has a short online check to tell you whether you need to.
Should we use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Both work. We usually recommend Microsoft 365 because most businesses already use Word, Excel and Outlook, and it brings email, file sharing, Teams and security together. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, we set it up and manage it.
Do we need an IT support contract straight away?
No. Many start-ups begin with pay-as-you-go support and move to a contract when they have more people and computers.
Starting a business?
Tell us what you do and how many people you have. We will tell you what IT you need, and what you do not.
Speciality
Related services
Microsoft 365 and Email for Business
Microsoft 365 and Exchange email set up, migrated and managed by a Microsoft Solutions Partner: domains, mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint, backu
Business IT Hardware
Business laptops, desktops, monitors, phones and networking from QLine IT, set up and ready to use, with a 12-month warranty including labou