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Independent Bristol IT support · Since 2000

IT Support Bristol — Billed by the Minute

Independent Bristol IT support since 2000. Pay only for the help you actually use — billed by the minute, not by a monthly retainer. Block hours and longer-term agreements when you want one. 5★ Google Reviews.

Talk to an engineer

Or call us on 0117 958 5964

5-star Google Reviews
Microsoft Partner Cyber Essentials Plus

Why businesses choose us for IT support

Three things make us different from the rest of the IT support market — and they're the things our long-term clients tell us they value most.

Pay by the minute, not by the month

£90/hour, charged in actual minutes — not 15-minute or hourly increments, not a flat monthly retainer. A 5-minute fix costs you £7.50, not £22.50 or £90. Every minute itemised on every invoice.

Senior engineers, every call

No tier-one script readers, no triage queue. The engineer who answers your call is the engineer who fixes your problem. We're a small, stable team — you'll get to know us.

Independent since 2000

Privately held, independently owned, no private equity backers, no parent company. Locally rooted on purpose. Same business, same standards, decades of continuity.

What our IT support covers

One trusted partner for the day-to-day fixes and the bigger projects. You only pay for what you use.

Helpdesk

Day-to-day fixes — software, login problems, "my printer's gone weird", file access, performance issues.

Server & workstation support

On-premise servers, virtualised environments, workstations and laptops. Windows and macOS, mixed estates daily.

Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace

Day-to-day support for Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, Gmail, Drive. User adds and leavers. Setup and migration.

Email problems

Mail not sending. Phishing follow-up. Mailbox setup. DNS, SPF, DKIM, DMARC. Spam filtering issues.

Printers & peripherals

Network printers, scanners, the multi-function thing that occasionally goes on strike. Configuration, drivers, replacement.

Backup & recovery

Cloud and on-premise backup setup, monitoring, and the actual restoration when it matters.

Network troubleshooting

Wi-Fi dropping, internet slow, VPN broken, ports blocked. We diagnose properly rather than restart-the-router theatre.

Cybersecurity incidents

Phishing fallout, suspicious activity, locked-out accounts, compromised mailboxes. Calm, quick, methodical response.

New starters & leavers

Account setup, device imaging, software install, access provisioning. Clean offboarding so leavers don't take data or access with them.

Strategic advice

When you want senior input on an IT decision — supplier choice, compliance question, whether to move to the cloud, whether to hire internal IT.

Not on the list? We almost certainly cover it. The pay-as-you-go model means we can help with one-off requests that wouldn't justify a full contract elsewhere. Call us on 0117 958 5964 and ask.

How we bill for IT support

Three ways to pay, all transparent. Mix and match as you need.

Pay as you go

£90/hour

Billed by the minute

Ad-hoc help. One-off issues. Quick fixes. You pay only when you call.

Block hours

Pre-buy, discounted

10/25/50/75/100 hr · Never expire

Predictable spend, without locking into a contract. Hours never expire. Most popular for established clients.

Project work

Fixed quotes

Agreed before we start

Migrations, installations, security audits — anything with a clear scope.

See full billing details

What happens when you call us

  1. 1

    You get in touch

    Phone us on 0117 958 5964 or send a ticket. We answer the phone during business hours — no voicemail tree.

  2. 2

    Senior engineer triages

    Within an hour during business hours. We assess the problem, ask the questions that matter, and tell you what we think.

  3. 3

    We agree the work

    Quick fixes — we just do them. Bigger jobs — we estimate the time first so there are no surprises. Always your call.

  4. 4

    We fix it

    Remote-first because it's faster, on-site when it has to be. You see what we're doing as we do it.

  5. 5

    Itemised invoice

    Every minute spent, every engineer involved, every task completed — listed on the invoice. No surprises, ever.

Bristol areas we cover

On-site visits across central and greater Bristol, Bath, and the South West commuter belt. Remote support reaches anywhere.

Bristol City Centre (BS1, BS2)
Clifton & Redland (BS8, BS6)
Bedminster & Southville (BS3)
Cotham, Kingsdown, Stokes Croft (BS6, BS2)
Easton, Redfield, St George (BS5)
Brislington, Knowle, Totterdown (BS4)
Henleaze, Westbury-on-Trym (BS9)
Bishopston, Horfield (BS7)
Hartcliffe, Hengrove (BS13, BS14)
Avonmouth & Severn Beach (BS11)
Bath (BA1, BA2)
Portishead, Clevedon, Nailsea
Thornbury, Yate, Chipping Sodbury
Keynsham, Saltford
Weston-super-Mare

Not in the list? Give us a call on 0117 958 5964 — we may still be able to help.

What our clients say

"We've been with Smooth IT since 2007, after our in-house computer expert suddenly left. They quickly got to grips with our network and have suggested improvements ever since. Saved us time, effort (and sanity) in equipment procurement. Friendly team, on the phone or on-site when needed. I happily recommend Dan and his team."

NF

Retail business · Bristol

IT support — common questions

How quickly will Smooth IT respond to an IT support request?
Most helpdesk tickets are responded to within an hour during business hours, and the majority are resolved the same day. We don't publish a guaranteed SLA because honest response times depend on what's wrong. If it's a server down or a security incident, we drop everything. If it's a printer setting nobody can quite figure out, we get to it within the day.
Do you support Macs as well as Windows?
Yes. We work with mixed estates daily — macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, plus the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace layers on top. Many creative and professional-services firms are Mac-led; we're comfortable across the board.
What kinds of business do you support?
We support businesses from sole traders to teams of around 100. Most of our clients are professional services (accountants, surveyors, consultancies), small charities, manufacturing and construction firms, and creative agencies. Our pay-as-you-go model is particularly suited to established businesses with stable IT estates and episodic support needs.
Do you cover on-site visits, or is it all remote?
Both. Remote-first because it's usually faster — most problems can be sorted in the time it would take an engineer to get in a car. But when on-site is what's needed (new hardware install, network problem, executive in distress), we come out. On-site visits cover roughly an hour's drive from central Bristol.
How is Smooth IT different from a typical MSP?
We bill by the minute, not by the month. No fixed-fee retainers, no per-user-per-month subscriptions, no required ongoing contract. You pay for the help you actually use, at £90 an hour, with optional block-hour packages if you prefer predictable budgets. If you specifically want a longer-term agreement for price assurance, we'll write you one — but our default is pay-as-you-go. Most other IT support companies in our region will only work with you under a managed-service contract; we work as your IT department when you need us and quietly step back when you don't.
What happens if I want to leave?
By default, you leave. Pay-as-you-go clients have no notice period or exit fee. If you've chosen a longer-term agreement at your request, the terms of that agreement apply — but we don't put exit fees or restrictive clauses in those agreements as standard. Either way, we'll help you move cleanly to your next provider, including documentation, credentials handover, and continuity of service during transition.
Are you really cheaper than a managed contract?
For most small and medium businesses, yes — but not always. A business that genuinely uses high-volume support (60+ hours a month) may pay more on pay-as-you-go than on a flat contract. We'll do the maths with you honestly before you commit. If a contract elsewhere genuinely suits you better, we'll advise you accordingly.
Do you offer cybersecurity, Cyber Essentials Plus, or M365 migration as well?
Yes. We hold Cyber Essentials Plus ourselves and can help you certify. We're a Microsoft Partner and run M365 migrations regularly. All of these can be done as project work (fixed quote) or as part of ongoing pay-as-you-go support.
What postcodes and areas do you cover?
Bristol BS1–BS16, Bath BA1/BA2, plus Portishead, Clevedon, Nailsea, Keynsham, Thornbury, Yate, Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding South West. Remote support reaches anywhere; on-site is roughly an hour from central Bristol.
How do I get started?
Call 0117 958 5964 or use the contact form. The first conversation is free — we'll listen to what you need, give you a straight answer about whether we can help, and quote you a fair price if we can. No obligation, no pressure.

Talk to an IT support engineer.

The first conversation is free. We'll listen, give you a straight answer about whether we can help, and quote you a fair price if we can.

Talk to an engineer

Or call us on 0117 958 5964