In most small businesses, IT is one person. Maybe it's a dedicated hire. Maybe it's the office manager who figured out Microsoft 365. Either way, all the knowledge about how your systems work — passwords, configurations, vendor contacts, that workaround for the printer — lives in one head.
When that person leaves, the clock starts ticking. Here's what to do, in order of priority.
Week 1: Secure Everything
Get the passwords
Before their last day, get credentials for everything: Microsoft 365 admin, domain registrar, hosting, ISP account, firewall, Wi-Fi, any SaaS tools, and vendor portals. If passwords are stored in their personal password manager or browser, export them to a company-owned vault (we recommend Microsoft Authenticator or a business password manager).
If you don't have admin access to your own Microsoft 365 tenant, fix this immediately. If your IT person set it up with their personal email as the admin, you could lose access to your entire email and file system.
Document what they know
Ask them to write down (or record a screen share of) the critical things only they know:
- How backups work and where they're stored
- Any scheduled tasks or scripts they've set up
- Vendor contacts and account numbers (ISP, phone provider, printer lease)
- Known issues and workarounds
- How new starters get set up
Even a rough document is better than nothing. You'd be surprised how much institutional knowledge walks out the door.
Change shared credentials
After they leave, change the passwords for any shared accounts: Wi-Fi, admin accounts, vendor portals, and any service where they had personal access. Remove their Microsoft 365 account or convert it to a shared mailbox so emails to them still get received.
Week 2-4: Assess Your Options
You have three paths forward:
1. Hire a replacement. This makes sense if you have 30+ staff and need someone on-site full-time. But finding a good IT generalist who can handle everything from email to cybersecurity to networking takes time — and they'll be a single point of failure again.
2. Outsource to an MSP. A managed service provider gives you a team instead of a person. Helpdesk, cybersecurity, device management, and monitoring — all covered, with no single point of failure. For businesses under 50 staff, this is usually the most cost-effective and reliable option.
3. Go co-managed. If you hire a replacement but want backup, co-managed IT gives your new person access to a team for escalations, specialist projects, and holiday cover. Best of both worlds.
What Not to Do
Don't just wing it. The "we'll figure it out" approach works until something breaks at 5pm on a Friday and nobody knows the admin password. The gap between losing your IT person and having proper coverage is when most small businesses get hit by preventable problems.
Don't give admin access to whoever volunteers. Well-meaning staff with admin access and no training can accidentally delete mailboxes, disable security policies, or misconfigure settings in ways that are hard to undo.
Don't assume everything is documented. It almost never is. Even if your IT person was diligent, there will be gaps. The first thing any new provider or hire should do is a full audit of your systems.
Key takeaway: Losing your IT person isn't a crisis if you act quickly. Secure the passwords, document the knowledge, and decide on your path forward before the gap becomes a problem. If you need interim cover while you figure out the long term, an MSP can step in immediately.
Need help? We offer free IT health checks for businesses in transition — we'll audit your current setup and tell you exactly where you stand.
Want to talk about this?
Book a free 15-minute call and we'll discuss how this applies to your business.
Get IT tips in your inbox
Practical advice for small businesses. No spam.