How do organizations, especially SMEs, find reputable, dependable IT support help?

For example, I have a client in Cleveland that really needs a strong network and system management company that they can depend on. The problem is, that they are a small to mid-size financial institution, so trust really matters. Of course, I am aware of all the vendor management mechanisms and such, but we need to know how to find reputable vendors to even approach.

The client is reaching out to their peers for references, but I was hoping that one of our readers might know of a mechanism or an “angie’s list” style site for determining relevant capabilities and such for IT firms. If those pieces are not out there, then maybe this is a business idea for you budding entrepreneurs.

Please, let me know you thoughts and ideas!