The last thing I need is another manager!
I hear you! It seems like everybody is the VP of something these days, yet nobody wants to assume any actual responsibility or take ownership of anything. I feel as if I have spent more time in the last five years doing other vendor’s work, waiting for lethargic support, and trying to hold responsible parties accountable than I have doing actual IT or consulting work. How often are you seeing advertisements for “completely integrated platforms” or “unlimited support”? When was the last time you feel you got what you paid for with these types of solutions? I could probably count on one hand the amount of people outside my customers that I know that can answer these questions in the affirmative.
Just like you, I’m sick and tired of it, and we don’t have to take it anymore! How long ago was it that you last hired someone to work with you on IT? I am willing to bet it was rainbows and sunshine in the beginning, but after a couple of years do you even know what you are paying them for anymore? Have your costs continued to rise, but your service level has continued to go down? This is the growing pattern I continue to see with traditional IT consultants and Managed Service Providers. Their tools evolve and make their lives easier, allowing them to do more with less, yet your costs continue to go up and your employees feel as though IT seems less responsive than ever. I refer to this as the “Goldilocks Zone” for these providers, and they are content to live there for as long as you will let them.
What most consultants and MSP’s don’t want you to know, is that most of the hard work comes in the beginning when you are onboarded as a new client. They must go in and document everything you have, get it in good working order, apply necessary patching and security plans, etc. This is about 75% of the work involved in taking on a new customer in IT, and once this process is done most providers are comfortable resting on their laurels and going back into a reactionary state. Most business owners are content to take their word that they are “covered”, and that is that. You will typically only hear from them again when they are trying to sell you something or raise your rates. I find this unacceptable, and I am hoping that you will too.
When I first started in this industry, everything was new and exciting. Not just for techs, but also people that were just beginning to use computers in the workplace and at home. Everybody wanted to figure out how they could make their jobs and lives easier using computers, and it was a very exciting period for all. However, these days everybody has gotten used to being always connected, having a supercomputer in their pocket, and instant gratification. The paradigm has shifted from “how can we make this process better” to “just do it for me”. This works great for traditional IT firms and MSP’s, because it is less that they must explain to their customers to justify their fees. Your ignorance for them, is truly bliss. My goal is to pull the cloak of secrecy off IT and educate you and your staff so you can be comfortable making your own decisions.
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If you are ready to talk, please contact me today!