As small businesses continue to grow and evolve, their needs change as well. A budget that worked 15 years ago is probably not as in tune with the changing needs of a small business as it should be — but the added expense of taking on more technology costs can be more than some businesses can shoulder.
Combine that with the fact that many IT companies try to milk as much money out of a business as they can, and your budget could be in serious jeopardy.
Take, for example, GAVCO Industries in the Pacific Northwest. The company, which makes and manufactures furniture for homes and businesses, was having trouble with internal technology. Its business was evolving: more customers were looking for their services, and GAVCO’s dedication to providing environmentally sound furniture and running its company in a green way dictated that they were putting more of their internal processes and systems online and ditching the paper.
A Good Fit
GAVCO was on the search for technology solutions that would help its business run smoothly. Owner Ken Lorenz tried five local IT companies and found them increasingly unprofessional, incompetent, and incompatible with his business. Not to mention the price — other providers were giving Ken proposals for a basic technology refresh on a budget of $17,000, a high price to pay for subpar service and shoddy work.
Ken reached out to his network and found Dallas Stewart, the owner of CMIT Solutions of Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond in Washington. He had heard from a mutual friend that CMIT was professional, competent, and committed to client service, things that had been sorely lacking in GAVCO’s existing IT support.
After an in-person meeting, Ken decided to give CMIT Solutions a try. Dallas gave GAVCO a price that was almost a third of what he was quoted by other competitors for a total tech refresh, a factor that sweetened the deal and made him question what exactly he had been paying for.
Implementing Elite Service
After assessing GAVCO’s needs, CMIT Solutions of Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond determined that the CMIT Ultra Service package was a right fit. Not only does GAVCO get the preventative IT that it needs, but when problems arise, as they inevitably do with computers, GAVCO knows that CMIT Solutions will take care of issues in a timely manner.
Like many businesses, GAVCO uses critical central software that’s essential to the entire operation. If a problem occurs with this software, the entire company grinds to a standstill waiting for the issue to be resolved. Unfortunately, computer problems never seem to happen at a convenient time, but Ken at GAVCO knows he can call CMIT at 6:00 AM on a Sunday for assistance and the problem will be resolved as soon as possible.
For example, a building maintenance worker once came in with a vacuum cleaner and mistakenly knocked the cover off the server, which caused the entire system to go down. Even though it was a Saturday morning, Dallas and his team at CMIT Solutions helped get everything up and running right away, meaning no loss of business for GAVCO and no interruption in service for customers.
Ken Lorenz of GAVCO fully appreciates having a valued business partner that is available to offer critical help 24/7. Furthermore, he knows that he has a strategic technology partner and advisor in Dallas Stewart that can handle every aspect of the business’ IT systems and support, from problems to preventative care. This lets Ken focus on his own business, while CMIT provides the peace of mind he needs to keep his goals for GAVCO top of mind.
Proving itself to be supportive and reliable time and time again, CMIT Solutions was the right answer to GAVCO’s IT problems.
Looking Ahead
GAVCO has been a valued CMIT Solutions client for more than five years now, and both parties appreciate the positive working relationship the other provides.
CMIT Solutions’ IT assistance has allowed GAVCO to see a huge business turnaround since the beginning of their relationship as Ken and his team at GAVCO can focus on growing their business, maintaining and evolving their admirable green code of business, and better serving their customers with no unresolved interruptions due to poor service or a gap in assistance.
Beyond the office, Ken and Dallas are now golfing buddies in the same league, which has provided a phenomenal networking opportunity for both businesses — Dallas has become the IT provider for other members of the golf league who own and operate their own businesses as well.
As GAVCO and CMIT Solutions continue to work together to take care of the IT needs of the business, GAVCO understands that CMIT Solutions will always be there to bring their system up to date with the latest technology refreshes and keep things running smoothly.
