Every company runs on technology – it’s just the reality of modern business life. You can’t run a company today without some combination of hardware, software, cloud storage, internet access, and data security. So, fortunately, I don’t have to “sell” anyone on the idea that business tech is a necessity. Every company owner already knows they need technology.
And thanks to the nightly news, nobody needs a sales pitch on why cybersecurity matters. Hackers, ransomware, phishing, data breaches – it’s all out there, and it’s not slowing down.
So if my team and I are not selling, what do we do?
Easy. We listen. We consult. And we help business owners figure out whether their tech is still doing what they need it to do, or whether it’s quietly holding them back.
Every year – or more frequently for some clients – I sit down with the business leader and the person responsible for technology decisions for a conversation about where their business is going and what they’ve learned over the past year. These are business reviews that span all kinds of topics because, as any company owner knows, any one aspect of a business may affect every other aspect.
“What’s Changed Since in the Past Year?”
That’s usually where our conversation starts. Because no business stands still. Your industry evolves. Customer expectations shift. Maybe you opened a new office, added a dozen employees, or finally ditched paper forms. Perhaps you took on a substantial new customer (or lost one). Possibly your employees or clients are complaining about something repeatedly. Or maybe you’re challenged by shifts in the economy.
Whatever is happening in your business, it’s important for me to understand it before I can evaluate whether your technology setup has kept up.
A large number of our clients have between 11-50 employees. We find that most organizations that size don’t have anyone regularly reviewing their systems to ask:
- Is this still the best way to do this?
- Is our tech helping us grow? Or just helping us get by?
- Are we exposed to new risks?
- Do our employees even know what a phishing email looks like?
One of our clients, for example, recently merged with a partner company. Their combined operations doubled, and although they merged a lot of their tech, it didn’t budge them forward – and “moving forward” was the whole purpose of the merger. For example, their email was still routed through a single server, and only one person had admin privileges.
Translation: They were one spilled coffee cup away from disaster.
So no, they didn’t need a sales pitch. They needed someone they trusted with the expertise to walk them through what was no longer working and show them what could be fixed without starting from scratch.
That’s what my team and I do.
The Annual Technology Checkup
Think of us like a CPA or an attorney. You meet with those professionals once a year (at least), not because you’re in trouble, but because you’re trying to avoid trouble. The same goes for your business tech expert. That’s a meeting you need to take every year.
With most of our clients, we recommend a full check-in annually. During that review, we:
- Ask what’s changed in your business and what’s likely to change in the coming year.
- Talk about your plans for growth, remote work, new services, etc.
- Run a technical scan on your systems to search for security gaps.
- Review user behaviors that could open your company up to cyber threats.
- Share recent advances in tools and services that might save you and your people time, or save your company money, or help you increase your customers’ satisfaction with you.
For instance, many of our clients now accommodate some form of hybrid work scheduling for their employees. But each one needs to do this differently. Some need to secure an employee’s external connection to their server or file system. Others keep their files or software in the cloud, which requires a different technical approach. Still others need to work in public places, such as co-working venues. The business does this because it wants to improve productivity, increase employee satisfaction and loyalty, and potentially reduce the amount of commercial space it needs to lease. So it’s not just about technology; it’s about a better business.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Technology doesn’t slow down. Whether it’s AI tools that streamline customer service or operating systems reaching their end of life, there’s always something that can impact your operations.
For example, this year, Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10, the most popular operating system in the world. That means your machines won’t get security updates anymore. If that sounds like no big deal, let me offer a metaphor: that’s like leaving your doors unlocked and telling yourself it’s fine because you’ve never had a problem before (forgetting that before, your doors were locked).
Most companies will move to Windows 11, but some might take the opportunity to reconsider their entire setup. For example, if your team already uses iPhones and iPads for work, this could be the moment to explore whether Apple’s ecosystem makes more sense for your company. Would your company benefit from converting from PCs to Macs? That’s not a solution that’s right for everyone, but it is the kind of strategic conversation we love to have.
The No-Pressure Business Tech Consultation
When I sit down with a client, I’m not there to convince them of anything. I’m there to help them see what’s going on behind the scenes so they can make better decisions about the future of their company..
More often than not, business owners are surprised by what we uncover, such as:
- An unsecured printer leaking sensitive data.
- A forgotten employee login still active (and still being used).
- Free tools being used in ways that violate compliance rules.
- A “shared password” spreadsheet stored on the desktop.
Our reviews are not about pointing fingers. They’re about spotting risks and solving them before they become disasters.
Once in a while, I’ll advise a client that they should do X, and they’ll resist. Then they’re surprised when I’m insistent about it. For example, I recently met with a client whose business uses 30 computers, and he wanted to add security protection to 15 of them (leaving the other 15 unprotected). I had to insist they add the protection to all 30 units, or none of them. That’s not because I wanted to make an extra dollar; it’s because the unprotected computers can pass a malicious attack through to the company’s network, where it can wreak havoc. A reputable technology business wouldn’t put a client in that position.
A Peek at the Details of That Conversation
Although the client was right to be concerned about maintaining a balanced budget, he didn’t understand the risk to which he was exposing his company. The damage could easily have been 100 times the cost of preventing it. So, our conversation evolved into a discussion about priorities across the company, which helped him focus on business issues that went well beyond technology, and ultimately included the protection that his company needed.
In the end, the dollar amount for protection turned out to be a phantom issue; his real concern was an unrelated project that was experiencing cost overruns. Through our discussion, he realized a better solution was to slow down that other project by two months, allowing his staff to get enough breathing room to catch up in ways that were less costly.
Why This Matters
Years ago, my insurance agent came by for an annual review. Like most people, I assumed my coverage was fine, so I wasn’t keen on the meeting, but I took it anyway. Turns out, my coverage wasn’t appropriate for my life, as my life had changed. (Our home value had changed; our children were about to start driving; my wife and I each owned separate companies, etc.). Because those changes were gradual and we were busy, I hadn’t computed that we had significant new exposures. After meeting with him, I walked away relieved that he helped me catch and prevent what I hadn’t previously considered.
That experience stuck with me.
Now I’m the guy helping other business owners to have that same kind of “Aha!” moment. Because when you know what you’re working with (or defending against), you can make informed decisions. When your tech systems are aligned with your business goals, you stop wasting time and start gaining ground.
The Bottom Line
I’m not in sales. I’m in partnership.
My team and I don’t push products. We don’t use high-pressure sales tactics. We have conversations with intelligent business owners who want to work smarter, gain more efficiency, and want the value of their company to grow.
Sometimes that leads to upgrading their tools. Sometimes it means more staff training. Sometimes it’s just a few tweaks to keep things humming along. Technology is always changing, business is always changing – so each year, the situation is different.
And yes, occasionally it leads to no changes at all, but you get the peace of mind that comes from knowing everything is in good shape. It’s like a medical check-up when your doctor says, “You’re doing great! See you next year.”
Whatever the outcome, the conversation is always worth having.
P.S. Here’s what one of our clients – a partner in a law firm – had to say about our business review:
“I just had a periodic review meeting with Keith regarding our law firm IT management, and I couldn’t be more impressed. I didn’t know what to expect, but the meeting was incredibly valuable and informative, giving me a clear understanding of our IT infrastructure and proactive strategies to keep everything running smoothly.
The whole CMIT team is knowledgeable, professional, and always ahead of the curve when it comes to security and efficiency. I appreciate their commitment to keeping our systems optimized and their ability to explain complex IT matters in a way that makes sense. I highly recommend CMIT to anyone looking for reliable and forward-thinking IT support!”
