Are You Seeking Excitement...Or Security?

Recently I was at a dinner party with my wife, and overheard a 30-year-old young woman say to another, that she was 'over the days of excitement' and was now looking for a relationship that would offer 'security.' We all might have a sense of what she was referring to, which was a responsible, financially stable individual.

But then this brought up an interesting conversation at the office about what security really means from an IT perspective. In the similar sense as this woman's requirement in a future relationship, it all comes down to one thing - having peace of mind., and the simple truth is that you should be seeking peace of mind from your IT provider.

One word sums this up – trust. Do you trust that your provider is taking care of you? Are they doing everything to ensure the safety of your network and your data? How do you know?

I had a conversation with a client a few months ago. He made the statement “I trust you” and I asked him why. That’s often tough to answer, as most of the time it’s just a feeling we have. But con men (and women) rely on building trust with an individual so they can steal them blind. In fact, the best cons are never caught! So take some time to think about why you trust your provider (whether it’s my firm or someone else). The best way to build trust is to do what you promise, and to maintain transparency in everything you do. Trust is something to be earned, and once earned, cherished.

In my conversation with this client, I reminded him that when we met he had three different backup systems in place as he didn’t trust any of them to work perfectly. He lived in fear that something would fail and he’d lose all his data, his entire business! I asked him if he worries about that any longer, and his response was “No, I trust you are taking care of it.” That’s high praise indeed, but my next question caused his stomach to flip. I asked him how he knows we are doing everything right, because I certainly don’t trust backup systems. Of course, I couldn’t leave him hanging, so I explained that our policy is to check those backups daily.

Yep, I assign an employee to actually check the backups work each day, and to test them by performing a restore every month. Not only that - but we also notify our clients in writing of all the test results - even if there is a failure that requires immediate remediation. Systems can fail, people can make mistakes, but checking and documenting these checks each day provides a transparency to what we do. That’s the reason he can trust we are taking care of his business.

Sure there is a cost to this. But the peace of mind… priceless!

This summer we started an annual “health check” of our client systems. One by one, we deep dive into their network to find the little things that can be fixed, and identify opportunities for improvement. Think of it like an annual physical at your doctor. No one wants to do it, but it’s sure nice to have a clean bill of health, and an action plan to stay healthy. That’s one way we cherish the trust we’ve earned.

Take a look at your relationship with your IT provider, as well as the other key relationships you have. Ask some hard questions and consider the response. Does it reflect a strong consideration for your best interests? Are you being taken care of?

If you are confused about back-up, or need help, we’re here! Give us a call at 954.920.9604 and we'll help you build the right IT plan for your business.