The role of a Small Business Technology Coach is to provide local small businesses with all the same technology advantages that larger business have enjoyed, while providing them within a budget small business can afford.
Our job as your trusted small business technology partner is to provide you with the same services larger businesses use to manage technology.
1. Technology Service
2. Technology Support
3. Technology Coaching
Technology Service
Most often our first introduction to new business clients occur when technology has failed them.
Being in need of technology repairs is not an easy time for anyone, especially not a successful small business owner with many other priorities on their mind.
This is a critical time and trust and commitment to resolution are important traits when looking for a technology partner.
At The Technology Coach we offer reasonable on-site service rates, prompt resolution, efficient communication and as much (or as little) inclusion in the details as the business owner needs.
We include a standard non-disclosure agreement with all of our technology services allowing the business owner to rest assured that not only are we providing the best solution but we are also safeguarding their privacy and confidentiality at the same time.
Moving past repair calls the second service we provide is a small business technology support plan which we use to create a stable and reliable technology platform to run your business uninterrupted and within your budget.
Countless studies including much of our own research have shown us time and time again that a regular preventative maintenance is a more cost effective, reliable and efficient way to deliver technology service.
Technology Support
A Small Business Technology Support Plan is much more efficient than a “break fix” style of waiting for things to go wrong before finding a solution.
Many of our current small business technology support plan customers will tell you that preventative maintenance is the best investment they have made in their business, next to the coffee maker of course!
Our small business technology support plan creates a “big business” level of reliability but fits within a small business budget.
Often compared to the difference between a regular oil change and an engine replacement we truly feel an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
With plans starting at as little as $195 monthly we are able to provide regular preventative maintenance for the average size small office, including remote support, training, project management, quarterly technology planning sessions and an annual technology audit.
You also get priority emergency response time and after hours and Emergency service at no additional charge.
Adding a small business technology support plan to your business is like finding a way to keep an on-staff IT person around with the knowledge and skills you need, at only fraction of the cost!
Try our support plan and save your time, save your technology and save your money.
Think of it as an investment in your business.
Technology Coaching
Third in the list of services we provide is technology coaching, we work with small business owners to keep them on top of new and emerging technologies that are related to their industry or can directly benefit their business.
It’s important to note this doesn’t mean we push technology on you because it's New and Fancy and it impresses US, we introduce you to specially selected technology that will create real and measured returns on your investment.
We are always monitoring the technology sector as new and innovative ways of improving business our introduced. Some of our clients like to be on the cutting edge, jumping on the podcasting, inventory management or RFID bandwagon ahead of the competition, we keep them informed and in tune to opportunities as they happen.
Others still prefer to wait out a new technology wave, to see how effective the technology has proven to be after 6, 12 or even 24 months before implementing changes to their business.
We see the value in this approach also and don’t push new technology where it isn’t needed.
Whether you want to be a technology leader or just want to watch success trends and invest in proven opportunities technology coaching keeps you in the know and doesn’t let your business miss an opportunity to benefit.
We realize that when it comes to new technology it can all be a little overwhelming, and that’s why we are constantly working with our clients from start to finish.
We assist in the selection, implementation, training and maintenance of all new technology we deliver!
Bringing together the piece of mind of an on-site service and repair when it’s needed, with the stability of a small business technology support plan and the advantages of technology coaching and guidance. At The Technology Coach we meet the needs of your small business and show you how to put technology on your side!
Whether you’re a single person operation with a technology failure on your hands or the head of a 25 employee business looking to grow The Technology Coach is your Trusted Information Technology Partner. We are the WHO to your Why, Where When and How of small business technology.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
About Scott Kendall The Technology Coach
Scott Kendall of The Technology Coach has been providing small business technology support in the west GTA area since 1991, with over 15 years of experience as a small business IT specialist there are few technology problems he hasn’t seen and fewer still he hasn’t resolved.
Starting at the age of just 15 Scott was providing computer service at a local computer repair shop in his home of south Etobicoke, collecting several small business clients including providing support for both of his entrepreneurial parents Scott was the de-facto IT support person for many local businesses before he was even old enough to drive.
Registering as just the 7th user on the Toronto free-net project in 1993 Scott has had internet access in his home since before the internet was anywhere near useful! Scott has always had a keen eye for emerging technologies, seeing opportunities for businesses in technology while warning many small business owners of technologies that simply weren’t a good investment.
Scott was one of the first IT support specialists hired by Rogers communications in 1998 when they first introduced Rogers High Speed internet service. Scott soon became trainer for the over 200 support staff Rogers hired within the first 18 months of their high speed internet project.
Scott spent several years in the corporate towers of downtown Toronto working for Banks, Mutual fund, Insurance companies and even a law firm. As head technology trainer at one of Canada’s premier law firms Scott personally developed and delivered Microsoft office training to over 1700 legal secretaries across Canada.
In 2001 Scott was invited by SkillPath of Kansas City, Missouri to attend an interview for the position of small business trainer, a short plane ride and a 2 day interview later Scott was on his way to leading over 500 one day technology courses to over 15,000 small business owners and support staff in just 18 Months.
Scott traveled from Florida to Hawaii, New York City to Texas, PEI to British Columbia and everywhere in between seeing 155 North American cities in just 18 months and racking up enough frequent flier miles for 6 vacations before hanging up his hat as an international traveler and settling back home to start his own business and putting to use everything he had learned to help you, the local small business owner make the most of Technology!
Starting at the age of just 15 Scott was providing computer service at a local computer repair shop in his home of south Etobicoke, collecting several small business clients including providing support for both of his entrepreneurial parents Scott was the de-facto IT support person for many local businesses before he was even old enough to drive.
Registering as just the 7th user on the Toronto free-net project in 1993 Scott has had internet access in his home since before the internet was anywhere near useful! Scott has always had a keen eye for emerging technologies, seeing opportunities for businesses in technology while warning many small business owners of technologies that simply weren’t a good investment.
Scott was one of the first IT support specialists hired by Rogers communications in 1998 when they first introduced Rogers High Speed internet service. Scott soon became trainer for the over 200 support staff Rogers hired within the first 18 months of their high speed internet project.
Scott spent several years in the corporate towers of downtown Toronto working for Banks, Mutual fund, Insurance companies and even a law firm. As head technology trainer at one of Canada’s premier law firms Scott personally developed and delivered Microsoft office training to over 1700 legal secretaries across Canada.
In 2001 Scott was invited by SkillPath of Kansas City, Missouri to attend an interview for the position of small business trainer, a short plane ride and a 2 day interview later Scott was on his way to leading over 500 one day technology courses to over 15,000 small business owners and support staff in just 18 Months.
Scott traveled from Florida to Hawaii, New York City to Texas, PEI to British Columbia and everywhere in between seeing 155 North American cities in just 18 months and racking up enough frequent flier miles for 6 vacations before hanging up his hat as an international traveler and settling back home to start his own business and putting to use everything he had learned to help you, the local small business owner make the most of Technology!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Using Technology To Enjoy That Much Needed Vacation!
It’s the annual dilemma that gives many small business owners the summertime blues: How to go on vacation and keep their business running.
2. Laptop's are becoming more and more compact in the last number of years, a new laptop from Asus recently released with a 7 or 9 inch screen measures less than the size of a soft cover book and weights less than a pound, now that's portable!
How many vacations have you taken lately?
If you're like most small business owners, vacation is a distant memory or a far flung dream. In fact, according to a QuickBooks survey from Intuit, 72 percent of North American based business owners would like to take a vacation – if only they could manage their business remotely.
Read on carefully, because there is a cure. You too can manage your business remotely without losing control. Here are Seven tips I use to make it work:
1. Go mobile; stay connected: Laptop computers with wireless adapters keep you connected wherever you go. You can get online anywhere there’s coverage – the cottage, the beach, Europe, Asia and even on many cruise ships! Anywhere a cell phone works, it's likely you can get internet access also.
2. Laptop's are becoming more and more compact in the last number of years, a new laptop from Asus recently released with a 7 or 9 inch screen measures less than the size of a soft cover book and weights less than a pound, now that's portable!
3. Where there is internet access, there is remote access. Remote access tools are available that allow a secure connection from your location to your home office that's "just like being there" see your office screen just like you were in the office. Ask us how!
4. Manage your finances online: QuickBooks Online business
software is a handy way to keep track of your finances anywhere, anytime – especially while traveling. You can use it to create and send professional-looking invoices via e-mail and easily track cash flow all online.
5. Get a Smartphone: More than a cell phone, a smartphone allows you to communicate instantly with customers and employees via phone, e-mail and text messages. Whether it's a blackberry an iPhone or a Palm or Windows based device, taking your calendar, your contacts and your email access with you in your shirt pocket or purse is a great way to stay in touch without staying in the office.
6. Reduce paperwork: Replacing that old copy machine with an all-in-one photocopier, fax and scanner puts an end to sending paperwork via snail mail. If you have employees, it means they can scan documents and send them to you via e-mail. Or better yet, get an online fax and reduce your carbon footprint.
7. Outsource: Look at ways you can outsource specific business management tasks. Hire a virtual or local assistant to help with administrative tasks or find a writer to write copy for your Web site. It can also include working with another business owner to trade off covering for each other’s business when traveling.
There are high-tech and low-tech ways of gaining back control of your time and your business, for more ideas or to discuss cost effective ways of implementing strategies that will let you get out of the office this summer, don't hesitate to call, of course, you might just catch me on the dock but I'm always willing to talk :)
Have a great summer season!
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