Start-ups come in all shapes and sizes. Some have investors, resources and strategic plans. Others grow organically out of nothing but the need to start producing an income.
That’s the way Newcastle business The Marketing Side started in 2015.
With zero start-up capital and a gritty determination to make it work, all Jodie McEwen had was a basic laptop, a Google account and a stack of marketing know-how.
Technology Ground Zero
As a sole trader in a fledgling business, the IT system wasn’t even basic, it was non-existent. Jodie’s needs were simple and could be met in the short-term with existing software and a patchwork of online platforms, programs and apps.
‘It was a case of what do I need now? How much is it? Can I get away with the free version?’ admits Jodie.
Without an office base, everything had to be mobile as Jodie spent a great deal of time on the road visiting her clients in their workplace. Another frustration of the ad hoc set-up was working in different operating systems and with devices that didn’t sync.
But little things grow
Over time, the business grew and more team members were added. With a photographer and a graphic designer now producing large files of creative content for clients, secure file storage and access to those files became an issue.
With one staff member having a degree of IT knowledge, cheap and free workarounds were found but inevitably, the cracks began to show. Uploading and downloading to Google Drive was costing precious time and the business required a more efficient, robust system.
It was time to bite the bullet and invest in business-grade solutions if the business was to continue growing.
Down to earth solutions
That’s when Gravity IT came to the rescue.
‘Glenn was just really helpful. He didn’t make me feel bad for the fact that my existing tech was so basic, he just put the new systems into place and made it easy for me and the team’.
The laptop with its creaking, gasping hard drive was retired and replaced with a new, faster desktop with duel screens to make it easy to work on multiple projects at the same time. Files were seamlessly transferred from the old laptop to the new computer in an afternoon, taking away a major headache and with no downtime.
And the whole system has been upgraded and moved to Microsoft 365 email and file storage.
Building for the future
‘Setting up Sharepoint for my business has been a game-changer. I know our files are safe and accessible anywhere, any time. We’re all ‘singing from the same song-sheet’ at last and the days of cobbled together IT are behind us’.
Need a solid IT framework for your growing business?
