Many businesses are complex that compete in industries that are equally complex. The IT industry is no exception. It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been in the business for over 10 years already. We have seen a lot of change over that time and it’s not just in the products. Our conference room display is a reminder of how far the products have come, but the more challenging changes have been in the business models. For example, a decent part of our revenue in the early days were installing network interface cards (NICs) into computers that for the most part only came with modems back then. That lasted maybe a year and then every new computer model that came out came complete with a NIC.
Fast forward to today and the industry is even more diverse. We’re seeing consolidation of smaller IT providers just to keep up. IT service companies are becoming the trusted business advisor, not just the computer repair guy. Systems are more integrated, more complex. It’s no longer just about the desktop. That’s a foregone conclusion. It just has to work, period. No more waiting to have it fixed. Smart business owners understand the true costs of downtime and reactive support. They want us to practically predict failure and resolve it proactively. Good thing we have the technology. But besides the technology (product/service), we still have a business to run. Sales funnel management. Best practices. Processes, forms, checklists. The list goes on and on before you even get to dealing with managing people and cash flow.
Luckily, we have more than a handful of really good friends in the industry. A few weeks ago, we were blessed enough to get to travel out and spend some time at their businesses - at least a full day at each one.All in all it was a whirlwind trip visiting three cities in California and putting almost 1400 miles on our brand new (miles out: 1) rental car. All three of these businesses are in different stages of growth. One is about our size, one is a little smaller, one is much bigger. In the end we learned a lot from each of them. We came back with a laundry list of good ideas for our business and our clients’ businesses.
It reminded me of how important it is to get out of our own shell a little. Out of our own state even. It reminds me that as a leader, I still have a lot of learning to do. I still need regular input from more than just my staff to make the best decisions I can for moving us forward. We’ve had tremendous growth and even with a down economy last year, our business feels as sustainable as ever. I believe this is in large part due to the investment of time (and sometimes travel) over the last three years with other business owners. Talking about our businesses. Our experiences. Looking over the hill and around the corner. Finding synergy. Sharing from our strengths. Making up for each other’s weaknesses. Learning from each other.
From our core group, I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve shared. Although we are scattered from coast to coast and Toronto to Houston, the lessons learned are the same. As a special thanks, I’d like to let our friends Amy & Peter, Alex & Monique, Frank, Ginger, Brian, John & Amy that we truly appreciate all of the camaraderie during our travels. Hopefully we had a few good ideas for your groups also. I’m looking forward to our next visit in Dallas. Although we don’t yet have a snazzy name for our office, you’re welcome to come visit us any time.