The Power of Proximity: Why Having a Nearby IT Company is Crucial for Your Business

One morning this summer, a customer called us to report that their software and internet were not working. Upon checking their tech remotely, we found that their entire network was offline. We advised the client to turn on the server, but it did not come online. Fortunately, we were close by and were able to arrive on-site in less than 10 minutes. We discovered the power issue within 5 minutes and resolved the client's issue fully within 20 minutes from the time the ticket was submitted.

A prolonged power outage can have severe consequences for businesses. Productivity comes to a standstill, leading to missed deadlines and dissatisfied customers. Critical data may be at risk, making the business susceptible to data breaches and losses. Communication breakdowns harm the business's reputation and customer trust. If essential infrastructure is affected, health and safety risks emerge. Recovery expenses can soar, potentially leading some businesses to permanent closure.

For this reason, along with many others, it is crucial to have an IT support team for your business that is nearby, prioritizes you, and can solve problems fast.

Partnering with a local IT company can provide several benefits. Firstly, you can benefit from quick response times when you need help the most. A company that is located nearby can provide on-site support in a timely manner, which can minimize downtime and ensure that your systems are up and running as soon as possible. This can also save on travel costs.

Additionally, local companies tend to have a better understanding of the unique technology needs of your region. They can tailor their services to meet those needs and provide more effective solutions.

Improve your business health today by calling us at 604-210-9811 for a free quote for your company.

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Global Chip Shortage 2023 - Is It Affecting Your Business in Abbotsford?

Since early 2020, you may have heard whispers about the notorious “chip shortage”, and wondered how or if it’s effecting your Fraser Valley business

Whether you know much about it or not, it has been impacting local business here in the Fraser Valley, in ways that continue to evolve.

For those who aren’t technicians or haven’t Googled it yet, the “chips” in discussion are “the brains of electronic devices” and “can be found in a range of products from cars to home appliances to smartphones” (CNBC). They are small pieces of semiconductor material that contain electronic circuits, and are essential to the functioning of many of these devices, as they allow for the processing and storage of information. As you can imagine, with the never-ending rise of devices taking over our lives and homes, these are in very high demand.

The semiconductor industry, which has mostly been controlled by China, hasn’t been able to keep up with this demand. Between the War in Ukraine, rising tensions between the USA and China, and ongoing distribution complications lingering from the Coronavirus, production and distribution of these chips has been slipping and has not been able to recover. This has resulted in less product being available, as well as inflated prices. Specifically for local businesses here in the Valley, the chip shortage has affected the availability of products that are critical for our businesses to operate; You may have encountered long wait times for new PCs and Routers, phones, POS Systems, or other devices. This has made it challenging for our businesses to operate efficiently, causing us to lose customers and revenue.

The big news this season is that the chip shortage is coming near a resolution!

Experts are saying that things are looking up for chip production for all devices except automotive, which are projected to remain in a shortage for a while longer (Outlook). The USA has committed large investments to bring our main sources of chip production to the West (Forbes), so that Europe and the Americas do not have to rely on China for the production of important devices required for business, leisure, government, or military activities. We are certainly hoping that for the sake of our community, the predictions turn out to be accurate, so that all our businesses in the Fraser Valley can regain full access to the products they need, when they need them.

In the meantime, if you are located in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, or another neighbouring city, please feel welcome to fill out this form for a complimentary business tech consultation.

We’ll make sure your tech is running optimally, so you can focus on what really matters to you: your business.

Cyber Insurance - Does your Fraser Valley Business Need It?

Recently, insurance companies in Abbtosford and across the country have been changing their cyber insurance policy to require that insured companies implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and have an emergency data breach plan.

They are tightening their requirements to make sure less breaches happen, and that swift and efficient procedure takes place right away when they do.

What does this say to us, as customers, employees, business owners and technology users?

A goal of insurance companies is to not have any claims. The requirements on their policies are designed to limit as many disasters as possible. Claims cost them deeply! This means that their recommendations are based in carefully monitored statistics, so that they can ensure that you truly are as protected as possible. Companies that provide cyber insurance specifically, will typically have excellent testing systems to see if your data breach plan and your security systems are working the way they should. Upon an unsuccessful test, they can provide really helpful feedback on how to strengthen security systems.

Try getting a quote from a local insurance company in Chilliwack or Abbotsford so you can understand your risks, test your security systems and ensure your company’s protection.

We love insurance companies, and highly recommend cyber insurance for all our clients. We’d way rather make our money keeping you secure, instead of putting out lethal security fires.

You are always welcome to contact us for a free quote for your company’s data security, and data breach plans.

How Fraser Valley Businesses Can Prepare For Outages

If you are a local in the Fraser Valley, you've almost certainly heard of or suffered from the recent major Roger’s network outage across Canada.

CTV reports that almost every type of communication services were cut off, ranging from cell phone service to internet. Although it’s probably good for a people to fast things like reality tv and twitter, it is not so good for businesses and emergency services, such as 911, or government services, such as the ArriveCan app. Another more fatal consequence of the outage was lost access to many banks, so many Canadians could not use their debit or credit cards, or withdraw cash. All of this occurred because Rogers attempted to update a critical system (which went badly, to say the least).

Today, though, we want to address the effect of the outage on Fraser Valley businesses, and how they can protect themselves the next time it occurs.

All businesses need to make money, which is difficult when the primary source of cash flow is gone. Many Fraser Valley businesses today make the mistake of relying on debit and credit. We know this is a super easy system to count on; having one tablet and a minimalist system has its perks. The issue is, in any power outage or network outage, you’re in a pickle. We highly recommend never relying on just one system. At least have two set up at all times, so that when one fails, you are off the hook! For ourselves, we have a backup phone system because clients and suppliers need to be able to reach us if the wifi or network provider (such as Rogers) disappears!

In any retail industry, we stress the importance of teaching staff to run on cash, and having a good plan for internet and power failure.

Have emergency cash prepared for your staff and for gas. Make sure your email address and phone number are commonly known, on google, social media profiles and your store door. When you do end up having to run on cash, don’t forget to let your customers know BEFORE they come inside and fill up their buggies. Have someone standing by the door, or have aa good sign. One store in particular during the Rogers outage was prepared to run on cash, but didn’t tell their customers that purchases could be cash only until they got to the register. There was no sign on the door, or announcements on the intercom or online. Dozens of customers had to leave their buggies at the till, full of melting frozen food. It was a disaster!

Everything fails at least once per year, so make sure that you have at least two systems to run your company on, and an emergency plan in place, so that you are always in business!

Contact us to request a quote if you want to discuss backup system options for your company in Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack or Mission!