Posts written by:
Dave Monahan
Smart Dolphins is migrating to a new home. On March 1st we will be calling Unit #303 3995 Quadra Street home. This address is better known as Saanich Centre, at Quadra and McKenzie and is home to Thrifty Foods, Starbucks, London Drugs, etc. Why a retail centre, you might ask (given we’re not a retail business)? Many…
Read MoreIn 2015, we underwent an operational renovation where we began to charge a fixed monthly IT support fee. At that time, the vital part of our renovation was to change our arrangements with our customers to a fixed, “all-inclusive” monthly fee. This, as opposed to charging a fee that was simply based on the amount of work that we did, for example, an hourly rate. …
Read MoreIn a recent blog, I shared that Smart Dolphins IT Solutions has undergone an operational renovation over the past few years. A business-friend replied to this post: “Ok, that sounds good, but what did you actually DO during the renovation? What fundamental changes in philosophy and process do you make? Not trying to challenge you…
Read MoreWe believe that great IT positively impacts company culture. Company culture is an overworked buzzword, but there is good reason for this. Organizations live and die by how well they coordinate their people to do valuable things for the world. The difference between success and failure is so often driven by the emotion the people…
Read MoreSmart Dolphins has morphed a lot over the past few years. It might not be clear to the outside world, but we have undergone a major transformation and have found a great deal more success as a result. Our business has never been more sustainable and our customers have never been as happy. I’m confident…
Read MoreIf you’re like me, you make your living by tapping on little plastic keys for a big chunk of your day. If some of that typing is publishing prose for the world to read, you will likely want to check out: https://hemingwayapp.com. This is a simple service that is like having your grade 12 English teacher…
Read MoreLast year I made the switch from an iPhone to an Android based mobile device. I was happy I made the switch (a topic for a different Pod Pointer), but an odd thing happened with some of my texts that I sent: With a few contacts, the messaging was seriously delayed. Well, it turns out…
Read MoreFor businesses that are in the small-to-medium-sized (SMB) category (25 to 100 computers, 25 to 100 employees or a mix), the IT labour requirements of their computer network can be quite significant. And that significance can be enough for consideration to be given to the idea of hiring a full-time employee to dedicate to the various IT support roles. The question here is, is that the right way to go for your business? It may…
Read MoreFor larger small businesses (25 to 100 computers/employees), the IT labour requirements of their computer network can be significant enough that consideration is given to hiring a full time employee to dedicate to the IT Support roles. The alternatives are having an in-house employee support the organization on a part time basis, while also serving…
Read MoreOne full-time employee should be able to support roughly 50 to 150 computer users. As a rule of thumb, one full-time employee should be able to support 50 to 150 computer users. If the organization uses technology more intensively or has significant customer-facing technology, the IT staff demands might be greater. And vice versa: If…
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