Posts written by:
Dave Monahan
Success in the IT service industry requires two things: talent and process. Talent is the most obvious factor and so most service providers and customers focus on this. Indeed, Smart Dolphins is loaded with talent, but that is for another day. Less obvious is the importance of process – how the collection of talent…
Read MoreSmart Dolphins can lower the costs for most Vancouver Island businesses dependent on IT. So many representatives of organizations we meet with have no idea what their IT costs are. Without a clear understanding of annual IT costs, how can a business create a budget for the coming year? Common IT costs: IT support (outsourced…
Read MoreI recently received some feedback from a prospective customer that decided to go with another IT support company. They told me: “We ended up choosing a company who would simply bill us hourly for the services that we used. We found that to be more straightforward and an easier business model for us to work…
Read MoreAre you a flipper? No, I don’t mean Flipper, as in the Dolphin. Do you flip between programs frequently? Most people know about the keyboard shortcut Alt + Tab. Did you know that Windows Key + Tab is another helpful keyboard shortcut that is a little more visual? Hold the Windows key and tap Tab. This command will display…
Read MoreHere is a security tip that almost everyone should know. You should lock your smart phones, PC, MAC etc. It is usually an appropriate security practice to lock your computer when you leave it unattended. The main reason for this is to prevent others from accessing or altering your data. There are a variety of…
Read MoreThere are times in life we don’t forget… This year’s VIATeC Awards was one for me, in particular this moment: “The winner of the Employer of the Year is… Smart Dolphins!” I know it is the typical, modest thing to say, but I REALLY thought that we were going to be the runner up. I…
Read MoreOne year ago today, tech tips aka Pod Pointers were born! Have we changed the world yet? Personally, I think we have. We certainly have received great feedback from many people – thanks for this. I’m sure each Point Pointer has helped save one or more people money, time and frustration. Cool. And isn’t that…
Read MoreIn 2008, Smart Dolphins was crowned “Member of the Year” by VIATeC. We are huge proponents of VIATeC so this was a big honour. In fact, we still promote this wonderful recognition in our email signatures to this day. Hopefully, we’ll be changing our email signatures soon… We are very excited to announce that we…
Read MorePeople and companies have a tendency to repeat patterns. Some patterns are positive and helpful; others, not so much. I meet with a lot of business leaders who are in a lot of pain when it comes to their IT. There is lots of evidence of their pain when we dig in and examine their…
Read MoreAs a part of our ongoing bragging about being an Award Finalist for this year’s GVCC Awards, I’d like to share another letter of support from my mentor and good friend, Jim Ralph (former president of Roger’s Chocolates): February 6, 2012 The Selection Committee 2012 Business Awards Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Dear Committee…
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