Whether it's the holiday season or not, there is always something that takes up your time. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone you trust to take care of the nitty-gritty details? At minimum, when you're faced with trying to understand how to best protect the integrity of your customers and their data, you need to believe that the company and person in charge of your IT is up to snuff. This is where a your choice in tech provider needs to have a dedicated person solely for your personalized needs.
A Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) is, as the name implies, someone who manages your information remotely. They do a couple important things for companies, including:
- Planning the direction of the upcoming period and outlining key steps and improvements
- Meeting regularly with both customer and management to keep everyone involved in the strategy
- Providing advice as the go-to resource for business owners and executives on implementing the strategy
However, these are general contracted positions, not specific to IT companies. In fact, most IT companies don't include a vCIO - the customer must find and employ these roles in order to receive the benefits of them. Not only does Centre do things a little differently by including a dedicated vCIO into your personalized plan, but we also charge them with a mission that sits at the root of our business: build relationships with the customer that are built to last.
How Does a vCIO Benefit Small Businesses?
Personalized and Human Understanding of Your IT Infrastructure
A vCIO takes the time to understand your specific IT setup, challenges, and goals from the start, then tailoring service recommendations to fit your business. This 1:1 and often in-person (if needed) approach ensures you’re not getting generic solutions from a distanced project manager, but a personalized strategy from a human who gets you. They show the human side of our often technical and convoluted tech world.
When things get hectic, your vCIO acts as a reliable partner who stays on top of your growth plan. They ensure nothing slips through the cracks, providing consistent and proactive steps so you can focus on running your business.
Regular Technology Business Reviews (TBRs)
A vCIO organizes TBRs to keep key decision-makers informed about your IT performance and future strategies. These sessions are vital for aligning technology with your business goals, addressing any concerns, and identifying new opportunities to drive growth and efficiency.
The goal of these meetings isn't to add something else to your plate, rather to give you the freedom to truly be a part of your IT plan with an expert to serve as your guide. You don't have to have all the answers, our vCIOs will help you understand how to best grow with the right IT plan in place along the way.
Easy, Seamless Alignment with Your Goals and Our Service Delivery
Your vCIO serves as a bridge between your team and our service delivery team, ensuring all IT services are aligned with your objectives. At the end of that day, a vCIOs goal is to support, to serve, and to help you grow your business with the right IT plan. They advocate for your needs, streamline communication, and make sure you’re getting maximum value from your IT investment. It's like having on of your own trusted employees inside our business, keeping both parties in tune with one another.
These are the people that do the job that can't be taught, understanding the human side of our business and making sure you are heard, understood, and happy.
What's next?
For small businesses, these benefits translate to a more focused, strategic, and proactive IT approach, enabling growth, reducing downtime, and improving overall efficiency without the need for an in-house CIO.
Sound like a good plan for 2025? Let us know and we can get you covered.
Emily Kirk
