IT strategy & consulting in Nelson
Most growing businesses need IT leadership long before they need a full-time IT manager. We act as your virtual IT manager: setting a budget, planning the next three years, dealing with vendors and giving you straight answers when an insurer, auditor or client asks hard questions.
Nelson is supported remotely. Our technicians are based in Auckland and Hamilton, so onsite work here is planned project work, booked and quoted in advance.
IT strategy & consulting for Nelson businesses
Nelson's economy rests on seafood, horticulture, forestry, wine and tourism, with a large fishing port, a compact city centre of professional firms and a strong community of creative and small technology businesses around Nelson and Richmond.
Seafood and forestry businesses run office, processing and port-side systems that must keep working through long shifts, while small professional firms in the city often have just a few staff and no internal IT. Reliable remote support and cloud-based systems suit both. Richmond and Stoke business areas mix workshops with offices, so Wi-Fi and network separation between the two often needs attention, and creative studios move large files that need good cloud storage.
We also deal with the people around your IT. We read software contracts before you sign, talk to vendors on your behalf, fill in cyber insurance and client security questionnaires accurately, and sit in on meetings with new suppliers so somebody on your side understands the technical details being discussed. That saves directors hours each month, avoids contracts that lock you into the wrong system and means the answers you give insurers and clients are accurate, which matters if you ever need to make a claim.
Nelson businesses are supported remotely for help desk, security, backups and Microsoft 365, with onsite work only for planned projects by arrangement, quoted in writing.
What's included
Yearly IT budget
A budget for hardware, software, services and projects, so IT spending is planned before the financial year rather than discovered during it.
Insurance and security questionnaires
Accurate answers to cyber insurance, client and tender questionnaires, with a list of anything to fix before you submit.
Vendor management
We deal with internet, phone and software suppliers for you, chase faults and review renewals before they roll over.
Current state review
A written assessment of your systems, security, licences and contracts, with the risks ranked and explained in business terms.
Regular leadership meetings
A standing meeting with the directors to review progress, risks and upcoming decisions, with short written notes afterwards.
Three-year roadmap
What to replace, upgrade or retire over the next three years, in order, with the reasons and the expected cost of each step.
Is it right for your Nelson office?
A virtual IT manager suits businesses that:
- Are growing and making bigger IT decisions than before
- Have IT spending that varies wildly from year to year
- Are choosing a new core business system
- Face insurance, client or tender questions about security
- Want someone to manage vendors and contracts on their behalf
- Have a director spending hours each week on IT decisions
How getting started works
- Free IT health check. We look at your devices, accounts, backups and network and tell you what we find, in plain English.
- Clear proposal. A written monthly price per user and a list of any fixes, with nothing hidden.
- Handover. We collect admin access and documentation from your current provider and keep your team working.
- Day-one fixes. Security gaps, failed backups and urgent risks are dealt with first.
IT strategy & consulting in Nelson: questions
Is remote IT support practical for a Nelson business?
Yes. Most IT work, from fixing a laptop to securing Microsoft 365, is done remotely. We arrange physical work through planned visits or a local installer.
We have only four staff. Is managed IT worth it?
For many small teams it is, because it covers security, backups and support for a predictable monthly cost. Pay as you go remote help is the alternative if you only need occasional assistance.
How is consulting charged?
Small pieces of advice are billed at our hourly rate of $109 plus GST. A full review and roadmap, or an ongoing virtual IT manager arrangement, is quoted in writing first with a fixed scope.
How often would we meet?
Most clients meet quarterly, with more frequent catch-ups during a big project such as an office move or system change. Meetings can be in person in Auckland or Hamilton, or online.
Will you push us towards particular products?
We recommend what suits your business and explain why. Where we supply hardware or software, the price is quoted separately so you can compare it with buying elsewhere.
Is this the same as managed IT?
No. Managed IT keeps things running day to day. Strategy and consulting is about planning and decisions. The Complete plan includes a yearly budget and replacement plan; deeper consulting can be added on any plan or bought on its own.
More IT services in Nelson
- Managed IT
- IT support
- Cyber security
- Microsoft 365
- Backup & disaster recovery
- Email security & deliverability
- Co-managed IT
- Security awareness training