Our goal is to provide configurable, professional and straight-talking IT support for SMEs in the North West. So, whether you need advice every now and again, or you’re looking for a complete package, we can tailor-fit our IT services to suit you.
Looking for comprehensive IT support for a fixed monthly price? We’ll become your IT department, proactively managing everything from assessments and onboarding, through to ongoing support, protection, strategic optimisation and all the bits in between.
A preventative maintenance service designed to support SME’s existing IT departments, our proactive monitoring support ensures system issues are identified and resolved, before they can cause problems. This approach creates a second or third line of support for your team, resulting in a fully comprehensive IT strategy.
Telecoms is often just as important as the IT infrastructure itself, which is why we offer integrated VoIP phone solutions that keep your systems, employees and customers connected, in the slickest way possible.
At Q2Q-IT we know the everyday needs of a modern business. The nerve centre of communication in business is email; so, it is important to have a reliable and, most importantly, safe form of communication. As well as managing your cloud storage, here at Q2Q we also manage the complex tools and software that help your computer network thrive.
It is impossible to run a modern SME without the power of the internet. That’s why we offer a range of comprehensive internet and broadband services to ensure fast and reliable connectivity for your business, at all times.
A computer crash does not have to be the end of the world for your business. The most common cause of an IT disaster is a simple failure of technology, meaning that months or even years of files can be lost through no fault of your business. However, such a loss can have a devastating effect.
Whilst you can never know when you may incur a data loss, you can guarantee that nothing will be lost forever. We offer a range of contingency plans including remote backups and data replication – both designed to keep your information safe and secure, even when the unexpected happens.
Looking for all of the benefits that come with cloud servers, without any of the technical difficulties that may arise? We offer a variety of cloud services managed by our own IT experts so it’s one less thing for clients to worry about.
By 2019, it is estimated that 204 billion emails will be sent per year. The need to send and receive emails, using a variety of devices, has therefore never been greater. But with this growing magnitude of digital communications comes the additional headache of managing archived messages, as well as spam, malware, viruses and phishing attempts. We can help.
Cyber crime is one of the biggest risks facing UK SMEs, but it is also one of the dangers that so many organisations continue to overlook. Our IT experts are clued up on the latest protection mechanisms to keep your business, employees and data, cyber safe.
Are you struggling to understand the current state of your IT infrastructure? Or are you worried about complying with the new General Data Protection Regulations? Whether you’re preparing for growth, concerned about data security, or just think it’s time for an IT MOT – we can help you regain control!
Our IT Assessment can provide the answers to all common SME pain points, while our specialised GDPR Assessment will help you get your data processes in shape and complying with the new legislation.
We’ll undertake a thorough, 36-point health-check of your current IT infrastructure and processes, before presenting our findings in an easy-to-digest graphical report. The result is a clear understanding of the areas for improvement, in priority order, along with a breakdown of the actions required to achieve progress.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect on the 25th May 2018, with the intention of bringing existing EU legislation surrounding the use and processing of ‘personal data’ up to date.
As you’ve heard us mention before, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to outsourced IT support – what will work for an SME in its early stages, won’t be suitable for one that’s fully established.
It’s crucial that businesses take stock and assess what stage they’re at on their corporate journey, so this can be mirrored in the IT support they seek. But, as an SME business owner, how do you know the level of IT support needed to help you #ReachYourITPeak?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we look at three common support tiers – start-ups, scale-ups and established SMEs – to help you better understand your organisation’s IT assistance requirements.
Albert Einstein once said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – and in many ways, this philosophy is easily applied to starting a successful business.
When a company is in the start-up stages, it’s important that the foundations – especially where IT is concerned – are solid, so that operations are smooth, productivity is at its best and corporate headaches are minimised.
So, when it comes to establishing a secure and effective IT infrastructure, it’s crucial that your start-up has all of the necessary equipment, software and support to keep it streamlined.
But if you’re a little stuck and wondering where to start your outsourced IT support journey to reach your IT peak, it may help to bear the following points in mind.
For many SME owners, knowing the level of IT support your business needs to operate most efficiently can seem like an impossible – sometimes unobtainable – task.
That’s why, with our latest campaign – Reach your IT peak – we’re focusing on helping SMEs to decipher their individual IT requirements, and find the right level of support for them.
Think about it… it takes a careful balance of strategy and equipment to reach a peak level of IT productivity. And the bigger the mountain – or SME – the higher the level of support needed, meaning that both these factors must adapt accordingly to maintain effectiveness.
This same rule applies to businesses of all sizes, right through from start-ups and scale-ups, to fully-fledged enterprises.
But how can you ensure that your organisation has all the IT support it needs?
Whether big or small, all businesses know that the data they store is crucial for communicating with people – including employees, stakeholders, potential customers and more, who are vital in helping them successfully fulfil their company activities and objectives.
Given that between 60% and 90% of organisations fail after a security breach or data loss – and with plenty in the news about GDPR fines – it’s never been more ingrained in the minds of SME owners, that copies of this data need to be regularly saved somewhere safe. This is not only to help prevent any information being compromised in a cyber-attack, but also to enable rapid recovery in the event of a power outage or natural disaster, for example.
We’ve talked about the importance of back-up and data replication before, but how do you know exactly what kind of files you need to duplicate, how to do it and when?
As IT and cyber-threats continue to evolve at a rapid pace, SME owners are increasingly having to upskill in these areas – not only to keep up with the latest tech, but also in order to shape a cohesive and effective business model.
But whilst some have accepted that cyber-strategy is a vital topic for discussion in the boardroom, others are sceptical about who should be carrying the bulk of the responsibility. A recent study found that 84% of directors believe their IT department is able to protect them against a cyber-attack, yet although this good faith in your team is important, trust shouldn’t be used as a shield to deflect responsibility away from board members.
So, why exactly should cyber-strategy be given a place at the boardroom table?
The rapid evolution of technology means an increasing amount of modern-day business dealings are done digitally. Yet, whilst this convenient click-of-a-mouse approach is making many SME owners’ lives easier, it brings many security risks too.
From data breaches to phishing attacks, we’ve all seen in the news how cyber-threats – in all their forms – have affected businesses worldwide. So, it’s never been more crucial for SMEs to have a finger on the technological pulse when it comes to defending themselves against cyber-attackers. And deterring against viruses and other malware infections is a crucial part of this defence strategy.
But the array of protection options can be overwhelming. Paid-for or free – which anti-virus software will work best for my SME? Aside from being a quirky little rhyme, it’s a question that is causing many business owners to come unstuck. So, how should you decide?
Cyber-crime is an issue that undoubtedly spans the globe and with an ever-accelerating rate of technological evolution, it’s no wonder that incidents are becoming more commonplace – not to mention increasingly sophisticated! But is it really an issue that all organisations need to be concerned about?
The no-frills answer to that question is yes. Cyber-criminals don’t discriminate between business types or industries – and they certainly don’t let size put them off either. Whether a multinational corporation or a regional start-up, cyber-attackers show no mercy.
It’s in this respect that SMEs shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security and think that cyber-criminals won’t target their business – threats are around every corner of the digital minefield, and attackers are sure to strike if a firm’s guard is down.
Silos are for farms, not SMEs – unless, of course, your SME is an agricultural company that needs to store grain or compress green crops for sileage.
In that case, of course, silos would be very useful. Otherwise, avoid them at all costs.
So, your start-up has taken off. You’ve brought in new recruits, established a name for yourself and now you’re looking to scale-up. Great work!
But as with everything else in business, you’re more than aware that you can’t just jump in at the deep-end without weighing up the risks and opportunities around you. And one key thing you need to ask yourself before you take that plunge is whether your current IT infrastructure is up to it.
As your company evolves, your IT needs to as well. So, what should you be considering?
"The Q2Q support team are excellent at their jobs - they are incredibly friendly and experts in their fields."
Vicky Lofthouse - CEO - Lancaster District Chamber of Commerce
"We know our business will remain functional at all times – their support is genuinely 24/7. But this isn’t just because we’ve made an agreement or because they have SLAs to fulfil. A proactive, problem-solving, ‘can do’ approach is part of Q2Q’s DNA."
Philip Oldham - CEO - Lyle and Scott
"We find the service to be speedy, friendly, and most importantly, honest."
Andrea Lumb - Finance Director - CME Medical
"They always listen to us and provide pragmatic solutions that fit with our business objectives."
Michael Gregory - Director - Freshfield
"Q2Q’s IT audit enabled me to see a snapshot of Dreamr’s tech needs with a simple and jargon free way to fix important issues. For any busy owner, Q2Q is hands down the way forward."
Mylo Kaye - CEO - DreamR
"We’re already ahead of the curve in our current 5-year business plan, which means our IT infrastructure should support us long into the future."
Peter Taylor - Chief Executive - West Lancashire Freemasons
Lancaster-headquartered tech firm, Q2Q IT, has provided technical support to aid the establishment of a new office in the heart of Clitheroe town centre, as rural land and property specialists Armitstead Barnett continues to expand its presence in the North West.
Organisational Development Director
Fav thing about the office
It’s an office full of creative geeks with great banter, what’s not to love!
As a child I wanted to be a ... when I grew up
An actress
Guilty Pleasure(s)
Trash reality TV
Favourite Holiday
Walking in Wales if I am feeling energetic, Crete if I need a rest!
If I had a superpower it would be...
Mind Reading
Describe yourself in three words or less
Fun, nurturing, efficient
An interesting fact about me
My first car was a Humber Sceptre, which started my obsession with cars
Likes
Thai food, long walks with my dog, creating ideas with post it notes!
Favourite Band
I’ll listen to pretty much anything I can sing along to
Karaoke Jam
Islands in the stream, Dolly Parton
What I do at Q2Q:
My role is essentially support Andrew (the MD) with defining the overall business strategy and financial budgeting, then to design and deliver cost effective process and organisational change strategies, managing positive change in support of Q2Q’s future growth plans.
I work with the team to ensure there is continuous organisational performance improvement that is always customer centric, ensuring they are working collaboratively and efficiently, coaching them individually and as a team to bring out their best performance in supporting our customers.
Background and Achievements
The majority of my career has been in the mad world of Fashion, on the planning and operational side. In my previous role as Operations Director for a Heritage Menswear brand, I was responsible for the end to end journey of the product, from range planning, through sourcing, production, quality control, logistics, warehousing and customer service. Some of my key achievements in this role were improving on all delivery and service KPI’s, improving quality performance from 10% rejects to 1%, and delivering a significant number of process improvements across the team, whilst also delivering a saving on costs of 10% on overheads.
• As this role spanned so many disciplines, it enabled me to focus on my true passion, which is process improvement and people development, so my proudest achievement was introducing a Continuous Improvement Project Team to the wider business, bringing a positive change culture based on a combination of ideas including Appreciative Inquiry and Solution Focus tools. The workshops we developed empowered people to solve problems cross functionally, and considerably improved communication, collaboration and efficiency, whilst making savings to the bottom line. These workshops have formed the basis of the tools I now incorporate into Q2Q, and offer as an additional consultancy service to Q2Q customers.
Hobbies and Interests
Walking with my dog, and eating out with family
The cloud has been a rather popular topic of conversation in the corporate world recently – with 88% of UK businesses reported to have adopted a cloud-based approach to their systems. Therefore, it’s no wonder the industry is continuing to see a spike in the amount of organisations weighing up the pros and cons of this virtual technology – but do the benefits really outnumber the drawbacks?
For SME’s looking for an answer to this burning question, you might like to read on…
Technical Support Analyst
Fav thing about the office
The atmosphere
As a child I wanted to be a ... when I grew up
Taller!
Guilty Pleasure(s)
Cartoons
Favourite Holiday
The next one!
If I had a superpower it would be...
Deleting MACOS!
Describe yourself in three words or less
Caffeinated, analytical, funny (allegedly!)
An interesting fact about me
I am allergic to wasps
Likes
Coffee, Scotch and dead wasps!
Favourite Band
Pink Floyd
Karaoke Jam
Delilah
What I do at Q2Q:
My role is – Technical Support Analyst
I have Bachelors, and Master Degrees, and various Microsoft Certifications from Windows 2000 to current. I have a very varied background in IT across many different disciplines, including server admin, network admin, and agile development of live operating systems.
Background and Achievements
20 years in IT, with a mix of experience including Support, Service Management and Wireless Networking.
Hobbies and Interests
Drinking coffee, reading and films
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