These past two years have been both hard and revelatory for small business owners. Not so long ago my field of expertise, IT support and management, was the dream job for many young people. IT skills would provide a solid future for employment, and it paid well. If you didn’t have a degree in IT, there were some lucky opportunities where a company would hire and train you. Ah, the good old days. Gone forever, according to recent pronouncements from employment experts. Like so many other small business owners, I had to adapt. But I’m happy to report that a reluctant choice is working out well.
Meet Richee And Nelson
My IT support and management business, Aptica, is not global, but I have peers and colleagues from other countries. We have commiserated about the lack of applicants for what we consider very necessary jobs. It was from a colleague in Australia that I first heard about available IT talent in Manila. In the Philippines. It took several conversations and at least a million questions before I would even consider such a solution, but after much due diligence, my reluctant choice is working out well. I’m happy to introduce Aptica’s newest staff members, Richee and Nelson. They are skilled Filipinos who are pleased to be helping clients in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio U.S.A.
Necessity Is Truly The Mother Of Invention
But, you exclaim, Manila is 8000+ miles away! And we all hate it when we get transferred to some foreign help desk where heavy accents make it impossible to get issues resolved. I was initially alarmed at such a suggestion myself. BUT—my Australian colleague speaks the Queen’s English and I easily understand her on the phone. AND—there are agencies in Manila that specialize in recruiting and thoroughly vetting IT applicants for working with Americans (and in other countries.) I struggled past my knee-jerk “No Way!” response and started my research on such a possibility.
They Work In Real-Time And Their English Might Be Better Than Some Folks We Know Locally
Yes, the Philippines is at least halfway around the world, but this works to our advantage. They are available from 7:30am our time, just like our local guys are. Aptica hired Richee and Nelson and they have been in training with and shadowing Hunter and Tony from our local office. This will be a three to six-month process. They already know IT but we are teaching them Aptica standards and methodology. Also, there are two languages spoken in the Philippines, Filipino (their national language) and English. The Philippines were an American territory from 1898 through 1946, and they wisely continued to teach English in the schools. Filipino workers are highly favored and in-demand abroad because communication is immediate and easy.
I Worked Through My Reluctance And I’m Happy To Report We Now Have The Help We Need
You have heard me speak often of the importance of best practices. If you have a computer network of any size in your business, you already know how critical a response time can be in an IT crisis. My clients’ needs and expectations helped me decide to accept help from global resources so I could continue to meet my business standards. I am so pleased that my reluctant choice is working out well. If you have any questions or concerns about this topic, I have some enthusiastic answers to share with you. It’s about being able to do good work in a profession that touches all aspects of a business. I am proud to say that Aptica remains on the leading edge of IT support and management.
Jason Newburg, 260.243.5100, ext 2101, is the founder and owner of Aptica LLC. This IT management and support company has been serving small to medium-sized businesses for 19 years in the region that includes Angola, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, IN, Battle Creek, MI, and Toledo OH.