Island Joe Group

It’s the Wild West out there. Much like the law men of the Old West, anyone can throw up a shingle and announce he or she is an IT consultant. Some folks may moonlight as IT contractors, just as law men on the frontier frequently found work outside of law enforcement. And, again like the Old West, the government has no rules when it comes to being an IT consultant.

This lack of regulation can make selecting an IT contractor a stressful task for a small business owner. Island Joe does not favor government regulation of the IT industry. Regulation would impose higher costs on our clients, and as an advocate for our clients, Island Joe lobbies against increased regulation. However, the most important ingredient in a successful free market is information. As part of our ongoing commitment to educate our clients and market, we recommend looking for the following information:

1)      Credentials While there are truly computer-savvy individuals who don’t possess a single certification, it’s important to ask about certifications. Some basic and common certifications-and good ones to look for-are Microsoft Certified IT Professionals (MCITP) and A+ certification. It’s also important to realize that your IT vendor is not required to be licensed in any way.

2)      Insurance Ask for your IT provider’s certificate of liability insurance. If he’s not insured, the risk is all on you. Most clients don’t realize there is no federal, state, or local requirement that your IT vendor carry any kind of insurance.

3)      Background checks What do you know about your IT consultant? If the consultant does not screen employees, we recommend you perform a background check yourself. The person working on your computer will handle some of your most personal data—don’t take chances. Again, much like insurance and licensing, there’s no requirement that your computer guy screen employees.

4)      Verify We’ve seen IT contractors advertise partnerships that they don’t really have. Most software and hardware vendors have search tools available to identify their partners in a given geographic area. Use those tools to find local providers who provide the solutions you want.

Island Joe takes your business very seriously. Living up to these four standards ourselves – possessing relevant credentials, maintaining liability insurance, performing background and credit checks on technicians, and being forthright about our partnerships – is an important part of taking your IT worries away. At Island Joe, life is truly simpler on the Island.