On-demand digital strategy

Fractional CIO

Technology is wonderful when it's working smoothly. It can help you do more of what you're great at, and less of what you're not. It can do the boring, repetitive stuff so you don't have to, and it can do it accurately, too.

The trouble is, if you're doing something new, and working in your own way, off-the-peg solutions don't always work. Plus, when you're experimenting with different tools and approaches, it's all too easy to get into a tangle. How can you know you're taking the best approach to tech for you?

Why work with me?

1. Personalised strategy: Find the right approach for you and your business, the way you work. it's not just a technical break-fix, but someone to talk potential approaches through with and understand how they align with the business.
2. Neurodiversity aware: Working with you and your needs to create systems that support the unique way you think.
3. Cutting-edge tech: Get confident about which new stuff you should try, and which isn't worth your time and attention.
4. Cost-effective, flexible approach: Get consistent expert guidance without hiring a full-time CIO or fitting yourself around a Managed Service Provider (MSP).

How I can help you

• Reviewing existing technology: Making sure that your current tools and systems are working properly for you, and tidying up any un- or under-used services.
• Strategic IT planning: Working closely with you to develop and IT strategy that supports your needs and objectives and work out which technology will help you best.
• Technology implementation: Providing implementation and documentation to get things working the way you want them.
• Automation and streamlining: Working with you to create effective, smooth-running processes, getting the computer to do the stuff you don't want to.
• Cybersecurity: Protecting your data, your client's data, and yourself.
• Mentoring and training: Getting you more confident and comfortable using the technology that supports you and your work.

How does it work?

For a fixed monthly fee, you get an agreed number of video or in-person sessions with me for planning, implementation and support. In between sessions, I'll provide support and answer questions by email or chat.

Clients usually begin with a session to identify their tech priorities, and then we start working through them step-by-step. Once major issues are out of the way, some clients like to use the time for more development, and others like to reduce the amount of hours we work together.

How much is it?

Packages start from £900 per month for private-profit-making businesses (£600 for social enterprises and charities). For that, you get two 120-minute online strategy sessions a month, and email/chat support in between.

To find out if this is right for you and your business, book a call with me to discuss more.

Case Study - email confusion

I worked with the co-founders of a three-person marketing consultancy who were changing their business branding, and needed to update their domain name, website and emails to match. They didn't want to lose emails from customers, or potential customers, in the migration. They also didn't want to have to work across lots of different inboxes or pay for lots of accounts.

Over the course of a couple of months, I set up their new domain name, making sure they would still get emails from their existing addresses to the same inbox. As part of the process, we realised there was a need for a general enquiry address shared amongst all staff, so I created that. Finally, I made sure that email from their new domain wouldn't get caught in spam filters. We also configured the website so that people who visited the old address would automatically find the new one instead.

They ended up being able to work from their new branding, still get emails and web traffic from the old branding, without having to switch between anything, and only paying for three user accounts for each staff member.