Love what you do

Did you know that on average, a person spends over 13 years of their life working? Sounds crazy, right? Now, imagine you were working somewhere that you didn't enjoy? That is an awfully long time to be doing something which you're not passionate about.

Throughout my life, I've always believed in following your passion, and thankfully that mindset has helped me not only to work in a sector I'm totally passionate about, but also set up and run a business as well! The biggest moment for me came when I put my hand up to fix some PCs in my first job. 

I spend countless hours reading about and researching innovative ideas, systems as well as the threats that exist in cyberspace. Even if I wasn't involved in the tech security industry, I know I would be doing this anyway, and that's because I love it. Having a passion for something doesn't make it seem like work!

Now, I understand that circumstances and situations can dictate a person's roadmap in life and sometimes you do what you have to do to make things tick. But I do believe you can make choices to put yourself in positions where you can convert your passion into a career. 

You may be working a 9-to-5 to pay the bills, but what are you doing with the hours between clocking off and heading to bed? No one would blame you if you just wanted flick on Netflix and zone out. But imagine if you invested those hours in something you are interested in and committed to reading, researching, educating and doing a side hustle that you enjoyed? 

There's no such thing as an overnight success and most people who have started their own business will tell you, it's not about living your best life on instagram! It is hard work and you get what you put in. But life is about experiences and trying out different things and seeing what you like and don't like. And it starts outside your comfort zone.

You never know where your next move will take you. I didn't start working in a tech company, but took an opportunity to fix some PCs for the boss, and now I'm helping clients around the world thrive in our ever-changing world!

If I can leave you with just one take away, it's this; 13 years is a long time doing something you don't enjoy. 

Are you listening?

When people talk about consultancy services they often have a misconception that it should be led by the consultant.

Can you imagine going to the doctors and not saying anything, and for them to guess what treatment you need? It just wouldn't happen. 

You need to ask the right questions and then listen. The listening is critical. When offering consultancy you need to remember that they are paying for your experience and knowledge.

We use a very simple process here at Mobile IT:

Evaluate

Design

Implement

The first stage is key. We look at the current situation with complete neutrality and take as much information as possible. We look for any risks or potential weak spots and sometimes, where clients want something specific, we assess their wants against what they actually need. We go through the measures required and discuss what needs to be done at the design stage so there are no surprises. We work with a diverse group of clients and our experience extends back to over a quarter of a century. We also ensure we are at the cutting edge of the changing tech landscape. It's no excuse as a consultant to not make recommendations based on new trends and to ensure your clients know about all relevant changes. 

When you look to a consultant you want to know you are getting the best expert advice and a relationship where as the world changes, you have someone on the inside with their finger on the pulse. 

When we go into the design stage we take on board everything discussed and address all the issues. The reassurance factor that the client was actually listened to is key. If you consult for a couple of days but what you design is way off the mark then you weren't listening closely! 

Often you can tell the experience level of a consultant simply by the questions they ask you. Your experience and your ability to listen and make plans according to both is critical. Don't have preconceived plans before going into it and ensure what you offer reflects exactly what the business needs and not necessarily what they want. They're coming to you for expert advice after all. 

Interested in learning more? Then book an appointment with our team.

"Nobody likes change."

"Nobody likes change."

That used to be such a common saying but in today's world it almost feels if you don't change then you are going to be left in the past. 

Not more than 30 years ago a lot of companies hadn't started using computers yet! Just think about that! Can you imagine a working environment that was totally paper-based?

What tends to happen in business is people look to what has worked in the past for a blue-print of future success. The reality is that there is no future blue-print for business. More and more, people are looking for the next best thing and the quickest way to do get things done.

If you are looking back in planning then you will not stand still, you will actually go backwards. Don't get me wrong, there is still something to be said for conservative business practice but there are some clear lines in the sand now. For one if you don't focus on your brand and brand image through your digital platforms, then you will lose relevance.

Automation now is starting to shape industries like accounting, banking and legal sectors in a way nobody anticipated. Yeah sure, we could see manufacturing and production would go that way but did you honestly think accountants would start to have to look over their shoulder?

I have seen so many companies that hire IT managers that are not experts across the board with regards to security, infrastructure and support. This isn't the IT manager's fault because the reality is with servers going to the cloud and the changing landscape they will struggle to adapt. For less money than an IT manager, you could have a multiple of remote workers who are experts in their field and as we move into this new decade I can see more and companies taking this route.

If you want to discuss any aspect of this blog then feel to reach out and drop me a message. 

"All I'm trying to do is out work my potential"

"All I'm trying to do is out work my potential" 

This quote sums up Kobe Bryant perfectly. Some people are born naturally talented and things come to them with seemingly effortless ease. Now Kobe had talent but he is the perfect example of working so hard that he used every ounce of that talent to further his greatness.

When I think of some of the best minds and best tools in Tech I always think of things that have outstripped their potential. Apple become a cultural fashion statement in the 80's and then their iPhone changed the planet and how society works. Sure the tech was revolutionary but I don't think anyone had the idea that it would change society. If you look at streaming services now with Disney and Apple joining the battle in recent years, you wouldn't have foreseen the disruption to traditional TV had it not been for smart phones.

When Facebook was created did anyone foresee this was going to be one of the primary ways people socialized? You can say for good or bad, but what you can't say that it's had no impact on society. Things can be used for good or bad, that's what tools are. Created for people and to be used by people. Did we think that Facebook Ads would lead to changes in who wins Elections??

The outpouring of grief for Kobe has shocked many because all he did was play a game to the best of his ability. But is it that simple? When has athletics and sports just been a game? They connect humans in a way that is simply inexplicable. From all away around the world people are let in to watch these masters of their craft actually grow in front of their eyes and they feel through their greatness we see what the human condition can achieve. And that's what Kobe did. He showed with unrivalled work ethic how far you can push the body as long as your discipline and mind were ready.

He wasn't a perfect human but nobody truly is. He was a father, a son, a husband, a brother and a hero. But more importantly, he was a symbol of how you can outwork your potential and that is a lesson for all.

To remote or not to remote?

I have been in business for a long time and have tried running teams in many different ways. I can honestly say having a remote team work for me has been one of the best things I have done in business.

When we started in the mid-90s it was all about hard work, fun and a bit of being in the right place at the right time. I certainly think you kind of make your own luck when your passion and persistence is pointing in the right direction. One of the first things we did when we had our success was to get a brick-and-mortar office because the big names that were knocking on our door needed to see something resembling an office.

The first thing to note is back 20 years ago, having a remote workforce wasn’t really feasible. I mean the tech wasn’t quite there so for us there was no option. We got along fine with the team and the work and only when we restructured the ownership of the business did I want to take us in a more dynamic direction. I felt we could have trimmed a lot of fat and saved a lot on cost and the remote working model had started to gain legs.

The key benefits I identified for my business were:

1 - Better work-life balance for my employees and myself 

2 - Saving so much time

3 - Saving money on workforce 

4 - Hiring the best talent around the world 

5 - Being at the sharp end of the industry 

It made an instant impact to my daily life and freed me up to really focus on the business planning and strategy rather than being lost in the running of an office. My staff are excellent and are constantly pushing my product to the next level. I now have EXPERTS in their fields rather than generalists who have to have broader knowledge. This really has allowed me to excel on projects and demonstrate real added value. 

Tech has always attracted innovative people and will always look for an added edge. If you don’t move with the times you will find that soon you won’t be able to move at all! 

So to remote or not to remote? Well that is a no-brainer! Fire away with any questions in my inbox or in the comments below.

Ten years of tech - a decade of change

I love technology. It's been a part of my life since I was 14 and I can spend every day just immersed in the latest news or developments and I'm always looking at ways of improving everyday life, not only personally, but also for my clients.

My passion for tech is fulfilled by my role in MobileIT, whose ethos is providing solutions for today’s digital landscape. We’ve been helping clients for over 20 years navigate the different services and options that are out there and what is the right solution for them.

Of course, tech changes every day, and there are new developments almost every day which are both helpful and harmful to us. We’ve seen accelerated changes happen in the last 10 years, in terms of cloud-based services, threats to data security and the move from physical office to remote working.

One of the biggest concerns for clients is data security. On New Year’s Eve, foreign currency firm Travelex discovered a ransomware cyber attack which shut down its operations, with hackers demanding $6 million in return for customer data Ransomware is on the increase as are brute-force password attacks and automated bots which carry out a hacker’s job. The level of complexity of these viruses have just increased in 10 years, and in doing so, have caused a lot of financial hardship.

More companies are using cloud-based technology to back up their data. Indeed, the Cloud is such a buzzword, but what is the cloud? If you ask most people on the street, you’ll get a different explanation every time! Simply put, it refers to interconnected servers that are accessed over the Internet. Using cloud computing means that users don’t have to manage physical servers themselves or run software applications on their own machines. 

Ten years ago, there was a lot of ambiguity about cloud technology - it was never explained to the wider public really and there were other issues such as cost and internet speeds. But over the years, the cost has come down and internet speeds have increased and we’re seeing more and more that people are comfortable with using cloud-based services. But like any service, there are so many options out there, so our job for our clients is to provide them with the right solution that is beneficial for their business (it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach!).

With increased inter-connectivity and cloud-based services, we’re seeing a move away from brick-and-mortar businesses and the rise of the remote workers. All you really need to function is a smart phone, a laptop and a good connection with VPN and you’re set to work from anywhere in the world! So from our point of view, we’re dealing more with user connection and communication connections than with on-premise issues.

The thing that keeps me excited and engaged with technology is the pace of change and how we as a business develop our solutions. Not everything we do is out-of-the box but everything we do is tailored for a our client’s best interest. 

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on the world that we live and work in. Let me know if there’s anything in particular you want me to cover or want to know more about!