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Industries · Professional services

IT support for firms that sell expertise and bill for time

Consultancies, agencies, architecture studios, HR and advisory firms depend on their people being productive wherever they work and on clients trusting them with information. We manage the devices, Microsoft 365 tenant and security that make that possible.

Illustrative scene: a technology consultant discussing a business plan with two small-business owners in a light-filled meeting room.

At a glance

Who this is for
Consulting, marketing, design, architecture, HR, recruitment and advisory firms with roughly 5 to 200 people in BC and Alberta
Typical environment
Microsoft 365, laptops for hybrid staff, time and billing or CRM software, video conferencing rooms and client collaboration through Teams or SharePoint
Common priorities
Billable-hour productivity, hybrid work, secure client collaboration, fast onboarding and clear IT costs
How support is delivered
Remote support with on-site visits in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary confirmed per address
Pricing basis
Per user per month, confirmed in a written quotation; calculator figures are proposals pending approval

Technology challenges for professional firms

  • Every IT interruption costs billable time

    When a consultant cannot join a client call, open a proposal or reach the time-tracking system, the firm loses revenue that cannot be recovered. Small problems compound across a team.

  • Hybrid work became permanent

    Staff split time between home, the office and client sites. Laptops, home networks, meeting rooms and remote access all need to work consistently without an IT person down the hall.

  • Client collaboration across tenants

    Clients invite your staff into their Teams and SharePoint while you share deliverables with theirs. Guest accounts and sharing links accumulate without anyone reviewing them.

  • Growth outpaces informal IT

    A firm that started with a few partners and personal accounts grows to dozens of staff. Licences, permissions and devices were never standardized, and onboarding takes too long.

Risks professional firms commonly carry

  • Business email compromise used to send fake invoices to your clients in your firm’s name
  • Client confidential information shared through open links that never expire
  • Departing staff taking client lists or deliverables from personal OneDrive folders
  • Laptops without encryption or remote wipe used at client sites and in transit
  • Partners holding global administrator rights on accounts they use for daily email
  • No backup of Microsoft 365 beyond Microsoft’s default retention

Getting full value from Microsoft 365

Most professional firms already pay for Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium but use a fraction of it. We organize SharePoint and Teams around clients, engagements and internal functions, so deliverables live in shared locations rather than individual OneDrive folders. When someone leaves, the work stays with the firm.

For firms on Business Premium, we put Intune, Defender for Business and conditional access to work, which often removes the need for separate tools. We also review guest access and external sharing on a schedule, so client collaboration stays open where it should be and closes when engagements end.

Continuity for a distributed team

  • Cloud-first file storage so staff can keep working from anywhere if the office is unavailable
  • Third-party backup of Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams with restore tests
  • Documented admin access and break-glass accounts so the tenant can be recovered if an administrator is locked out
  • Spare laptops or rapid Autopilot replacement for staff whose devices fail
  • Vendor and contact list for time, billing and CRM platforms

Security controls for client trust

  • Multifactor authentication for every account, with phishing-resistant methods for partners and administrators
  • Conditional access requiring compliant, managed devices for access to client data
  • External sharing limited to specific people with expiring links
  • Endpoint detection and response with alert review on covered devices
  • Domain email authentication to make it harder to impersonate your firm
  • Security awareness training for all staff, including partners

How we work with professional firms

  1. Understand how the firm works

    We learn how engagements are run, where client data lives, which systems drive billing, and how staff split their time.

  2. Secure the tenant

    We enable multifactor authentication, separate administrator accounts and review sharing and guest settings.

  3. Standardize devices and onboarding

    We introduce Autopilot and a repeatable onboarding checklist so new staff are productive on day one.

  4. Organize client files

    We move deliverables from personal storage into structured SharePoint and Teams sites.

  5. Operate and plan

    Ongoing support under the agreed scope, with quarterly reviews tied to hiring and growth plans.

Frequently asked questions

We are a small firm of 10 people. Is managed IT worth it?

For many small firms, the value is in fewer interruptions to billable work, faster onboarding and security that someone actually maintains. A consultation and written scope show what it would cost and cover.

Can new hires receive laptops at home?

Yes. With Windows Autopilot and Intune, laptops can be shipped directly to staff and configure themselves when they first sign in.

How do you handle clients who invite us into their Teams?

We configure cross-tenant settings and guest policies so your staff can collaborate safely, and review your own guest accounts on a schedule.

Do we need Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Not always. Business Premium adds device management and stronger security features that many firms benefit from. We review your needs and licences before recommending a change.

Can you support our office and remote staff in different cities?

Yes. Remote support covers staff across Canada, and on-site visits in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary are confirmed per address.

Spend less billable time on IT problems

Book a consultation to discuss your team, systems and growth plans. You will receive a written scope before any recurring commitment.