Why We Do What We Do

treehouseIT has been around now for almost 18 years. We work every day to help small businesses with their technology needs. It’s always a good idea to take a look back and re-iterate the “why” of what you do. Here is why we do what we do.

The Beginning

A long time ago, in a galaxy that seems like it was far, far away, but was really just down the road . . .

I fell into this job. I got a degree in college in a field completely different from what I’m doing now. My plan (such as it was) was to be a music producer. I started working as an audio engineer, but my heart was never really in it. I had personal experience with computers and technology, and through a couple of twists of the career road I ended up as a “Manager of Information Services” for the same company. It was a good job, and I had a lot of opportunity for learning, both about the technology and how to work with people.

This was a small business by any definition. But we started to take advantage of some of the new web technologies that were out there. I was still very green so we partnered with a local tech consulting company. They were going to work with us to build systems that would facilitate communication between the different parts of the business. Easy enough.

The Meeting

As part of the process, they proposed a network infrastructure project to be the basis for the rest of the software.

It was big. It was expensive. It was redundant and all the good stuff that a consulting company would put into a big project for a big client.

But we weren’t a big client. We were a small business. The proposal didn’t take into account that we didn’t need 24×7 availability. They didn’t think about the people and the actual needs. It was just their regular “solution”.

Parts of it were implemented, but the whole project never got very far. There were a lot of reasons for this, and my inexperience didn’t help. And I admit that I may be fogging some of the details from 20 years ago. But I clearly remember starting at a piece of paper with a nice network diagram on it and thinking “who is this for exactly?”

Pushed Out of the Nest

Not too long after that, I went out on my own to start my own technology consulting company. At first we were called surge technology services. It wasn’t exactly my choice to head out on my own, but it was ultimately the best thing.

When I started this company, I decided we would be focused on small businesses. First, because I was by myself and there was no way I could support more than a few people. But also because there aren’t any good choices for small businesses looking for a technology partner. And that’s where we have worked throughout our history, working with small businesses that don’t get attention from the bigger companies.

Everyone Needs a Partner

We work with small businesses because we understand that every business needs a technology partner. We understand that each business is different, and needs solutions tailored to their situation. Small businesses don’t have money to burn on things that don’t provide immediate value. And what works today may not work in a year.

We help people. That’s what it comes down to. If you’d like to hear how we can help you, drop me a note at [email protected].