Professional Computer Services Co. Finds 4-Year-Old Virus Protection
A small professional computer services company in Cameron Park, California, a suburb of Sacramento, recently posted on their Facebook wall something pretty astonishing.
Explain How Virus Protection Isn’t Like Wine (Doesn’t Get Better With Age)
While small businesses, without in-house IT, are often known for being a little behind the times relative to mid-sized and enterprise-sized clients, Mark Anthony Germanos, president of Cameron Park Computer Services, was a little shocked to find four-year-old virus protection on a prospective client’s site.
“This morning, I audited a prospect's network. They have no backups, no Microsoft updates and 4-year old virus protection on their server. I told them Divine Intervention is keeping them in business. Their former network guy surely isn't.”
Does this sound all too familiar?
Sound the Alarm and Deliver the Wake-Up Call
Again, without a full-time IT manager on staff, small businesses are often a lot more vulnerable than they realize, until someone like Germanos, from a local professional computer services firm, comes along and provides a much-needed wake up call.
Problems create opportunities, though. And it's the former network support consultants like that who create full employment acts for small business VARs and MSPs.
Recognize Just How Universal this Kind of Problem Is
Thinking that Germanos’ was universally relevant enough, we used the handy-dandy “Share” button on Facebook to share the post to the SP Home Run Facebook wall, simply prefixing it with “Know any prospective small business clients like this?”
Within a few hours, we got a comment back proving just how universal the cluelessness truly is.
How universal? The comment came from eight time zones and 5,030 miles away in Cork, Ireland.
Margaret Charleville, owner of One to One Computer Training, added in her wall comment that, “I see stuff like this all the time (well maybe not as bad lol). Some people have even said to me that they don't need antivirus protection as they only use the computer for Facebook.”
Market Your Problem-Solving Skills and Educational Awareness-Building
On seeing Charleville’s wall comment, I then chimed in with how, “This is a great excuse too to call the local Chamber of Commerce president (or reach out to through the organization's social media presence), pass along this all-too-common denial situation, and see WHEN they'd like you to come out and give a talk to their members at a breakfast or luncheon meeting. (e.g. X Ways to Use Tech to Save Time, Drive New Revenue, and Keep the Bad Guys Out!)”
Again, problems create opportunities for professional computer services firms.
How often do you come across small businesses like this that are running software that’s so old, there are insane levels of vulnerability? How do you raise awareness in your local community that IT ignorance could put a company out of business? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And to follow-through on the tips introduced in this short article, be sure to download your free copy of the special report on the Top 10 IT Marketing Strategies For Consistently Attracting New Business Clients to Your Small IT Business.
Creative Commons Image Source: flickr Techknowbutler