I'm Tim Long and TiGra Networks is my baby. After working for 20 years in technology, I got sick of two things.
- Employers cynically hiring and firing their workforce at a whim, and
- Watching companies get things wrong over and over again and never learning from the mistakes. In particular in the UK and in particular in the area of customer relations.
So I started my own company that would do things differently. The area I live in, Rhondda Cynon Taff in South Wales, has almost the worst record in the British Isles for uptake of technology and IT skills. Having worked in Silicon Valley, California - the high tech capital of the world - for almost 5 of those years, then returning home to Wales, only served to sharpen the contrast between what is achievable and what the reality is in a deprived area that has been repeatedly exploited then left for dead. If you want to understand what I mean by that, have a look at a novel, more like a docudrama titled Rape of the Fair Country, by Alexander Cordell, set in the era of the industrial revolution. Anyway, whatever the socio-economic reasons, vision and strategy for information technology in the area is almost completely absent. The area is ripe for growth in technology and I wanted to be a part of that.
When I worked for Nortel Networks, they had a doctrine called "Acting with Integrity" and they meant it - every year, every employee was required to sign a declaration that they had understood that they were to act with integrity. This policy impressed me because I am a person who values integrity. If you cut me in half you will see it written through me like a stick of Brighton Rock. This is one of the founding principles of my company, TiGra Networks. My values as a businessman and therefore the values of my company can be summarized along these lines:
- Act with integrity.
- Charge only for value delivered.
- To each according to need; from each according to ability.
These simple principles drive everything we do. Acting with Integrity covers a multitude of sins. It means treating our customers as we would want to be treated if the situation were reversed. It means being honest in all things, even if that means telling the customer not to spend their money. It means that when we get things wrong, we put it right at our own expense, not the customer's. It means, simply, having remarkable customer service that exceeds expectations - something I learned from living in America. Not just putting up signs saying that "we aim to please" like supermarkets do and then changing absolutely nothing to make it happen, but actually going the extra mile to pleasantly surprise the customer.
The second principle drives our business model and is the reason why, whenever possible, we give a fixed-cost price for a job. Our support plans are exclusively fixed cost and cover whatever is necessary to meet our agreed service level, no matter what and never with any additional charges for 'unexpected work'. We shun the billable hour because we believe it rewards poor performance. This model also promotes a relationship based on trust and dialogue, which we think is necessary for a successful business with happy customers.
The third principle is something I learned from being a Cub Scout Leader (by the way, the Scout Association has an excellent training programme that a lot of businesses could learn from). This principle means that sometimes I don't charge anything for what I do, or I offer a substantial discount. Typically, this will be when I work with a new business or a charity. If, in my assessment, someone is not in a position to pay me, then I try to find a way to work with them anyway. If I don't, they'll probably end up getting advice from their "uncle Jim" who has years of experience playing Doom 3 and therefore is expert in all aspects of computers and IT, or going to PC world and getting sold a computer based on its "engine size" and a bundle of software they don't really need because its all built into Windows anyway. So I invest in my future and that of the new client and try to set them on the right path. This is one reason I've partnered with Microsoft Office Live - this is the first time I have felt that I can provide a coherent service for getting new businesses online quickly and cheaply while setting them up with a growth strategy that will hopefully end in them having a full-blown in-house IT system with me as their IT manager.
This all requires a good deal of long-term thinking and a very thick skin, because there are those that will take advantage. Some people would say I was naive, but those are my values and I am determined to live or die by them. This all means, to borrow a phrase from Joel Spolsky, "we don't want your money if you're not amazingly happy [with our service]". On the other hand, I think this is something special that you will not get from other companies, so don't expect to come to me for the lowest prices. If you want low prices and mediocre results, if that's what really matters to you, then perhaps we're not the right company for you.
On 1st January 2007, this new legislation came into effect and it has implications for most UK businesses. In particular, your IT systems will be affected by the following requirements:
- All of your company literature - including your web site and all emails that you send - must display your company registration number, registered office address and names of the company directors.
- Your web site must meet accessibility standards, making your site accessible to all, including anyone who is deaf, partially-sighted or blind.
(thanks to Richard Tubb for summarising that).
A quick look around the 'net and in your email in-box will demonstrate that the vast majority of UK companies are not in compliance. Is your company at risk of prosecution? If action were taken against you, could you show that you've taken reasonable steps to comply with the law?
Visit our web site for more information on compliance issues, or email us for information on how we can help you become compliant, then monitor your compliance status and if necessary be able to prove it.
There are schemes available in the UK to help legitimate registered charities get top class IT systems and software for next to nothing. If you are paying retail prices for your software, then talk to TiGra Networks and we guarantee to cut your bill by an order of magnitude! We also offer discounted services for charities, so even if your budget for IT is small, there is every chance we can still supply and maintain top-quality IT systems for you with our Eye of the Tiger managed IT plans. Talk to us today to make sure you are making the best use of your IT budget.