All businesses have to start off somewhere: a spare bedroom, a garage or an attic are all typical examples, but not many businesses can lay claim to having started in a disused broom cupboard! That was all that Garry Jevons and Dave Hanton needed when they established IT Solutions nine years ago at the Hi-Tec Security offices.
All businesses have to start off somewhere: a spare bedroom, a garage or an attic are all typical examples, but not many businesses can lay claim to having started in a disused broom cupboard! That was all that Garry Jevons and Dave Hanton needed when they established IT Solutions nine years ago at the Hi-Tec Security offices. With demand for IT services picking up steadily, the broom cupboard was quickly outgrown and the pair moved to GBS Bank, then High Street and finally to the current premises in African Street in 2009, steadily accruing staff and clients along the way. In a tragedy many locals will recall, Hanton passed away two years ago in a road accident, but Jevons remains at the helm of this proudly Grahamstonian business. He is ably supported by managers, Jackie Butterworth and Jonathan Scheepers, with a complement of 10 support consultants, two network technicians and four administrative staff. The core business of IT Solutions, who have invested heavily in their internal systems to ensure optimum service levels, is to supply local businesses and home users with tailor-made and responsive IT support and services. They serve Grahamstown as well as surrounding areas such as Port Alfred, Alexandria and various game reserves. Maintenance contracts were IT Solutions’ primary service back in the days of the broom cupboard, and remain so to this day. “We were the first in the area to offer maintenance contracts for business customers, a product that truly benefits small businesses,” Jevons said. Other offerings include computer sales and 24-hour support, point-of-sale solutions and internet services including web hosting, with website design services due to be launched soon. You can also pick up all sorts of IT-related products, from external hard drives, printers and Bluetooth dongles to more RAM and better graphics cards – anything you might need to upgrade or repair your system. An exciting new development at IT Solutions is the launch of their service centre in early March, which will allow customers to walk in with their PC/laptop and receive immediate diagnosis of their problems, with fixes carried out on the spot if possible. Jevons says that they are launching the on-the-go service centre in response to people becoming increasingly reliant on their devices and always-on connectivity. Jevons said that they have noticed a new trend developing among consumers which involves a rising demand for cloud computing and remote access. “Many of our customers need to be connected to their information no matter where they are”, he said. IT Solutions has responded to this by offering customised solutions to their on-the-go customers to ensure that these types of needs are met as effectively as possible. Nurturing client relationships, especially in the long run, is the key to running a successful business for Jevons and his team. Apart from going the extra mile to make sure their clients are happy, IT Solutions also keep at the top of their game by undergoing staff training on a weekly basis and keeping up with the latest technology in the fast-changing IT world. But more than just looking after their clients, IT Solutions is aware of the fact that many local non-profit entities are in a financially precarious state, and they try to give back to the community and help where possible by providing no-charge or low-cost services to such organisations, for example the Eluxolweni Children’s Shelter, Ntsika Secondary School and the SPCA. From broom cupboard beginnings to a booming nine-year-old business, IT Solutions has proved to the Grahamstown community that local is lekker and connectivity is king.
