MSP 501 Profile: How DLC Technology Brings Best-in-Class IT to SMBs

…daily huddles via video on MS Teams, sent surprise gifts to employees at home and encourage flexible schedules so each person can deal with kids being at home, spouses working from home and other demands on their attention during the traditional workday.  We turned our office into hoteling space, outfitted with clear COVID safety policies, PPE and signage.

We have no plans to return to the office and are managing as if this will continue into the foreseeable future. Every day we continue to think of ways to stay together intellectually and keep team bonds strong, but it is very difficult. Our company culture is critical to our success.  Meanwhile we continue to be nimble and adjust as needed to today’s circumstance. It recently dawned on some of my team that our annual holiday party probably won’t be possible. That was a depressing realization. What exactly could possibly replace that in our socially distanced reality?

CF: Why are you a business owner instead of working for someone else? What is the allure of entrepreneurship to you?

DC: Owning an IT business was more of an accident than an intentional action! I was fortunate enough to be in a position where I was planning to take time off, and an old client asked me to do some independent consulting. Before I knew it, I had a handful of employees. At that point I decided to dig in, refine the company into an MSP model and plan for the future. It grew from there.

Looking back, I realize now that I was a consultant for more than 12 years before starting this company. I worked for rather large firms and eventually wound up in management. But at the core of my being I worked best and was happiest helping customers realize the true value of their technology and making it do things the vendors said was impossible. This company allows me to do that on a daily basis and in a deliberate, focused way that I rarely see from others in the market.

Working for others could be very stressful. That was especially true when I was part of the management team for an IT consulting company that went public, was acquired and brought private again. But earlier in my career I worked for people that truly helped me grow both personally and professionally. I miss those people every day. While I didn’t create this company to escape any of that, I now realize that I don’t think I could ever go back to a large consulting firm. At this point in my life if my current company role ended, I would look into other entrepreneurial endeavors, possibly in a completely different field.