8 minute read
Cover Story: myITsource
“OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND” Understanding What myITsource’s Total Care Managed Services Can Do for Your Business
BY HUNTER PLOSZAY PHOTOS BY STUDIO 78
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Germany, 1986—Franks Arndt’s father Erich bought him a computer. The impressive gift sparked a lifelong passion for Frank that has stayed with him ever since. Frank quickly learned how to use the computer and was intrigued by its inner workings. He decided to go into the electrical trades. German citizens have to provide one year of public service to their country. Frank decided to join the military and use his electrical knowledge. In 1992, the German Army was using Canadian Forces Base Shilo for training. Frank came to Shilo from Germany to train and work on electronic systems in the battle tanks.
“I got to come to Canada. As a kid I always thought about how I would love to come to Canada!”, reminisced Frank.
Frank left the military at the end of 1995 because his 4-year contract was up. He stayed in Brandon and got a job working as an electrician with GT Smith Electrical. Frank started his own computer business in 1998 in a tiny office space he rented from his employer. Frank started selling/fixing computers and was soon creating an impressive customer base. Frank went on to build his own building and changed the name of his business to myITsource in 2010. This was to showcase the support side of his business rather than sales.
MyITsource is leading the charge in IT support for small to medium businesses in Brandon. They use remote solutions for their IT support. This means a technician doesn’t have to be at your business to fix problems or update software. Frank calls this his Total Care Managed Services. Frank and his technicians meet with a business owner and set up programs to watch over the computer systems at said business. The program sends alerts to myITsource technicians so they can proactively fix any issue the system may be having.
“Businesses can’t afford to have their computer systems shut down for three or four days while service techs are fixing the computers,” explained Frank. Total Care Managed Services can be scheduled for any time, day or night, 365 days a year.
“Total Care Managed Services means we fix it before you even know somethings wrong,” explained Frank. “Customers get detailed reports of everything that was done so they know exactly what we’re doing for them.” Total Care Managed Services also allows myITsource to track all the different businesses they are working with. This standardizes the customer base. If something goes wrong with a business’s computer system, myITsource implements a fix to all the other customer’s computer systems. This prevents the same problems from happening to other customers. Total Care Managed Services means computer problems are out of sight and out of mind for business owners.
Other than IT Support and Total Care Managed Services, Frank puts a big emphasis on his employees. Frank makes sure his employees are happy at work, have good relationships with each other, and have their mental health taken care of. He also ensures his employees help out in the community. Frank gives each of his 22 employees one paid day per month to volunteer at a charity of their choice.
“Our community has been really good to us so it’s important for us to give back to our community,” praised Frank. MyITsource’s focus is on their IT Support and Total Care Managed Services–but you can still go in and buy your computer, computer parts, and much more from Frank and his team. “One of the founding things about my business is that we still have support for the customer for everything we sell,” provided Frank. “I Have a great team of people working for me and we have great customers that understand that great service is valuable.”
myITsource is a Lenovo authorized partner, warranty service centre, parts supplier and one of the largest Lenovo Partners in Manitoba.
THE LAND OF THE REAL ESTATE LAW
BY HUNTER PLOSZAY PHOTOS BY STUDIO 78
ANDREA EPP
Real estate sales and purchases can seem intimidating to the average home buyer or business owner, but Brandon lawyer Andrea Epp is motivated to make sure her clients are as comfortable and informed as possible. Andrea Epp has been practicing law in Brandon for over 11 years, and she is set to open her new practice—Epp Law Office—in Brandon on November 1st, 2020.
Epp didn’t set out to become a lawyer. Her original passion was owning a business. After graduating from Assiniboine Community College with a Business Administration Diploma, she started working in the banking industry which fueled the idea of trying her hand at Real Estate Law. After graduating from Law School at University of Manitoba in 2008, Epp worked in Family Law for seven years before getting into Real Estate Law. Having a banking background is an integral part of Epp knowing how to offer her clients the best expertise possible in the line of work they engage in.
“I find it very important to understand the banking side of things. Banks see a different side of real estate than what a lawyer sees. I have the benefit of knowing both sides, so I make sure everyone receives the information that’s required.” Explained Epp. The other aspect that ties everything together is Epp’s business knowledge and the founding of her own law
office. This new endeavour has come after years of hard work and dedication in her community—plus some motivation from satisfied clients. “I have thought about having my own law office for the last few years. I finally told myself I’m going to go out and do it! I have a lot of supportive clients who believe in what I do, and they have been telling me that I should go out on my own.”
Epp Law Office will handle mostly corporate and residential transactions meaning buildings and homes. One thing Epp enjoys about her work is helping first time home buyers understand the transaction process they are going through and this narrative fits with the overall vision of her new law office. “I want to create a space where my clients feel comfortable coming in and asking me their questions. I feel clients are sometimes hesitant to ask what they might think is not a good question or that they are taking up my time. It’s my job to make sure everyone is comfortable and understands the process,” related Epp.
Something that speaks to the integrity, character, and work ethic of Epp is the people that will help Epp Law Office be a valuable asset to customers. Epp is starting her new law office with three employees including two that left their most recent jobs in law to work with her. They will take care of purchases, sales, corporate, and reception. Epp believes delivering sound legal advice and providing extraordinary service will lead to satisfied customers, referral work, and more hires.
“I want my staff to feel welcome and have a happy workplace. My staff is the backbone of our workplace and it’s my job to make sure they are comfortable and productive,” said Epp. Brandon is a very tight-knit network of people. One of the things that have made Epp proud is her ability to build up her contacts in the industry. She has an excellent reputation with local banks, understands realty, and knows the mortgage brokerage business.
“Brandon is a very special and incredibly friendly community where everybody knows everybody and supports each other. Connecting with people is what I love most,” gleamed Epp.
Outside of work, Epp likes taking various classes including pie making, Spanish, and woodworking. If you knock on her garage door there is a good chance you might catch her in the middle of whittling away on a new project. Or you might even be lucky enough to indulge in one of her famous peach pies.
L-R CHRISTA ANSEEUW, SOMKID KHOUNKHONG, ANDREA EPP, PAM STOTT
Epp Law Office Unit 7A - 2010 Currie Blvd Brandon, MB R7B 4E7 204-717-3775 andrea@epplawoffice.ca www.epplawoffice.ca
WE MAKE BUSINESS WORK!
WITH FRANK ARNDT FROM myITsource
myITsource has served Brandon and the Westman area since 1998. We are a Managed Service Provider dedicated to providing excellent products and services. Specializing in small and medium business (SMB) development, we engage with our clients in collaborative initiatives that help businesses run efficiently and effectively. Our in-house technicians install and service everything from consumer electronics to enterprise servers and endpoint systems.
How to we help your business run efficiently?
- We offer ongoing technical support and guidance,
Cloud Services (Office 365, Gsuite), software licensing and data backup and disaster recovery solutions that attend to the unique challenges of your business. - Full Managed Services (FMS) is a natural progression in our efforts to provide the most cost-effective IT support to our clients.
- With our Full Managed Services program you have 24/7 access to support from a team of experienced professionals to help your business run as intended. - Our offerings include productivity and security suites, business continuity and monitoring support hardware and software including ZeroSpam, Webroot, PassPortal and many others.
These are just some of the very important ways myITsource helps your business work – no matter what is going on in the world. Contact us today for your internal IT audit.
myITsource 1535 Pacific Avenue Brandon, MB 204.728.1040 info@myITsource.ca www.myitsource.com
