Ekaru

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Max Bauer CPA PC. We’re a CPA firm that mainly deals with tax preparation and provides business consultancy services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ekaru?

I needed an IT team to support the system and infrastructure of my company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ekaru provides me with IT support. They set up the system for the new office, helped purchase and set up new workstations, and are even hosting my email. They also maintain and resolve any software, internet, and system issues and keep everything working.

What is the team composition?

I work with Anne (Owner) and several other supports to handle day-to-day tasks related to IT.

How did you come to work with Ekaru?

I was the controller for another firm where they were brought in to replace the previous IT support.

How much have you invested with them?

For this year alone, so far I’ve spent over $3,100 for fixed assets. For IT support expenses, I spent another $2,400. I believe I’ve invested around $25,000 over the last five years working with them.

The cost varies depending on the type of job they do for me. The base service is around $80 a month and everything else is additional costs like getting the stations set up, purchasing computers, and updating software.

What is the status of this engagement?

They’ve been with me from the beginning, which was in September 2015 and they have been my primary IT support since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Timeliness has always been important to me especially during tax season. My biggest measure would have to be that whenever I’ve needed them, they’ve always come through for me. Whenever I have a problem, I don’t have to wait a week to get it done.

How did Ekaru perform from a project management standpoint?

Ekaru does a really good job of leading a project and coordinating with other vendors. I also like how there are different people I can engage with whenever one team member isn’t available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Anne (Owner) showed up to an open house when I moved to a new location even though she wasn’t a customer. She made the time to come in and see the new space and it meant a lot to me because it felt like she was supporting my business. They help me when I need the help, they’re pretty good with communications, they invite me to webinars, so I think they do a good job for their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t really had any problems with my system.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I always recommend them to my clients. What I generally tell them is that growing a small business means there’s more demand for infrastructure and that Ekaru can help them make the transition. There’s going to be some upfront costs but once you sort the pain of the initial set up, things will go a lot smoother.