SMBHD

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am co-owner of Pets with Passports, in Austin, TX. We organize and coordinate logistics, documentation and transportation for pets and live animals for clients who are moving overseas.

Our clients include military families, corporate clients, breeders, zoos and sanctuaries and government employees/diplomats. You name a country, we've shipped a pet there!

For what projects/services did your company hire SMBHD?

We are working with SMBHD to improve upon our current Saleforce functionality as well as assisting us with the purchase and setup of new hardware, software, malware and cybersecurity.

What were your goals for this project?

We had two goals only: make sure we were navigating the internet safely and take things off of our own plate/make things more streamlined to save ourselves some time.

How did you select SMBHD?

The team was actually recommended to us by Salesforce which really impressed us! SMBHD has a small business feel- you're treated like you're an important client, but they have the expertise of industry giants. Additional bonus - we are a TINY business in size (there are only 2 of us) but not so tiny in sales and therefore we needed HELP.

Describe the project in detail.

We provided the team with a list of items we needed added to our Salesforce capabilities. We were coming up on our Salesforce renewal and we needed to figure out if we could make it work better for us.

We asked for assistance choosing laptops that would fit the needs of our company, and then because we literally need all the time we can get, we had them shipped to the team at SMBHD for them to set up. We wanted to be able to open the boxes and get to work.

They set us up with anti-virus and got all of our regularly used programs pre-loaded on our respective laptops. They made recommendations for a VPN we were ready to rock!

What was the team composition?

There is Barry, our Senior Account Executive - Barry is AWESOME. He went above and beyond the call of duty when FedEx messed up our laptop delivery. And there's Ryan, our Sales Operations Director - he's full of unique ideas that none of us originally planned for, but he comes up with on the spot.

Then there's Galaxia - VP of Professional Services. She was SO incredibly patient with us while she explained all the options to a couple of ladies who are GOOD at their job but BAD at technology.

And finally, Kevin- IT Systems Engineer II. Kevin is the one who actually set up our laptops and completed the project from what I understand. Kevin spent a lot of time with me initially on the phone while we worked out some VPN kinks and it was over Christmas break, so you know he's committed!

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are still in the middle of the Salesforce additions so not much to share just yet!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everyone is so easy to work with. Barry always holds me accountable and keeps me on task which I need. Ryan always replies super quickly and Kevin and Galaxia were both so patient and kind on the phone. Couldn't ask for a better team!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed for a few reasons. They understood our business size and need and did not try to sell us on anything we didn't need or ask for. I also appreciated that they gave us the time of day.

At our size, not many companies will take us seriously, but in order to grow bigger, we do need this type of help, so it's imperative for small businesses to have this kind of support.

I was also blown away by Barry's willingness to run ALL over Chicago to track down our laptops, THREE different times, I believe, when FedEx messed up the delivery. I had ordered the laptops and had them sent to the SMBHD office and Barry went on his personal time to the local FedEx THREE times to figure out what was going on and to make sure our expensive new laptops didn't sit at FedEx longer than needed.

That is not something you would get from a big corporation. I also genuinely enjoy catching up with Barry and Ryan each time we talk. It doesn't ever feel like they're giving me the notorious sales pitch "hey, how bout them Cubs" talk.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I didn't even include the initial phase of our project from the previous 2 years or so in the initial review here. We have actually worked with a team here in Austin previously and it was not such a pleasant experience.

It was, at times, for sure! In fact it began really great! But it sort of spiraled downhill, but I didn't even mention it because I think maybe SMBHD realized something was off since now the Austin office is closed. I really enjoy the Chicago team and I've already threatened them that they can't leave :)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO at a company that services the janitorial industry. 

What challenge were you trying to address with SMBHD?

We wanted to implement a business intelligence solution.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us stand up the databases in Azure SQL. Following that, they implemented Power BI. The majority of the backend efforts were their responsibility. Once they stood everything up, they handed their work to an external Power BI administrator. However, if we have a technical question, we contact their team for assistance.

They’re experts in cybersecurity, so I’ve asked a lot of questions and relied on their advice for strategy in the arena. Additionally, they set up our circuits and network for our Chicago office.

What is the team composition?

I worked with about five people directly and interacted most with a project manager. There was likely a larger team working in the background as well. 

How did you come to work with SMBHD?

I did a small RFP process. Our team started our relationship with conversations about Salesforce that didn’t materialize into a project. After talking with them, I knew of their technical skills. When this project came around, I decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $26,000–$27,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from November 2019–April 2020.

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

Their solution functions effectively, and they were on time and on budget with delivery. Our previous attempts to implement this solution failed, so getting it to work was a huge win in itself. As we continue adding reports and data sets, we’ve found that the product is scalable.  

How did SMBHD perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re strong program managers, keeping our project on task. Over the course of five months, they hit all their milestones and made sure we had what we needed from their team. They pushed for necessary resources from us when needed but were also accomodating when we needed to delay slightly on our end. We communicate through Microsoft Project. For meetings, we took conference calls and met in-person.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re knowledgeable and easy to work with. The services they offer are also vast. Instead of hiring them to perform one function, we’re able to ask for other services. I’ve enjoyed dealing with their team of competent, professional, and friendly people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t had any issues with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what your goals and objectives are before starting. Once you have a shared objective together, stick to your plan and remain transparent. When problems came up in our project, we had open communication and meetings to make sure we resolved them quickly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of a construction services company.

What challenge were you trying to address with SMBHD?

We needed help with sales.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us implement Salesforce. They did full project management and implementation training as well.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from their team, including a project manager, a trainer, an implementation manager, and their VP.

How did you come to work with SMBHD?

I found them via Google.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and our work is ongoing.

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

They were on time and on budget.

How did SMBHD perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We spoke every week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were responsive and delivered high-quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to communicate and have the right documentation.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of sales and technology at Eastern Engineering. We provide wide and small format printers and plotters to businesses throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. 

We also have a software development team where we provide product construction software for the built environment, architects, engineers, owners, large universities, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with SMBHD?

We had a pain point with our CRM. We had a lot of sales reps in the field and they couldn’t see account records in the field. Everybody was doing things in different ways. We made a decision to migrate to Salesforce. At a high level, I wanted more transparency. I also wanted data and information to be more readily available to my employees. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us customize Salesforce and all the fields. They helped me integrate our POS software into Salesforce into the account record. They worked collaboratively with our POS software to make all that data show up so the reps and service technicians could have that information remotely.

Staff members can now make reports on their phones and through iPads rather than having to come back to their car and create a report. 

We then took it one more step and we got a marketing program called Pardot. Now we can do marketing campaigns that speak specifically to each customer rather than just general emails. If I know a customer is ordering a certain type of ink or toner, I know they have a certain type of device and therefore, I can cater product suggestions to them through our marketing. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with two people. Matthew (CEO/Founding Partner) has been my coordinator. There are times other people are involved as well who will come out and speak with me as well.

How did you come to work with SMBHD?

I was referred to SMBHD by a Salesforce person. I interviewed 2–3 different companies. We did a scope and understood what we wanted to do and what those costs would be. SMBHD came in under budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $60,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2012, and the work is ongoing.

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

They’re so good at the work they do. If I ask a question, they provide a better answer than I could’ve ever expected. They know more than I do and that’s why I work with them.

How did SMBHD perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. Whenever I have an issue, I just email them and they take care of it. They’re one of the best partners I’ve worked with from a value, scheduling, and efficiency standpoint. I didn’t have a hard deadline but they went as fast as they could. I was usually the one holding things up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They get it right. They’re punctual. They’ve been a great tech consultant. I was able to save money because they recommended more affordable tools to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything that I’ve asked them to do, they’ve done well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask questions. Listen. Be open to their feedback. Make sure your parties are aligned. If you’re trying to tie different types of software together, you have to have a little patience at the beginning because they may not understand your industry. That took a little bit of time because we’ve got a little bit of a unique industry.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of Operations at Academic Approach. Academic Approach provides high-impact, research-based test prep solutions for individual families and schools.

For what projects/services did your company hire SMBHD?

We've worked with SMB for over 3 years now. They helped us setup our entire custom Salesforce configuration and we also contract with them for managed IT services.

What were your goals for this project?

We were transitioning from an in-house CRM to Salesforce, the entire system needed to be setup to meet the needs of our growing company. Our primary focus was improved client engagement, improved BI and reporting and to build a scalable system that would grow with us.

How did you select SMBHD?

We did extensive search of local vendors and SMB presented the best proposal. It was highly personalized and they truly understood what we were looking for.

Describe the project in detail.

Salesforce custom development and Managed IT services. The Managed IT services team helped us become a tech enabled organization. We were able to smoothly transition to remote work because of the IT infrastructure they setup.

What was the team composition?

The team composition was great. SMB always had resources available to address our questions and hit deadlines even when we made changes.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've reduced our client onboarding timeline by 35%. Our sales team has become more efficient, they're able to take on additional clients.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great. Communication from SMB was consistent and clear.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The personalized approach. They were always available when we needed them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

n/a

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the President & CEO of CFO Services Group, a management accounting firm for small businesses and non-profits.

For what projects/services did your company hire SMBHD?

General managed IT services including cybersecurity.

What were your goals for this project?

Ensure we had the latest technology, the ability to gain troubleshooting assistance, and strong cybersecurity.

How did you select SMBHD?

I attended a presentation by one of the founders and was very impressed. We are still happy several years later.

Describe the project in detail.

General managed IT services.

What was the team composition?

We have a handful of dedicated reps at SMBHD that assist. We know all of them and vice-versa.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have implemented a lot of measures over the years, including ongoing cybersecurity training for my team members, migrating to MS Office, setting up Sharepoint, procuring new computers, implementing a VPN system, etc.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Fantastic. They are very responsive and always helpful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication to ensuring that we are always taken care of is impressive. I can't say enough good things about them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing significant.