Switchfast Small Business IT News

Cantata Adult Life Services, formerly the British Home, has been a trusted retirement home for the elderly for over 90 years. Started back in 1920 by the Daughters of the British Empire, The British Home was a retirement facility made for elderly British Immigrants who lived in the United States. Today regardless of background, Cantata strives to provide life-enhancing services to adults over the age of 55

Frost and Sullivan, a global research organization, has named Digium’s Switchvox the Best Customer Value for Unified Communications. The researchers at Frost and Sullivan have found that Digium’s Switchvox is the clear winner when compared to alternative solutions because Switchvox delivers on price and value. Frost and Sullivan note that the “inclusive capabilities provide cost-conscious small businesses with opportunities to customize and innovate their communications solutions for a competitive edge.”

One of Switchfast's valued clients, Chicagoland Methodist Senior Services, needs your help to raise awareness for Perspectives Charter School's participation in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Perspectives Charter Schools is a group of five schools on the South Side of Chicago that are doing amazing work with social-emotional learning. With Pepsi's funding, Perspectives Charter School's curriculum titled "A Disciplined Life" will be able to help educate students on how to plan for and apply to college and how to prepare students for life. This plan will aid in improving the education and opportunity available to students attending Chicago area schools.

Switchfast provided The Pierogie Guy™ with a fun and versatile website that displays their playful history that all began with Grandma K's recipe. Switchfast included a space where customers can find great recipes to incorporate with the pierogies in addition to a section where you can find markets, grocery stores, and tasting opportunities for you to experience their pierogies first hand.

Switchfast designed a website for Da Vinci Academy that is informative and engaging. The new site allows candidates to download applications and look through information about the school’s enrollment processes, class sizes, and teacher credentials. The website is now packed with additional important material concerning financial aid, client testimonials, and fundraising opportunities.

Ruberry, Stalmack & Garvey, LLC is a highly successful litigation firm that specializes in the trial and appeal of civil lawsuits. For over 20 years, this nationally recognized firm has handled lawsuits throughout the entire nation including Hawaii and Alaska. With a client roster that includes some of the most well-known Fortune 500 companies, Rubbery, Stalmack & Garvey assert they have the expertise to take on any firm of any size.

Switchfast is happy to announce the website launch of Bear Cartage and Intermodal, Inc.! Bear Cartage and Intermodal is a logistics company known for their “bearable” rates and reliable owner operators. For over 16 years, owner Tom Urso and his wife Marie have provided reliable service and competitive rates for cross-town and truckload work across the Midwest. Switchfast gave Bear Cartage an interactive and informative website that details the “Bear Benefits” of utilizing their logistic services. Additionally, Switchfast created an employment page that allows job seekers to fill out a complete application form on the website within minutes.

On Sunday, September 18, 2011 one of Switchfast’s valued clients, The British Home, will have a team in the Chicago Walk to End Alzheimer’s 3K at Montrose Harbor. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to help raise awareness and generate funds to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Switchfast is happy to announce another new website launch this summer! Franco & Moroney is a Chicago based law firm that prides themselves on giving each client an individualized experience that promises innovative and cost-conscious solutions. Providing assistance in the areas of civil litigation, insurance litigation and commercial law to clients that range from local businesses to international companies is what Franco & Moroney, LLC do best. Switchfast provided a fresh and easy to follow website that illustrates the practice areas of their law firm and their promise of reliable solutions. The new website offers a section where each attorney is profiled and potential clients can view their immense experience and superior qualifications. Check it out at: http://www.francomoroney.com/

Switchfast is proud to announce the launch of two new client sites! Our developers have had a busy May developing and designing the new websites for Unique Indoor Comfort and the Law Offices of Ralph J Schumann.

As one of the leading natural stone suppliers in Illinois, Marble & Granite Supply of Illinois (MGSI) came to Switchfast needing a diverse and modern website to showcase their extensive collection of beautiful stones. MGSI takes pride in offering some of the most unique and rare stones around. Their objective is to have a custom approach with each project that comes their way. With a line of porcelain, ceramic and glass in addition to the exotic stone selection, MGSI offers a one stop shop for your project. Switchfast delivered a clean and versatile site that allows potential clients to check out a few of the unique variety of stones offered by MGSI –- before even stepping foot in their showroom. Each specific piece is detailed in type, color, finish, price level, application, and even gives tips for care and maintenance. MGSI now has a unique site that allows for them to reach an even larger customer base while still staying true to their customizable approach.

Since founder Matt Owen started Switchfast in April 2001, we have grown into one of the most trusted and fastest growing information technology companies focused on small businesses in Chicago. Since initially starting out as a Software Development and IT Consulting Company, Switchfast has grown and expanded into offering an extensive list of related services such as Remote/Onsite Help Desk Support, Proactive Server/Desktop Monitoring, VoIP Telephony Installation/Support, Technology Budgeting/Roadmapping, Network Engineering, Web Design, Search Engine Optimization, and Marketing Services. Not only have we expanded our service listing, we have also expanded our reach geographically. Starting, and still centrally located in Chicago, Switchfast now serves clients in Rochester, NY, Atlanta, GA, Hartford, CT, and various other locations nationwide. As we continue growing we hope to expand our service and geographical reach even further while continuing to serve our clients in the best way we know how. This ample success has been truly humbling. We would like to thank all of our clients who have made our ongoing success a possibility and fully intend on keeping up the outstanding work in the following years. Here’s to the next 10 years of success and growth at Switchfast!

Switchfast’s web developers were busy in February, launching another two new client websites! This week, we’re proud to introduce two freshly redesigned web presences: ICM Properties and The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce. The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce makes it their sole mission to help promote the local business community of the north side of Chicago. With a newly designed and interactive website they can offer everything from small business resources to educational opportunities to community events. The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce now has a website that is tailored to their exact needs and allows for the easiest communication between themselves and the community. Over the last 45 years ICM Properties has grown to be one of the largest and most trusted residential management companies on the North Side of Chicago. ICM Properties was in need of an easily accessible website to present and display some of the latest apartments they have available. ICM Properties now has a simple and efficient way for their residents to pay their rent and ask questions, as well as an easy way to to communicate with potential renters. Please join us in congratulating the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce and ICM Properties!

Switchfast is proud to announce the launch of two new sites today! Congratulations to Bannerville USA and Comset Computers. Click below to discover how Switchfast helped design and develop their engaging sites!

Another new Switchfast website launch to kick the year off. For more than 20 years, Tempcon has been busy building a reputation as Chicagoland's leading installer and maintainer of commercial and industrial heating and cooling. In a fiercely competitive commercial HVAC market, TempCon needed a simple, professional website that minimized the barriers between its prospective customers and contact. Switchfast delivered with a clean, no-frills design that is search-friendly and intuitive to navigate. The layout achieves the objective of ease of use while effectively depicting examples of TempCon’s work and brand.

Furthering their goal of offering the most robust line of services to fit small business needs, Switchfast is now authorized to bring cloud capabilities to its clients through Google Apps. An alternative to traditional productivity suites like Microsoft Office, Google Apps is hosted offsite and available for a flat per-user fee. It can be a viable choice for clients aiming to reduce their onsite hardware investment without losing e-mail and document functionality. Switchfast is proud to be able to offer this emerging option to its clients going forward!

Switchfast is proud to announce four more client websites that have gone live this month. Congratulations to The Balanced Athlete, Leavitt Siegal LLC, The Parent & Educator Partnership, and JWC Partners on your new websites!

Last Tuesday, October 5, members of the local small business community stopped by Switchfast’s main office for cocktails and refreshments and to celebrate the official opening of Switchfast’s Marketing Services department. The event was a great success; over 40 attendees got the chance to tour the offices, network, and watch Switchfast founder Matt Owen struggle with the giant scissors!

Switchfast is now officially authorized to serve Apple owners with its full range of IT services! Through our experience, we have noticed the growing popularity of Apple products among small businesses. We're proud to offer our friendly service and years of experience to the local small business community relying on Apple products for their technology needs.

On Tuesday, October 5th from 6:00 – 8:00pm, Switchfast is holding a ribbon cutting and open house to commemorate the launch of its new marketing services department – and you’re invited! Click below for details.

As an extension of its thriving full-service IT offering, Switchfast has announced a new line of marketing services designed to address small business marketing needs. We're even giving away a Brand Mini Makeover- a chance to test drive our marketing department for your business. “Since day one, our mission has been to level the playing field for our clients: maximizing their pool of resources without requiring them to make a crippling monetary investment,” said Tom Winters, Switchfast’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This is the next logical step down that path. We’ve achieved our mission in terms of our clients’ IT service and will continue to do so; now we will provide the same value to their marketing operations.” Read on to discover how to enter for your free Brand Mini Makeover and learn more about Switchfast's newest service!

Near the end of March, in conjunction with our social media launch, we initiated a summer promotion designed to give one lucky Switchfast fan the latest piece of technology –- an iPad! Today, we are happy to announce the winner and share with you our successful venture into social media.

As always, Switchfast had a great time at the annual Assurance Agency Golf Outing, and we hope that all of the attendees did, too! Our team is proud to have avoided a second consecutive year as winners of the "Most Honest Scorekeeper" award. Just like last year, Switchfast held a raffle for all of the attendees of the event. This year the prizes were tickets to the July 20th Cubs vs. Astros game at Wrigley Field and two hours of free onsite tech support from Switchfast (usable for IT consulting, network troubleshooting, website development, budgeting, or search engine optimization). The winners have been drawn –- click below for the results!

Nine years ago today, Switchfast received its first invoice. Since then, we've worked tirelessly to provide world-class service to Chicago's small business and nonprofit community. This year, we expanded our reach to Rochester, NY, and our work ethic hasn't changed a bit! Since day one, Switchfast has chosen to build its brand on fantastic customer service, so it makes sense that our primary measure of success is customer satisfaction. This year, we're proud to announce that we've achieved a 99% client satisfaction rate, and we're never done improving our service. We'd like to give a big thanks to all the clients that have made this possible; we promise to keep up the good work! Here's to another successful year for the small businesses of Chicago, Rochester, and beyond!

The most extensive network of senior care services on Chicago’s north side got a new website today! Great job Switchfast team! Covenant Methodist Senior Services has been catering to the needs of Chicago's senior citizens for decades, offering everything from specialized nursing facilities to attractive and affordable assisted living solutions to customizable in-home care and maintenance.

In conjunction with Switchfast's social media launch, we're giving away an iPad to someone in our network! Click Read More for details on how to win!

One of our clients, iaPeel, generated some serious buzz at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week -- they even made the local news! Congratulations iaPeel, we're proud to have built and optimized your website!

Switchfast is expanding into founder Matt Owen’s hometown of Rochester, NY, next week. Steve Gossin will be heading the effort to get things up and running. Welcome to the team, Steve! After nearly nine successful years growing up locally, Switchfast is ready to expand, replicating the same responsive, friendly, and respectful customer experience in a new market. Switchfast Rochester will officially open on Wednesday, January 13, 2010. Thanks to all of our clients for the continued support; we wouldn't be here without you!

Another new Switchfast website launch put a cap on the year. Representing two decades of expertise and integrity in real estate, Mo2 Properties is a family-owned full-service property management company providing service to private residents, owners, investors, and developers of commercial property. Mo2's website features a super clean, easy-to-navigate layout complete with hot property listings and a portal for tenants to pay rent securely online. Check it out: www.mo2properties.com

Congratulations to CH&G on the launch of their new website today. It looks great! Nice work Switchfast team! CH&G Communications is a group of Chicago-based business communication consultants offering their expertise to businesses looking to streamline operations, create specialized marketing campaigns, or redefine their brands. Armed with extremely intuitive navigation and littered with potential points of contact, CH&G Communications' website tears down barriers between their staff and their customers. Check it out! www.chg-communications.com

Microsoft has granted Switchfast Gold Certified Partner status, thanks to our growing expertise in advanced network/infrastructure implementation. Congrats to our engineers for continually proving to be at the top of their field!

Two more Switchfast websites went live this month. Congratulations to iaPeel and Anderson Glass, and may your revenue come pouring in! Click "Read More" to check them out.

Switchfast has acquired an additional retail space within 4043 N Ravenswood location. The new room is adjacent to the space that currently houses Switchfast’s help desk team, and plans to merge to two rooms are in the works. The purpose of the expansion is to accommodate future growth, but we’re sure that Nik and the help desk guys will appreciate the extra elbow room as well. Big thanks to Hayes Properties for being fantastic landlords over the years!

In a classic Cinderella story, Chris Barker led Switchfast's 15th-seeded 2009 volleyball team to this year's Chicago Sport and Social Club championship! Congratulations to the athletes, and special thanks to the Chicago Sport and Social Club for a great season!

One of only four companies in the "IT Services" category to appear from the Chicago metropolitan area, Switchfast remains among America’s fastest growing private businesses for the third year in a row. Special thanks to everyone who has helped make it possible for us to have sustained such growth. We promise greater things to come!

Switchfast is pleased to participate in the 2009 City Treasurer’s Small Business Expo at UIC Forum on July 17th. The workshops, exhibitor booths, and networking will prove valuable to the attendees interested in building their small business. Switchfast will be on hand showing how small business owners can reduce downtime and improve efficiency with our MaxPro™ managed service demonstrations, as well as informing visitors how a Search Engine Optimization strategy with Switchfast can work for their website. Switchfast will also share what’s going on at the Expo with real-time Twitter updates! As small businesses become increasingly dependent on information technology for communications and sales, they struggle to compete with big business for access to high-quality IT. Switchfast meets the IT needs of the small business owner with trust, customized solutions, and predictable pricing. As many of our clients are small businesses too, Switchfast understands our success and growth are aligned with their success and growth. We work to understand their business and support their objectives by delivering technology solutions that make sense now, and in the future.

Congratulations to Outsource Fleet Services for being featured in American Fleet Managers Buyer's Guide, and special thanks for mentioning us as their IT firm!

Switchfast was proud to be a sponsor of Assurance Agency's 2009 Client Golf Outing. The event, which occurred at the Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, IL, was a great success. Switchfast’s team received the “Most Honest Score” award and some snazzy new putters! Switchfast held a raffle at its table for some Cubs tickets and gift cards. Winners will be announced in our newsletter on Friday, 6/19! Special thanks for Assurance Agency for putting on a wonderful event.

Summer’s almost here, and at Switchfast, that means beach volleyball season! Switchfast is happy to be a part of the Chicago Sport and Social Club’s summer volleyball league. This year, Switchfast’s team is poised to compete like never before. Team captain, Chris Barker, has been training relentlessly throughout the off-season and promises a dominant performance from his teammates. Switchfast’s first game will be on Thursday, June 11th at 6:30pm at Montrose Beach. Feel free to stop by, hang out, and cheer us on! For more information on Chicago Sport and Social Club’s events and activities, visit their website at www.chicagosportandsocialclub.com.

Switchfast is proud to announce the completion of its 8th year serving the IT needs of Chicago's small business and nonprofit community. When Matt Owen started Switchfast in 2001, his intent was to provide the small business community with the same type of high-end IT consulting and support that large businesses received regularly. We would like to thank all of our clients for believing in our vision and allowing us to thrive! Here's to 8 more years of satisfied clients!

Switchfast is excited to join Assurance Agency in participation of their annual, employee-driven charity initiative, ACT (Assurance Caring Together). Since ACT's inception five years ago, Assurance has partnered with several local charities in various neighborhoods. Employees of Assurance donate money and labor hours to these organizations to lend a hand to their respective causes. Like Assurance, Switchfast will be offering its employees a day off to volunteer their time this year. Big thanks to Assurance Agency for inviting us to contribute to this great cause!

The new Switchfast website promises more features, better navigation, and a sleek new look! Be sure to check out the new video testimonials page and sign up for our newsletter!

sdfgdfgdsfg

This week's Focus section in Crain's Chicago Business journal features a short interview with Switchfast CEO Matt Owen. Matt is featured in the "If They Could Do 2008 Over," speaking on the subject of marketing during a recession. You can check the article out here: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31198

Switchfast CEO Matt Owen spoke to members of the Ravenswood Industrial Council on the topic of making the most of a company's technology budget in the face of a difficult economy. Matt highlighted several cost-cutting and productivity-increasing tactics and technologies that Switchfast often suggest for its own clients, as well as stressing the importance of an accurate technology budget to help plan and control costs going forward.

Switchfast is proud to announce its inclusion on Inc Magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America. Switchfast came in at No. 1295 in this year's list, boasting a growth of almost 300% from 2004. To date, the growth has been almost exclusively through client referrals, a testament to the quality of service that Switchfast's team provides. Special thanks to Inc Magazine for recognizing us again this year!