You wouldn’t hire your own contractor to design a skyscraper with no blueprint. So why do so many growing businesses try to build their IT strategy from scratch?
In almost every market we serve, there’s a common trend:
Local IT providers sell “custom” setups that get reinvented with each new client. They pitch flexibility. But what you actually get is a homegrown system that depends on one or two people—and crumbles when they leave, make mistakes, or miss something critical.
That’s the Build path. And it’s riskier than it looks.
We take a different approach.
At Stringfellow, we offer a Proven IT Process—what we call our IT Playbook—that’s already been pressure-tested across dozens of businesses just like yours. It’s not built from scratch, it’s built to scale. That’s the Buy path. And for most growth-minded leaders, it’s the smarter move.
What’s Wrong with Building Your Own IT “Map”?
Plenty of business leaders are sold on the idea of a “custom” IT setup. But here’s what they don’t tell you:
- Every business needs the same core IT foundation. Security, backups, access controls, devices, remote access—there are best practices for a reason.
- Custom often means cobbled together. The more unique your setup, the harder it is to support, scale, or troubleshoot.
- Your internal IT person (or outsourced one-man shop) can’t keep up. When business needs change, your IT setup needs to flex fast. DIY setups often lag behind.
Most of the time, what’s being “built” is just a less reliable version of what we already offer—minus the consistency, documentation, or strategic alignment.
What You’re Really Buying When You Choose Stringfellow
When you “buy” our proven process, you’re not buying a product. You’re buying:
- Repeatable success. Every part of our playbook is based on what works, not what’s easiest.
- Fewer decisions. You don’t need to figure out tools, policies, or vendors—we’ve already mapped that out.
- Faster time to value. Our clients don’t spend six months redoing what should’ve worked from the start.
- Resilience. You’re not dependent on a single IT person or platform.
The real cost of building your own IT approach isn’t just the time or the budget. It’s the opportunity cost of not moving faster, more securely, and more efficiently.
You Already Bought Expertise in Every Other Area
You don’t build your own payroll system. You don’t design your own legal contracts. Why should IT be different?
Business leaders partner with us because they’ve outgrown DIY. They want to move faster, reduce complexity, and get IT out of the way so their business can grow.
If you’ve been trying to build your IT strategy—or if your current provider is still figuring it out as they go—it might be time to rewrite the map.
