4 WAYS TO DEAL WITH YOUR “IT GUY”
Dear Subscriber,
The Internet has become a major part of our personal and business life and everyday people are looking for creative ways to leverage the internet to make their business more visible, efficient and profitable and it has now become a standard for most businesses to have a website, mobile app or at least a social media profile.
Creating your website or mobile app requires the services of a Designer/ Developer who possesses the technical skills to bring your ideas to life. It is however a common scenario for business owners and their “IT Guys” to have conflicts over the scope of work, timing, design, pricing etc. Such conflicts have typically resulted in serious disputes and in some cases led to the shutdown or suspension of the project.
Some of these issues are avoidable if business owners and their “IT Guys” are on the same page but for reasons that are somewhat unclear, they fail to clearly document their relationship and thus its fairly common to find them operating without a legally enforceable written contract. It is on this premise that we have now articulated some things you should insist on when engaging an “IT Guy” and which should be included in the Contract of Engagement.
1. Specify your needs– Your contract should be specific on what you expect from your IT man e.g. design, colors, functionality, content, timelines, revisions etc. Making your expectations clear from the beginning will eliminate the “I thought you said…” syndrome.
2. Ensure you get Source Code/ Control Panel Access– It is essential that your “IT Guy” gives you access to your source code or control panel which allows you move your site or app to another IT Company in the event that you are not satisfied with the services you are getting. Typically your “IT Guy” will insist on getting full payment before releasing the source code/ control panel details.
3. Ensure you have access to the Content Management System (CMS) – This allows you to easily manage and update your website on your own. With a CMS you can change the content of your site, add images, or even add pages on your own without having to be an expert. Without a CMS you’re basically handcuffed developer/designer whenever you need to update or change your site. Not only is this an extra cost, but it can also be a nightmare when you need to quickly change something, only to be unable to reach your developer/designer to make the updates.
4. Agree on Post Design Relationship– Some “IT Guys” have the tendency to force a post design maintenance relationship down the throat of the Business Owner. Whilst this might be ideal it is not compulsory and should thus be discussed at the inception of the relationship.
TAKEAWAY.
Your internet presence can be likened to your physical office/ shop and thus adequate attention should be paid to the design process to forestall future issues. No matter the size of the project it is imperative to have the agreement clearly documented and we advise that you take note of the tips contained in this article to protect yourself and your business.
The content of this document is solely for information purposes only and should not in any way be construed as a legal opinion. If you require specific legal advice on any of the matters covered in this article please contact a professional.
MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO
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