The kind of person who can start a business and guide it toward growth is rare. It takes a bold vision for the future and a willingness to do what is needed to achieve that vision. In many such cases, entrepreneurs find themselves performing multiple functions to maintain regular operations.
When Brad Queck founded Virtual IT in 2013, he took on a number of roles he planned to eventually delegate to specialists—either internally or through trusted vendors. In the beginning, this arrangement made sense. Brad had experience with Quicken and QuickBooks accounting software and the fledgling company’s financial performance data was essentially a clean slate.
But as Virtual IT grew and added clients, the company’s workload naturally increased. As a result, Brad had less time to commit to administrative and strategic accounting. Not only was his time in greater demand, but the complexity of his accounting needs increased thanks to the growth Brad and his team were able to achieve. Just like Virtual IT is able to deliver highly-specialized IT services to its clients, Brad knew he would need help from knowledgeable and capable accounting professionals to adequately address his financial management needs.
Virtual IT is based in Omaha, Nebraska and, thanks to advanced virtual management technologies, is able to provide its services to clients across state lines. They function as a remote IT department for their customers, offering network management and a live help desk. Their ability to provide fast and effective IT support has helped them expand their business beyond Omaha. Today, Virtual IT serves clients in Des Moines, Kansas City, and St. Louis as well.
Brad Queck founded Virtual IT along with two partners who have since stepped away from the business. Brad’s focus has always been on sales and growth, and this focus has intensified since he gained sole ownership of Virtual IT. With growth in his sights, Brad knew he needed a more thorough, strategic approach to budgeting and accounting.
In 2021, Virtual IT hired an outsourced service to handle their bookkeeping. Although this approach reduced the internal team’s accounting workload, it ultimately did not provide the level of hands-on financial management that Brad was looking for. According to Brad, “We were paying for high-dollar CPA work, but still had to do a lot ourselves.”
Some of the very best professional partnerships are built on a mutual exchange of value. That is exactly the kind of relationship that Virtual IT has been able to establish with Advantage Insights. Ashley Quade, Virtual IT’s Business Development Lead, established contact with Mary Ferry of Advantage Insights—not only to offer remote IT management, but to inquire about Advantage Insights’ suite of Financial Management services.
When Mary first met with the Virtual IT team, Brad was impressed with her frank and thoughtful approach to financial management. Together, they discussed their goals as business owners, and Mary laid out some practical actions and changes that could be made to prepare Virtual IT to scale up sustainably and intelligently.
“I came to understand that [Mary] had worked at Conagra and CFO Systems as a CPA, so she brings a ton of knowledge and qualifications to the table, and on top of that, her service fees were competitive.”
-Brad Queck, President, Virtual IT
Advantage Insights has helped Virtual IT modernize its accounting by migrating financial records to QuickBooks Online and using key software integrations to automate important reporting processes. Payables are entered into the system automatically and all accounts—banking, checking, savings, and credit card—are reconciled on a regular basis.
In addition to the administrative support Advantage Insights provides, Brad appreciates the fact that he is no longer the go-to person for accounting questions on his team.
“Everyone used to rely on me to answer their accounting questions. Now I can tell them to call Mary or Brittney from Advantage Insights.”
-Brad Queck, President, Virtual IT
As discussed in our previous blog, Virtual IT delivers monitoring and IT support for Advantage Insights, making this a vital and mutually-beneficial partnership.
The services that Virtual IT provides its clients are so necessary and impactful that the company has seen impressive growth and customer satisfaction since its founding. Brad and his team have been able to accomplish this with a limited scope of financial awareness. However, at their current stage of growth, the Virtual IT team needs more advanced analytics to identify and seize the right opportunities.
One way Brad hopes to empower his strategic planning process is through advanced financial performance reports that break down the business’s profitability by client, service, and market. In 2023, the company will have a more granular view of its performance. Thanks to Advantage Insights, the 2023 budget for Virtual IT will be a “living document,” adaptable to performance and market factors as they emerge throughout the year.
Brad appreciates Mary’s role as an advocate and consultant for his business as well. Throughout his time leading Virtual IT, he had considered converting all client payments to an automated ACH system, but was concerned that it may alienate some customers. Mary insisted that ACH payments would ultimately be more convenient for Virtual IT customers and provide a more steady and predictable flow of payments.
Another area of improvement Brad has identified is inventory management. Thanks to their ability to integrate management software with help from Advantage Insights, this goal is within reach. Had they held on to their old way of doing things, such an initiative might not have been possible.
For business owners who have become inundated with accounting tasks or are incapable of getting the most out of their financial performance reports, Brad’s advice is simple: “Run, don’t walk.” Financial management services don’t just save you time, they improve your ability to analyze and operate your business toward goals that you define.
“It’s about the person. I had trepidation about financial management because of the experiences I had up until that point. Advantage Insights has been different. Mary was knowledgeable and detail-oriented from the very beginning.”
-Brad Queck, President, Virtual IT
Advantage Insights and Virtual IT are two businesses that have a fair amount in common. First, they both offer specialized service and expertise as managed service providers. Accounting and IT support are two essential components of business operations that only become more complex over time. Both companies deliver custom services based on the unique needs of their small business clients, and can do so remotely.
If your business needs accounting or financial management support, Advantage Insights has a service plan to support your goals. You can get started with a free consultation to discover exactly how Advantage Insights can make a difference. Additionally, you can call or contact us to find out more about our Virtual Financial Management services.
.png)
