In many small organizations, technology and communications work falls on whoever happens to be available. The program officer fixes the email accounts. The finance staff updates the website. The director proofreads the proposal late at night because it has to go out tomorrow. These tasks are important, but they pull your team away from the work they were hired to do.
Hiring a full-time IT person and a full-time writer or editor is often not practical for a small or medium enterprise; a cooperative or other people organization; an NGO, foundation, or other socio-civic organization; or a training, learning, or other educational institution. The work comes in waves: an email account that needs fixing this week, a website update next week, a newsletter or annual report at the end of the quarter. What many organizations need is not another full-time employee, but reliable, skilled help whenever these recurring tasks come up.
That is the idea behind an outsourced IT and editorial team. Instead of hiring and managing additional in-house staff, you work with a team that handles your technical and writing needs as they arise. On the IT side, this can include email and account administration, remote troubleshooting, website updates and help with forms, spreadsheets and reports. On the editorial side, it can include writing, editing, proofreading and content for your website, social media and publications.
A retainer arrangement adds continuity. Because the same team works with you month after month, they get to know your systems, your organization and the way you communicate. You have a designated contact to send requests to, and you receive a regular summary of the work done. Instead of searching for a new freelancer every time something comes up, you already have people who understand what you need.
The right setup depends on your organization. Some teams only need IT support, some only need editorial help, and some need both. A good starting point is to list the tasks that regularly slow your team down, then choose an arrangement that covers them, with larger projects agreed and quoted separately.
Tell us what regularly slows your team down. The IXI Data Solutions IT & Editorial Retainer gives you an outsourced support team for one predictable monthly fee, with IT support, editorial support, or both. Learn more on our Retainer page, visit our Contact page, or email hello@ixidatasolutions.com.