Diversify Both Your Customers & Your Technology

By Gennifer Biggs, Business Solutions magazine.

When the recession swept through the country last year, many IT solutions providers watched revenues plummet. For Technology Integration Group (TIG), a multimillion-dollar IT company with nearly two dozen branch offices, protection from that slowdown came in the form of its diverse customer base, which includes several verticals that withstood the recession better than most. "The value of our diversity was glaringly clear last year," says Jeff Di Rado, EVP for TIG. "We saw competitors lose 60% or 70% of their customer base in one fell swoop, either because they were deep into one vertical or with one big customer." If the stability of a diverse customer base (and subsequently diverse technology solutions) sounds appealing, keep in mind that TIG's approach demands a wide range of expertise and has its challenges.