The Hidden Role That Saved A Client $12k (And Why Every Business Needs It)
A deep dive into the overlooked world of IT Support—and how one so-called "back office" role quietly delivers millions in value.
Every now and then, we come across a story in our work that reminds us how underestimated specific roles in tech are, especially those not in the limelight.
Today, we want to share one of those stories. It’s about our providing IT Support Services (also known as Back Office Support or sometimes O365 Support) for businesses. Just last week, we realised that the systems and structures we helped implement as part of that role have saved one of our clients over $12,000 between 2020 and today.
👨🏾💻 The IT Role No One Talks About
If you're reading this and run a small business, startup, church, agency, or nonprofit, you probably have someone playing this role unofficially or still winging it yourself. In large organisations, this work might fall under the "Head of IT." But for smaller orgs that can’t afford a high-salary hire—or for bigger companies with sprawling departments—this role becomes a quiet but critical bridge between business operations and tech reliability.
We’ve been that bridge more times than we can count.
Here’s what the work actually involves:
🌐 1. Domain Management
Think of your domain (yourwebsite.com) as your digital home address. If it expires, everything connected to it collapses—your website, email, and sometimes, your customer portals.
When we join a business, we usually start by reviewing its registrar setup. Common providers include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Bluehost, and Gigalayer. Choosing the right one depends on security, pricing, and support preferences.
But that’s just the beginning.
The real work is in maintenance—renewals, alerts, backups, security settings (like SSL and domain privacy), and ensuring no one loses access. If a domain expires, someone else could snap it up—sometimes even competitors or angry freelancers. That’s not a joke—it’s happened in politics and business.
Domain weaponisation is real.
💾 2. Hosting: Keeping the Lights On
Next up is hosting. Where your website and data “live.”
Do we self-host or use a provider like Cloudflare, Namecheap, or GoDaddy? How much storage is needed? Do we need daily backups?
We help answer all these and set up the systems. We also track hosting renewals and usage, because when hosting fails, so does your business presence.
📧 3. Email Systems & Security
We’re often called in when a business is expanding and needs to set up professional emails for their team. We look at providers—Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Zoho, etc.—and recommend the best fit for their workflow and budget. Then we set up a custom email security policy. This usually includes:
Email naming conventions
Two-factor authentication
Forwarding rules (and bans)
Password rotation policies
Rules about personal device access
Protocols for offboarding staff
When a new hire joins, we create and configure their email. When someone resigns or is let go, we secure the account and follow the playbook.
🔐 4. Passwords and Access Control
It’s shocking how many businesses don’t know who has access to what.
When someone resigns with the keys to your digital tools (email, hosting, Canva, website, billing platforms, etc.), it can trigger a nightmare. So, we help put password policies in place:
Who gets access
How passwords are stored (we use tools like Norton)
How often they’re rotated
What to do when access is revoked
You don’t want to be figuring this out mid-crisis.
🧩 5. General IT Support
On top of all that, there’s the everyday “tech support” people expect:
Setting up laptops and email apps
Helping staff connect printers or troubleshoot software
Drafting training guides
Managing hardware inventory
Monitoring for suspicious activity
Keeping everything secure, updated, and backed up
It’s not just tech support—it’s business continuity.
🧠 Why This Role Matters
The value of IT Support isn’t always seen upfront. But like insurance, you’re glad it’s there when something goes wrong.
That $12K million in savings came from a combination of on-time domain renewals, systems that didn’t fail when staff left, and hosting/email services that stayed online through transitions and finding cheaper options.
If you’re building a company, you need someone thinking about this stuff.
And if you’re someone looking to break into tech, IT Support is a brilliant place to start. You’ll learn infrastructure, security, automation, and people skills while gaining experience that prepares you for roles like DevOps, Cloud Engineer, or IT Project Manager.
💬 Want to work with us?
If you run a business and realise you’ve been winging it without this kind of support, let’s talk.
Until next time,
Extrafemi