01
Cost & how we get paid
4 questions
Do you really design our architecture for free?
Yes. Assessments, solution design, network and voice architecture, RFP writing: the work other firms bill as "consulting" is free with us. We're paid by the provider you choose, so there's no meter running while we figure out what's right for you.
How do you make money?
Vendors pay advisors a commission through an agency model. You pay us nothing, and what a vendor pays never changes our recommendation. And we don't chase quota bonuses or SPIFFs — more on that below.
Is there really no cost to me?
None. The provider you choose pays us a commission, the same one they'd pay any advisor. No consulting fees, no mark-ups.
Do vendors pay you bonuses to push certain products?
Vendor reps have quotas to hit every quarter, and they chase bonuses and SPIFFs (extra payouts for pushing a specific product) to get there. That's how this quarter's promotion quietly becomes your "best option." We don't chase quotas or SPIFFs. Your recommendation is set by what fits your business, nothing else.
02
Pricing
3 questions
How do I know I'm getting the best price?
Since every vendor pays the same, they compete on price and discount to win you. We pass all of it through. The harder we fight for you, the more business you'll trust us with.
You're small. Can you really get the same pricing?
Yes. Providers set pricing for your account, not for the broker. What a vendor pays us never changes our recommendation, so providers compete for your business on price — and we pass every discount through.
Wouldn't going direct to the vendor be cheaper?
Usually not. The vendor's own sales rep is paid a commission too; it's built into the price either way. The difference is that their rep can only show you one company's options. We show you all the ones that fit, and negotiate them against each other.
03
Working with us
5 questions
How has selling changed?
We don't sell. We advise. Most resellers have an incentive to push one vendor over another. We don't, so our job is simply to find what fits.
Why Arkitexts?
We're small on purpose. No org charts, no red tape. You always know who you're dealing with. All it costs you to try us is a little time.
What if I've already picked a vendor?
We'll give you a free second opinion before you sign. If it's the right call, great. If not, you'll know why.
What if what we have is already the right fit?
Then we'll tell you, and help you get more out of it, whether that's a better rate at renewal or helping your team actually use what you're paying for. Changing for the sake of change isn't advice.
Will you take over our IT?
No. We extend your team; we don't replace it. It's your operation, and you set the service levels.
04
After you sign
2 questions
What happens after we choose a provider?
We stay. We manage the rollout with the provider, handle escalations when something goes wrong, flag renewals well before they auto-renew, and keep checking that it's still the right fit. Success isn't the signature.
Our contract auto-renews. How do we keep from getting locked in again?
Start before the renewal, not at it. Most business technology contracts, from network and cloud to phones and software, renew on their own unless you give written notice inside a set window, often 30 to 90 days before the end date. Miss it and you can be locked in for another full term, usually at old pricing while new customers get a better deal.
It happens to careful businesses too. The contract gets signed, the right person moves on, and the notice date sits in a PDF nobody opens until the renewal invoice shows up.
What you can do on your own
- Calendar it the day you sign. Put the renewal date and the notice deadline on the calendar right away. Our free renewal reminder can do it for you.
- Know your real cost of switching. Moving your data, retraining your team, any downtime. If you can't put a number on it, the vendor holds the leverage.
- Don't let a deadline discount decide. A “sign by month-end” discount is small next to the cost of years in the wrong contract.
What we do differently at Arkitexts
- We track every renewal for you. Network, cloud, security, communications and wireless: every provider in one place. We start flagging each renewal at least 90 days out, so the decision is always yours, never the contract's.
- We plan your way out before you sign in. During the free architecture design, we look at what it would take to leave each option: data, training, equipment, downtime. That cost is part of the comparison, not a surprise later.
- You choose the term. One year or five, whatever fits your plans. We push for the best terms either way and ask for the flexibility you need written into the contract, like notice periods and room to add or drop services.
- No end-of-month pressure from us. We don't chase vendor quotas, bonuses or SPIFFs, so we have no reason to rush you. If a deadline discount is real, we'll tell you. If it's just pressure, we'll tell you that too.
- Real alternatives, even if you stay. We line up side-by-side options with real quotes. Sometimes the best answer is staying where you are on better terms, and a credible alternative is how you get them.
- We stay after you sign. Escalations, changes and the next renewal come through us, at no cost to you. Vendors pay us, not you.
Didn't see your question? Ask us.
We'll give you a straight answer, even if it's "you don't need us."
- No cost to you
- No vendor quotas
- You choose the term
Still deciding? Start with a free evaluation.
No cost, no obligation, no sales pitch. You can stop after any step.