
How to Align IT With Business Goals
Many small business owners only think about IT when something breaks. But reactive IT can cost more than you might expect. When technology decisions don’t

I’m Darren Redlick, President of Tech Masters Inc. in Sherwood Park, Alberta. I lead our strategic planning, sales and business development, and financial management, with a strong focus on small-town and rural clients. My goal is to let business owners concentrate on what they do best while Tech Masters takes care of their IT, worry-free.
I bring 39 years of business experience to Tech Masters, including more than 30 years with Applied Industrial Technologies. I’d always wanted to own my own business and work closely with clients, so on September 1, 2020, I purchased Tech Masters, a company that has served Alberta businesses since 1997. Because I know firsthand the challenges of running a business, I make sure our advice is practical, affordable and focused on what keeps your operation running. The best part of my job is getting to know our clients and working with them to improve the productivity of their business.
I hold a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan. My education and experience guides my approach to ensure that our IT recommendations make sound business and financial sense. Our IT solutions provide peace of mind to business owners and deliver overall cost savings.
Here on the Tech Masters blog, I write about the IT topics that matter most to small businesses: cybersecurity, backups and disaster recovery, and managed services. My aim is to help owners and managers make informed decisions about their technology.
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me at my lake property enjoying the outdoors, golfing, fishing, riding ATVs and tinkering with projects. Music is a big part of my life: I play guitar, I’m learning the mandolin, and I’m the creator and co-director of Prairie Music Hall, a non-profit music organization. I also serve as Treasurer of the Northern Lights Bluegrass & Old Tyme Music Society and have volunteered with the Fort Saskatchewan Furniture Bank and Food Bank.

Many small business owners only think about IT when something breaks. But reactive IT can cost more than you might expect. When technology decisions don’t

Technology failures rarely happen without warning. Slow systems, failed backups, and hardware issues often show signs of trouble before they become major disruptions. It’s still

A fast internet connection alone doesn’t guarantee reliable office Wi-Fi. In multi-floor office spaces, building materials, interference, and poor network design can create dead zones,

Your servers are the unsung heroes keeping your business humming, handling emails, files, customer data, applications, and more. When they start to struggle or fail,

Many small and mid-sized businesses believe that having a backup means they’re fully protected, but backup and disaster recovery are not the same. While backups

Data loss can cripple a small business in hours. Whether it’s a ransomware attack locking you out, a simple human error deleting critical files, hardware

If you have noticed that your organization is facing rising IT demands, you are not alone. Canadian companies face a huge range of IT costs,

Across Canada, so many companies turn to IT support when issues need fixing. This may help them in the short term, and many therefore do

Proactive IT maintenance is completely different from the ‘break-fix’ model. It’s designed to stop IT issues before they take place, rather than react to issues

Does your business need ways to manage IT system health? It may seem like a complex process because managing IT health involves looking at the
Reliable, worry-free IT for Alberta businesses — talk to the Tech Masters team today.