Level Ten

Level Ten Fuss-free, future building IT Support and Cyber Security Services for modern business.

07/07/2025

The 5 Stages of Starting a Business.

Stage 1: The Honeymoon
"I'm going to change the world!"
Changes LinkedIn title to "Founder & CEO"

Stage 2: The Reality Check
"Wait, I have to do... EVERYTHING?"
Googles "how to do payroll" at 11pm

Stage 3: The Existential Crisis
"What am I even doing? Maybe I should just quit."
5 minutes later: "Yes, I'd love to take on that project!"

Stage 4: The Growth
"Time to grow the team some more..."
Realises letting go is harder than doing it yourself

Stage 5: The Acceptance
"This is my life now. And I love it."
Can't imagine doing anything else

Currently ping-ponging between stages 3 and 4, with a hint of 5, like it's an Olympic sport.

Which stage are you in?

Or have you discovered the secret Stage 6 where it all just makes sense? 👀

03/07/2025

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ll have noticed AI videos are absolutely everywhere - especially those fake news reports that sometimes look a little too real...

Well, I couldn’t resist having a go myself today.

Fired up Google Vids – and yes, of course I targeted printers, again.

Some things never change 😂🙈

Okay, not a business post whatsoever, but starting your week with a cool piece of tech advice that I remembered when I l...
23/06/2025

Okay, not a business post whatsoever, but starting your week with a cool piece of tech advice that I remembered when I lost my Sky remote the other evening.

It turns out Sky has a genius feature for this.

👉 Press and hold the hidden Q button on the front of your Sky Q box!

Your remote will start bleeping like a lost sheep calling for its shepherd.

I found mine wedged between the sofa cushions, right where I'd checked three times already, obviously. 🙄

The best tech features are the ones that solve real human problems.

Like finding the bloody TV remote.

This might be the most useful thing I share all week, but back to your regular IT leadership content tomorrow 😂

Anyone else got any "why didn't I know this?" tech tips?

Drop them below. Let's help each other out.

19/06/2025

I hate "sales" calls.

Probably because I'm not a "sales person", and probably because there's always a preconception that it's exactly that.. a sales call, drawn in to make you spend where you don't need to.

The thing is, we don't do that.

We genuinely care, maybe sometimes too much.

We want to be helpful, we want to be your partner, we want to grow with you…

I worry this comes across as disingenuous, because sometimes it sounds too good to be true…

But in total transparency. It's not an act.

When I jump on a call and spend 30 minutes explaining something and being honest, instead of selling you a solution, that's not a sales tactic.

That's just who we are.

When we tell you NOT to buy the expensive option because the basic one will do everything you need, we're not just playing the long game. We just can't help ourselves.

Because, when you DO actually need the expensive option, you’ll trust that we say so based on your best interests.

Your business is our business, your money is our money… and I’m very diligent!

I know for a fact that we leave money on the table. That we should be more "strategic" about these things.

But I'd rather lose out on a sale than sell someone something they don't need.

I'd rather have 20 clients who trust us completely than 100 who feel like they've been sold to.

Call it naive. Call it bad business. Call it whatever you want.

We call it doing IT differently.

And honestly? It's working.

Our clients stick around.

They refer their friends.

They trust us with their businesses.

So maybe, just maybe, caring too much IS the strategy.

Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

17/06/2025

When I started work at the fruit company 🍎 we spent weeks in intensive training.

Not on product specs or how to fix broken screens.

But on something far more valuable:

How to actually talk to people.

How to probe and ask questions, without pushing.

How to architect solutions, not just sell products.

How to give & receive feedback properly.

I've used these skills every single day since.

With those who are frustrated their tech isn't working.

With those learning something new.

Even with myself when imposter syndrome kicks in.

The funny thing? Most tech companies train you mainly on the tech.

Apple trained us mainly on the human.

They understood something fundamental:

Technology is just a tool, and that the real work happens between people.

Now at Level Ten, I keep many of the same values.

We really listen, we play back, we discuss.

That training taught me to hear what's really being said.

What training from years ago do you still use daily?

———

👋 I’m Bill, the founder of Level Ten.

🖥️ We're experts in Google Workspace and Apple devices.

👨‍💻 Ready for us to listen? Come say hi!

13/06/2025

🏆 Introducing... The IT Support Excuses Hall of Fame

After far too many years in IT, I think I've probably heard them all.

→ "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"
Translation: I have no idea what's wrong, but this works 99% of the time.

→ "Must be your internet connection"
Even when you're sat in their office. On their WiFi.

→ "That's strange, it works on my machine"
Cool story. Still broken though.

→ "We're aware of the issue and monitoring it"
Translation: We just found out when you told us.

→ "It's a Microsoft/Google/Apple problem"
The classic blame shift.

→ "The ticket is with second line support"
Where tickets go to die.

→ "Can you clear your cache?"
Pronounced 'cash' of course, or maybe 'cashayyyy'?

→ "It's scheduled maintenance"
That nobody scheduled or mentioned.

→ "We'll need to escalate that to the printer gods"
They're fickle deities who demand paper sacrifices.

→ What, the printer is possessed you say?
Sorry, that's extra.

IT is complex! Things break in weird ways.

But maybe, just maybe, we could all benefit from a bit more honesty?

Next time, just try - "I don't know, but I'll find out" - Much better! 😉

Happy Friday, everyone! 🍻

(And no, before you ask, I can confirm I have never used any of the above excuses, ever.. alright ...maybe the printer thing...)

------

👋 I'm Bill, the founder of Level Ten.

🖥️ We help brands succeed with Google Workspace and Apple devices

👨‍💻 Tired of IT excuses? We speak human. Let's talk

12/06/2025

🤦‍♂️ Why Your Team's Email Signatures Are All Over the Place... And How to Fix It.

Let's be honest. Chasing grown adults about their email signatures feels about as productive as teaching your cat how to use Excel.

Every email your team sends is a tiny advert for your brand.

But I bet if you checked right now, you'd find:

Sarah's using Comic Sans
Tom's signature is 15 lines too long
Emma's logo doesn't load
Jack's still says "MaRkeing Assistant" (typo & wrong title! Double whammy!)
Half the team have forgotten to include their contact number

It's not their fault. Without a system, signatures become the Wild West.

Here's what standardised signatures actually do:

✍️ Brand Consistency
Every email reinforces who you are.
Same fonts, same colours, same professional look.

✍️ Updated Information
Change happens once, updates everywhere.
New phone number? Done in minutes.

✍️ Marketing Opportunities
Latest blog post? Award win? New service?
Your signatures can promote it automatically.

✍️ Legal Compliance
Those required disclaimers?
Added once, never forgotten.

✍️ Professional Trust
Consistent signatures = organised business.
Clients notice these details.

At Level Ten, we manage this for our clients.

Automatic updates. Zero faff.
Tom's 15-line manifesto? Gone.

Because honestly?

Life's too short to chase people about email signatures.

------

👋 I'm Bill, the founder of Level Ten.

🖥️ We help brands succeed with technology.

👨‍💻 Want standardised signatures sorted? Drop me a DM.

macOS 26 (Tahoe) marks the end of an era!After 18 years, Apple has announced that it's closing the Intel chapter.2005: A...
10/06/2025

macOS 26 (Tahoe) marks the end of an era!

After 18 years, Apple has announced that it's closing the Intel chapter.

2005: Apple moved away from PowerPC to Intel
2020: The M chips arrived and everything changed
2025: macOS 26 becomes the final Intel-supporting version

That's two decades of Intel Macs.

Machines that shaped creative industries worldwide.

For Intel Mac owners:

- You've got a few years of security updates ahead
- Your Mac won't suddenly stop working
- Third-party apps will support Intel for years

The smart move:

Don't panic. Don't rush. But do start planning.

- Count your Intel Macs.
- Check their age.
- Plan their succession.

Thanks, Intel Mac, you served us well 🫡

------

👋 I’m Bill, the founder of Level Ten.

🖥️ We're experts in Google Workspace and Apple devices.

👨‍💻 Need help working out your Intel's from your M's? Drop us a DM

06/06/2025

Hollywood makes hacking look like streams of green code and typing frantically in hoodies.

In reality? Most breaches happen because someone used "Password123!" or they're using the same password for their company accounts as their Netflix.

The truth is both reassuring and terrifying.

Your business security probably has holes.
But they are probably holes you can fix in under an hour.

Here's the exact check I'd advise everyone try. Today.

Not to scare you - but to help you sleep better.

→ 1. The Password Reality

Open your password manager.
Don't have one? There's your first problem...
Count the ones marked "weak" or "reused."
Got a few in there? Oops. You're not alone though.
Pick your most critical accounts and fix them!
(Progress beats perfection)

→ 2. Your Safety Net

ALL accounts need 2-factor authentication, but especially these:

Your main email
The platform you use to store data - Drive, Dropbox, Box, etc.
Any systems that hold personal data
Banking, or anything that can spend money

Don't have it enabled?
It takes less than 60 seconds to add.
Now you've checked those urgent ones, check EVERYTHING ELSE.
It's the difference between one lock or two on your front door.

→ 3. Who's Still Got Keys?

Using Google Workspace or Microsoft?
Quick check: Who has access?
That intern from 2022? The agency you stopped using?
Time for some digital decluttering.

→ 4. The Oversharing Audit

Check file sharing in Google Drive or OneDrive.
Recognise everyone on that list? No?
You're sharing more than you think.
(We all do it when we're moving fast)
Too many files to check?
There are ways to speed this up.
We can help you with this.

→ 5. Device Spring Clean

List every device with company access.
When did they last update?
That iPad you haven't touched since 2023?
It's a security risk with a screen.

What these checks usually reveal:

✅ A handful of quick fixes
✅ Some "oh hell" moments (that are actually easy to solve)
✅ Relief that it's not as bad as you imagined
✅ A plan that takes minutes, not months

The businesses that stay secure are the ones who do the boring things consistently.

Like that friend’s house that’s always tidy - they just put things away as they go.

Security's the same. Little habits. Big difference.

So here's my challenge:

Do these quick checks.
Do it today.
Fix what you can.
Feel good about it.
Then do it again next month.
Then, when you're ready, reach out to us for the big stuff.

Because here's the thing:

Hackers aren't always using sophisticated tools.

They're trying door handles until one opens.

Make sure yours are locked.

------

🛡️ Want security that actually works for creative businesses?

👋 I'm Bill from Level Ten. We help luxury and creative brands build security habits that stick.

💬 Drop me a message. Let's make your business harder to hack than your competition. (Spoiler: It's easier than you think)

Lovely trip down to the MSPShow in London yesterday!Great to put some faces to names, meet some vendors, and of course, ...
16/05/2025

Lovely trip down to the MSPShow in London yesterday!

Great to put some faces to names, meet some vendors, and of course, meet lots of new people in the IT space!

HaloPSA as always brining the goods and combining my love of Tech & F1… with not just 1, but 2 beautiful McLaren cars 😍

This is exactly why at Level Ten we MUST always have a second form of authentication when resetting users’ passwords. Th...
08/05/2025

This is exactly why at Level Ten we MUST always have a second form of authentication when resetting users’ passwords.

This is usually a direct phone call to confirm the users identity (if we know them personally) or a phone call to a trusted member of the team (usually their Line Manager or our main point of contact) to confirm its legitimacy.

In some cases we also utilise MSP Process alongside HaloPSA to automate this process somewhat.

Of course, this is just a headline, and full details haven’t been released just yet, but it’s still a stark reminder.

If you’re a provider who is trusted to look after IT for other business, and this isn’t your standard practice, then please please please start doing this now.

05/05/2025

There’s been a flood of posts about M&S, Co-op and Harrods lately (understandably). So, not to add to the noise too much, but beyond the obvious technical work behind the scenes, just look at the scale of damage control in play…

Endless comms. Constant reassurance… and that’s only the customer side. Imagine what it’s like internally.

IT breaches aren’t just IT problems - they touch every part of a business.

Operations. Marketing. Reputation. Revenue.

The bad press is brutal. The loss of customer trust is even worse.

Big or small, EVERY company is a target.

Spend on IT. Invest in security.

It won’t make you bulletproof, and there’s always ways around things, but one day you might wish you’d done more.

I really feel for the teams dealing with this right now.

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