A Live Cohort Course From gotaminute? IT Services

Strategy for Solos

Three live sessions. Ninety minutes each. Everything a solo business owner needs to get IT and security fundamentals in place, in plain language, without hiring anyone.

Microsoft Teams
Format
Weekly, Evenings
Cadence (Eastern Time)
August 5, 2026
Next Cohort
$497 CAD + Tax
Core Series

Three Sessions, One Optional Add-On

Delivered weekly, live, with a short hands-on exercise built into every session. Platform-agnostic at the concept level, with parallel steps for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 wherever the hands-on work differs.

Session 1 · 90 min
IT Foundations & Platform Strategy

Get the fundamentals right before layering on security.

  • Workspace vs. 365, decided on your terms
  • Domain, DNS and email accounts consolidated and kept easy to manage, including a DMARC setup
  • A simple device and account inventory
  • Live setup: your first password manager
Session 2 · 90 min
Security Fundamentals

Practical protection, without the marketing noise.

  • What antivirus and EDR tools actually do
  • Real-world phishing and invoicing-fraud patterns
  • Wi-Fi and VPN, sorted out in ten minutes
  • Live setup: MFA on your most critical accounts
Session 3 · 90 min
Backups, Continuity & Incident Basics

What happens when something goes wrong, and how to make sure it isn't catastrophic.

  • The 3-2-1 backup rule, platform-agnostic for Windows or Mac, for a business of one
  • Why untested backups aren't backups
  • The first hour of responding to a breach
  • Live setup: a verified backup job and your cheat sheet

Done, Not Just Discussed

Alongside the full curriculum above, here are a couple of the tangible things each session also leaves you with, not just a slide deck to think about later.

Session 1
Password Hygiene & Platform Fundamentals

Top-notch password hygiene: a password manager installed, browser extension added, and your first 3 to 5 credentials imported, plus the theory behind a genuinely strong password and the habits that keep it that way.

Platform fundamentals: real working knowledge of managing and securing your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 environment, not just picking one.

Session 2
MFA & Antivirus Clarity

MFA on what matters most: multi-factor authentication enabled on the accounts that would hurt the most to lose, with backup codes stored somewhere safe.

Antivirus, without the noise: a clear read on what antivirus and EDR tools actually do, so you know what you need and stop paying for what you don't.

Session 3
A Verified Backup & a Cheat Sheet

A verified backup: one backup job configured and tested live using the 3-2-1 method, whether you're on Windows or Mac, because a backup you've never restored from is a hope, not a plan.

An incident cheat sheet: a one-page "if this breaks, do this" response sheet built for your business.

Ross Saunders, founder of gotaminute? IT Services

Twenty-Five Years of IT, Taught Live, Without the Jargon

Ross Saunders founded gotaminute? IT Services after managing multinational helpdesks and heading IT functions at large enterprises. Strategy for Solos is the same practical, plain-language approach behind the consultancy, built into a course you can actually finish.

Every cohort is small and taught personally, not handed off to a teaching assistant, with real time built in for your specific questions.

Built for Solo Operators, Not IT Departments

This Is for You If
  • You run your business alone, or close to it, and IT and security fall on you by default
  • You're comfortable with technology but have no formal IT or security background
  • You run on Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or a mix of both
  • You handle client or customer personal data and want to know what "reasonable safeguards" actually means
  • You'd rather leave with real password hygiene in place and a backup verified than with another PDF you'll never open
Maybe Skip This If
  • You already have an IT provider or in-house support handling this for you
  • You're pre-launch with no devices, accounts, or client data yet to protect
  • You want certification-level technical security training, not a strategy course for solo operators
  • You can't attend the live sessions or do the homework between them (the deliverables come from doing the work)

No Filler, No Fear-Selling

No Vendor Bias

Workspace vs. 365 covered on your terms, not brand loyalty.

No Lecture-Only Format

Every session includes a live hands-on exercise, not just slides.

No Assumed IT Department

Built for one person doing everything, not a team with a helpdesk.

No Scare Tactics

Grounded, practical risk framing. No "hackers are coming for you."

How the Course Runs

Delivery

  • 3 core sessions, 90 minutes each, delivered weekly
  • Live via Microsoft Teams, evenings Eastern time
  • Live attendance plus recording, included in the price
  • A short live hands-on exercise in every session
  • Optional Session 4 (Privacy & Compliance), sold separately, same format
  • New cohort starts quarterly · next cohort August 5, 2026

What to Bring

  • Yourself, ready to learn
  • Admin access to your primary email/productivity platform (Workspace or 365)
  • Access to at least one cloud storage account
  • A laptop or desktop for the hands-on portions, not just a phone
  • A list of the devices and accounts your business uses, if you have one handy

One Series, One Optional Add-On

Optional Add-on
$147 CAD + tax

Session 4: Privacy & Compliance Essentials. Sold separately.

Next cohort starts August 5, 2026. New cohorts run quarterly.

Straight Answers

Is this delivered live or is it a pre-recorded course?

It's live, over Microsoft Teams, with the recording included afterward for anyone who can't make a session.

How long is each session, and how many are there?

Three core sessions, 90 minutes each, held weekly. There's also an optional fourth session on privacy and compliance, sold separately.

What time are sessions held?

Evenings, Eastern time, so you're not carving up your working day. Exact start time is confirmed with your cohort.

Do I need to be technical to keep up?

No. This is built for solo business owners who are comfortable with technology but aren't IT or security professionals. No acronyms without an explanation.

I use Google Workspace, not Microsoft 365. Is this still for me?

Yes. The concepts are platform-agnostic, and the hands-on portions run parallel tracks for both Workspace and 365.

What do I need to prepare before Session 1?

Admin access to your email/productivity platform, access to at least one cloud storage account, a laptop or desktop for the hands-on portions, and a rough list of your business devices and accounts if you have one handy.

How much does it cost, and how often does it run?

The core series is $497 CAD plus tax. The optional Session 4 is $147 CAD plus tax, sold separately. Cohorts run quarterly, and the next one starts August 5, 2026.

Register Your Interest

No payment required today. Once you register, Ross will reach out directly to confirm your spot in the next cohort.

This is separate from registering your interest above, and leaving it unchecked won't affect your registration for the next cohort. We'll only use this list to tell you about new modules and cohorts and follow up on registering for them, we won't sell or share your information, and you can opt out at any time.

All information is handled per our Privacy Notice.

The Next Cohort Starts August 5, 2026

Three live sessions. Real password hygiene, MFA, and a verified backup to show for it. No payment required to get on the list.

Register Interest for the Next Cohort → Talk to Us First →