IT Manager
Someone who owns the plan, so you don't have to.
- IT roadmap and budget
- Vendor, MSP, and contract management
- Security policies and cyber insurance questionnaires
- Onboarding and offboarding process
Fractional IT & AI · Northern Kentucky and remote
An IT department, without the full-time hire.
I'm B.J. Blaker. Twenty years in IT, from the server closet to the director's chair. I give small and growing businesses the IT leadership, hands-on help, and practical automation they need, for a fraction of what a full-time hire costs.
What I do
Four hats. One person.
Most small businesses don't need a full-time IT manager, engineer, admin, and automation specialist. They need a little of each, from someone who knows how the pieces fit.
IT Engineer
The hands-on work that keeps the lights on and moves you forward.
- Networks, Wi-Fi, and firewalls
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
- Backups and disaster recovery
- Migrations, upgrades, and office moves
IT Admin
The day-to-day that nobody notices until it breaks.
- User accounts, licenses, and MFA
- Laptop setup and device management
- Help desk escalations
- Documentation your next hire can actually use
AI & Automation
Software that handles the repetitive work, so your people don't have to.
- AI assistants that answer from your own docs and policies
- Connecting the apps you already use
- Automated intake, follow-up, and reporting
- AI policies and guardrails so your data stays yours
Sound familiar?
Signs it's time for real IT help.
✓
Your IT person is whoever's good with computers.
✓
You pay an MSP every month and aren't sure what you're getting.
✓
Your cyber insurance renewal came with a questionnaire nobody can answer.
✓
Nobody knows all the passwords. Or everybody does.
✓
You're growing, moving, or migrating, and nobody owns the plan.
✓
Your last IT person left and took the knowledge with them.
✓
Your team spends hours copying data from one app to another.
✓
You keep hearing about AI and can't tell where it actually fits.
Working together
Start small. Stay as long as it helps.
Every engagement starts with a short call. You get a written scope and price before any work begins.
IT assessment
One time
A look under the hood. Good if you want to know where you stand before committing to anything.
- Inventory of systems, accounts, and vendors
- Security and backup review
- Where automation and AI would actually pay off
- Written findings and a prioritized plan
- Yours to keep, whether or not you hire me
Fractional retainer
Most commonMonthly
Your part-time IT department. A set block of hours each month, and one person who knows your setup.
- Owns the roadmap, budget, and vendors
- Regular check-ins with leadership
- Hands-on engineering and admin work
- Priority response during business hours
Project
Fixed scope
One specific job with a clear finish line. Good when you know what needs doing but not who should do it.
- Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace migrations
- Network rebuilds and office moves
- AI and workflow automation builds
- Documentation and handoff included
How it goes
No surprises along the way.
- 01
Short call
Fifteen minutes. We figure out if there's a fit and what the right next step is.
- 02
Look around
I learn your systems, your vendors, and where the pain is. No changes yet.
- 03
Scope and price
I write down what I'll do and what it costs. You sign off before any work starts.
- 04
Get to work
I fix what matters first, document as I go, and keep you posted in plain English.
About
Who you'd be working with.
I've worked in IT for over twenty years. I've run networks, managed infrastructure, led teams, and held leadership roles at ACS Technologies, PlanetDDS, and Coterie Insurance. Companies from two people to two thousand.
Lately I've spent a lot of that time building AI automation that runs in production every day. Not demos. Real workflows that save real hours. I use the same tools I'd build for you.
Here's what I've figured out. Small businesses face the same problems big ones do. Security threats, vendor sprawl, the laptop that won't join the Wi-Fi. They just don't have anyone whose job it is to deal with them.
That's the job I want.
I keep the client list small. I return calls the same day, I remember how your setup works, and I do the work myself. If something isn't a good idea, I'll tell you.
Let's talk about your IT.
Tell me what's going on. If I can help, I'll say so. If I can't, I'll point you to someone who can.
Prefer email? hello@model40.com