Sage Goddess grows its well-being business with ChromeOS

Editor’s note: Today’s post is by David Meizlik, President and COO of Sage Goddess, an e-commerce and e-learning provider for spiritual tools and teachings. The company chose ChromeOS devices to help their small business thrive.

In the 12 years since my wife and I started Sage Goddess, I’ve taken on many roles. Much of the early technology infrastructure and day-to-day tech management was done by me. Today, unlike large enterprises that have dozens of IT managers and IT support specialists, tech is managed by just a single IT manager and me.  I can’t say enough about how ChromeOS devices bring simplicity to our small business. ChromeOS makes IT management easy, so we can focus on growing our business.

Easy Management with ChromeOS

When Sage Goddess opened its online store, just about all of our employees used MacBooks. As we grew, we added Google Workspace, which we really fell in love with. The challenge for us was that when a device failed, the cost of replacing the hardware was very high. 

Also, there wasn’t efficient and effective management integrated with the devices. If a MacBook  went missing or wasn’t operating correctly, we had to independently manage a solution. We needed a more cost-effective platform from a device perspective that would actually support our software use. Since the bulk of our software activity came from Workspace, we moved to ChromeOS devices. 

We have deployed around 60 ChromeOS devices using Chrome browser across different functions in the organization. The Google Admin console makes it very easy to track devices and keep them secure, regardless of where they are used, since they can be managed centrally. ChromeOS devices and Android tablets are also used by the warehouse teams for inventory management. Once a product is ordered, our warehouse teams use “scan to verify” on their Android tablets before the item is shipped to ensure order accuracy. 

Simplicity that is secure

Three benefits stand out for us when we look at the advantages. First, ChromeOS devices are very fast and easy to adopt . We appreciate the simplicity because in the past, those management tasks were often time-consuming and complicated.

Second,  the ability to apply policy controls to the users of ChomeOS devices. We have a hybrid workforce, so we want to ensure employees aren’t downloading unsafe apps or browser extensions. Because of Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, our devices are safer than they would be on different platforms — with fewer controls to manage .

Third, asset and inventory control. It’s very important for us to know what we have, where it is, and who’s accessing each device. When we add new employees, it’s easy to deploy new ChromeOS devices or Android tablets. We apply the policies, and have the assurance that the device and the user are safe, that people are conforming to our enterprise policies, and that we know where that device is and what’s happening on it.

The worries about IT infrastructure have disappeared

I’ve run other companies and managed many different types of hardware and software, so I know what I’m talking about when I say that ChromeOS gives me much less to worry about. Everything from the setup to management is easier, that is how it should be. As a small business owner, I shouldn’t be worrying about IT or infrastructure  —  I’ve got enough on my plate. ChromeOS is an easy to manage, secure, and cost-effective solution that helps us invest resources where they need to be in order to grow the business.