IT Support for Creative & Design Agencies in Auckland
The pitch is at 9am tomorrow. Your senior designer hits save on a 4GB file, and the spinning wheel appears. Then the machine restarts.
Mint looks after IT, internet and phones for Auckland creative and design agencies. That covers fast file storage, Hyperfibre, managed Macs and PCs, and backups that keep every version of the work.
When the tech gets in the way of the work
Losing a night's work the night before a pitch is exactly what we're here to prevent. We watch your machines and backups 24/7, so we catch problems early. When something does break, one call gets a real person who knows your setup.
Files that take longer to open than to design
Your team works in huge files. Layered PSDs, 4K video, InDesign packages with hundreds of linked images. Yet the shared drive crawls, and cloud sync gives up halfway through.
We start by finding the real bottleneck. Sometimes it's the internet. Sometimes it's an old file server or a WiFi network built for email, not video. We'll set up storage and connections that match how big your files actually are, so your team spends the afternoon designing instead of waiting.
The main machine dies on deadline day
When your lead designer's machine falls over, the whole job stalls. And it never happens on a quiet Tuesday.
We keep your machines patched, healthy and monitored, so we often spot a failing drive before it fails. If one does go down, we'll get your designer back to work fast. We build and repair devices in our own Birkenhead workshop, so there's no waiting on a courier to somewhere offshore.
Freelancers who still have the keys
A big campaign lands. You bring in two freelancers, a motion designer and a copywriter. They get access to everything. Six months later, they still do.
We give each freelancer their own sign-in, with access to the project they're working on and nothing else. When the job wraps, we switch it off. No shared passwords, and no ex-contractors browsing your client folders.
"Final_FINAL_v7_actual.indd"
Someone saves over the approved version. Or the client wants the concept from three rounds ago. Or worse, ransomware locks every file on the server.
We set up backups that keep earlier versions of your work, not just last night's copy. Then we test them, because a backup nobody has checked isn't really a backup. If a file goes missing, we can usually bring it back the same day.
Protecting client work before it's public
You hold things your clients can't afford to leak. Unreleased campaigns, product launches, brand refreshes under NDA. You also hold personal information, from customer databases for email campaigns to staff and contractor details.
The Privacy Act 2020 sets the rules for how New Zealand businesses collect and protect personal information. You need to keep it secure, and you need to report serious breaches to the Privacy Commissioner and the people affected if a breach is likely to cause serious harm.
We're not your lawyer. We just make the tech side easy to get right:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA). The code your phone asks for when you log in. A stolen password alone won't get anyone in.
- Encrypted laptops. If one gets left in a cafe or taken from a car, the work on it stays locked.
- Access by project. People only see the client folders they need for their work.
- Email that spots fakes. Agencies send and receive a lot of invoices. Scammers know it, so we help your team recognise fake payment requests before money moves.
More than half of New Zealand small businesses dealt with a cyber threat in the last six months, according to NCSC research. For businesses with 20 to 49 staff, it's three in four. A handful of basics, set up properly, stops most of it.
Less than an in-house hire, with a whole team behind it
The CEO of an Auckland creative design business was spending $8k a month on an in-house IT person. They switched to Mint. Now they pay less and get a whole team instead of one.
Here's what that looks like in practice. You get a full helpdesk, 24/7 monitoring, and technicians who know your setup. When someone's sick or on leave, the team keeps running. No hiring, no managing, no gaps.
We keep our clients anonymous. Their IT is their business.
A few things you can count on:
- 98.2% of issues fixed the first time you contact us
- Around 15 minutes average response on critical issues
- No lock-in contracts. Month-to-month, with one calendar month's notice
Software we support
We look after the tools your studio relies on every day, including:
- Adobe Creative Cloud for design, video and layout
- Figma for UI, UX and collaborative design
- Frame.io for video review and client sign-off
- Xero for invoicing and accounts
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for email, files and calendars
We also manage your Creative Cloud and Microsoft licences, so you're not paying for seats nobody uses. Running a project management tool or font manager we haven't listed? Tell us. We'll learn it.
Services that fit
Questions creative studios ask us
Do you support Macs as well as PCs?
Yes. Most studios run a mix, and we look after both. That includes setup, updates, security and repairs.
Can you make our shared files faster without moving everything to the cloud?
Often, yes. A faster connection, a better local file server or a smarter sync setup can fix it. We'll check what's slowing you down before suggesting anything.
Can you help us move off an old server without losing our archive?
Yes. We plan the move around your deadlines, so nothing shifts during a live campaign. Your team keeps working while we bring files across in the background, and we keep earlier versions intact so nothing gets left behind.
What does it cost compared to hiring someone in-house?
For most agencies, it costs less. Managed IT plans start from $79 + GST per user per month for licensing and security, and $139 with remote support, and you get a full team instead of one person. Our IT cost calculator gives you a rough number in a couple of minutes.
How do we give freelancers access without giving them everything?
We set up individual sign-ins tied to specific projects. When the job wraps, we switch off their access. No shared passwords, and no one browsing folders they shouldn't be in.
Are we locked into a contract?
No. Every plan runs month-to-month with one calendar month's notice. If we're not earning our place, you're free to go.
What happens in the free IT health check?
It takes about 45 minutes. We look at your machines, file storage, internet, backups and security, then give you a plain-English list of what's working and what needs attention.
Spend your time on the work, not the tech
Big ideas need tech that keeps up. Start with a free 45-minute IT health check and we'll show you exactly where your studio stands, no jargon and no pressure. Or give us a call on 09 222 0220. We'd love to chat.