Hear me live on ConnectWiseTV: Steps Along the Way - Key Decisions You Make in Growing Your Business
Join me Friday December 11th at 12 Noon Eastern for a ConnectWiseTV show on how to overcome the roadblocks to growing your business. I delivered this content as a break out session at the ConnectWise Partner Summit in November in Orlando. It was among the highest rated session so the great folks at ConnectWise invited me to fly down to beautiful Tampa to do a live show and record the presentation.
I will focus on identifying the different decisions that an IT business owner faces as they go through the growth lifecycle. It starts with the decision to hire your first employee, then adding sales, marketing, HR, process and other people to the company. What are the triggers that lead someone to make those additions? There are some common plateaus that solution providers seem to hit and I will identify the timing and the solution to help you break through to the next level of your business.
Registration is limited to the first 500 registrants so do it now
Register Today!
Showing posts with label Fast Growth 100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fast Growth 100. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thursday, October 16, 2008
CRN Fast Growth Awards
I have been in Chicago the last couple days at the CRN Fast Growth 100 awards. HTS was fortunate to be #24 on the list this year, up from #68 last year. We spent the day in general sessions and in executive boardrooms and to be honest, it felt a bit out of my comfort zone. The combined revenue of this group is 10.9B, and our mere 17M doesn't even move the needle in comparison to the aggregate. But it is good to rub shoulders with those who are ahead, far ahead of the place we are. And this event was filled with those kind of people.
The big discussion was definitely around the economy and credit. Growth is fueled by capital and credit and this group of companies is concerned and feeling the pinch already. The learning for me was that I need to be very diligent in managing our cash and working hard to build even more credit capacity before we need it. I need to be proactive with our distribution partner, with vendors and with our banks. I need to make sure we have relationships with leasing and financing and floor planning companies so in the event we need it, credit will be available.
I believe there will be opportunities in the next months for growth and acquisitions like we have not seen in a while. The key will be having your financial ducks in a row so you can take action while the opportunity presents itself. That means preparation and planning. Never forget that cash is king. M&A is certainly a good method to growing. Most of the companies here this week have gotten where they are through those methods. But there is much to a successful transaction and being ready when an opportunity presents itself is the first step. So use this downturn as a wakeup call to get your credit capacity in order. If you think you have enough today - ask yourself what happens if you acquire someone just like you are and need twice what you use today. I think that is a logical goal and few of us are really ready for that.
The big discussion was definitely around the economy and credit. Growth is fueled by capital and credit and this group of companies is concerned and feeling the pinch already. The learning for me was that I need to be very diligent in managing our cash and working hard to build even more credit capacity before we need it. I need to be proactive with our distribution partner, with vendors and with our banks. I need to make sure we have relationships with leasing and financing and floor planning companies so in the event we need it, credit will be available.
I believe there will be opportunities in the next months for growth and acquisitions like we have not seen in a while. The key will be having your financial ducks in a row so you can take action while the opportunity presents itself. That means preparation and planning. Never forget that cash is king. M&A is certainly a good method to growing. Most of the companies here this week have gotten where they are through those methods. But there is much to a successful transaction and being ready when an opportunity presents itself is the first step. So use this downturn as a wakeup call to get your credit capacity in order. If you think you have enough today - ask yourself what happens if you acquire someone just like you are and need twice what you use today. I think that is a logical goal and few of us are really ready for that.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
HTS Recieves CRN Fast Growth 100 Award
HTS was honored this past week by being named to the CRN Fast Growth 100 Awards list for 2008. We were recognized on the 2007 list at #67 but this year have climbed to #24. We are honored and blessed by the good things that have been happening at HTS. We recognize that this is a team award - that management may guide the ship - but there are 85 professionals that are touching and serving our clients every day that make growth possible. The team at HTS has made this award possible, and we are grateful for each and every one of them.
Check it out online at http://www.crn.com/it-channel/209600540?pgno=3. You can learn all about the Fast Growth 100 online at CRN as well. This is a very prestigious award for us to recieve two years in a row. Part of the celebration will be a day in Chicago mid October where we will be able to connect with others on the list and learn from those who have achieved much in their companies as well.
We never quit learning, which is why the Heartland Tech Groups are so important for us. Part of the credit for this award has to also go to the many companies in HTG that we have learned from quarter after quarter. We may be one of the largest in the organization, but we certainly don't have it all figured out and learn continually from each of you as we share our businesses and lives together. Thanks to each of you for your impact, encouragement and participation.
We also recognize that our key vendors - Microsoft, HP and Sonicwall - have made this possible by providing us with great products we can build solutions and services around. And of course our distribution partner Ingram has been a huge part of our growth and success not only by delivering products on time but by investing in our company through many avenues - most importantly connecting us with great people.
None of it could happen at all if we weren't surrounded by fantastic small and medium businesses who entrust their networks and IT needs to us every day. Our team continues to go out and find ways to help our clients succeed which is really the end game for all of us.
So while I am humbled by the award and position we have been given, I also know it took a village, if you will, to allow us to become what we are today - a small business VAR (or solution provider, or system integrator or whatever you want to call us) in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. It didn't happen without the investment of very many people and to each who have been part of that journey I say thank you!
Check it out online at http://www.crn.com/it-channel/209600540?pgno=3. You can learn all about the Fast Growth 100 online at CRN as well. This is a very prestigious award for us to recieve two years in a row. Part of the celebration will be a day in Chicago mid October where we will be able to connect with others on the list and learn from those who have achieved much in their companies as well.
We never quit learning, which is why the Heartland Tech Groups are so important for us. Part of the credit for this award has to also go to the many companies in HTG that we have learned from quarter after quarter. We may be one of the largest in the organization, but we certainly don't have it all figured out and learn continually from each of you as we share our businesses and lives together. Thanks to each of you for your impact, encouragement and participation.
We also recognize that our key vendors - Microsoft, HP and Sonicwall - have made this possible by providing us with great products we can build solutions and services around. And of course our distribution partner Ingram has been a huge part of our growth and success not only by delivering products on time but by investing in our company through many avenues - most importantly connecting us with great people.
None of it could happen at all if we weren't surrounded by fantastic small and medium businesses who entrust their networks and IT needs to us every day. Our team continues to go out and find ways to help our clients succeed which is really the end game for all of us.
So while I am humbled by the award and position we have been given, I also know it took a village, if you will, to allow us to become what we are today - a small business VAR (or solution provider, or system integrator or whatever you want to call us) in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. It didn't happen without the investment of very many people and to each who have been part of that journey I say thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)