One of the more common requests the past few months has been around being able to expand credit lines with distribution or financial institutions. The frantic calls usually involve a very large sale that exceeds the minimal credit capacity that most partners often have available. The good news is that end customers seem to be spending money again. The bad news is that many partners have done nothing to prepare for the increased demand and credit needs, so now it goes into crisis mode to try and land that big deal that puts one over the top.
Rule #1 – We live in a new world. No matter what your experience has been previously, the rules have changed. There are much tighter views being taken on credit and the requirements are definitely increasing. So expect it to be more difficult and be prepared to share more information.
Rule #2 – Get credit capacity before you need it. This has not changed. Far too many partners are completely undercapitalized as a company and then wonder why everyone is not signing up to give them unlimited capital. Financial institutions loan money based on a few factors. Like being profitable over time. Seems a little unfair doesn’t it? They expect us to make money every year? Yes they do. They also expect you to leave earnings in the business. That is called equity. And it is necessary to grow your credit capacity. If you spend it all or take it out there is no increased value in the company. Banks don’t loan based on your managed service contracts. They loan based on equity and past performance.
Rule #3 – Prepare to provide a lot more documentation. For a long time, many financial institutions loaned money based on character as much as facts. Those days are rapidly leaving us. You need financials and business plans and budgets and projections and a strong reason to convince them that you will pay back any funds you borrow. They will likely require a personal signature to get credit. It is not unfair or unusual.
Rule #4 – Make money. The bottom line is that it is important to run your company profitably. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you would loan someone else money that has a profit structure like yours. Many partners show a loss or very minor profit each year. That does not lead to a solid loan application. Your EBITDA % is critical – first to know and understand – but then to grow so you are accumulating some profits. That is why benchmarking is so critical to partners to participate in and understand. How can you improve if you are unsure how you are performing compared to others? Analyze your performance and make sure you are profitable.
Rule #5 – Be creative. There are ways to work around most credit situations. HTG is ready to help you if you find yourself in a position of opportunity but struggling with credit. There are many alternative ways to structure deals so you don’t lose the opportunity. Get engaged as soon as you know the need may arise. It is always better to ask before you need it than to be scrambling when you are against a timeline.
HTG has a special arrangement with Ingram Micro to accelerate credit line reviews based on the following guidelines. Please review the guidance below that they have shared to make the process flow more smoothly when you request a review:
It is no secret that today’s financial markets have undergone many changes over the past twelve months. Two notable examples of such changes have occurred in the housing market and the auto finance business and both have resulted in hardships well beyond their respective markets. The recent bankruptcy of CIT Group reflects the latest casualty of a tightening in the credit markets.
The good news that Ingram Micro wants to share with everyone that regardless of the conditions of the financial markets and the downturn of institutional lending that has begun to plague our economy, Ingram Micro has not changed our lending practices. What this means is that we have not modified our lending practices to reflect the tighter credit that exists in the market today.
The basis of being able to support your credit request are grounded on several fundamental lending practices that we adhere to as a means of marginalizing our losses and thereby controlling the cost of doing business and this, in turn, is reflected in our pricing to you.
If you have already established an account with Ingram Micro it may be that we are not current on mandatory information and your credit analyst may request the following:
1. A current set of financial statements (Balance Sheet and Income Statement) for your company and depending on the information we have on file they may also request your last year-end financial statements or tax return.
2. Additional ways to expedite your request include the following;
a. Along with the financial statements, please consider providing us with any relevant information regarding any significant occurrences and their resulting impact to the financial statement as this will help us better understand your company
b. Any pertinent information about the type of year you are having, etc
c. Information regarding your banking arrangements and credit line as applicable.
Additionally, we want you to be aware that Ingram Micro has established several alternatives to help you close opportunities beyond your existing credit line. These programs generally function on the credibility of your client and as such do require a certain degree of paper work but we will be there to explain it and help you through the process. Please feel free to ask your credit analyst about Ingram Micro’s alternative financing programs and they will be more than happy to take you through each program and help align the right program to fit each situation.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Microsoft Webcasts To Explain eOpen and MVLS Migration
Microsoft® recently migrated eOpen and MVLS to the new Volume Licensing Service Center website (VLSC) in order to provide a convenient, online solution for customers and partners to easily manage their licensing agreements and Microsoft products. As a result of the initial upgrade, a number of Partners experienced some access and usability issues. We know this has been both inconvenient and frustrating in some cases and we appreciate your patience and assistance during this transition.
To address many of the common questions and provide a review of the new features and procedures of the site, Microsoft’s VLSC team is providing an in-depth training, including tips and tricks, on how to access and navigate the VLSC site so you can more easily access and manage the information you need to provide the best experience for your clients.
Topics will include:
• VLSC registration and site navigation
• How to request or acquire site permissions
• Self-service tools
• Proper support paths if you experience issues
A Question and Answer session will be held at the end of the Live Meeting session.
This event should not only provide you with a better understanding of how to accomplish the licensing management tasks you need to do, but will also provide a better understanding of how the VLSC enhancements can improve the licensing experience for you and your customers moving forward.
There will be three Live Meeting sessions occurring Feb 3rd at 8:30am, 1:00pm and 6:30PM Pacific Standard Time. Event registration information is included below. You will only need to attend one event; please choose the one most convenient for you.
For additional resources please visit the VLSC site on the Microsoft Partner Network.
Partners who are registered with the Partner Learning Center may register here.
If you are not registered with the Partner Learning Center or do not wish to register for the event, please Join the Webcast by clicking the link below:
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link
• Passcode: S'`2{C_[c
• Telephony: 1-(866) 294-0201 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 7086
1:00 p.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link• Passcode: 4s%x'{Sq8
• Telephony: 1-(866) 668-7265 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 9062
6:30 p.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link
• Passcode: p6S;>s#)g
• Telephony: 1-(866) 556-5724 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 1469
To address many of the common questions and provide a review of the new features and procedures of the site, Microsoft’s VLSC team is providing an in-depth training, including tips and tricks, on how to access and navigate the VLSC site so you can more easily access and manage the information you need to provide the best experience for your clients.
Topics will include:
• VLSC registration and site navigation
• How to request or acquire site permissions
• Self-service tools
• Proper support paths if you experience issues
A Question and Answer session will be held at the end of the Live Meeting session.
This event should not only provide you with a better understanding of how to accomplish the licensing management tasks you need to do, but will also provide a better understanding of how the VLSC enhancements can improve the licensing experience for you and your customers moving forward.
There will be three Live Meeting sessions occurring Feb 3rd at 8:30am, 1:00pm and 6:30PM Pacific Standard Time. Event registration information is included below. You will only need to attend one event; please choose the one most convenient for you.
For additional resources please visit the VLSC site on the Microsoft Partner Network.
Partners who are registered with the Partner Learning Center may register here.
If you are not registered with the Partner Learning Center or do not wish to register for the event, please Join the Webcast by clicking the link below:
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link
• Passcode: S'`2{C_[c
• Telephony: 1-(866) 294-0201 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 7086
1:00 p.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link• Passcode: 4s%x'{Sq8
• Telephony: 1-(866) 668-7265 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 9062
6:30 p.m. Pacific Time Session:
• Webcast Link
• Passcode: p6S;>s#)g
• Telephony: 1-(866) 556-5724 or 1-503-295-8000 (International)
• Pin: 1469
Are You Part of Microsoft's SBSC Program - You Need to Be!
Microsoft had brought back an almost unbelievable offer for SBSC members. $1000 dollars to use for marketing that is simple to access and take advantage of. And you can use it for the HTS e-newsletter service as well as well as a number of other options. I wrote about that here last year when the funds were available.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists (SBSCs) have access to rebate funds reserved for them and the timeline has been extended! SBSCs are eligible to receive up to $1,000 back on their marketing investments. Those funds are available for you to drive demand generation efforts through Ready-to-Go Marketing (includes Events, Campaigns, and various Marketing Services). We want to make it easy for you to grow your business.
Don't wait: Those funds exclusive to SBSCs are valid until March 31, 2010 or until supplies last.* To get your reimbursement, submit your invoice at www.mspartnerdirect.com/rebate. Your special promotional code is: 'SBSC' (This CANNOT be used in conjunction with the 'LAUNCH' promotion code).
Here's how to get started:
1. Find a Ready-to-Go Marketing Service that's right for you here.
2. Once you've received the invoice for the service, submit the rebate request here.
3. You'll receive your rebate check in the mail within 4-6 weeks!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Ready-to-Go Marketing Help Desk:
Send an e-mail to a team member at rtgmktg@microsoft.com, or call toll-free at
(866) 441-0237.
If you are not an SBSC member, I have just 3 questions for you today:
• Do you sell to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)?
• Do you provide your SMB customers with Microsoft technologies and related services?
• Do you want to differentiate yourself in your marketplace?
If you answered Yes, have you considered joining the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community, a group of 6,500 trusted technology advisors focused on selling to Small Business customers. Benefits of joining include access to exclusive marketing dollars, recognition from displaying the SBSC logo, support from an Online Technical Community, and increased exposure to partners and customers through the Microsoft Partner Finder and Solution Finder.
As an SBSC Advisory Council member, let me tell you why I am part of this Community.
The Microsoft SBSC program has been valuable in helping us differentiate our company in the markets we serve. We not only get a designation that sets us apart, but we also gain access to marketing and sales tools that help us drive business and reach out to prospects and customers. The SBSC program has been a valuable part of growing our business and our relationship with Microsoft.
You too can become a Small Business Specialist in just 2 easy steps, as an Action Pack Subscriber:
1. Take a Small Business Sales and Marketing Skills Assessment
2. Pass one of five technical exams
Currently, Microsoft is offering a 100 percent off voucher applicable to exams
70-653: TS: Windows Small Business Server 2008, Configuring and
70-654: TS: Windows Essential Business Server 2008, Configuring.
Alternatively, we are offering a 50 percent off exam voucher to complete the other three exams.
Join the Community Button
Call 877-254-6825 or send a message to msppexp@microsoft.com to pick up your voucher, and an expert agent will guide you through the sign-up process.
Please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail message so I can help answer any questions you may have on the value that the Small Business Specialist designation adds to my business.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists (SBSCs) have access to rebate funds reserved for them and the timeline has been extended! SBSCs are eligible to receive up to $1,000 back on their marketing investments. Those funds are available for you to drive demand generation efforts through Ready-to-Go Marketing (includes Events, Campaigns, and various Marketing Services). We want to make it easy for you to grow your business.
Don't wait: Those funds exclusive to SBSCs are valid until March 31, 2010 or until supplies last.* To get your reimbursement, submit your invoice at www.mspartnerdirect.com/rebate. Your special promotional code is: 'SBSC' (This CANNOT be used in conjunction with the 'LAUNCH' promotion code).
Here's how to get started:
1. Find a Ready-to-Go Marketing Service that's right for you here.
2. Once you've received the invoice for the service, submit the rebate request here.
3. You'll receive your rebate check in the mail within 4-6 weeks!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Ready-to-Go Marketing Help Desk:
Send an e-mail to a team member at rtgmktg@microsoft.com, or call toll-free at
(866) 441-0237.
If you are not an SBSC member, I have just 3 questions for you today:
• Do you sell to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)?
• Do you provide your SMB customers with Microsoft technologies and related services?
• Do you want to differentiate yourself in your marketplace?
If you answered Yes, have you considered joining the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community, a group of 6,500 trusted technology advisors focused on selling to Small Business customers. Benefits of joining include access to exclusive marketing dollars, recognition from displaying the SBSC logo, support from an Online Technical Community, and increased exposure to partners and customers through the Microsoft Partner Finder and Solution Finder.
As an SBSC Advisory Council member, let me tell you why I am part of this Community.
The Microsoft SBSC program has been valuable in helping us differentiate our company in the markets we serve. We not only get a designation that sets us apart, but we also gain access to marketing and sales tools that help us drive business and reach out to prospects and customers. The SBSC program has been a valuable part of growing our business and our relationship with Microsoft.
You too can become a Small Business Specialist in just 2 easy steps, as an Action Pack Subscriber:
1. Take a Small Business Sales and Marketing Skills Assessment
2. Pass one of five technical exams
Currently, Microsoft is offering a 100 percent off voucher applicable to exams
70-653: TS: Windows Small Business Server 2008, Configuring and
70-654: TS: Windows Essential Business Server 2008, Configuring.
Alternatively, we are offering a 50 percent off exam voucher to complete the other three exams.
Join the Community Button
Call 877-254-6825 or send a message to msppexp@microsoft.com to pick up your voucher, and an expert agent will guide you through the sign-up process.
Please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail message so I can help answer any questions you may have on the value that the Small Business Specialist designation adds to my business.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Power of Partnership - Kudos to SonicWALL
Today I experienced the power of partnership - twice in one day from the same vendor - SonicWALL. Our first experience revolved around a technology challenge at a customer site with an implementation. We had fought an issue for a few weeks and just couldn't quite get things configured the way the customer wanted. Our customer was frustrated and we knew that our only real chance to save the sale was to get an engineer from our vendor to come in and help us. They stepped up and delivered in an amazing way. Engineer flys into the closest airport and drives to meet our team on site - rural Iowa. The problem turned out to be much more difficult than anyone expected, but they got it resolved after about four hours of working together on site with our engineer and the customer IT person. The customer response - blown away that we were able to secure a vendor engineer to come to their location and provide that level of support. Not only did it save the sale and implementation, it has given them confidence to move forward with another project which had been placed on hold. Our partner came in on a white horse, exceeded the customer expectations and helped both our companies drive business.
My second experience involved a conversation with the CEO of SonicWALL. Matt Medeiros took 30 minutes out of his schedule to do a conference call with a dozen HTG members who were with me for our pilot CEO Forum meeting. He was traveling in Texas but not only made the time, he gave us invaluable insight into the role and importance of leading our companies with a CEO mindset. I know the group was blown away that first of all Matt would make time to talk with us, but secondly was able to share his 5 step process of leading SonicWALL and a number of other key gems of information as we discussed the role. That half hour did a lot to cement the belief that SonicWALL truly understands the importance of their partners and the channel for the group. A perfect example of a leader that truly understands the power of partnership and investing in the folks that sell their products.
You may think this is a SonicWALL commercial. It certainly is not. It is just plain and honest reality. The local field team has a deep relationship with HTS/HTG and together we plan the business and work the plan. When we need them, they show up. When they need us to execute, we do. That is how partnership works. All the way to the top at SonicWALL. Leadership starts at the top, and in this company, they understand the importance and power of partnering from top to bottom. Thank you to the team and their leader for being the model vendor for the channel. You made my day and impacted both HTS and HTG in a very meaningful and significant way! Kudos to Kevin, Ben, George, Ted and any others that helped us make this possible. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with and work with each of you. And a special thanks to Matt who created and maintains a culture of partnership. We are blessed to be able to work with you and your team.
My second experience involved a conversation with the CEO of SonicWALL. Matt Medeiros took 30 minutes out of his schedule to do a conference call with a dozen HTG members who were with me for our pilot CEO Forum meeting. He was traveling in Texas but not only made the time, he gave us invaluable insight into the role and importance of leading our companies with a CEO mindset. I know the group was blown away that first of all Matt would make time to talk with us, but secondly was able to share his 5 step process of leading SonicWALL and a number of other key gems of information as we discussed the role. That half hour did a lot to cement the belief that SonicWALL truly understands the importance of their partners and the channel for the group. A perfect example of a leader that truly understands the power of partnership and investing in the folks that sell their products.
You may think this is a SonicWALL commercial. It certainly is not. It is just plain and honest reality. The local field team has a deep relationship with HTS/HTG and together we plan the business and work the plan. When we need them, they show up. When they need us to execute, we do. That is how partnership works. All the way to the top at SonicWALL. Leadership starts at the top, and in this company, they understand the importance and power of partnering from top to bottom. Thank you to the team and their leader for being the model vendor for the channel. You made my day and impacted both HTS and HTG in a very meaningful and significant way! Kudos to Kevin, Ben, George, Ted and any others that helped us make this possible. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with and work with each of you. And a special thanks to Matt who created and maintains a culture of partnership. We are blessed to be able to work with you and your team.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Are You Using Assessments to Drive Sales?
Tomorrow - Wednesday January 13th - at 10AM central join me along with
Derek Kuhr, Lead Engineer of HTS, and Danielle Aronstam, Core Infrastructure Partner Marketing Manager to learn more about the FREE tools available to Microsoft Partners to help assess customer needs and find them the right server solution. You can register here.
Do you know how partners are using sales tools to deliver deal close rates of almost 70%? There are a wide range of Server, Virtualization, Management, Hosted Services products available to meet the needs of all your customers’ – regardless of their shape or size! Ensure you are recommending the right Server Solution to your customer and become their trusted business advisor. Join this webcast to learn how to assess customer needs and utilize the Business and Technology Assessment Toolkit (BTAT) and the Recommend the Right Server Solutions Tool (RRSS) to help you target the right products for each individual scenario. If you are not already using an assessment process to build strong relationships with your customers, you are leaving business on the table.
We have just updated these tools and will give you a sneak peak at what is new and all the opportunities that assessments will give you to drive business in 2010. Hope to see you online!
Derek Kuhr, Lead Engineer of HTS, and Danielle Aronstam, Core Infrastructure Partner Marketing Manager to learn more about the FREE tools available to Microsoft Partners to help assess customer needs and find them the right server solution. You can register here.
Do you know how partners are using sales tools to deliver deal close rates of almost 70%? There are a wide range of Server, Virtualization, Management, Hosted Services products available to meet the needs of all your customers’ – regardless of their shape or size! Ensure you are recommending the right Server Solution to your customer and become their trusted business advisor. Join this webcast to learn how to assess customer needs and utilize the Business and Technology Assessment Toolkit (BTAT) and the Recommend the Right Server Solutions Tool (RRSS) to help you target the right products for each individual scenario. If you are not already using an assessment process to build strong relationships with your customers, you are leaving business on the table.
We have just updated these tools and will give you a sneak peak at what is new and all the opportunities that assessments will give you to drive business in 2010. Hope to see you online!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Channel Conflict Now Hits the Event Market
We certainly have heard a lot about channel conflict for a number of years, but the calendar now seems to be the latest battle ground as three networking giants have decided to all hold their partner events the same week - the last week of April. Our good friend The Var Guy wrote about it in his blog last week and posted the dates. The unfortunate thing is that those dates are also the same exact same week as our HTG members will be in Dallas for our Q2 event. Our dates have been set for 2010 and 2011 for some time so it is unfortunate that these vendor events overlay our dates.
So what's a partner to do? Whether you are a partner with Juniper, Cisco or HP - the challenge is the same. You can't be more than one place at a time, right? Well, not exactly. I think this is a great time to leverage the reality that most companies need to broaden their relationships with vendors and send a different person to these partner events. Having attended a number of them over the last 25 years, I have come to the realization that more often than not they really aren't targeted at the CEO/owner anyway. Normally there is a lot of technical and sales information, a handful of partner program info, and some motivational talks from the main stage. The CEO of the vendor normally is there to share his take on the future. But is attending this kind of event the best use of time for an owner?
Maybe, just maybe it is time to send your sales manager and service manager, VP of Sales or VP of services, or whatever label you may be using, in your place. My experience is they will get a lot more out of the vendor events because the information is targeted at them and it directly impacts their job performance and often pay. Owners may take a few notes but seldom get around to sharing with the appropriate folks they left home in the office. Am I right? Are you raising your hand on that one? Sure it was nice to get out of the office and go to a nice venue and spend a few days in the middle of a bunch of folks you don't know. Easy to hide and slip away for some R&R time during the breakouts. But in reality, we build our bench and increase our leadership and ultimately our organization when we send the folks in the trenches to the vendor events. It can also be a way to reward those in your company that have performed well and can enjoy the special treatment that typically goes with these vendor events.
Owners need to focus on running their organization, executing and strategizing for the future. That is what happens when HTG peers get together. While I am disappointed there is a conflict, there is little doubt in my mind where the value of those days will best be filled for owners. Having folks together in Dallas focused on their business working on their problems listening to their peers will have far more impact than a few days of vendor fire hose. Sorry to our vendor friends, but running events against what really matters like HTG will cause us to have to skip your event. Even if we are on the advisory council, which is my issue with HP. I hate to miss it but there really is no decision on this one - I will be in Dallas with HTG as that is where I get the most bang for my time investment.
Our calendar is posted through the end of 2011. I hope we can avoid these conflicts in future years. I don't mind if the three networking companies want to compete for my time, just don't expect me to give up the most important event which is spending time focused with my peers, to attend yours. It won't happen.....not now, not in the future. So if you want my attendance, a little planning will be necessary. Priorities dictate that peers come first. See you in Dallas!
So what's a partner to do? Whether you are a partner with Juniper, Cisco or HP - the challenge is the same. You can't be more than one place at a time, right? Well, not exactly. I think this is a great time to leverage the reality that most companies need to broaden their relationships with vendors and send a different person to these partner events. Having attended a number of them over the last 25 years, I have come to the realization that more often than not they really aren't targeted at the CEO/owner anyway. Normally there is a lot of technical and sales information, a handful of partner program info, and some motivational talks from the main stage. The CEO of the vendor normally is there to share his take on the future. But is attending this kind of event the best use of time for an owner?
Maybe, just maybe it is time to send your sales manager and service manager, VP of Sales or VP of services, or whatever label you may be using, in your place. My experience is they will get a lot more out of the vendor events because the information is targeted at them and it directly impacts their job performance and often pay. Owners may take a few notes but seldom get around to sharing with the appropriate folks they left home in the office. Am I right? Are you raising your hand on that one? Sure it was nice to get out of the office and go to a nice venue and spend a few days in the middle of a bunch of folks you don't know. Easy to hide and slip away for some R&R time during the breakouts. But in reality, we build our bench and increase our leadership and ultimately our organization when we send the folks in the trenches to the vendor events. It can also be a way to reward those in your company that have performed well and can enjoy the special treatment that typically goes with these vendor events.
Owners need to focus on running their organization, executing and strategizing for the future. That is what happens when HTG peers get together. While I am disappointed there is a conflict, there is little doubt in my mind where the value of those days will best be filled for owners. Having folks together in Dallas focused on their business working on their problems listening to their peers will have far more impact than a few days of vendor fire hose. Sorry to our vendor friends, but running events against what really matters like HTG will cause us to have to skip your event. Even if we are on the advisory council, which is my issue with HP. I hate to miss it but there really is no decision on this one - I will be in Dallas with HTG as that is where I get the most bang for my time investment.
Our calendar is posted through the end of 2011. I hope we can avoid these conflicts in future years. I don't mind if the three networking companies want to compete for my time, just don't expect me to give up the most important event which is spending time focused with my peers, to attend yours. It won't happen.....not now, not in the future. So if you want my attendance, a little planning will be necessary. Priorities dictate that peers come first. See you in Dallas!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Powerful Quote for 2010
Colin Powell said this: "When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I'll like it or not. Disagreement, at this stage, stimulates me. But once a decision has been made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own". I love these words. It captures the way people should live life. Debate the issues while the decision is under consideration, but once made, it all comes down to execution.
That fits in with my favorite all time quote from Thomas Edision: "Vision without execution is hallucination". At the end of the day - it is about getting things done not thinking about what could be or debating what should be. The world is run by people who show up and do something. I see lots of people trip up around these two areas - loyalty and execution. So many want to challenge what leadership has determined is the course of action, and even if they buy in, it is lip service with little or no action.
I see it in churches, civic groups, community service organizations - pretty much wherever people are involved. Everyone wants it their way. And if it isn't - well they just take their toys and pocketbooks and leave to go play somewhere else. That is not what life should look like. No one will get their way all the time, and if you choose to be part of an organization, then you need to be willing to be loyal to the direction of that organization or get out. Staying involved by whining about the decisions that have been made or undermining the group is about as pathetic as it gets. Yet it happens all the time and non profits/churches seem to really attract that kind of attitude.
Have you experienced the discussions about the color of the carpet, the look of the communication, the time of the meetings, the haircut of the leader's wife? We all agree (don't we) that petty little things like that have no place in organization life. But equally as frustrating can be the undercurrent when decisions are reached. Boards and leaders are in place for only one reason - to set direction and make decisions. That is their purpose. They are not there to please people and do what any one individual wants. Their responsibility is to evaluate the best for all involved and lead the organization down that road.
At some level this applies to our businesses too. We pay people to do things our way if we are owners, but at the end of the day, it really still boils down to loyalty and execution. If we have the right people on the bus they will line up and follow our direction. They should be providing input along the way as the decisions are reached, but once a course is set, they need to get on the bus and make things happen. If not, time to find a new job. That is the perogative of an company - to take those off the bus that don't discover what it means to be loyal.
It isn't so easy in volunteer organizations where people are a very necessary and important part of the mission. But even here, one bad apple can really spoil a big bunch of the barrel. We have to be careful not to ignore the impact of someone who doesn't get behind the vision, mission, values and direction of the organization.
As we begin 2010 and a new decade, I challenge you to consider all the things you are involved in and live the way Colin Powell describes above. If you have input, give it clearly and concisely during the discussion process. But once the decision is made, execute at the 110% level and stop the whining. Seldom is direction changed by that method, and it is a big red flag about the loyalty one has to the organization they are part of. The better approach would be to move on if you can't be loyal and execute. The world would be a very different place all across the good old USA if we lived this way. Churches wouldn't know what to do with all the extra manpower and time they would have to do productive and meaningful things.
Make the decisions of any organization you are part of your own, and then execute with a passion and effort that is second to none. That is how we make a difference around us. It isn't by continuing to try and make things our way. It is by getting aligned with the direction and decisions and working tirelessly to execute. That is what prevents vision from being hallucination!
That fits in with my favorite all time quote from Thomas Edision: "Vision without execution is hallucination". At the end of the day - it is about getting things done not thinking about what could be or debating what should be. The world is run by people who show up and do something. I see lots of people trip up around these two areas - loyalty and execution. So many want to challenge what leadership has determined is the course of action, and even if they buy in, it is lip service with little or no action.
I see it in churches, civic groups, community service organizations - pretty much wherever people are involved. Everyone wants it their way. And if it isn't - well they just take their toys and pocketbooks and leave to go play somewhere else. That is not what life should look like. No one will get their way all the time, and if you choose to be part of an organization, then you need to be willing to be loyal to the direction of that organization or get out. Staying involved by whining about the decisions that have been made or undermining the group is about as pathetic as it gets. Yet it happens all the time and non profits/churches seem to really attract that kind of attitude.
Have you experienced the discussions about the color of the carpet, the look of the communication, the time of the meetings, the haircut of the leader's wife? We all agree (don't we) that petty little things like that have no place in organization life. But equally as frustrating can be the undercurrent when decisions are reached. Boards and leaders are in place for only one reason - to set direction and make decisions. That is their purpose. They are not there to please people and do what any one individual wants. Their responsibility is to evaluate the best for all involved and lead the organization down that road.
At some level this applies to our businesses too. We pay people to do things our way if we are owners, but at the end of the day, it really still boils down to loyalty and execution. If we have the right people on the bus they will line up and follow our direction. They should be providing input along the way as the decisions are reached, but once a course is set, they need to get on the bus and make things happen. If not, time to find a new job. That is the perogative of an company - to take those off the bus that don't discover what it means to be loyal.
It isn't so easy in volunteer organizations where people are a very necessary and important part of the mission. But even here, one bad apple can really spoil a big bunch of the barrel. We have to be careful not to ignore the impact of someone who doesn't get behind the vision, mission, values and direction of the organization.
As we begin 2010 and a new decade, I challenge you to consider all the things you are involved in and live the way Colin Powell describes above. If you have input, give it clearly and concisely during the discussion process. But once the decision is made, execute at the 110% level and stop the whining. Seldom is direction changed by that method, and it is a big red flag about the loyalty one has to the organization they are part of. The better approach would be to move on if you can't be loyal and execute. The world would be a very different place all across the good old USA if we lived this way. Churches wouldn't know what to do with all the extra manpower and time they would have to do productive and meaningful things.
Make the decisions of any organization you are part of your own, and then execute with a passion and effort that is second to none. That is how we make a difference around us. It isn't by continuing to try and make things our way. It is by getting aligned with the direction and decisions and working tirelessly to execute. That is what prevents vision from being hallucination!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The End of a Decade
Another year is ending but this is a rather important end of the year as it also is the end of a decade. Hard to believe we are already finishing the first ten years of the 21st century. It seems like Y2K days were only a short time ago, but here we are ready to enter the next decade. But before we go, it is time to stop and take advantage of the two opportunities that transition brings.
First we need to review the past year and evaluate our performance. I would also say we should take a little extra time and review the past decade. That will be challenging if you are anything like me and can hardly remember what you did last hour let alone over the course of the last 10 years. But looking back gives us so much perspective from which we can then look forward. We can learn much from that exercise. It can be a significant help in putting together a course of change, an opportunity to tweak things just a bit, or a validation that we should continue doing what we did this year into next year.
Here are some potential questions to ask:
Consider these questions about the coming year:
Do you want to have more time?
Do you want to go places? With who? In what fashion?
Do you want to read more?
Do you want to learn new skills?
Do you want to spend more time with certain people?
Do you want to run a race? Climb a mountain? Learn a new language?
What kind of person do you want to be?
Who do you want to meet?
How much money do you want to be able to give away?
What would you like to be your biggest triumph?
What advice would you like to give yourself?
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?
What would you be most happy about completing?
What major indulgence are you willing to experience?
What would you most like to change about yourself?
What are you looking forward to learning?
What do you think your biggest risk will be?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
What one word would you like to have as your theme?
The key is to stop long enough to do some meaningful reflection and review of how the year really was in 2009. Did you achieve your goals? Did you accomplish all you had intended? If not, what were the blockers? Put down on paper your evaluation - you won't remember it if you don't. And put down on paper your plan for next year. Share it with your spouse, your employees and others that need to be part of holding you accountable. It likely won't be accomplished if you don't share it broadly for accountabilty.
One of the most valuable things we can get from the past is lessons we learn, often the hard way. But if we don't record them we often have to learn them over and over and there is no sense in that. Once should be enough for any of us to learn hard lessons. So create a place to store those year end evaluations and reflections and review the learnings often. If you had a business plan for the year - that is the place to start. Which things were you successful with and which came up a bit short. That is important as you chart the course for the new year. If you had a leadership or life plan, you need to do the same with those. Make sure you evaluate how you did in comparison to the goals you set and note what you learned. Have the blockers been removed yet or do you need to find a way around them? There is so much you can learn by just stopping and evaluating.
And ultimately the question is how did last year impact my legacy plan? Was I intentional in what I did? Did I make any progress toward that what I want to leave behind? Legacy happens whether we plan it and work toward a plan or not. The question really is - do you want to control what your legacy looks like or are you content to just let it happen and not care the result? I believe we need to do a lot better job of being intentional about legacy and what we will leave behind for those that will follow.
You have an opportunity to chart a new year ahead. But before you do, make sure you stop and learn all you can from the past. We should never dwell on where we have been. But we certainly should not ignore the value of what we can learn from that either. I wish you blessing and success in 2010! Much of that happens is based on how well you prepare and plan. Then it comes down to EXECUTION!
First we need to review the past year and evaluate our performance. I would also say we should take a little extra time and review the past decade. That will be challenging if you are anything like me and can hardly remember what you did last hour let alone over the course of the last 10 years. But looking back gives us so much perspective from which we can then look forward. We can learn much from that exercise. It can be a significant help in putting together a course of change, an opportunity to tweak things just a bit, or a validation that we should continue doing what we did this year into next year.
Here are some potential questions to ask:
What big things happened? Did they happen because you made a knowing, concerted effort to make them happen? Or... did they just happen?
What good things happened?
What bad things happened?
What was your biggest triumph?
What was the smartest decision you made?
What one word best sums up and describes your experience?
What was the greatest lesson you learned?
What was the most powerful service you performed?
What is your biggest piece of unfinished business?
What are you most happy about completing?
Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life?
What was the biggest risk you took?
What was the biggest surprise?
What important relationship improved the most?
What else do you need to do or say to be complete?
What lessons did you learn from these things?
Consider these questions about the coming year:
Do you want to have more time?
Do you want to go places? With who? In what fashion?
Do you want to read more?
Do you want to learn new skills?
Do you want to spend more time with certain people?
Do you want to run a race? Climb a mountain? Learn a new language?
What kind of person do you want to be?
Who do you want to meet?
How much money do you want to be able to give away?
What would you like to be your biggest triumph?
What advice would you like to give yourself?
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?
What would you be most happy about completing?
What major indulgence are you willing to experience?
What would you most like to change about yourself?
What are you looking forward to learning?
What do you think your biggest risk will be?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
What one word would you like to have as your theme?
The key is to stop long enough to do some meaningful reflection and review of how the year really was in 2009. Did you achieve your goals? Did you accomplish all you had intended? If not, what were the blockers? Put down on paper your evaluation - you won't remember it if you don't. And put down on paper your plan for next year. Share it with your spouse, your employees and others that need to be part of holding you accountable. It likely won't be accomplished if you don't share it broadly for accountabilty.
One of the most valuable things we can get from the past is lessons we learn, often the hard way. But if we don't record them we often have to learn them over and over and there is no sense in that. Once should be enough for any of us to learn hard lessons. So create a place to store those year end evaluations and reflections and review the learnings often. If you had a business plan for the year - that is the place to start. Which things were you successful with and which came up a bit short. That is important as you chart the course for the new year. If you had a leadership or life plan, you need to do the same with those. Make sure you evaluate how you did in comparison to the goals you set and note what you learned. Have the blockers been removed yet or do you need to find a way around them? There is so much you can learn by just stopping and evaluating.
And ultimately the question is how did last year impact my legacy plan? Was I intentional in what I did? Did I make any progress toward that what I want to leave behind? Legacy happens whether we plan it and work toward a plan or not. The question really is - do you want to control what your legacy looks like or are you content to just let it happen and not care the result? I believe we need to do a lot better job of being intentional about legacy and what we will leave behind for those that will follow.
You have an opportunity to chart a new year ahead. But before you do, make sure you stop and learn all you can from the past. We should never dwell on where we have been. But we certainly should not ignore the value of what we can learn from that either. I wish you blessing and success in 2010! Much of that happens is based on how well you prepare and plan. Then it comes down to EXECUTION!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Microsoft Opportunities Too Good to Pass Up - Must Act Now
Opportunity #1
Microsoft Community Connections?
Microsoft Community Connections is a national project designed to bring awareness and adoption of the Windows 7 product through Local Business Community Organizations (Chamber of Commerce, rotaries, associations, diversity groups, etc. ).
What does the Local Business Community Organizations get?
- 2 free copies of WIN 7 for Local Business Community Organizations
- $150 Microsoft partner (VAR) services implementation voucher (Microsoft partner to be selected by the Local Business Community Organizations)
What does the Local Business Community Organizations give in return?
- Local Business Community Organizations holds a Windows7 live event (lunch/learn) promoting Win7
- Local Business Community Organizations selects a local Microsoft partner to present Win7 content and invites additional Microsoft partner members to be onsite to interact with the attendees as table hosts
- Microsoft provides $125 in event funding to the Local Business Community Organization
- Attendees receive a $150 VAR services rebate voucher for the implementation of Win7 by a local VAR, redeemable upon the purchase of Window 7 via Volume Licensing (minimum 5 seats). The coupon is intended to offset some of the cost of the installation.
Call to Action = Have your Local Chamber register here!
There is a sense of urgency – as the program is nearing capacity.
Opportunity #2
HTG Flex Funds
This is an HTG only opportunity to get $500 for marketing, sales or demand generation activity of choice. As a member of HTG, Microsoft has created an exclusive opportunity called Microsoft Flex Funds. You have the opportunity to apply for $500 from the Microsoft Flex Funds program when you participate in one of the focus campaigns. Spend your funds on any marketing or sales activities of your choice you like, and then report your results to Microsoft! Click here to request more information.
Opportunity #3
Big Easy 3
Big Easy promotion ends 12-31-09. If you have licensing deals that are close to closing - take advantage of things now. Check details at the website here.
Opportunity #4
HTS Newsletter Service
If you are a Microsoft Partner, you can save $500 on our newsletter services!! We’ve been listed on the Microsoft Ready-to-Go portal as one of the choices that you can use for the $500 LAUNCH rebate. If you are already a subscriber, all you need to do is CLICK HERE and have a copy of your invoice (no more than 30 days old). The promotion code that must be included is LAUNCH and the Service Provider is Heartland Technology Solutions.
If you are not a subscriber and want to get set up so you can take advantage of this code, you have to move quickly. The HTS team will work with you to assure you have an invoice and can take advantage of this $500 offer. HTS just got added as a vendor for this promotion and the deadline is December 31, 2009. Sorry for the late notice on this but it is a great opportunity to get a free quarter of newsletters – on Microsoft!
Opportunity #5 and #6
Frontline and SBSC funds
I wrote about these a month or so ago and you can check the details here if you haven't already taken advantage of these two programs.
Lots of opportunity. Some are time sensitive so you need to act now. Don't miss the boat before it sails!
Microsoft Community Connections?
Microsoft Community Connections is a national project designed to bring awareness and adoption of the Windows 7 product through Local Business Community Organizations (Chamber of Commerce, rotaries, associations, diversity groups, etc. ).
What does the Local Business Community Organizations get?
- 2 free copies of WIN 7 for Local Business Community Organizations
- $150 Microsoft partner (VAR) services implementation voucher (Microsoft partner to be selected by the Local Business Community Organizations)
What does the Local Business Community Organizations give in return?
- Local Business Community Organizations holds a Windows7 live event (lunch/learn) promoting Win7
- Local Business Community Organizations selects a local Microsoft partner to present Win7 content and invites additional Microsoft partner members to be onsite to interact with the attendees as table hosts
- Microsoft provides $125 in event funding to the Local Business Community Organization
- Attendees receive a $150 VAR services rebate voucher for the implementation of Win7 by a local VAR, redeemable upon the purchase of Window 7 via Volume Licensing (minimum 5 seats). The coupon is intended to offset some of the cost of the installation.
Call to Action = Have your Local Chamber register here!
There is a sense of urgency – as the program is nearing capacity.
Opportunity #2
HTG Flex Funds
This is an HTG only opportunity to get $500 for marketing, sales or demand generation activity of choice. As a member of HTG, Microsoft has created an exclusive opportunity called Microsoft Flex Funds. You have the opportunity to apply for $500 from the Microsoft Flex Funds program when you participate in one of the focus campaigns. Spend your funds on any marketing or sales activities of your choice you like, and then report your results to Microsoft! Click here to request more information.
Opportunity #3
Big Easy 3
Big Easy promotion ends 12-31-09. If you have licensing deals that are close to closing - take advantage of things now. Check details at the website here.
Opportunity #4
HTS Newsletter Service
If you are a Microsoft Partner, you can save $500 on our newsletter services!! We’ve been listed on the Microsoft Ready-to-Go portal as one of the choices that you can use for the $500 LAUNCH rebate. If you are already a subscriber, all you need to do is CLICK HERE and have a copy of your invoice (no more than 30 days old). The promotion code that must be included is LAUNCH and the Service Provider is Heartland Technology Solutions.
If you are not a subscriber and want to get set up so you can take advantage of this code, you have to move quickly. The HTS team will work with you to assure you have an invoice and can take advantage of this $500 offer. HTS just got added as a vendor for this promotion and the deadline is December 31, 2009. Sorry for the late notice on this but it is a great opportunity to get a free quarter of newsletters – on Microsoft!
Opportunity #5 and #6
Frontline and SBSC funds
I wrote about these a month or so ago and you can check the details here if you haven't already taken advantage of these two programs.
Lots of opportunity. Some are time sensitive so you need to act now. Don't miss the boat before it sails!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Last Mile
There has been much discussion around the concept that as SMB IT consultants and VAR’s – we own the last mile to our customers in terms of the technology landscape. Arnie Bellini from ConnectWise has been championing that concept to the IT Nation for the past year or more. For the most part that is largely true. Today, the customer relationship with most small and medium businesses runs through a local VAR who provides the needed hardware, software and services to bring IT into their environment. But a little history lesson may be worth considering as it regards the last mile and the future. As the Bible teaches, we can learn much by remembering what has happened in the past and we have a very relavant teacher regarding this relationship.
Local telephone companies always felt they had the last mile. That was a literal thing for them – the last mile of copper wire that went from their local connection point to the homes and businesses on the end of their wire. It served them well for many years as there was no real option – if you wanted phone service – you paid the local telco to get it. Then came change – lots of change. There was the advent of cellular which allowed customers to use wireless technology to bypass the last mile. Then along came cable tv companies offering telephone service using their wire – so now there is competition from a second “last mile” cable from a nontraditional telephony source. Then comes the Internet which is able to provide VOIP telephony services. The Internet can be delivered in lots of ways – via cable, copper, wireless, cellular, satellite – there are many ways that the last mile for VOIP can enter a home or business. Today there is no control at all for the local telco. In fact, they are scrambling to try and remain relevant in many situations by trying to add services to compete in delivering Internet, cable TV, and other digital services across their once precious last mile advantage. In many cases, they no longer even have a presence with the customers they once owned. It has vanished right before their eyes.
So how does that apply to us in the IT business. We have the same potential problem coming our way. First we have the transition that is being driven by managed services. Today many of the services that we once delivered by dispatching engineers to a local site has moved to remote support. We no longer need to roll a truck and put a person on premise to service a majority of the problems that occur. That means service delivery can happen from anywhere at any time. Many of us have built that competency ourselves, but margins will continue to be squeezed. It will become a comodity of sorts. And more importantly, if the equipment no longer resides on premise but in the cloud, our services at the least must change, but may in fact be non essential at all.
The sale of hardware and software has been a staple for many of us for years. That will likely diminish in the near future. With the advent of HAAS (hardware as a service) which allows a customer to purchase hardware and software via a monthly subscription beginning to gain steam, we will see purchases from our own offerings slip away unless we find a way to deliver that service. We are already seeing this being delivered by the national wireless companies as you can get a netbook with a wireless subscription on a monthly contract. And new partners like CharTec are springing up to enable traditional VAR's to compete in the HAAS space without having to figure it all out ourselves. And the next step will be no on premise hardware at all in some accounts – where it resides in a data center and is utilized via the wire. We have to prepare to see the margins we have been accustomed to receiving from the sale of hardware and software begin to move away drastically or maybe completely in some cases.
Cloud computing is a major game changer. It has the potential to rob the margin from the sale of hardware, software, projects and break fix sources. It also could cause us to lose the managed service revenue stream that many have come to rely on unless we adapt our services to be cloud friendly. There will still be a need to manage things in the cloud, and to manage some sort of end user devices, but those will likely take a different shape and be a virtual desktop in nature. If we don’t have services that are designed to serve the cloud environment, we will likely become irrelevant to our customers and lose this revenue stream.
So the real question is “what does your P&L look like if you lose the margin you generate from hardware, software, projects, break fix and managed services today. For many partners – that is their revenue and the bottom line is very negative. In fact, the business is insolvent. There are no other relevant income streams that can come close to supporting most businesses today. So what should we do? Certainly sticking our head in the sand and ignoring the potential threat is not the correct response.
This is not a doom and gloom post – but rather one to drive you to consider the opportunities that will be available to the partners who figure this new world out. Cloud computing will not happen overnight. There are many opinions on the speed of adoption. From my perspective, I believe there are a couple drivers. One will be the speed at which the new workforce begins to take leadership of the IT management in the SMB. Younger people have never known anything different than the cloud. They have put their email, data, pictures and social interactions in the cloud their entire lives. So they will have no hesitation to make the transition if the change makes sense from a cost perspective. Secondly there will be significant pressure on the cost of cloud services as everyone races to get to the new frontier from a delivery perspective. There will be many competitors – both large and small – who will make a “land grab” and attempt to draw people to the new source of monthly recurring revenue. Those two factors will be significant drivers to the transition. My personal opinion is it will happen sooner than later and within 3-5 years we will see a very different landscape when we consider IT infrastructure in the SMB.
So what should we do if we currently serve the SMB space? I believe we need to immediately embrace this transition and learn how to deliver products and services through the cloud. It begins by implementing them internally and using them so we have an understanding of how they work. The magic and ongoing opportunity for most of us will be in consulting around how to select and integrate with and within the cloud. I believe many companies will have a hybrid cloud model for the near term meaning they will likely push some things off premise into the cloud and retain others – such as line of business and financial applications – in their offices and under their direct control. I don’t believe that will be the final result as people get comfortable with the technology and reliability, but for now, it will likely be a combination of thing locally and across the wire. Most are already comfortable having financial access across the wire as they access bank, 401K and other financial information that way currently. Security has become acceptable in the cloud as people do it daily already.
We have to learn to sell differently, and provide services differently as the landscape changes. We have to learn new skills in how to connect the dots in the cloud and to our local customer networks. There is a “new normal” coming, and if we don’t begin now to learn how it will work, and more importantly how we can remain relevant in that new world, we will quickly find ourselves not in control any longer. The last mile is moving and we have to get started now to ready ourselves for the change. One day soon we will wake up and wonder how it happened as we didn’t even notice the change. But we definitely will notice the effect of that change because the income we currently depend on to make payroll and pay our bills will have dried up and moved to a different mailbox. That will be a very sad day as it will be far too late to make the changes and catch up then. Now is the time to stop and take a look at what is coming. The train has left the station. The only question is whether you will accept that fact and get ready to board.
Local telephone companies always felt they had the last mile. That was a literal thing for them – the last mile of copper wire that went from their local connection point to the homes and businesses on the end of their wire. It served them well for many years as there was no real option – if you wanted phone service – you paid the local telco to get it. Then came change – lots of change. There was the advent of cellular which allowed customers to use wireless technology to bypass the last mile. Then along came cable tv companies offering telephone service using their wire – so now there is competition from a second “last mile” cable from a nontraditional telephony source. Then comes the Internet which is able to provide VOIP telephony services. The Internet can be delivered in lots of ways – via cable, copper, wireless, cellular, satellite – there are many ways that the last mile for VOIP can enter a home or business. Today there is no control at all for the local telco. In fact, they are scrambling to try and remain relevant in many situations by trying to add services to compete in delivering Internet, cable TV, and other digital services across their once precious last mile advantage. In many cases, they no longer even have a presence with the customers they once owned. It has vanished right before their eyes.
So how does that apply to us in the IT business. We have the same potential problem coming our way. First we have the transition that is being driven by managed services. Today many of the services that we once delivered by dispatching engineers to a local site has moved to remote support. We no longer need to roll a truck and put a person on premise to service a majority of the problems that occur. That means service delivery can happen from anywhere at any time. Many of us have built that competency ourselves, but margins will continue to be squeezed. It will become a comodity of sorts. And more importantly, if the equipment no longer resides on premise but in the cloud, our services at the least must change, but may in fact be non essential at all.
The sale of hardware and software has been a staple for many of us for years. That will likely diminish in the near future. With the advent of HAAS (hardware as a service) which allows a customer to purchase hardware and software via a monthly subscription beginning to gain steam, we will see purchases from our own offerings slip away unless we find a way to deliver that service. We are already seeing this being delivered by the national wireless companies as you can get a netbook with a wireless subscription on a monthly contract. And new partners like CharTec are springing up to enable traditional VAR's to compete in the HAAS space without having to figure it all out ourselves. And the next step will be no on premise hardware at all in some accounts – where it resides in a data center and is utilized via the wire. We have to prepare to see the margins we have been accustomed to receiving from the sale of hardware and software begin to move away drastically or maybe completely in some cases.
Cloud computing is a major game changer. It has the potential to rob the margin from the sale of hardware, software, projects and break fix sources. It also could cause us to lose the managed service revenue stream that many have come to rely on unless we adapt our services to be cloud friendly. There will still be a need to manage things in the cloud, and to manage some sort of end user devices, but those will likely take a different shape and be a virtual desktop in nature. If we don’t have services that are designed to serve the cloud environment, we will likely become irrelevant to our customers and lose this revenue stream.
So the real question is “what does your P&L look like if you lose the margin you generate from hardware, software, projects, break fix and managed services today. For many partners – that is their revenue and the bottom line is very negative. In fact, the business is insolvent. There are no other relevant income streams that can come close to supporting most businesses today. So what should we do? Certainly sticking our head in the sand and ignoring the potential threat is not the correct response.
This is not a doom and gloom post – but rather one to drive you to consider the opportunities that will be available to the partners who figure this new world out. Cloud computing will not happen overnight. There are many opinions on the speed of adoption. From my perspective, I believe there are a couple drivers. One will be the speed at which the new workforce begins to take leadership of the IT management in the SMB. Younger people have never known anything different than the cloud. They have put their email, data, pictures and social interactions in the cloud their entire lives. So they will have no hesitation to make the transition if the change makes sense from a cost perspective. Secondly there will be significant pressure on the cost of cloud services as everyone races to get to the new frontier from a delivery perspective. There will be many competitors – both large and small – who will make a “land grab” and attempt to draw people to the new source of monthly recurring revenue. Those two factors will be significant drivers to the transition. My personal opinion is it will happen sooner than later and within 3-5 years we will see a very different landscape when we consider IT infrastructure in the SMB.
So what should we do if we currently serve the SMB space? I believe we need to immediately embrace this transition and learn how to deliver products and services through the cloud. It begins by implementing them internally and using them so we have an understanding of how they work. The magic and ongoing opportunity for most of us will be in consulting around how to select and integrate with and within the cloud. I believe many companies will have a hybrid cloud model for the near term meaning they will likely push some things off premise into the cloud and retain others – such as line of business and financial applications – in their offices and under their direct control. I don’t believe that will be the final result as people get comfortable with the technology and reliability, but for now, it will likely be a combination of thing locally and across the wire. Most are already comfortable having financial access across the wire as they access bank, 401K and other financial information that way currently. Security has become acceptable in the cloud as people do it daily already.
We have to learn to sell differently, and provide services differently as the landscape changes. We have to learn new skills in how to connect the dots in the cloud and to our local customer networks. There is a “new normal” coming, and if we don’t begin now to learn how it will work, and more importantly how we can remain relevant in that new world, we will quickly find ourselves not in control any longer. The last mile is moving and we have to get started now to ready ourselves for the change. One day soon we will wake up and wonder how it happened as we didn’t even notice the change. But we definitely will notice the effect of that change because the income we currently depend on to make payroll and pay our bills will have dried up and moved to a different mailbox. That will be a very sad day as it will be far too late to make the changes and catch up then. Now is the time to stop and take a look at what is coming. The train has left the station. The only question is whether you will accept that fact and get ready to board.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Are You a Procrastinator?
Then this post is for you because we are down to the deadline to apply for a very important award. The MSP Mentor 100 award is on the line and the deadline to apply is tomorrow, December 11.
Company awards are an excellent way to celebrate business achievement and shine a spotlight on your business. Try it and you might discover some of the bottom line benefits and the power of industry and local awards. This is often an overlooked tool in your marketing toolbox. Marketing consists of many techniques and channels from advertising and direct response to radio and trade shows, but you can take your small business to new levels by entering your company for awards. The trick is they don’t just happen. You have to apply, submit an entry or nominate yourself. Awards are not just for big companies. At all levels, businesses have the opportunity to compete for awards, but if you don’t take the time, they probably won’t happen. Usually the application process involves completing an application, a brief essay and a description of your business. Some might require financials. The good news is that once you apply for one it will get easier from there so just do it!
Below are some sources for awards:
• Industry publications (MSPmentor, Channel Insider, Everything Channel, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelPro Magazine)
• Industry associations (VTN, TechSelect, CompTIA, ASCII.....)
• Vendors and suppliers(industry and local)
• Local organizations and publications (business journals, associations, clients)
So you think you’ll never win. Again, if you don’t enter then you probably won’t. Entering corporate awards and contests as a marketing strategy is an untapped area by small business. With limited entries, your odds of winning improve. Even if you don't win, a title nomination can bring many rewards.
We won, now what do we do? Share the news within your organization. This is a great morale building tool for your team. Tell them what they did to help your organization win that award. Put out a press release and share it locally as well as within your industry. Put the word out via your social networking outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Post the press release and the award to your website. Good news like this will get noticed by vendors, distributors, associations, clients, prospects, media, employees and future employees. Tell everyone you won!
That being said, MSPmentor is still accepting nomination for their annual MSPmentor 100 list. Have you submitted your company yet? The deadline is Friday, December 11th. Do it NOW!!
Company awards are an excellent way to celebrate business achievement and shine a spotlight on your business. Try it and you might discover some of the bottom line benefits and the power of industry and local awards. This is often an overlooked tool in your marketing toolbox. Marketing consists of many techniques and channels from advertising and direct response to radio and trade shows, but you can take your small business to new levels by entering your company for awards. The trick is they don’t just happen. You have to apply, submit an entry or nominate yourself. Awards are not just for big companies. At all levels, businesses have the opportunity to compete for awards, but if you don’t take the time, they probably won’t happen. Usually the application process involves completing an application, a brief essay and a description of your business. Some might require financials. The good news is that once you apply for one it will get easier from there so just do it!
Below are some sources for awards:
• Industry publications (MSPmentor, Channel Insider, Everything Channel, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelPro Magazine)
• Industry associations (VTN, TechSelect, CompTIA, ASCII.....)
• Vendors and suppliers(industry and local)
• Local organizations and publications (business journals, associations, clients)
So you think you’ll never win. Again, if you don’t enter then you probably won’t. Entering corporate awards and contests as a marketing strategy is an untapped area by small business. With limited entries, your odds of winning improve. Even if you don't win, a title nomination can bring many rewards.
We won, now what do we do? Share the news within your organization. This is a great morale building tool for your team. Tell them what they did to help your organization win that award. Put out a press release and share it locally as well as within your industry. Put the word out via your social networking outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Post the press release and the award to your website. Good news like this will get noticed by vendors, distributors, associations, clients, prospects, media, employees and future employees. Tell everyone you won!
That being said, MSPmentor is still accepting nomination for their annual MSPmentor 100 list. Have you submitted your company yet? The deadline is Friday, December 11th. Do it NOW!!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Want to Grow Your Company?
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!
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!
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