Smb Community Podcast By Karl W. Palachuk

1.) MSP Question of The Week How important is work culture as it relates to acquisition or merger? and Why everything boils down to customer experience... See:  https://www.channele2e.com/native/customer-experience-is-everything 2.) Five minutes with a Smart Person -  Val King of Whitehat Technologies Val is the CEO of Whitehat Virtual Technologies and responsible for day-to-day-operations, as well as leading the company’s product development and technology strategy. Val has 20 years of experience in technology, compliance, and security in regulated industries, particularly in financial services and healthcare. Currently Val serves in a dual role as CIO for a regional healthcare system. “The last 18 inches between the screen and the end-user is the Point of Execution, where end user experience matters, where technology either improves productivity, and thus the business, or hinders it. "Every business needs IT. Every business buys IT, but not every business is able to confidently cross that divide from IT

1.) MSP Question of The Week   How do busy MSP business owners deal with stress?   Host Amy and Host James discuss their strategies.    ---   2.) Five Minutes with A Smart Person -  Eric Anthony    Host James sits down with Channel Vet, podcaster, and Director of Community at EGNYTE Eric Anthony.   Learn more about Eric:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/esanthony/   Eric's Customer Experience video: https://youtube.com/live/WHQWGhrg7FY   Eric's Book "CX That Sings": https://www.amazon.com/CX-That-Sings-introduction-Customer/dp/B085RTL8NT/ref=sr_1_2?   ---   3.) Notes on The News     "Microsoft set for AI-powered revenue surge as stock pulls ahead...   Microsoft is expected to report a 15.8% jump in quarterly revenue, its best growth in nearly two years, as rising adoption of its products infused with generative AI fuels demand for its cloud services."   https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-teams-down-thousands-users-downdetector-2024-01-26/   Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab Teams services were re

Host Amy and Host James catch up and catch a tan.    1.) MSP Question of The Week   What is the best business structure for new MSPs?   See: https://www.toptal.com/finance/interim-cfos/c-corp-vs-s-corp#:~:text=Compared%20to%20traditional%20S%20or,it's%20taxed%20as%20a%20corporation   ---   2.) More Tech Layoffs?   EY Announces Layoffs in Response to Economic Struggles   See: https://www.channele2e.com/news/ey-announces-layoffs-in-response-to-economic-struggles   "Less than a week after Broadcom finalized its $61 billion acquisition of VMware, layoffs began. This is a familiar pattern for the company, which followed a similar playbook with its acquisition of CA Technologies in 2018. Overall, it's estimated Broadcom will cut about 2,000 employees post-acquisition.   Google, Amazon, Snap, Splunk, LinkedIn, Cisco, MariaDB and SecureWorks all recently announced layoffs. Other mass layoffs recently included Intel, Wish and LinkedIn in the San Francisco Bay area. At the beginning of September, Rapid7 announced a r

Host Karl does a deep dive into the four steps you need to take for your “AI Strategy” in 2024. Learn it, use it, teach it, sell it. Whatever you do, just don’t ignore it.   AUSTIN TX – MASTERMIND LIVE (March 28-29th)   http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event   Use “EARLYBIRD” as the coupon code to save $200!   Irvine CA – SMB Techfest (Feb 8th-9th)   Make sure you catch Amy at SMB Techfest!   https://www.smbtechfest.com/events.asp       Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

Host Karl sits down with friend, Jerry Koutavas. As President of The ASCII Group, Jerry Koutavas is responsible for creating resources and services aimed at helping IT and managed service providers better manage their time and their bottom line.  Koutavas oversees the creation, implementation, and adoption of benefits at The ASCII Group which services over 1,400 MSPs in North America. A widely-recognized figure in the IT industry, Jerry has more than 25 years of experience in the Channel.   Check out more:  https://events.ascii.com/   --- Our upcoming events: Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!   Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

1.) MSP Question of the week:  Will the US economy adversely affect my business?          In summation, it will...if YOU let it. And what does tabasco hot sauce have to do with you?   ---    2.) Notes on the News   Tech lay offs yet again! Google, Amazon and Snap are among latest to announce major layoffs.   See: https://www.channele2e.com/news/google-amazon-snap-latest-to-announce-layoffs   3.) Cool Tech Gifts   Our experts way in. :-)   --- Our upcoming events: Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!    Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

Host James sits down with Venvito's Founder Rob Fegan on partnering with Microsoft.  Venvito was formed to teach other Microsoft partners how to harness the scale and reach of Microsoft's field teams. Sharing with other owners, founders, and leaders the messaging, the mechanics, and the mindset necessary to partner with Microsoft, growing your Microsoft practice through mutually beneficial relationships at all levels within Microsoft.   Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfegan/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/venvito/ https://www.venvito.net/?r_done=1   Our upcoming events: Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!    Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinc

Today the SMBCP is whole again: Karl is back!      1.) MSP Question of The Week   What is the best commission plan for salespeople?    ---   2.) What's New in the News    OPEN AI – blew up!   And ransomware attacks are on the RISE!    Ransomware attacks have surged in recent years; this has led to significant financial losses, data breaches and operational disruptions across various sectors. As of 2023, over 72% of organizations worldwide were affected by ransomware attacks, according to Statista.   That raises a question as to how malicious actors are able to successfully carry out these attacks on the majority of organizations. And one industry that is struggling to handle ransomware attacks is...healthcare.   In fact, Sophos revealed in its “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2023”  report that cybercriminals successfully encrypted data in nearly 75% of ransomware attacks. This is the highest rate of encryption in the past three years and a significant increase from the 61% of healthcare organizations t

In this week's edition of SMBCP, we sit down with the Chief Information Officer of TS Banking Group, Julian Caldwell. We discussed how to get into the door with executives--What are they looking for in MSPs? And hpw to become "Sticky" Long Term strategic partners with your customers? Listen today to see why most MSP's fall short of these expectations...   Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!    Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

Host Karl goes down under for the SMB IT Pro Con! In this episode, Karl captures bite-sized interviews with the best in the industry.  Featuring (In Order): Dean Calvert of Calvert Technologies  Elias Mansour of N-Able Matt Koenig of Nodeware  Pablo Munoz of Ninja One Peter Ward of Dijital Team Shaun Witherden of Kaseya  Shaun Capps of Pax8 Ted Deane 2Excel Tim Lippa Halo PSA Will Parker HP Elite  --- Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!    Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https:

Happy Thanksgiving!   In this turkey day edition of SMBCP, we have Chip Reaves in the studio! Chip’s expertise is in Microsoft software, teaching courses on a variety of apps and iterations from 2010 to the most current Microsoft 365. He has been interviewed on TV and other major media on topics related to small business technology and entrepreneurship, including ABC News, BusinessWeek TV, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and is a member of Jim Blasingame’s “Brain Trust" on www.SmallBusinessAdvocate.com and has taught a variety of courses both live and recorded. chip@bigger-brains.com www.BiggerMSP.com www.BiggerBrains.com --- Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount

For this week's episode, we are joined by our co-host Amy Babinchak!  ---         1.) The MSP Question of the Week What can you do NOW to increase the value of your business BEFORE you sell? Host James and Host Amy break it down.  1. Business Plan  2.    Written Agreements both customer and employee  3.    Focus on Core Service  4.    Unique Assets  5.    Clean Books and record keeping  6.    Business Process Bible  7.    Diverse Customer-base  8.    Strong People ---   Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Contact James for a $500 discount code!    Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin

1.) MSP Question of The Week          What do you do when your customer hires one of your employees? Have you prepared with a non-solicitation in your agreement?  Did they let you know in advance or hire behind your back? Do you contact them?   All the questions answered with Host James!      2.) Five Minutes with a Smart person –   Steven Frank of TDSynnex   TDSynnex is MUCH MORE than a distributor, they are a partner We discussed resources that my customers use to grow and scale their business - real world success stories shared     3.) Notes on the News Topic    Host James addresses the most recent burning topics:   1. The 23andMe Breach – what should you do? 2. Scalepad acquires QUOTER 3. When do you hire someone BETTER than you? https://www.msptechnews.com/msp-news/hire/   --- Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in

In this episode of the SMBC podcast, we have three special cohost!   Host James sits with Alex Farling, Wes Spencer and Kyle Christensen of Empath.   https://www.empathmsp.com/   Tune in as we discuss the next big moves for Empath.    ---   Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/    

1.) The MSP Question of the Week   What is your unique selling proposition? Or your "superpower"?   ---   2.) Notes on the News    Understanding Your Competitors – SWOT Analysis on your business.   https://www.msptechnews.com/business-news/evaluating-business-rivals/   We discuss:   - Understanding your competitors is crucial for staying competitive in today’s business landscape. - A successful competitor comparison involves evaluating various aspects, such as service offerings, marketing strategies, and operational structures. - Identifying patterns, trends, and vulnerabilities within your competitors’ businesses can provide valuable insights for your growth and success.   ---   3.) Questions From You   Do you use IT Staffing firms to help find talent?   ---      Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MS

1.) What's Up with You?   One of our favorite topics on the show: What do you prefer--the large events or the smaller events?    Let us know and send us message at james@kernanconsulting.com!   Host James breaks down the pros and cons of both.    ---   2.)  MSP Question of the Week   Should you have one offering or multiple offerings – AND – what is your recommendation for price per seat?        3.) James's Quick Marketing Tip   Please, update your headshots / video on your business.   Do this annually to keep fresh photos/video on your business to repurpose on social media marketing! --- Our upcoming events: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow Dec 7-8th, 2023 in Newport Beach CA –    http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind   https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event     Use code: EARLYBIRD   Jan 16-18th in Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.faceboo

1.) MSP Question of The Week          What is your favorite password tool? --- 2.) Five Minutes with a Smart Person – Lori Hardke  Host Karl discuss “PROFIT FIRST” with our guest Lori Hardtke. Check out Lori's next class: https://www.itspu.com/all-classes/classes/profit-first-for-msps/ More on Lori: https://www.profitfirst4msps.com/ --- 3.) Notes on the News  This week we have a lot to catch up on: What do you think about the new dress code for Congress? The power usage of AI is equivalent to 33,000 households!  Microsoft Copilot was all the talk at The Experts Conference.  What was the hallway talk at the Millionaire Mastermind? Graphics from Jay McBain Amy speaking at ITO Compass October 13-14 in Chicago:  https://itocompass.com/ Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

In this episode of SMBCP, Host James quickfires some insight on today's hot topics: How to compensate fully remote workers, dealing with late payers, and the search for entry level technicians.   1.) The MSP Question of the Week Can you pay your remote employees less money compared to employees coming to the office? — 2.) Notes on the News https://www.msptechnews.com/business-news/the-challenge-of-late-paying-clients/ https://www.msptechnews.com/msp-news/talent/ — Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybabinchak/ https://www.facebook.com/amy.babinchak/

Today's special episode of SMBCP we have a special guest host, Donna Blum.  1.) The MSP Question of the Week         Is it a good idea for couples to work together in the same company?  --- 2.) Five Minutes with a Smart Person - Nick Wolf of EVO Security Nick is a senior sales  executive with experience growing channel partnerships for MSP focused vendors. From 2011-2020 Nick was a key member of Datto, and onboarded over 750 MSPs, which helped grow the company to be acquired for over $1.5 Billion in 2017. From 2020-2021 Nick was a member of SKOUT Cybersecurity, joining many previous colleagues he worked with at datto, and onboarded over 100 MSPs, which helped grow the company to be acquired in 2021 by Barracuda. Nick is now the Director of Partner Acquisition at Evo Security responsible for their rapid growth in the IAM space by working with MSPs and MSSPs.   https://www.evosecurity.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfnick --- Resources and Links: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow:  September 28-29 – Scottsdale, AZ

1.) MSP Question of the Week  When should I hire my first sales person? --- 2.) Smart Person - Brianna Haun  Brianna's passion is to provide a level of excellence in serving clients, leading a team, and impacting the community through a value driven lifestyle. Gaining a new perspective, shifting a mindset, or creating something new, ignite my soul... https://www.linkedin.com/in/alignconsulting/ https://rss.com/podcasts/aligned/ --- 3.) Notes on the News   Google Anti-trust, Microsoft protects customers from lawsuits resulting from AI use, and GDP Growth beats expectations and Medicare spending has been level since 2010! --- Resources and Links: Kernan Mastermind Roadshow:  September 28-29 – Scottsdale, AZ! http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event  Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kernan-varcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/james.kernan https://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk/ https://www.linkedin.