Smb Community Podcast By Karl W. Palachuk

Karl interviews Janet Schijns from the JS Group. Janet is the CEO and Digital Ninja of JS Group, a leading go-to-market consultancy in the technology industry. She's a former executive at Motorola, Verizon and Office Depot. Plus, Janet is the founder of Tech Worlds Half, a not-for-profit dedicated to keeping women in the technology industry. Her recent awards include: Channel Influencer of the Year Top 10 Women in Technology Top 50 Influencer in Technology ... and her newest accolade: Analytics Insight "10 Most Impactful Women in Technology 2020" Plus she's a Star Wars raving fan! Janet has a super focus on channel marketing. The mission statement of the JS Group is: "Save the Channel." What a great mission. Here Janet makes the argument that the "digital transformation" has already happened. We are now in the digital normal. If you missed it, that's on you: you need to catch up. Sites/Links: https://www.jsgnow.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetschijns/ https://twitter.com/channelsmart :-)  

Host Karl interviews Daniel Welling from Marlow, UK. Here we look at "organic growth" vs. buying companies as a growth strategy. Which is best for you? Daniel started his career in IT in 1995, following a sales track, working for a number of VARs and quickly developing a consultative approach to new business and account management, leading to Sales Management within a few years. The urge to do more resulted in forming an IT support business (what today we call an MSP!) in 2002 which developed over the following 12-years with the obligatory highs, lows and lessons learned. In 2014 the opportunity arose to exit the business in a trade sale, allowing Daniel to pursue his non-IT interests, which have included further highs, lows and lessons in the fields of motorsport and soft drinks, while remaining involved with the MSP market through being an active member of MSP communities, taking a part time role with the acquirer of his business and growing a base of other MSPs with whom he has worked in the blended-capaci

Host Karl sat down with Pete to talk about promoting IT businesses. Pete started his own MSP in 2011. For the next near decade that business grew, hit and exceeded the magic £1m turnover mark (one million pounds revenue), grew to 16-staff, strong and the business brand itself became well known locally as something for other MSPs to aspire to. In early 2020 Pete exited the business to pursue other interests, including Video, and helping other MSP Owners! In this conversation, we start with a discussion of mergers and acquisitions and that flows into a general discussion of business success. One big question: What's your number? Pete completed the sale of his business as the pandemic shutdown was taking place. So that's a great story. Before selling the business, Pete invested in video (YouTube) production. His big challenge was: How do you use YouTube videos to promote your IT business? Pete kept the YouTube channel - and you can find it at youtube.com/petematheson. Pete gives some great examples of the videos

with Dylan Dahlquist dylanquestdigital ( at ) gmail.com Google's Advertising platform is versatile, far-reaching, and pretty confusing. Sometimes getting a clear return on ad spend can feel closer to wizardry than science, but that's why Dylan has spent years figuring out methods for businesses and organizations to grow with Google Ads. He has success managing Ad Accounts for a variety of businesses and non-profit organizations. Dylan is also a Digital artist as well as a published Scientist. Wow! "I just searched my business and I saw...." This is the statement many digital marketers/advertises hear from clients moments before disaster strikes. Google-ing your name/business is an outdated way of measuring your online presence, and a great way to distract yourself from actually helpful tools that could grow your business/brand online. Interested in Google ads? Email DylanQuestDigital ( at ) gmail.com :-)  

I caught up with Richard Tubb near the end of November. In addition to a general catch-up, we recorded a podcast on Marketing Tips! We did this after an experience we shared that resulted in extra bonus marketing for Richard - because he was prepared. It got me thinking about how being ready to take advantage of opportunities goes a long ways. In this conversation, Richard shares some great ideas for IT professionals who want to krank up continuous marketing - which is a great idea! Note: One tool Richard mentioned in the interview is Text Expander: https://textexpander.com/.   I mention a blog post I did on Richard recently. You can find that here: https://blog.smallbizthoughts.com/2020/10/meet-richard-tubb-true-community.html The easiest way to connect with Richard is via his primary web site: Resources for MSPs - https://www.tubblog.co.uk/resources/ I particularly encourage you to sign up for his weekly newsletter - MSP Insights - https://www.tubblog.co.uk/nl You can check out his blog over on my blog rol

Karl interviews co-host James Kernan on his new book, Tech Up or Lose Out. James is the editor and publisher of the book. And, of course, he wrote a good deal of it. James calls this book the Entrepreneurs Guide to IT. The target audience is small business - not just IT businesses. You might, for example, give this book to clients to educate them on why they need tech support. The basic goal is to show business owners how they can leverage technology as a competitive advantage in your business. James Kernan is the CEO of Kernan Consulting, Inc. an international award winning management consulting company. They have become one of the most successful consulting firms in the country, primarily serving Information Technology Value-Added-Resellers or MSP’s. Its core competencies include Coaching, Advising and Mentoring programs like the Mastermind CEO Peer Groups, Leadership, Sales Training and its One-on-One Consulting Programs. Since 2006, over 500 businesses in six different countries have successfully been coa

Host James Kernan interviews Sarah Hansen on Social Media Marketing. Sarah runs Hansen Collective, a firm that uses online marketing expertise to help both international and domestic clients, while also fostering a community and educating her audience on creating effective social media strategies for personal brands and businesses alike. Hansen Collective combines modern social media marketing strategies with custom content to boost your business’s online presence. Our mission is to help your brand better communicate with your audience, and in doing so, create profitable social platforms. The greatest weakness Sarah find with social media strategies is that many companies use a cookie-cutter approach that doesn't feel natural online. She prefers a more natural, organic, and therefore successful approach. Web Sites, etc.: - www.hansencollective.com - www.instagram.com/hansencollective - www.linkedin.com/hansensarah21 - www.facebook.com/hansencollective :-)  

Karl interviews Manuel Palachuk, author and coach. Manuel is introducing a new kind of interactive event call The IT Confidential. See https://theitconfidential.com. The new venture is a bit like a webinar/podcast with a major twist: A live audience. The goal is to take a hard look at some issues that others are not talking about in the channel. Plus, he got a cool look and feel for the web site. One other fronts: We start by checking in on how things are going during the pandemic. So far, our industry seems to be doing pretty well. There are exceptions, of course, but the overall picture is pretty positive. We also look at the bigger picture and what the "next normal" will look like when the pandemic is over. Next year might be a lot like this year. But Manuel suspect 2022 should be much closer to the old normal. AND Manuel is announcing a new training series call Agile IT Service Delivery. Like "agile" in software development, Agile Service Delivery is a self-improving service delivery process based on cont

Karl caught up with Chris Timm from Sondela Consulting. Chris has a long history in the SMB IT community. He is a former MSP owner and spent a few years at Autotask. Today Chris is a coach and thought leader around making the most of your PSA. He runs a podcast with Rayanne Buchianico at http://psaimpact.net/. Check it out! But our focus here is Chris's new book! PSA Profitability is available on Amazon and Kindle. The Amazon.com link is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1838111301/. Here Tim gives us some great advice about picking the right PSA for your business. Like many software packages, the right tool for one company is not the right tool for all companies. A good PSA with be customizable for your procedures and processes. Chris is a huge advocate of tracking all time in the PSA. But, at the same time, he says that you shouldn't buy a PSA if all you need is a ticketing system. If you need a ticketing system, go buy one. A PSA is a much bigger-picture tool. Yes, it includes a ticketing module. But it's

Using LinkedIn to Generate Leads for MSPs with Nathaniel Freedman, Tech Pro Marketing Karl interviews Nathaniel Freedman, CEO of Tech Pro Marketing. As Nate says: You don't want marketing help from just anyone — you want it from someone who is focused exclusively on using MSP Marketing to help MSPs generate leads. Tech Pro Marketing is dedicated to delivering predictable, quality leads to Managed Service Providers and help fill their sales pipelne. Karl and Nate explore ways you can do better with your lead generation, specifically with LinkedIn. Related Resources: https://www.techpromarketing.com https://smartermsp.com/author/nate-freedman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natefreedman/ :-)  

Karl caught up with coach Erick Simpson (www.ericksimpson.com). He works with a lot of partners, and we talk about what partners are experiencing as the extended "work from home" world evolves. Luckily, many IT service providers are thriving and doing well helping their clients to be successful. That is a great example of technology that used to be "nice" and is no critical. So that has turned into an unexpected opportunity. But we are also faced with an unexpected challenge: Selling remotely. Erick talks about how we can use the extended functions of Zoom (or Teams or whatever) to help you deliver a killer sales presentation. From there, we dive into some specifics. How do you do qualifications and meeting setups remotely? Be prepared. Make the technology invisible. Plus lots of other great tips and information! Web site: www.ericksimpson.com :-)   Sponsor Note: Gatekeeper from Calyptix Security Introducing Gatekeeper from Calyptix Security: zero trust access securing RDP and SSH connections with two factor

Karl interviews Ben Niernberg from MNJ Technologies. MNJ is an MSP that also helps other MSPs resell phone services and Internet connectivity. Ben currently oversees all sales, marketing, services and vendor management relations for MNJ Technologies. Before joining MNJ, he spent a decade at Canon Solutions America, a subsidiary of Canon USA Company, where he was in a variety of management and executive roles. At MNJ, Ben remains focused on working with new and existing customers to solve their technology and services business issues that they deal with every day. Ben is thrilled about the future of MNJ Technologies and the exciting growth that has already been realized. For many organizations, connectivity is a key financial, administrative and usability pain point. Legacy solutions like MPLS may be adding unnecessary expense. Traditional circuit/bandwidth services and newer SD-WAN offerings are typically sourced from different providers, making it difficult to optimize spend as well as forcing IT teams to ma

Host Amy Babinchak interviews Josh Barker from TechRug (the Technology Risk Underwriting Group). Their topic is: The Insurance Landscape for MSP's. Amy starts out with the big question: What's up with the big price increases? Is it all ransomware? And just so we don't put all the blame on the "bad guys," Amy and Josh also discuss the promises made by MSPs that get them into trouble. If your web site embellishes your promises, you are setting expectations that could cause problems - for you! Josh Barker is the Senior Account Executive and Advisor at techrug (The Technology Risk Underwriting Group). Prior to joining techrug in 2014, Josh owned a consulting firm providing loss assessment and adjustment services to numerous national and international insurance carriers. Josh has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry and is currently in the process of securing his designation as a Certified Risk Manager (CRM). The insurance market for MSP's is changing rapidly. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-b

I caught up with Paul Green again, from Paul Green's MSP Marketing. One of the first things Pauls says is that you can't really speed up sales most of the time because you don't have the power place your prospects in a position of "needing" your services. Your goal is to be there when they realize they have a need. But you can't create the need. In this interview, Paul talks about the power of physical marketing (e.g., postal mailings). Unlike twenty years ago, printed material demands attention today. Paul gives some great tips on using postal mailings to remain top-of-mind when clients realize they need help. Another technique he digs into is to create reactive web sites. In this context, that means to send information to people who visit your web site. This requires some setup since you have to have a way to track visitors at a serious level. This is way beyond popups. Pauls covers lots of other great tips for MSPs who are looking for new clients. He even talks about how to get non-salespeople to help buil

I caught up with Amy as she's running around (virtually) getting ready for the big Acronis Summit 2020. More information at https://summit.acronis.events. The Acronis Summit is . . . October 19-20-21 Registration is free at https://summit.acronis.events Amy is a long-time friend of the Channel and is now the Channel Chief Evangelist at Acronis. She is organizing a number of the sessions for the Summit, including all of the workshops. I'm doing a workshop on selling security (Stop Selling New Stuff the Old Way). Other workshops will be delivered by Amy Babinchak, Erick Simpson, and Rayanne Buchianico. Another great session will be delivered by Larry Walsh on how to attract the right clients. As you can tell, this conference is not focused on "how to use Acronis Cyber Protect." Day One (October 19th) is jam-packed with that training. The next two days are all about the business side of you business. Check out the agenda at https://summit.acronis.events - I think you'll be impressed at the variety of business, m

I caught up with Michael Slater, Director of Corporate Sales at Sherweb. Sherweb has promised that the 2020 Accelerate conference will be focused on MBA for MSPs. Accelerate is always focused on education, and 2020 will continue that approach. Historically, Accelerate has been held in Montreal. So, they decided to move to Florida this year. Well . . . then 2020 happened. Now, the conference is 100% virtual, but still packed with lots of information across two days. More information at: Sherweb Accelerate accelerate.sherweb.com October 21-22, 2020 Register Free! In this interview, Michael walks us through some of the conference highlights. And after the conference is over, "Stage Two" and "Stage Three" will continue engaging partners for the rest of this year and into 2021. Michael makes a point of focusing on Sherweb's commitment to a long-term partner relationship. We discuss a few examples of how Sherweb has lived that commitment in 2020. Lots of great details here. Listen now - and register for the confere

Today's guest is Todd Snapp from Stridepoint, the developer of Relay Managed Security Awareness. We do a deep dive into "Security Awareness" services. And, of course, my big question was about the managed piece of this. Several companies will now send out test phishing email to catch client users opening things they shouldn't. Relay Managed Security Awareness goes way beyond this, including preventive micro education. We also answer the question, "What is security micro education?" Official bio: Todd is the President of Stridepoint LLC. Todd and his team have led the charge against Social Engineering and developed key programs and systems to help organizations defend themselves. Todd was instrumental in performing ethical social engineering attacks on some of the largest companies in the US, including government and Fortune 500 organizations. The attacks yielded unprecedented access to the organizations’ sensitive and highly secured data using only the telephone, email, and facility visits. With over 20 years

Today's guest is Victor Raessen, founder of MSP Navigator. What are the first three questions every new MSP asks? 1) How do I get clients? 2) What are you using for RMM? 3) What are you using for PSA? Victor won't help you for #1, but MSP Navigator is designed to help you with #2, #3, and all the other "What are you using for" questions. Victor has worked in the IT Managed Services space for more than 20 years and has experience from both the MSP and the vendor side of the business. Victor is the founder of MSP Navigator, an online platform that helps IT managed service providers keep track of their technology stack and discover new services. MSP Navigator was founded in 2019 to provide the most comprehensive and curated overview of available technology solutions in order to help organisations in their digital transformation journey. Built for MSP looking to manage and optimize their Technology Stack, It offers a free and curated overview of almost 900 products from 450 vendors in 77 different categories. Bot

Our guest this week is JB Fowler, CPO of Domotz. Domotz is a fast growing provider of a remote network monitoring and management system for all connected devices and IoT systems. The system is super affordable and enables MSPs to offer new IoT and security services for all connected devices - from cameras to VoIP systems. JB has spent over 20 years in the networking industry where he has led product strategy for a number of players in the commercial integration, residential integration and MSP sectors. As CPO at Domotz, JB is focused on understanding the pain points MSPs face with managing and securing IoT devices so Domotz can continue improving it\'s software for managed services. Additional Relevant Information Today’s business networks have a lot more on them than just computers and routers. There are all kinds of connected things on a network: Commercial Appliances, routers, firewalls, switches, VoIP phones, Point of Sale systems, Digital Signage, AV Equipment and Security Cameras. Who should be managing

I sat down (virtually) with Harry Brelsford, the true found of the SMB IT consulting community worldwide. For more than twenty years, Harry has been the prime mover and shaker at SMB Nation, and is the author of more than twenty books, primarily focused on technology and consulting in the SMB space. Many years ago, Harry wrote one of my favorite books on how to be a technology consultant - SMB Consulting Best Practices. For years I had hoped that Harry would update that book for the twenty-first century. Now he has! Today Harry is releasing The Pocket MBA - Instant Entrepreneur. This is a great new book. It is good for any audience - IT or not -  and is a great resource for anyone who is looking to start their own consulting business, for any industry. In this interview, Harry explains the "Finder Minder Grinder" model he uses to organize the book. You can check it own now at www.pocket.mba/ (check out that URL). Chapters include: So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?!?!? Entrepreneur Business Plan Foundation f