Smb Community Podcast By Karl W. Palachuk

Hosts James and Amy are back this week to discuss the series of noteworthy headlines from this week as well as this week's MSP question of the week. --- 1.) Notes On The News IT Nation - one announcement CompTIA Aquired - New Divisions will be created Department of Labor - Ruling for Overtime Labor --- 2.) MSP Question of the week: Are you a REAL MSSP? What does it take to become a MSSP? --- Our upcoming events and more: December 4: M&A Workshop in Scottsdale, AZ December 5-6: MASTERMIND LIVE in Scottsdale, AZ http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind December 11: Channel Program M&A Forum in Dallas, TX Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hosts James and Amy sit down this week to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to measure success with your business. 1.) MSP Question of the week: What reports or KPI's do you need to manage your business? Article by Amy: https://www.channelpronetwork.com/2024/09/26/how-do-msps-measure-success-im-hitting-my-metrics-but-not-sure-theyre-the-right-ones/ --- 2.) Notes On The News https://www.channele2e.com/news/big-3-rmm-psa-vendors-see-market-share-slip-canalys ConnectWise market share dropped from 26.8% to 24.3%. Kaseya market share dropped from 22.9% to 22.7% N-able market share dropped from 12.5% to 11.4% NinjaOne's market share grew from 8.4% to 9.4% All others combined had a market share of 29.4% last year, which grew to 32.1% this year. Canalys is forecasting the managed services industry itself to grow from $548 billion in 2024 to $608 billion in 2025. https://mspradio.com/podcast/marriotts-52m-fine-cybersecurity-warnings-and-tech-updates-from-microsoft-linkedin-atla

This week, host James Kernan speaks with David Sims, founder of Security First IT, regarding navigating HIPAA from the lens of MSP business ownership. About David Sims Since 1998, David is an experienced IT and cybersecurity professional who specializes in healthcare security and compliance. With over two decades of hands-on experience, he founded Security First IT to provide advanced solutions tailored to healthcare providers and small to medium-sized practices, ensuring they stay secure in an ever-changing threat landscape. David also founded and runs the podcast "Help Me with HIPAA", a show dedicated to how MSPs navigate healthcare and help their clients. https://securityfirstit.com/ https://helpmewithhipaa.com/ --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE - Scottsdale, AZ - December 5-6th www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Hosted by Sim

Returning to the podcast, host James sat down with Tim Fitzpatrick from Rialto Marketing. Topics include defining your processes, establishing your onboarding, and identifying your competitive advantage in the markets you serve. About Tim Fitzpatrick Tim is the President of Rialto Marketing, a company that provides marketing consulting, advisory, and outsourced or fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) services. Rialto Marketing specializes in helping B2B professional service firms accelerate their growth by building and managing their marketing engines. He also hosts the Rialto Marketing Podcast which features interviews with B2B professional service firm owners and executives who are actively working to grow their businesses. The podcast aims to help listeners learn from the experiences of these successful professionals by discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of their journeys. It's a great resource for anyone looking to accelerate their business growth and gain valuable insights from industry leade

Christopher Barber - Cheaper Than a Geek https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjbarber/ Host Karl had a great chat with Christopher Barber from Cheaper Than a Geek in Maryland. Topics include networking for client attraction, and using Chambers of Commerce to spread a wide net that brings in new clients for decades. Chris got involved in his local chamber and worked his way up to being involved at the state and federal levels. Chris tells how he stumbled at first, with the local chamber, and then learned how to leverage it year after year. Side note: Chris gives out "nerd" glasses as a gimmick, and Nerds candy at parades. Details in the podcast. About Christopher Barber Barber is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Nerd at Cheaper Than A Geek, an award-winning IT services firm known for delivering enterprise-level support to small businesses. With over two decades of experience in the IT industry, Christopher has built a reputation as a leader in providing innovative, customer-centric solutions that empower busines

Hosts James and Amy sit down this week to discuss difficult situations where the customer will not take your prosposal or recommendation 1.) MSP Question of the week: What happens if you customer won't take your recommendation? --- 2.) Notes On The News Safety around AI: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/29/tech/newsom-california-ai-safety-bill/index.html Warnings about Free/Public Wi-fi in airports: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/29/its-time-to-take-warnings-about-using-airport-public-wi-fi-seriously.html --- Our upcoming events and more: SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hosts James and Amy discuss pricing and the question around discounts for certain clients. 1.) MSP Question of the week: Should you discount your price to win the deal? " The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a cheap price is forgotten." - Benjamin Franklin – --- 2.) Notes On The News The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has announced a provisional decision to impose a fine of £6.09M ($7.74 million) on Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd (Advanced) for its failure to protect the personal information of tens of thousands when it was hit by ransomware in 2022. Cyberattacks on Microsoft 365 Security -- The increased number of cyberattacks on MS 365 data have forced many to adopt tools to protect themselves. Microsoft copilot "wave 2" was released last week -- Cool thing is they have included tons of user feature requests ( almost 800 ) --- Our upcoming events and more: SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's wee

Hosts Amy Babinchak and James Kernan discuss the struggles of recruiting and what key qualities to look for when recruiting good people. 1.) MSP Question of the Week: When struggling with recruiting, how do you find good people/talent? --- 2.) Notes On The News ConnectWise Expands MSP Platform with Acquisitions of Axcient and SkyKick, Strengthening Data Protection and Cloud Management Microsoft will begin force-upgrading Windows 11 22H2 systems to version 23H2 starting October 8, 2024, as the former reaches end of support: Microsoft Forces Windows 11 Upgrades and Tightens Office Security as IT Departments Brace for Changes Apple launched new iPhone 16 in September 2024 --- Our upcoming events and more: SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a

Host James Kernan discussses security offerings, specifically looking at offering vCISO services as part of your cyber security stack. 1.) MSP Question of the Week: Should you offer vCISO services? --- 2.) 5 Minutes with a Smart Person Host James Kernan sits down with Charlene Ignacio, CEO of Fornix Marketing, to discuss being strategic about M&A discussions. --- 3.) Notes On The News Chris Day, founder of ScalePad, has taken over as CEO, focusing on creating an integrated suite of products rather than pursuing new acquisitions. Outgoing CEO Dan Wensley will remain as a shareholder and advisor. Additionally, a recent IBM study reveals that business leaders' confidence in IT has significantly declined, with only 47% considering their IT organization effective, down from 69% in 2013 Reuters article: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/german-intelligence-says-russian-gru-group-behind-nato-eu-cyberattacks-2024-09-09/ Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/how-does-nvidia-s-record-us

Host Karl Palachuk caught up with Dor Eisner, CEO of Guardz. Right off the bat, Eisner points out the reason enterprise cybersecurity attacks are different from those focused on small business. Like it or not, most of the attacks that work against SMB clients will not work against larger enterprises. Eisner discusses the toolsets that are built specifically to attack small businesses, and marketed that way on the dark web. Assuming you don't want to spend time browsing the dark web, it's good to have a partner who is willing to. Guardz is focused completely on securing small businesses, and helping them to secure their networks in a way that helps them lower their insurance premiums. Think about what that means for your clients: A dashboard that benchmarks a network against the requirements and checklists used by cybersecurity insurance companies to set rates. A secure network AND lower insurance rates: That's a great combination! You can connect with Guardz at: https://guardz.com Request a Guardz Demo at htt

Host James Kernan sits down with an exclusive interview with Tim Fitzpatrick, President of Rialto Marketing. Founded in 2012, Tim created Rialto with the vision of having a positive lasting impact on the businesses they work with. Tim believes there are three (3) critical elements of marketing: strategy, planning, and leadership. Having a passion for developing and growing businesses has allowed Tim and Rialto Marketing to accomplish groundbreaking marketing campaigns over the years. --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the coupon code to save $200!! SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data

Hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak kick off this week's episode with topics regarding big wins, Windows 10 End of Life, and an exclusive interview with Tim Fitzpatrick 1.) MSP Question of the Week: Can you share some big wins? Hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak sit down and discuss various successes and wins with clients over the years. --- 2.) 5 Minutes with a Smart Person Host James Kernan interviews Tim Fitzpatrick, the President of Rialto Marketing. Rialto provides marketing consulting and outsourced CMO services to help B2B professional service firms that need accelerated growth without the full-time cost. --- 3.) Notes On The News This week, James and Amy discuss the Windows 10 End of Life deadline and marketing campaigns to try. --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the coupon code to save $200!! SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up n

1.) The MSP Question of The Week - Do you have an entry level MSP offering? This week, James Kernan and Amy Babinchak sit down to discuss entry level MSP offerings. Does your company offer one? Hear James and Amy speak about the benefits and drawbacks that an entry-level MSP offering can have on your business. --- 2.) Notes on the News Discussion on Olympics: Athletics abilities Media giant TikTok's response to the U.S. ban decision. CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/27/tech/tiktok-response-to-us-ban/index.html --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the coupon code to save $200!! SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host James Kernan sits down with Kevin Lancaster and Matt Solomon of Channel Program, a platform designed to unify the IT Channel industry. Kevin Lancaster and Matt Solomon are the co-founders of Channel Program, a platform designed to unify the IT Channel industry. Kevin Lancaster has a strong background in the channel technology space. He previously served as the CEO of ID Agent, a cybersecurity company, which he grew significantly before its acquisition by Kaseya. Matt Solomon also has extensive experience in the industry. He worked alongside Kevin at ID Agent and later became the Channel Chief at Kaseya. Matt has spoken at over 150 industry events across six countries. Together, they launched Channel Program to create a collaborative, video-enabled platform for IT Service Providers and Vendors. Do you have any specific questions about their work or the Channel Program? Check them out: Channel Program | Home --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernan

Host Karl got together with Jamie Levy, Director of Adversary Tactics from Huntress. Jamie is also a longtime researcher, developer and board member of the Volatility Foundation. She has worked over 15 years in the digital forensics industry, conducting investigations as well as building out software solutions. We got together to discuss the Huntress 2024 Threat Report. Download here: https://www.huntress.com/resources/2024-cyber-threat-report?utm_campaign=CY24-Q2-Threat-Report&utm_source=smb-community-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=August-2024-threat-report Jamie walks us through some of the major trends, including important "take-downs" and ransomware trends. One interesting finds is that squishing down one threat leaves room for other threats to increase. Her analogy to apex predators in the animal world is excellent. Karl's favorite quote from this interview (though scary): "The smaller businesses are the testbed" for malware writers. Why have a test network when you can use live m

Host James Kernan sits down with Baxter Lanius to discuss automating customer payments using the software tool, Alternative Payments. At Alternative Payments, their mission is to lower the barrier and make smarter payments accessible to one and all. More in-depth, Alternative Payments provides offline businesses the opportunity to participate in online transactions - enabling merchants to accept credit cards, ACH, and B2B PNPL, while accessing powerful reporting and analytics all-in-one. Check them out: Alternative Payments | Payments for service-based businesses --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the coupon code to save $200!! SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanconsulting.com/ Our Social Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ja

Host James Kernan sits down with Dustin Puryear to discuss sales and marketing for MSP's. Dustin Puryear is indeed a prominent figure in the tech world. As the founder of Puryear IT, he leads a team dedicated to leveraging technology to enhance business operations. His expertise is widely recognized, with contributions to well-known publications like Windows Magazine and CIO.com. Additionally, he's been featured in interviews on Federal News Radio and Microsoft Podcasts. Dustin's involvement extends to national tours with Microsoft, where he shares his insights on enterprise technology with C-level executives. He has also authored several white papers and a book titled "Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers". His blog, "Bayou Technology Blog," reaches a large audience annually. Check them out: IT Managed Support and Consulting Firms in Baton Rouge (puryear-it.com) --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the

Host James Kernan sits down with Larry Garcia to discuss the EOS compatible and reporting collaboration tool known as Strety. Larry Garcia is the co-founder of Strety, a company that provides a Business Operating System Software (BOSS) designed to help companies improve their operational efficiency. Strety focuses on key performance indicators (KPIs), goal setting, and project management. Garcia has written about various topics related to employee engagement and effective team meetings, emphasizing the importance of well-structured and productive meetings. Check them out: Strety | Run your Business Operating System in Teams --- Our upcoming events and more: MASTERMIND LIVE – Denver, CO – Sept 26-27th http://bit.ly/kernanmastermind Use "EARLYBIRD" as the coupon code to save $200!! SMBTechfest Q4 - Irvine, CA - October 17-18 www.smbtechfest.com Check out Amy's weekly newsletter! Sign up now: https://mailchi.mp/thirdtier/small-business-tech-news Kernan Consulting "Weekly Tips"! Sign up now: https://kernanco

Hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak kick off this week's episode with topics regarding project quotes, the Olympics, and an exclusive interview with Larry Garcia, founder of Strety. 1.) MSP Question of the Week: Should you quote hourly or fixed-fee for projects? Hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak sit down and discuss the different strategies to pricing as it relates to scalable projects for clients. --- 2.) 5 Minutes with a Smart Person Host James Kernan interviews Larry Garcia, co-founder and president of the business management tool, Strety. This solution is design for small and medium-sized businesses to help improve operational efficiency. --- 3.) Notes On The News This week, James and Amy discuss the Olympics, Bitcoin, and the recent stock market movement. Reuters article: https://www.reuters.com/technology/bitcoin-falls-569-58987-2024-08-04/ CNBC article: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/02/tech-stocks-wrap-up-steepest-three-week-slump-in-two-years-led-by-plunge-in-amazon-and-intel.html --- Our upcom

Host James Kernan sits down with Jason Miller, founder and CEO of BitLyft Cybersecurity, for an exclusive interview. As the founder, Jason has dedicated his 20-year IT career, including co-founding SaaS pioneer Reviora, to removing cybersecurity barriers for mid-sized enterprises. Establishing BitLyft in 2016, Jason set out to unburden security teams with innovative, approachable, and affordable solutions, a vision which has made BitLyft a respected managed detection and response provider. Established in 2016, BitLyft is a leading managed security service provider, dedicated to delivering mid-sized organizations with high-touch, personalized cybersecurity solutions. Our prioritization of service and security excellence, creates a holistic defense approach that allows our clients to navigate the digital world with unwavering confidence. With BitLyft by your side, cybersecurity challenges evolve into robust protection, ensuring resilience in the ever-changing digital landscape. Check them out: https://www.bit