Podcasts about smb it

The Q4 2024 Killing IT Podcast features what may be our last discussion of robots for a long time! Topic One - Where Are My Robots??? We've been talking about this for five years - So where are the robots? We have a massive personnel shortage on many fronts. AI is creating jobs faster and faster. So why haven't robots evolved to serve us? We're on the verge. What's the holdup? If nothing else, we're tired of talking about it.   Topic Two - The Changing Economy of Our Industry In just the last five years, a layer of billion-dollar and near-billion-dollar companies are major players in our industry. This is literally a new layer of business and ownership. They are almost entirely focused on the top 3-5% of businesses in our space. In the meantime, 95% of SMB IT consists of and serves 1-4 person companies. The continued growth at the top seems unsustainable. So . . . where is all this going? Topic Three - A Practical Approach to AI  There's some (seemingly) conflicting research with AI adoption. Forrester highlighted the benefits of Copilot adoption for SMB. Lots of benefits, increased revenue, lower employee attrition, and more. At the same time, The Information reports that customers give Copilot mixsed reviews. Large corporations are increasing their usage, but tend not to use the paid version. Is this a conflict? How do we make sense? Obviously, we have three opinions. -- -- --  That's it for Q4 and for 2024. We'll be backin Q1 2025! :-)  

Cybersecurity, remote work, full stack observability, oh my! SMBs have got a lot on your mind. Worrying about securing their workforce wherever they work, shouldn't be one of them. In this episode, we sit down with Glenn Davis, COO, and Timothy Connley, Partner Manager at IT Savvy, a Cisco partner. Tune in as we explore the technologies and strategies that companies need to enable their workforce, enhance the remote and in-office work experience, and empower SMB IT infrastructures. Discover how to navigate the challenges of hybrid work environments, ensure robust security, and maintain productivity and connectivity seamlessly, no matter where your workforce is. Learn more about Cisco solutions for small and medium businesses here: www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/…mall-business.html

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Evolved Radio Podcast! In today's episode I chat with industry veteran Rob Rae CVP @ Pax8. Together, we explore the dynamics of technology conferences, from choosing locations and handling logistics to balancing networking opportunities amidst distractions. Rob shares insights from his experience running the PAX8 Beyond event and delves into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transitioning from live to virtual events and back. The conversation also highlights the ever-changing landscape for managed service providers (MSPs), examining the shift from traditional distribution to a more marketplace-centered model and how this impacts the SMB IT sector. We delve into the evolving consumer behavior, the rise of antisocial selling, and the crucial role of MSPs in navigating cybersecurity and product choices for clients. We also take a deep dive into the potential and pitfalls of AI adoption, urging MSPs to stay proactive and adaptable. Rob offers a cautious yet optimistic take on monetizing AI and emphasizes the importance of consultation and co-managed IT opportunities. Join us as we uncover the future of technology events, the transformative role of AI, and the continuing evolution of the MSP and IT landscape! This episode is brought to you by Evolved Management Training Courses. Online courses specifically crafted for MSP needs. A Service Manager BootCamp course, a project manager for MSPs course, an MSP security fundamentals course, and an IT Documentation Done RIght course.

Topic 1: Massive Botnet Network Taken Down Police coordinated by the European Union's justice and police agencies have taken down computer networks responsible for spreading ransomware via infected emails, in what they called the biggest-ever international operation against the lucrative form of cybercrime. The European Union's judicial cooperation agency, Eurojust, said that police arrested four “high value” suspects, took down more than 100 servers and seized control of over 2,000 internet domains. Related Link: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/massive-international-police-operation-takes-ransomware-networks-arrests-110667670 -- -- -- Topic 2: AI Update, because We Have To Are strategies emerging?  Amazon is a brokerage for models Microsoft is doing CoPilot OpenAI is everywhere Apple just announced Apple Intelligence Cisco announces a pile of stuff Is there a “killer app” coming soon?  -- -- --  Topic 3: How is the M&A Frenzy affecting SMB IT? Google “m&a in it consulting” and you'll find articles, events, advice, and a whole lot people scrambling for the almighty dollar. Are the KPIs used in business acquisition really the KPIs you should be using to run a solid, long-term business? The most common way that small businesses “end” are 1) Walk away, and 2) Sell the client list. None of those people are getting 3x profit or even 3x EBITDA. Should they change their business or just keep doing what they're doing? -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: IT Service Provider University  This episode is Sponsored by Karl's next big class at IT Service Provider University. The five-week course, Core Standard Operating Procedures for Small IT Service Providers, starts July 2nd and costs only $399. This class walks through the most important processes and procedures you need to run a successful, profitable IT company. And best of all, you get massive handouts as a "first draft" for your own SOP library. More information at https://www.itspu.com/all-classes/classes/core-operating-procedures/ :-)

SMBs are set to spend USD179 billion on devices and peripherals in 2023 and we expect the market to fully rebound in 2024. SMB IT spending experts, Karthik Pannala and Li Lin, look ahead at the opportunities that this presents for IT vendors that prioritise the right segments of the market and position their go-to-market strategy correctly.  Learn more in the associated article and download our most-recent IT spending forecast report.

Bob Takacs (Research Director) and Tom Rebbeck (Partner) discuss our latest insights into SMB IT spending.  Download the full report here.  Vendors and operators can use this report to assess and respond to changing demands in the SMB market. For more information about our SMB IT research and the Analysys Mason Technology Forecaster, click here.

Typetec, one of Ireland's leading managed IT and cyber security solutions providers, has announced the results of its survey of SMB owners in Ireland which show that IT cybersecurity budgets are set to halve in 2023. The average SMB IT cybersecurity budget for this year is €57,500 – compared to €117,209 last year. While IT cybersecurity budgets are down more than 50%, over three quarters (79%) of SMBs in Ireland have experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months. The survey of 200 small and medium-sized business owners – commissioned by Typetec and conducted by Censuswide – also revealed the most common form of cybersecurity attacks over the past year. Those were password hacking (32%), phishing (31%), malware (27%), and insider attacks/employee negligence (23%). SMB owners are also concerned about the impact of cyberattacks on their business, with the biggest fear cited as going out of business (40%). Considerably more respondents are worried about this in 2023 compared to 2022 (27%). The other biggest concerns regarding the potential effects of cyberattacks were found to be significant business downtime (39%), sensitive data being made public or traded on the dark web (38%), reputational damage (37%), and the loss of customers (32%). Despite these fears, almost a third (32%) of SMBs do not have an effective disaster recovery plan in place. However, some 64% of respondents think they are fully prepared for evolving cybersecurity threats in 2023, and 29% feel somewhat prepared for same. Among those that feel somewhat or fully prepared, the most popular step taken against evolving threats is increased cybersecurity awareness training for staff (37%). Other key measures undertaken by this cohort were increasing the support they get from external managed service providers (34%), moving more systems and applications to the cloud (34%), investing in more sophisticated threat protection systems (31%), and investing in an always-on business continuity service (30%). The research also found that a large majority (80%) of SMB owners believe that the Government/state should provide more funding/support to help protect small businesses against the rising cybercrime threat. Trevor Coyle, Chief Technology Officer, Typetec, said: “While it might be tempting for SMB owners to reduce cybersecurity budgets at this time, our survey shows that threats are still widespread and the potential impact on businesses is greater than ever. “We understand that many smaller businesses are dealing with inflationary pressures at this time and have to make difficult investment decisions. However, it's important that they make smart choices and don't leave their data and systems more vulnerable and easier to attack, which will ultimately be so much more costly if it happens. “Being smart means not only identifying measures for protection and prevention, such as staff awareness, but also having a strategy in place to support disaster recovery and business continuity should the worst-case scenario arise. “Only through implementing the right technologies and processes can SMBs be reassured that they are lowering risk and upholding productivity – thus protecting both their own business and that of their customers.” See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Karl Palachuk has a major announcement . . . followed by a discussion of The Five Employee Rules You Can't Forget - No matter how difficult the job market is right now. Karl has been procuding materials for IT consultants who are tackling the challenges of hiring in as we roll the calendar over to 2023. He recently posted a recorded webinar at https://www.mspwebinar.com on Hiring and Keeping Great Employees in 2023 - https://mspwebinar.com/finding-and-keeping-great-employees/. In this podcast, Karl outlines five extremely important things you need to remember, even in a difficult job market.  Karl is one of the SMB Community Podcast hosts. He has written more than twenty books, and runs the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community as well as IT Service Provider University. Karl has built and sold two managed service businesses. He has been a professional consultant for more than three decades, and he has been an active community builder in the SMB IT market for more than fifteen year. He's also the founder of the National Society of IT Service Providers and is currently their Executive Director. --- Sponsor Memo: Acronis Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions?  Modernize your cybersecurity and  data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.    It's a single solution that combines backup, anti- malware, and endpoint protection management.   As an MSP, you can easily improve clients' security  posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue.     Learn more about Acronis Cyber  Protect Cloud at Acronis.com.   

Topic 1: Good News on the EV Front: Lithium Ion Batteries can be Recycled! https://www.axios.com/2022/11/10/audi-redwood-ev-battery-recycling Yes … we are headed for an EV world. No … there are not nearly enough batteries or charging stations or grid capacity to handle an EV world. But in a positive sign, it turns out that the rare Earth minerals used in LIon batteries do not degrade and can be recycled into new batteries. Increase supply. Reduce pollution. Recycle all those old battery items lying around your house. Win! https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/the-big-battery-challenge-3-potential-alternatives-to-lithium-ion Topic 2: Nine in Ten SMBs Fear a Ransomware Attack    https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/most-smbs-fear-ransomware-attack-amid-heightened-geopolitical-tensions/   A new study from OpenText reveals that nearly 9 in 10 SMB IT security professionals fear a ransomware attack on their organization … yet most do not plan to increase cybersecurity spending. Is this a failure to communicate … or a case of intentional ignorance? --- Topic 3: Is Rude Behavior Contagious Rude behavior on the rise: https://www.axios.com/2022/11/10/rude-behavior-frontline-workers “Employees who experience rudeness at work are less satisfied with their jobs, less engaged with their work, less productive, less helpful, and less creative,” Taylor said. https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/how-rudeness-can-ruin-your-workplace Sponsor Memo: Gozynta  Do you like getting paid? Then make it easy for your customers with Gozynta Payments. Do you teach your customers not to click on links from strange domain names like mymsp.monkeypayments.com or slowbooks.com? Gozynta Payments uses your branding and domain name. No redirects. No confusion. Gozynta Mobius is trusted by over a thousand MSPs to sync financial data. Their new product Gozynta Payments is built with the same care and empathy to make the payment process easy for your customers. Gozynta is a family-owned business dedicated to making software suck less every day. Go to https://gozynta.com/payments to learn more or get started.          

In its latest SMB technology forecast, Analysys Mason predicted that IT spending by SMBs will grow at a growth rate of 7.5% between 2022 and 2027. In addition, cloud-based categories are expected to grow from USD $600 billion in 2022 to USD $1.0 trillion in 2027. Bob Takacs, Research Director and SMB IT practice leader at Analysys Mason, commented on the forecast, “Our latest forecast reveals the shift in SMBs' behavior and priorities since the pandemic. We see increased investments in categories driving resiliency and efficiency. This is an important release because we accounted for the impact of three critical drivers, including SMB's changing behaviors post-pandemic, macroeconomic headwinds, and the global political unrest.” Bob joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how the report suggests that SMB's spending priorities include IT solutions that support efficiency, resiliency, and business continuity. We also discuss how three categories will account for almost half of all spending; managed services, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Finally, we talk about how a distributed workforce and hybrid working practices will continue to influence IT spending.

Host Karl chats with Chase of JumpCloud. Chase Doelling is the Principal Strategist at cloud directory platform provider JumpCloud, where he leads the team in creating partnerships that enhance and secure digital identities. He has been working in venture-backed startups across security, integration, and DevOps for the last decade. JumpCloud offers a directory platform, specifically for SMBs and MSPs, that consolidates IT management and secures employees' access to IT resources (devices, applications, servers, networks, and more). Chase can discuss how SMBs and MSPs can leverage JumpCloud to simplify their IT environment, cut IT costs without sacrificing security, and centralize user identity so it's easy both for the admin to manage, and for the end user to navigate. The full-featured JumpCloud Directory Platform is available, for free, for any organization for up to ten users. One partner found that JumpCloud's cost saved them 80% on IT management.  Also, twice a year, JumpCloud surveys IT teams from SMBs to find out their concerns and challenges, their budgets, what trends they're seeing, and more. On June 15, 2022, JumpCloud will be releasing the newest report, and Chase could also discuss how SMBs are increasingly leaning on MSPs, their top security concerns, and how they're addressing rising threats. Chase can share how JumpCloud can help SMBs offer enterprise-grade security without adding enterprise-level complexity - and without paying enterprise-level cost or hiring enterprise-level support teams.   Resources and Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/jumpcloud https://twitter.com/JumpCloud A weekly gathering for SMB IT admins to discuss challenges: https://jumpcloud.com/the-it-hour Case study that shows JumpCloud is 1/5 cost: https://jumpcloud.com/resources/case-study-altitude-integrations-reduce-costs JumpCloud sign-up - fully free for up to 10 users: https://console.jumpcloud.com/signup --- Sponsor Memo: Acronis  Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions?   Modernize your cybersecurity and  data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It's a singlesolution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management.   As an MSP, you can easily improve clients' security  posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue.    Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at Acronis.com. 

Join founder Chris Taylor and Director of Sales Ann Mauer as they sit down to discuss the question "How Do I Budget for IT?". They dive into the why what, and how of SMB IT budgeting. Have questions you'd like to hear discussed? Send an email to info@cit-net.com or head over to www.cit-net.com/podcast.

Ingram Micro Cloud's John Dusett joins Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss new cloud research — conducted by Channelnomics and supported by Ingram Micro Cloud, Microsoft, and Google Workspace — and how the customer experience is crucial when it comes to service renewals and expansions. The cloud computing market continues to grow at double-digit rates. Over the next decade, businesses will continue to migrate systems and mission-critical workloads into cloud environments. They'll adopt cloud-based applications to replace legacy client-side licenses, and they'll subscribe to managed services to support their cloud resources. To say that it's a good time for reselling and supporting cloud computing services is an understatement. According to our recent report — “Buying the Cloud: The As-a-Service Experience From the Customer Perspective” — 47% of SMB IT buyers, the prime target for the channel, plan to buy more cloud computing products in the next 12 to 18 months. End users are adopting infrastructure services, productivity software, business applications, and backup services. Moreover, they're expanding their cloud utilization to include customer support applications and Internet of Things infrastructure. Cloud computing provides solution providers with recurring revenue. Customers pay for services on monthly or annual schedules, providing resellers with predictable income. The recurring-revenue model works well as long as the customer keeps paying, renewing contracts, and expanding service utilization. As solution providers have learned through managed services, customers are more apt to expand their cloud capacity when they have positive experiences and recognize the value of their spending. Customer experience is becoming a significant factor in solution providers' cloud value proposition. While vendors are the source of cloud services, solution providers are the managers of cloud resources and customer experiences. If solution providers can facilitate a positive, seamless experience, customers are more apt to renew and expand their cloud contracts. According to the research conducted by Channelnomics and Ingram Micro Cloud, 38% of cloud buyers base their decision to renew contracts on their experience with a solution provider. In this episode of Changing Channels, John Dusett, Ingram Micro Cloud's executive director of cloud services for the United States, joins us to discuss the increasing importance of customer experience in cloud computing engagements and what solution providers need to do to impress and satisfy their clients. Follow us, Like us, and Subscribe! Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics — the voice of thought leadership — we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.     Episode Resources Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa Guest John Dusett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndusett/

In this podcast, Research Director, Bob Takacs and Senior Analyst, Karthik Pannala discuss the latest insights into SMB IT spending from the Analysys Mason SMB Technology Forecaster.  Download the associated report here.  Learn more about the Analysys Mason SMB Technology Forecaster here.

Today we continue our series we started recently (part 1 is here about finding a super SIEM for SMBs. Specifically I have some updates on (and frustrations with) Arctic Wolf, Elastic, Milton Security and Perch Security. Here's the TLDL version: Arctic Wolf They remain a strong contender in my bake-offs. They also could tick several boxes for an org as they offer continuous internal/external vulnerability scanning as well as a managed SOC. (And yes, I'm probably a tiny bit biased because I know a bunch of AWN's engineers and like the product) Elastic I've loved my interactions with the sales folks and engineers at Elastic. My initial trial had some technical speed bumps (which Elastic helped me remedy). I eventually did get some Elastic agents enrolled on endpoints in my lab. However, now that I'm up and running (and admittedly I should go through the Webinars and online training), I'm feeling overwhelmed. There's a jillion menus and submenus to explore. I feel like I've been given a high-performance sports car but completely lack the knowledge on how to make the most of it. I'll keep Elastic in my back pocket, but I don't think I can feel comfortable handing this dashboard over to a SMB IT/security staff and have them run with it. Milton Security A few weeks ago I had my first ever sales call with this group, and liked a lot of what I heard. They're up front about being a threat-hunt-as-a-service organization and they're not looking to partner with just any customer. The way they bundle sources of data (for the sake of pricing) makes sense to me, and although I haven't seen a formal quote from them yet, I think they will be reasonably priced when compared to some of the "big box" solutions. Perch Security After part 1 of this series, several of you pinged me and said to check out Perch Security. I'm very excited to connect with them but had a tough time getting someone to respond to my inquires (two weeks to be exact). Good news is I've got a call scheduled with them this week and am anxious to share what I learn about Perch on our next episode in this series.

Host James interviews Karl Palachuk from the National Society of IT Service Providers on their new initiatives and what they're up to. What is the National Society of IT Service Providers? A new IT-central professional association dedicated to education, professionalism, and advocacy on behalf of the SMB IT industry. For more information on NSITSP, visit https://www.nsitsp.org   Karl Palachuk is one of the long-term leaders in the SMB IT community worldwide. He is the author of more than twenty books, and the founder of the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community. For more information, visit: - https://www.smallbizthoughts.org - https://www.karlpalachuk.com :-)  

Host Karl interviewed Ryan Denehy, Founder and CEO of Electric (www.electric.ai). Electric manages pretty much any cloud-based services for end users. Interestingly, they provide support via Slack, Teams, and Email - not through a client-facing ticketing system. Ryan explains that they primarily focus on SaaS management, device management, and network management. In growing their MSP business, Ryan challenged the assumption that you have to be local and small in order to thrive in the SMB IT market. In particular, they challenged the belief that you have to look people in the eye and ask for their business. About Ryan: Ryan Denehy is a 3x entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Electric. Having experienced the pain and frustrations that many business owners encounter in managing their IT infrastructure and support needs, Ryan's light bulb idea to create a cloud-based, real-time, 24-7 IT Support ecosystem laid the foundation for Electric's vision to redefine IT Support for a new generation. Throughout the pandemic, Electric sought out to be the antithesis of all things “Silicon Valley bro culture”. The company has seen demand skyrocket during the pandemic and actually reopened its Series B round in March and April for added funds from Dick Costolo and Adam Bain at 01 Ventures. Links: https://www.electric.ai/ https://twitter.com/DenehyXXL https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandenehy Sponsor Note: Gatekeeper from Calyptix Security Introducing Gatekeeper from Calyptix Security: zero trust access securing RDP and SSH connections with two factor authentication without open ports to the internet, client installs or VPN. Two years of partner driven development brings audit friendly access across all types of devices. Reduce stress and implement proper safeguards as advised by the FBI, NSA and DHS, all in a purpose-built solution for small businesses. Interested? Learn even more by visiting calyptix.com/gatekeeper, and when you do, tell them Karl sent you. :-)  

Amy Babinchak, Owner of three IT-related businesses, is a technical professional with advanced skills in networking design, management, and implementation, and has been working in the SMB IT community for more than 20 years.

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 a lot more than that. Overall, a great conversation. Related Links: - Web: www.sondelaconsulting.com - Podcast: psaimpact.net - Book: www.psaprofitability.com :-)  

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 for Entrepreneurial Success Discovering Opportunity Planting Seeds and Growing an Entrepreneur Practice Entrepreneur Marketing PIVOT Marketing and Analytics System Entrepreneurial Sales Be the Rainmaker Client Relationship Management Business Management Financial Management Use Case: Consulting Methodologies New Ideas! This interview has some very interesting observations about entrepreneurs, starting a business, and consulting in general. Check it out. :-)  

Today  New market data on SMB IT spending https://www.channelfutures.com/channel-research/smbs-saas-cloud-collaboration-spending-to-fall-in-2020 https://www.ninjarmm.com/blog/covid-statistics-msp-impact-july-2020/ AND More information on that Solarwinds and Microsoft Intune integration

Most IT Support pros at small/medium-size businesses are overworked, underpaid, and as a result, often overwhelmed. We are given projects and tasks constantly, which have to somehow balance on top of the regular everyday onslaught of our ticketing systems. Putting proper project management in place will not only help you keep track of everything you need to do, but will give you a way to measure your success to your bosses. Rose has had an amazing career that started by studying to be an elementary school teacher and pivoting into tech. Gotta love how most people have a crazy story getting into IT! Now she works running project management, #SaasOps, and more. Join us to learn how to run a project taking into account the different steps needed for a smooth rollout, and keep your users happy. Enjoy and Subscribe! Learn more about tabGeeks: The IT Support Conference at www.tabgeeks.com/tg20Our conference is coming up in April with a focus on all the things you need to know in SMB IT. Join us! Continue the conversation by Joining the tabGeeks slack community: No sponsors and No assholery allowed at tabGeeks.com/Slack or on twitter by following me @MrJNowlin and tabGeeks @tabgeeks

Bad managers are the #1 reason people leave companies. I am sure you have heard this before and usually, it's true. If you're a manager, and even if you're not, you are going to want to pay attention to this episode. Tami shares her secrets to developing and maintaining Happy Teams, and what you can do if you are not a manager but still want a Happy Team. Happier teams lead to more successful teams, and therefore spending time on your team is valuable for your company. Building legos to develop your team's vision, team trivia nights, and regular meetings all contribute to collaboration and a better work environment for your team. Enjoy and Subscribe! Continue the conversation by Joining the tabGeeks slack community: no sponsors and no assholery allowed at tabGeeks.com/Slack or on twitter by following me @MrJNowlin and Tami @TamiReiss Learn more about tabGeeks: The IT Support Conference at www.tabgeeks.com/tg20 Our conference is coming up in April with a focus on all the things you need to know in SMB IT. Join us!

Ok, this week's topic is a bit of a doozy. Our guest this week is Kathy Winger, a lawyer who specializes in Cybersecurity Law. We discuss how she got into focusing on tech in her legal career, and got down in the weeds of the coming privacy laws, specifically CCPA which goes into effect January 1, 2020, and has many of us trembling in our gaming chairs. Many US States have already put consumer privacy laws in place, and many more are being formulated now, so if you have not been affected by this, stay tuned as it's likely coming soon to a state near you. Here are links to Kathy's guide to the California Consumer Privacy Act: Part One and Part Two Click Here for the full text of the CCPA Attorney General Proposed Regulations (it's only 24 pages) Enjoy and Subscribe! Continue the conversation by Joining the tabGeeks slack community: no sponsors and no assholery allowed at tabGeeks.com/Slack or on twitter by following me @MrJNowlin and Kathy @KathyDWinger Learn more about tabGeeks: The IT Support Conference at www.tabgeeks.com Our conference is coming up in April with a focus on all the things you need to know in SMB IT. Join us!

Ryan is wandering off with a client this week (or feeling sick or some such nonsense), so Dave and Karl conspired to riff on the IT industry without his perspective. Dave asks the question, "Did I become dumber when I went to work for a vendor?" Sometimes IT service providers assume that anyone who works for a vendor just doesn't understand the industry. (Hint: We think that's not true.) . . . Next topic . . . How much of the market has been penetrated? Sometimes we're amazed at how many people are not "inside" the "connected" SMB IT community. How do we determine the size of the IT Universe? Does it include Home Theater, cameras, secure door locks, IoT, signage, consumer electronics, etc.? [Insert long discussion about how you define who's in the IT business, who's not, and who decides.] Eventually we get around to why we care. We care because we need to justify our investment in this space. If you don't know the universe, you can't measure your penetration. Once again we loop back to the beginning. Karl ends with a rant on money and traveling. Dave offers an obvious tip Karl should have learned 100,000 miles ago. Please give it a listen. Share with your friends. Subscribe. And give us your feedback below. :-)

Debbie Leoni is my life coach. I thought it would be useful to introduce her to the SMB IT community. I get questions about why I have a life coach coach and how that’s different from a business coach. I hope this interview answers those questions. You can learn more about Debbie from her web site at www.debbieleoni.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook. She has some great Facebook “Live” videos. So keep an eye out for those. You can buy Debbie’s book – I Am Fearless – from her web site, on Amazon, or over at SMB Books.   Check out the interview here: This interview is about half an hour.   Audio Listen to the Podcast. Links mentioned in this podcast:   Debbie’s Fearless Web Site www.debbieleoni.com   Debbie’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/deborahannleoni    

I had a great talk with Rayanne Buchianico yesterday. We covered Sell My MSP, QuickBooks, important reports to run for your business, and the next course she’s teaching over at Great Little Seminar in October. Here’s the video:   Audio Listen to the Podcast. Links mentioned in this podcast:   Robert Crane’s Blog: http://blog.ciaops.com/2016/09/azure-site-recovery-is-cool.html   Andy Parkes’ Blog: http://andyparkes.co.uk/blog/index.php/2016/09/13/command-prompt-and-the-clipboard/   Rayanne on Robert Crane’s Podcast: http://ciaops.podbean.com/e/episode-112-rayanne-buchianico/   Sell My MSP: http://www.sellmymsp.com/ Rayanne Buchianico Accountant and MSP Business Consultant Rayanne has over 25 years of accounting, tax and business experience in the SMB sector. She specializes in working with IT Professionals and MSPs to improve profitability through accounting systems, financial reporting, and PSA integration. Rayanne was awarded the 2012 Jim Locke Memorial Community Award by SMB Nation and SMBTN and was named to the SMB 150 list by SMB Technology Network (SMBTN) and SMB PC magazine in 2011 and 2012. She partnered with Bigger Brains to provide the QuickBooks 2013 video training course. She is the founder and leader of the Tampa Bay IT Pro Group, and is the past Treasurer of the Global IT Community Association for both the North American Board and the Global Board. Rayanne is the owner of ABC Solutions, LLC in Clearwater, Florida. ABC Solutions provides accounting, tax, and accounting systems consulting services to SMB IT companies throughout the United States.   The course: Financial Processes that Make All The Difference   Xero https://www.xero.com/us/   PeachTree – MAS90 – Business Works http://www.sage.com/us/sage-50-accounting   Great Plains / Microsoft Dynamics https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/small-midsize-business.aspx   Topics for this class include: Separation of duties – Handout includes a list of accounting/financial duties for students to complete What services are profitable Separating out information on the P&L for management decisions Entities and tax considerations – understanding how your entity is taxed. Handout is a tax projection worksheet for 2014 taxes Cash flow forecasting – Handout is a cash flow projection spreadsheet to forecast revenues and expenses Understanding margins and ratios – Deep dive into the P&L and Balance Sheet to understand how the numbers work together to make decisions. Handout is a worksheet on calculating and understanding the ratios & margins. Understanding the balance sheet Controlling inventory & Cost of Goods Sold Action plans for success . . . and More!    

We’re kicking off a whole new podcast series here at SMB Community Podcast. So subscribe today so you don’t miss a thing. We’re going to be doing a series of “video call” podcasts of about 30 minutes each. These will be recorded as both a Video and as an Audio download. So you can decide whether you want to watch or just listen. To kick off the new series, I talked with Amy Babinchak from Third Tier and Sell My MSP. Amy is very well known in the SMB IT community. Recently, she’s noticed that there are a lot more buyers looking for MSPs than there are sellers listed to sell their business. One reason for this, she believes, is that there’s a myth in the community that a small MSP has no value. I’m not sure where that myth originated, but it’s one of the things people keep telling each other over and over again. Amy has a very different perspective: If you’ve been making money in your business for 10-20 years, it has value and it can be sold. You just need to find the people who are looking to buy. A lot of buyers want to be anonymous, though, so their competition doesn’t find out that they’re in expansion mode. That’s where Sell My MSP comes in. It’s like a dating service for your business . . . except you can’t use a ten year old picture. The site includes a tool you can use to get some idea of what your business is worth. Get all the details – and more – in the interview: Video     Audio Listen to the Podcast. Links mentioned in this podcast: – Lisa Hendricks’ Call That Girl Office 365 Podcast Blogs – The Three Biggest Mistakes Non-IT People Make When They Plug Things In – New Ransomware Kit Materials Released – Blog series on Documenting New Server Install Amy Links – Third Tier Consulting – Sell My MSP – Infographic Maker

The SMB industry is a constantly changing market, which provides a constant opportunity for MSPs. However, it’s important to understand these changes so that you can understand the opportunities at hand. And what better way to understand these opportunities than data? On this episode of MSPradio, we’re joined by an SMB expert, Anurag Agrawal, CEO of TechAisle. He talks about the state of small business, where SMB IT priorities are and how MSPs can take advantage. And of course, he backs it all up with cold-hard data! Tune in to this week’s episode of MSPradio!

Protecting computer data is an essential part of a business continuity plan.  Dennis Zink interviews David Spire, President and CEO of United Systems, Inc.  David has been named to the 2013 SMB 150, a listing of the top 150 worldwide SMB IT channel influencers, and United Systems was listed in the 2013 MSPmentor 100 Small Business Edition, the 2013 MSPmentor 501 Global Edition, the 2013 CRN Next-Gen 250 and the Tampa Bay Business Journal's List of the Top 25 Largest Managed IT Service Providers. David can be reached at 941-721-6423, via email at david@unitedsystemsinc.com, or you can find out about the services his company provides at www.unitedsystemsinc.com

Rayanne Buchianico Rayanne Buchianico is an Accountant and MSP Business Consultant. At the SMB Online Conference in June, she’ll be talking about Understanding Your Financials: Three Mandatory Monthly Reports and What They Are Telling You. We talked last week about how you can use QuickBooks and your financials. She gave some great information – which is why she has TWO presentations at the SMB Online Conference next month. Listen to the podcast … then check out the conference. Rayanne has over 25 years of accounting, tax and business experience in the SMB sector. She specializes in working with IT Professionals and MSPs to improve profitability through accounting systems, financial reporting, and PSA integration. She was awarded the 2012 Jim Locke Memorial Community Award (formerly “SBSer of the Year”) by SMB Nation and SMBTN and was named to the SMB 150 list by SMB Technology Network (SMBTN) and SMB PC magazine in 2011 and 2012. She partnered with Bigger Brains to provide the QuickBooks 2013 video training course. She is the founder and leader of the Tampa Bay IT Pro Group, and is the past Treasurer of the Global IT Community Association for both the North American Board and the Global Board. Rayanne is the owner of ABC Solutions, LLC in Clearwater, Florida. ABC Solutions provides accounting, tax, and accounting systems consulting services to SMB IT companies throughout the United States. Web Site: www.abcsolutionsfl.com Blog: http://abcsolutionsfl.wordpress.com   See the press release “Demystifying QuickBooks – What I.T. Professionals Need To Know” here: SMB Online Conference Press Room.     The theme of this year’s SMB Online Conference is IT Business Reboot – We’ll cover a variety of topics related to re-building your business as if you were starting over today. Here are the topics for Day One – June 25th: 9:00 AM Karl’s Keynote (Karl W. Palachuk) 10:00 AM Chip Reaves – Better Sales Through Better Education 11:00 AM Rayanne Buchianico – Understanding Your Financials: Three Mandatory Monthly Reports and What They Are Telling You 1:00 PM Manuel Palachuk – Five Tools That Could Transform Your Company Overnight (all times are Pacific)   For more information on the conference, visit www.SMBOnlineConference.com. – Download the Interview with Rayanne Buchianico here.

2008 was a roller coaster year to say the least. Starting off with a bang and ending with uncertainty of what the future has to offer the SMB IT consultant. With the economy failing and the threat of online services taking away from our sales, what does 2009 have to offer us?

Stuart Crawford welcomes the pioneer of SMB IT to Small Business IT Radio. Harry Brelsford is the guy that kicked off the entire focus on Small Business IT across the world and we have him on our show. Join us as we discuss the past, present and the future of the Small Business Specialist program and small business technology in general