Podcasts about smb nation

*Due to a small error, we are re-releasing this episode that was originally set for January 19th, 2024. Thanks for understanding. :-) 1.)  Should you update your GOALS and OBJECTIVES every year?  The short answer? Yes.  Email James (james@kernanconsulting.com) for his one page business plan exercise. ---  3.) Notes on The News  Is Connectwise a sinking ship? https://www.msptechnews.com/business-news/is-connectwise-a-sinking-ship/ The best click-bait of the year....so far! And MAJOR CONSUMERS SEVER RELATIONS WITH HACKED BRANDS? Ransomware attacks in 2023 surged by 95% year-over-year, with 1,278 victims identified on leak sites - already surpassing both 2021 and 2022 totals... https://www.msptoday.com/topics/msp-today/articles/458119-majority-consumers-sever-ties-with-hacked-brands.htm 2.) Five Minutes with a Smart Person: Erick Simpson  Erick Simpson is an MSP Business and Channel Growth Expert, MSP Influencer and MSP Thought Leader A pioneer and leader in the managed services industry, Erick Simpson built and sold one of the very first MSPs in the industry and grew and coached a channel of 30,000 IT Solution Providers through their MSP transformation with his MSP Mastered® Methodology for managed services business performance improvement. Erick is an MSP business & channel growth expert, influencer, thought leader, speaker and author with 4 best-selling books and 50 white papers to his credit, and his strategies and programs help MSPs overcome business challenges to realize consistent, profitable managed services recurring revenue growth. His M&A expertise has helped dozens of MSPs sell their businesses at the highest valuation or expand through acquisition. He delivers strategic MSP market analysis services and builds and improves channel programs for IT vendors and distributors, and helps recruit and enable their channel partners through his thought leadership podcasts, webinars, workshops and event keynotes and breakouts. Erick's industry recognition includes Channel Futures' 7 Thought Leaders Defining the MSP Market, Jay McBain's 100 Most Visible Channel Leaders, 2 Time ChannelPro 20/20 Visionaries, 2 Time MSP Mentor 250 and SMB Nation's SMB 150 award recipient. Check out Erick's new community:  https://mspmastered.com/ https://ericksimpson.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericksimpson/   — Check out Amy's Intune class: https://www.thirdtier.net/2023/11/29/learning-intune-a-six-month-course/   Our upcoming events: 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/      

1.)  Should you update your GOALS and OBJECTIVES every year?    The short answer? Yes.    Email James (james@kernanconsulting.com) for his one page business plan exercise.   ---      3.) Notes on The News    Is Connectwise a sinking ship?   https://www.msptechnews.com/business-news/is-connectwise-a-sinking-ship/   The best click-bait of the year....so far!   And MAJOR CONSUMERS SEVER RELATIONS WITH HACKED BRANDS?   Ransomware attacks in 2023 surged by 95% year-over-year, with 1,278 victims identified on leak sites - already surpassing both 2021 and 2022 totals...   https://www.msptoday.com/topics/msp-today/articles/458119-majority-consumers-sever-ties-with-hacked-brands.htm     2.) Five Minutes with a Smart Person: Erick Simpson    Erick Simpson is an MSP Business and Channel Growth Expert, MSP Influencer and MSP Thought Leader A pioneer and leader in the managed services industry, Erick Simpson built and sold one of the very first MSPs in the industry and grew and coached a channel of 30,000 IT Solution Providers through their MSP transformation with his MSP Mastered® Methodology for managed services business performance improvement. Erick is an MSP business & channel growth expert, influencer, thought leader, speaker and author with 4 best-selling books and 50 white papers to his credit, and his strategies and programs help MSPs overcome business challenges to realize consistent, profitable managed services recurring revenue growth. His M&A expertise has helped dozens of MSPs sell their businesses at the highest valuation or expand through acquisition. He delivers strategic MSP market analysis services and builds and improves channel programs for IT vendors and distributors, and helps recruit and enable their channel partners through his thought leadership podcasts, webinars, workshops and event keynotes and breakouts. Erick's industry recognition includes Channel Futures' 7 Thought Leaders Defining the MSP Market, Jay McBain's 100 Most Visible Channel Leaders, 2 Time ChannelPro 20/20 Visionaries, 2 Time MSP Mentor 250 and SMB Nation's SMB 150 award recipient. Check out Erick's new community:  https://mspmastered.com/ https://ericksimpson.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericksimpson/   — Check out Amy's Intune class: https://www.thirdtier.net/2023/11/29/learning-intune-a-six-month-course/   Our upcoming events: Honolulu HI – MSSP Sales/Marketing workshop (Jan 16-18th) https://conference.fornixmarketing.com/hawaii-conference-3364   Use “KERNANWINS” as coupon code to save $500!   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/          

GUEST: Peter Vogel, LeafwireHOST: Harry Brelsford, The CannaTech Group In this episode of the CannaTech Podcast Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Peter Vogel the CEO of Leafwire to chat about how to make connections in the cannabis community.  Leafwire is a 'Freemium' model where members can join a safe community that is cannabis-focused for free.  This platform is a way to connect, share news, promote events, find employees/employment and just simply network within the cannabis industry.  Watch and learn more on how you can use this platform to stay connected to this fast-moving industry.  Watch the Interview @ TheCannaTechGroup.com

Episode 144 includes: 00:00 Why speed is of the essence for dealing with prospects 10:59 Identify a Dream 100 prospect list to accelerate your MSP's growth 19:40 A productivity expert explains how to do 1 hour of work in 30 minutes 46:26 A book recommendation to help you earn an MBA without the associated cost Featured guest: Thank you to Blaine Oelkers, the only Chief Results Officer®, for joining Paul to explain how you can do 1 hour of work in 30 minutes. Blaine is a high level performer with a wealth of knowledge who is committed to helping people achieve results quickly. He brings high energy and ultra focus which is critical to quickly generate amazing results and build momentum in any business. If you are a business owner or entrepreneur in need of a Chief Results Officer, Blaine comes highly recommended. Connect with Blaine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaineoelkers Show notes: Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ On the subject of creating a Dream 100, Paul recommended reading the book The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Sales-Machine-Turbocharge-Relentless/dp/1591842158 You can join Paul in the MSP Marketing group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mspmarketing/ Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation recommended his book The Pocket MBA: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pocket-MBA-Instant-Entrepreneur/dp/1733904824 https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mspmarketing Subscribe to this podcast using your favourite podcast provider: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Paul-Greens-MSP-Marketing-Podcast-Podcast/B08JK38L4V

Episode 144 includes: 00:00 Why speed is of the essence for dealing with prospects 10:59 Identify a Dream 100 prospect list to accelerate your MSP's growth 19:40 A productivity expert explains how to do 1 hour of work in 30 minutes 46:26 A book recommendation to help you earn an MBA without the associated cost Featured guest: Thank you to Blaine Oelkers, the only Chief Results Officer®, for joining Paul to explain how you can do 1 hour of work in 30 minutes. Blaine is a high level performer with a wealth of knowledge who is committed to helping people achieve results quickly. He brings high energy and ultra focus which is critical to quickly generate amazing results and build momentum in any business. If you are a business owner or entrepreneur in need of a Chief Results Officer, Blaine comes highly recommended. Connect with Blaine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaineoelkers Show notes: Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ On the subject of creating a Dream 100, Paul recommended reading the book The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Sales-Machine-Turbocharge-Relentless/dp/1591842158 You can join Paul in the MSP Marketing group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mspmarketing/ Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation recommended his book The Pocket MBA: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pocket-MBA-Instant-Entrepreneur/dp/1733904824 https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mspmarketing Subscribe to this podcast using your favourite podcast provider: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Paul-Greens-MSP-Marketing-Podcast-Podcast/B08JK38L4V

For small and midsize business (SMB) owners, choosing a vertical to focus on brings many challenges. But the benefits, in the long run, outweigh the uncertainty of niching down. The key here is to know how to pick the right vertical for you, and Harry Brelsford is here to guide us through it. He is the founder of SMB Nation, author of 21 books on technology and business topics, and has 20 years of SMB technology experience. During our conversation, he shares his 12 rules model and the business plans that actually work.   Links 408 - Show Notes Harry's LinkedIn Profile SMB Nation Book How to be an MSP Cloud Consultants Collective Sendspark   Connect With Paul  On LinkedIn On Facebook On Twitter: @PaulHiggins555 On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoring Email: Paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com   Thank You for Tuning In!

Episode 135 includes: How to earn an extra 100k by running a sales week Why repeating yourself in sales conversations is a good thing Plus in the show this week, how will mergers & acquisitions change over the next year Featured guest Thank you to Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation for joining Paul to talk about what mergers and acquisitions might mean for MSPs in 2022. Entrepreneur Harry is the founder of SMB Nation (www.smbnation.com) from Austin, Texas. He oversees the popular SMB Nation workflow including marketing analytics, content and events (webinars, workshops and multi-day conferences). He holds an MBA in Project Management from the University of Denver (and numerous certifications such as MCSE, MCT, CNE, et al) and is the author of 23 books on technology and business topics. His 20 years of SMB technology experience were supplemented by teaching 12+ years at night as an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University and other higher-learning institutions. Harry is a board member at Moonshot Equity Partners and an in-demand speaker at industry events. An active entrepreneur, Harry is the force behind the Pocket MBA, Telephonation, Cloud Nation and XPmigrations.com. His latest startup The CannaTech Group. Connect with Harry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Show notes Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ You can join Paul in the MSP Marketing group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mspmarketing/ Right now you can watch the extended interview with this week's featured guests on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEBEL1Sh4Z-t3PXKbsW7b4BC To dig deeper into this episode, Paul joins Sophie Law on the complimentary YouTube show 'Another Byte', from this coming Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEAXxJRY5vU4LWldRNLjZZng Thank you to Simon Marcil from Propel Your MSP for recommending the book They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/They-Ask-You-Answer-Revolutionary/dp/1119312973 https://ca.linkedin.com/in/smarcil In next week's episode, Paul will be joined by Al Alper from CyberGuard360 to talk about the new ways to sell cyber security: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alperal Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mspmarketing Subscribe to this podcast using your favourite podcast provider:

Episode 135 includes: How to earn an extra 100k by running a sales week Why repeating yourself in sales conversations is a good thing Plus in the show this week, how will mergers & acquisitions change over the next year Featured guest Thank you to Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation for joining Paul to talk about what mergers and acquisitions might mean for MSPs in 2022. Entrepreneur Harry is the founder of SMB Nation (www.smbnation.com) from Austin, Texas. He oversees the popular SMB Nation workflow including marketing analytics, content and events (webinars, workshops and multi-day conferences). He holds an MBA in Project Management from the University of Denver (and numerous certifications such as MCSE, MCT, CNE, et al) and is the author of 23 books on technology and business topics. His 20 years of SMB technology experience were supplemented by teaching 12+ years at night as an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University and other higher-learning institutions. Harry is a board member at Moonshot Equity Partners and an in-demand speaker at industry events. An active entrepreneur, Harry is the force behind the Pocket MBA, Telephonation, Cloud Nation and XPmigrations.com. His latest startup The CannaTech Group. Connect with Harry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Show notes Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ You can join Paul in the MSP Marketing group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mspmarketing/ Right now you can watch the extended interview with this week's featured guests on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEBEL1Sh4Z-t3PXKbsW7b4BC To dig deeper into this episode, Paul joins Sophie Law on the complimentary YouTube show 'Another Byte', from this coming Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEAXxJRY5vU4LWldRNLjZZng Thank you to Simon Marcil from Propel Your MSP for recommending the book They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/They-Ask-You-Answer-Revolutionary/dp/1119312973 https://ca.linkedin.com/in/smarcil In next week's episode, Paul will be joined by Al Alper from CyberGuard360 to talk about the new ways to sell cyber security: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alperal Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mspmarketing Subscribe to this podcast using your favourite podcast provider:

Episode 134 includes: Why you should start using this 100 year old marketing tool How to create 'evergreen' content for your website Plus on the show this week, the benefit of being a vigilant MSP owner Featured guest Thank you to Len Herstein, author of Be Vigilant!, for joining Paul to talk about what complacency is, why it's so dangerous and what MSPs can do to identify and fight it. Len has over 30 years of experience in business and brand marketing. Prior to founding his marketing and events company (ManageCamp Inc.), Len innovated, managed and grew brands for major consumer packaged goods marketers, including Campbell Soup Company, Coca-Cola, and Nabisco. Since 2015, Len has served as a reserve deputy sheriff with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Colorado. Connect with Len on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenherstein Show notes Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ In discussing printed newsletters, Paul mentioned the 'No BS' newsletter and series of books from the direct response marketing expert Dan Kennedy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/B-S-Direct-Marketing-Non-Direct-Businesses/dp/1599185016 https://marketingsecrets.com/programs/newsletters Find out more about Paul Green's MSP Marketing Edge: https://www.mspmarketingedge.com/ Right now you can watch the extended interview with this week's featured guests on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEBEL1Sh4Z-t3PXKbsW7b4BC To dig deeper into this episode, Paul joins Sophie Law on the complimentary YouTube show 'Another Byte', from this coming Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEAXxJRY5vU4LWldRNLjZZng Thank you to Tony Capewell from MSP Dark Web for recommending the book Retention Point by Robert Skrob: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Retention-Point-Membership-Subscription-Associations-ebook/dp/B07CZXD289 https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonycapewell In next week's episode, Paul will be joined by Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation to talk about how about what mergers and acquisitions might mean for MSPs in 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel:

Episode 134 includes: Why you should start using this 100 year old marketing tool How to create 'evergreen' content for your website Plus on the show this week, the benefit of being a vigilant MSP owner Featured guest Thank you to Len Herstein, author of Be Vigilant!, for joining Paul to talk about what complacency is, why it's so dangerous  and what MSPs can do to identify and fight it. Len has over 30 years of experience in business and brand marketing. Prior to founding his marketing and events company (ManageCamp Inc.), Len innovated, managed and grew brands for major consumer packaged goods marketers, including Campbell Soup Company, Coca-Cola, and Nabisco. Since 2015, Len has served as a reserve deputy sheriff with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Colorado. Connect with Len on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenherstein Show notes Out every Tuesday on your favourite podcast platform Presented by Paul Green, an MSP marketing expert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-green-msp-marketing/ https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/about/ In discussing printed newsletters, Paul mentioned the 'No BS' newsletter and series of books from the direct response marketing expert Dan Kennedy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/B-S-Direct-Marketing-Non-Direct-Businesses/dp/1599185016 https://marketingsecrets.com/programs/newsletters Find out more about Paul Green's MSP Marketing Edge: https://www.mspmarketingedge.com/ Right now you can watch the extended interview with this week's featured guests on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEBEL1Sh4Z-t3PXKbsW7b4BC To dig deeper into this episode, Paul joins Sophie Law on the complimentary YouTube show 'Another Byte', from this coming Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDRSdM8tZbEAXxJRY5vU4LWldRNLjZZng Thank you to Tony Capewell from MSP Dark Web for recommending the book Retention Point by Robert Skrob: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Retention-Point-Membership-Subscription-Associations-ebook/dp/B07CZXD289 https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonycapewell In next week's episode, Paul will be joined by Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation to talk about how about what mergers and acquisitions might mean for MSPs in 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mspmarketing Subscribe to this podcast using

GUEST: Paul Green, MSP MarketingHOST: Harry Brelsford, SMB NationMarketing is hard, time consuming, and typically the last thing you work on (if it leaves the to do list).  Although, marketing is typically pushed to the wayside, it is your avenue to improve your businesses profit, recurring revenue, work life balance, and driving more customers to ultimately help you grow your MSP.   Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Paul Green of MSP Marketing to discuss the importance of marketing and strategies you can immediately implement to grow your business.  Watch the Interview @ SMBNation.com

Host Karl interviews Harry Brelsford and Scott Lopez about maintenance as the great new MSP opportunity. Scott is the creator of AOM - Alternative to OEM maintenance (AOM). Technology entrepreneur Harry Brelsford has teamed with Austin-based ZPI to bring the AOM World ecosystem to market to drive MSP success. Harry is best know for the SMB Nation community and several other startups including 420MSP. Link: https://aom.world/  -- -- -- 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 https://Acronis.com.  :-)

I had to have Jay McBain back on the show to continue our conversation from July, 2020 about customer obsession, journey mapping and the future of week. A year has gone by since then and I wanted to look at what he was seeing transformed, stagnant and a no go. With that in mind we ventured into conversation about opportunity costs and how at some point it becomes numeric and definable. But should you quantify it or leap and take the risk on the opportunity? We also talked about making decisions, not making decisions and staying static are actually all forms of making a decision. And because he is top futurist Jay McBain, we talked about the future of work, why it is important to map your customers journey with you if you want a successful business and customer experience beyond the first sale. Jay leads Forrester's research and advisory for global channels, alliances, and partnerships. He focuses on B2B marketing in the age of the customer; understanding and navigating the complexity of multiple routes to market; ensuring contextual and relevant content to accelerate the indirect sales process; and describing the technology infrastructure to build and support channel relationships. His background is in channel leadership, sales, marketing, and operations, with a specific emphasis on indirect sales strategy/execution, covering multiple industries, segments, and underlying technologies. Jay is renowned for his industry thought leadership and expertise in partner recruitment, development, and acceleration through effective partner coverage, enablement, communication, and incentives. He is an expert in building and leveraging channel communities and one of the global leaders in social media, partner marketing automation, and other indirect growth strategies. Jay provides research, advisory, and consulting to companies ranging from Fortune 100 vendors to startups on the entire scope of their channel and alliance strategies. He is a contributing author and has been cited in numerous channel media publications, including Channel Reseller News (CRN), ChannelPro, ChannelE2E, The VAR Guy, MSPMentor, Channelnomics, Computer Dealer News (CDN), Australia Reseller News (ARN), eChannelNews, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelLine, ChannelInsider, SearchITChannel, Redmond Channel Magazine, Vertical Systems Reseller, Channel Buzz, and SMB Nation. He also maintains a popular blog on channel trends. Jay is based in Florida but advises vendors, distributors, and partners around the world.

The global pandemic has forced a lot of us to innovate at a more rapid pace. While this is true for all businesses across different industries, pivoting has never been more apparent for ultra-small businesses trying to survive, or people dipping their toes into entrepreneurship for the first time after an unfortunate retrenchment. But is working for yourself really the right next step if your cheese got moved? Today, I am joined by SMB Nation founder, Harry Brelsford to talk about the concept of Finders, Minders, and Grinders, the business lifecycle, and his Pocket MBA book.6:07 How this recession has its own unique characteristics unlike any other8:27 Understanding the finder, the minder, and the grinder12:17 Harry talks about the different personality tests to assess your career or business fit14:16 Go with your domain expertise22:10 Don’t get too comfortable25:29 Harry talks about delving into the hands-on side of entrepreneurship in his book: The Pocket MBA34:29 Harry’s passionate plea to entrepreneurs"Let’s innovate our way out of this one."GET IN TOUCH:MARK LEARY: www.linkedin.com/in/markhlearywww.leary.ccHARRY BRELSFORD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrybhttps://www.smbnation.com/

What does it take to be an entrepreneur? Do you need an MBA? Or rather do you need the expertise that somebody who has not only gotten an MBA but has also run multiple successful businesses and helped other entrepreneurs launch grow and sell their businesses can share? Wouldn't it be great to have in one place, the foundational pieces to every successful business? This episode features Harry Brelsford who not only has an MBA and a few other degrees but has done all of the above. On this episode Harry and I talk about what makes a successful entrepreneur, the perils pitfalls and excitement and what he is learned from guiding himself and others in nearly three decades plus of his own entrepreneurial journey and what guided him to write his latest book, Pocket MBA Instant Entrepreneur. Harry Brelsford is the founder of SMB Nation (www.smbnation.com) from Bainbridge Island, Wash. He is a long-time SMB channel partner who has served customers and mentored other partners (SMB Nation has over 45,000 members who are Managed Services Providers (MSPs) and SMB technology consultants). He oversees the popular SMB Nation workflow including marketing analytics, content and events (webinars, workshops and multi-day conferences). He holds an MBA in Project Management from the University of Denver (and numerous certifications such as MCSE, MCT, CNE, et al) and is the author of 23 books on technology and business topics. His 20 years of SMB technology experience were supplemented by teaching 12+ years at night as an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University and other higher-learning institutions. He served as the Dean in the Graduate School of Technology at Aspen University (where he was awarded a PhD in Letters). Harry is an in-demand speaker at industry events. Harry's recent books include the “How to Be an MSP” and “The Pocket MBA – Instant Entrepreneur” and he has published over 400-articles in business magazines (Washington CEO, Colorado Business, Alaska Business Monthly) and technology magazines (ChannelPro, Microsoft Certified Professional magazine, etc.). An active entrepreneur, Harry is the force behind the Pocket MBA, Telephonation, Cloud Nation and XPmigrations.com. His latest startup is 420MSP.

So you need to rapidly innovate yourself as an entrepreneur moving forward. If you’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur the Pocket MBA is a fit for you. Perhaps you have found yourself unemployed (or underemployed) and are looking to recreate yourself fast fast – this is your book. Are you over 50 years old and looking to capitalize on your experience to make a great living – this book is for you. Are you new to business but unable to find a rewarding career opportunity? This book offers prescriptive guidance on how to be a successful entrepreneur! Based on the Finder, Minder, Grinder professional services framework, this book is for everyone, young or old, who is considering being an entrepreneur in ANY INDUSTRY. About HarryHarry Brelsford is the founder of SMB Nation (www.smbnation.com) from Bainbridge Island, Wash. He is a long-time entrepreneur who has served customers and mentored others.He holds an MBA in Project Management from the University of Denver (and numerous certifications such as MCSE, MCT, CNE, et al) and is the author of 23 books on business and technology topics. His 20 years of small and medium business (SMB) business and technology experience were supplemented by teaching 12+ years at night as an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University and other higher-learning institutions. He served as the Dean in the Graduate School of Technology at Aspen University (where he was awarded a PhD in Letters).Harry is an in-demand speaker at industry events. Harry’s recent books include the “How to Be an MSP” and he has published over 400-articles in business (Washington CEO, Colorado Business, Alaska Business Monthly) and technology magazines (ChannelPro, Microsoft Certified Professional magazine, etc.). An active entrepreneur, Harry is the force behind the Pocket MBA, Telephonation, Cloud Nation and XPmigrations.com.

High Friends, so I took a short break while we got cannabis legalized in NJ. Yay!!! This was a huge win for me personally, but I’m back now and legalization will definitely be discussed in upcoming episodes. Now today, this will be the first guest in an area I would love to see discussed more in cannabis: Technology. Really there is no part of the industry that it doesn’t touch in some way. Today I have Harry Brelsford, an independent network consultant in Seattle, Washington. Harry is the founder of SMB Nation where he serves and mentors over 49,000 members who are Managed Services Providers (MSPs) and SMB technology consultants. He creates content and events such as webinars, workshops and multi-day conferences.  Harry is the author of 21 books on technology and business topics as well as over 400-articles in biz and tech magazines such as Washington CEO, Colorado Business, Alaska Business Monthly, ChannelPro and Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine to name a few. It is understandable that Harry is an in-demand speaker at national industry events.  Harry’s 20 years of SMB technology experience were supplemented by teaching 12+ years as an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University (where he is now a lead instructor for the online MCSE ATTP program). He also served as Dean in the Graduate School of Technology at Aspen University, where he was awarded a PhD in Letters. An active entrepreneur, Harry is the force behind the Pocket MBA, Telephonation, Cloud Nation and XPmigrations.com. His latest startup which we talk about today is 420MSP. Everyone should take something from this episode,  friends please welcome Harry Brelsford.__________________________ Sponsored by Blazin’ Bakery. Use code TRAILBLAZIN to get 20% off all Blazin’ Brand products including our new CBD dog treats! Visit https://BlazinBakery.com/ This episode is also sponsored by Ardent. Use code TARAMISU to get $30 off the new Ardent FX! Decarb, Infuse and Bake all-in-one!! Visit: https://bit.ly/39B7x1C Connect with Tara Misu!Instagram: @iamtaramisu and @blazinbakeryTwitter: @iamtaramisu and @blazinbakeryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblazinbakery/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blazinbakery/  Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryb/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harrybbbWebsite: https://420msp.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. :-)  

Jay McBain is considered one of the top analysts and futurists. His work predicating trends and needs has been considered critical to many in the tech world. Even he is seeing accelerated change in the world of business from the predictions he made several years ago. The pandemic accelerated the way we transact business from both sides of the table. On this episode Jay and I talk about the keys to a a business that can grow, think customer obsessive. We also discuss how the shift from indirect buying, think cars at dealerships, to direct buying, think Netflix and Casper mattresses, is fueling the current and future economies. Jay also shares how your business can start looking into your future right now using a process called journey mapping. Jay leads Forrester's research and advisory for global channels, alliances, and partnerships. He focuses on B2B marketing in the age of the customer; understanding and navigating the complexity of multiple routes to market; ensuring contextual and relevant content to accelerate the indirect sales process; and describing the technology infrastructure to build and support channel relationships. His background is in channel leadership, sales, marketing, and operations, with a specific emphasis on indirect sales strategy/execution, covering multiple industries, segments, and underlying technologies. Jay is renowned for his industry thought leadership and expertise in partner recruitment, development, and acceleration through effective partner coverage, enablement, communication, and incentives. He is an expert in building and leveraging channel communities and one of the global leaders in social media, partner marketing automation, and other indirect growth strategies. Jay provides research, advisory, and consulting to companies ranging from Fortune 100 vendors to startups on the entire scope of their channel and alliance strategies. He is a contributing author and has been cited in numerous channel media publications, including Channel Reseller News (CRN), ChannelPro, ChannelE2E, The VAR Guy, MSPMentor, Channelnomics, Computer Dealer News (CDN), Australia Reseller News (ARN), eChannelNews, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelLine, ChannelInsider, SearchITChannel, Redmond Channel Magazine, Vertical Systems Reseller, Channel Buzz, and SMB Nation. He also maintains a popular blog on channel trends. Jay is based in Florida but advises vendors, distributors, and partners around the world.

Amy Babinchak is back, this time to question the relevancy of RMM and PSA tools with Amy Luby, founder of SMB Managed Services Community. The technical landscape is constantly evolving, specifically in terms of security; it's not always a given that our existing tools are still right for the job.  More about Amy Luby: Amy is a successful leader and entrepreneur in the IT Services Channel, with an extensive record of achievement in Channel Sales program development and recruiting IT solution providers. She has strong technical expertise and domain knowledge in the rapidly evolving global managed, cloud and security services marketplace and a proven track record in creating profitable managed and cloud product portfolios, developing profitable Channel sales operations, increasing revenue quickly, and exploiting untapped market opportunities.  Amy is founder and moderator of the global SMB Managed Services Community with 3000 active global SMB MSP reseller members. Amy is also a proven entrepreneur and pioneer in the IT services industry having founded and built one of the first Managed Services Providers (MSPs) in the country and then expanded that into one of the first Master MSPs, defining that business model in the process. Amy’s successes in the Channel have not gone unnoticed. She is the recipient of numerous Channel awards including: CRN Channel Chief and Women of the Channel awards, MSP Mentor Top 250 Influencers, MSP Mentor Top 100 Global MSPs, SMB Nation’s SMB 150, and COMPTIA’s Industry Leadership Award. In her spare time, Amy enjoys writing, drawing, yoga and her potter’s wheel. Links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/msprevolution/

NEED AN EXTRA NUDGE TO JUMP INTO IOT MANAGED SERVICES? If you’re still waiting to jump into IoT managed services, this episode of IoT Playbook may be the one that finally pushes you into the deep end. In this episode, I interview Jay McBain, the principal analyst at Forrester Research of Channel Partners and Alliances. Jay speaks at over 50 technology events each year and has covered IoT extensively. He claims that IoT products and services present the greatest opportunity in the history of the channel. Jay has studied dozens of channel partners who are already generating millions of dollars of revenue and he believes we’re just starting the phase of rapid adoption of IoT products and services. There are 35 million niche markets that a channel partner can pursue, so there’s plenty of opportunities to create your own future with very little competition. Head on over to podcast.iotplaybook.com to check out this episode. And, if you need help launching your IoT managed service, then check out IoT Playbook’s free Offer Builder that will help you find, create, and quickly launch your IoT products or managed services. You can find IoT Playbook’s free Offer Builder at go.iotplaybook.com/offerbuilder What You Will Learn: Jay’s story and how he became so focused on the channel Why IoT products and services present the greatest opportunity in the history of the channel How channel partners have jumped into the market and driven managed services opportunities (with examples) The transformation from channel partner to vendor (with examples) Current trends in IoT and predictions for 2020  podcast.IoTplaybook.com/podcasts/iot-products-jay-mcbain/ IoT is Here to Stay Jay McBain is an analyst who focuses on channels, partnerships, and alliances. He is constantly looking at the future of channels and takes a unique stance on IoT products because they are facilitating major advancements in the channel space. Jay works in twenty-seven different industries, which gives him a broader scope of the nuanced trends and opportunities being driven by IoT. For partners, vendors, and audience members alike, channels are an integral part of doing business and IoT continues to make them better. The Largest Opportunity for the Channel Jay thinks that IoT is going to represent the largest opportunity for the channel because unlike AI, IoT products are here NOW. Partners are using IoT to do multi-million dollar deals, and we are starting to see how IoT is being integrated with other industries, what solutions are working, and how the services can be replicated. This is not a matter of speculation or projection; this is happening right now. There are proven results, frameworks, and business models that mitigate the risk and open the door to anyone who is willing to put in the legwork and win business. Endless Opportunities in IoT Every company in every industry is taking a tech-centric approach. The subscription culture is dominant, and limitless opportunities for IoT products and services are available to anyone who wants a piece of the nearly $500B industry. The entire future of channels is based on working with partners because the consumer buying journey has changed. Partners are becoming tech companies themselves. So if you can show up as both a service company and a product, you double your chances of being found by the customer. This period of rapid transformation is the perfect time to jump into IoT, so stop waiting and join the movement. About Jay McBain Jay leads Forrester’s research and advisory for global channels, alliances, and partnerships. He focuses on B2B marketing in the age of the customer; understanding and navigating the complexity of multiple routes to market; ensuring contextual and relevant content to accelerate the indirect sales process; and describing the technology infrastructure to build and support channel relationships. His background is in channel leadership, sales, marketing, and operations, with a specific emphasis on indirect sales strategy/execution, covering multiple industries, segments, and underlying technologies. Jay is renowned for his industry thought leadership and expertise in partner recruitment, development, and acceleration through effective partner coverage, enablement, communication, and incentives. He is an expert in building and leveraging channel communities and one of the global leaders in social media, partner marketing automation, and other indirect growth strategies. Jay provides research, advisory, and consulting to companies ranging from Fortune 100 vendors to startups on the entire scope of their channel and alliance strategies. He is a contributing author and has been cited in numerous channel media publications, including Channel Reseller News (CRN), ChannelPro, ChannelE2E, The VAR Guy, MSPMentor, Channelnomics, Computer Dealer News (CDN), Australia Reseller News (ARN), eChannelNews, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelLine, ChannelInsider, SearchITChannel, Redmond Channel Magazine, Vertical Systems Reseller, Channel Buzz, and SMB Nation. He also maintains a popular blog on channel trends. Jay is based in Florida but advises vendors, distributors, and partners around the world. How to contact Jay McBain: https://go.forrester.com/ @forrester https://www.linkedin.com/company/forrester-research/ More IoT Playbook Resources: Learn How to Get Started With This Free Online Class: www.freeiotclass.com IoT Playbook’s free Offer Builder: myDevice webinar replay

I think I met Jamison about 2006 at SMB Nation. Since then, he has bought a few companies, built a few companies, and sold a few companies. Even today he owns a few companies. He calls himself a serial entrepreneur, but I consider that a parallel entrepreneur. Personally, I think all small business owners should have at least two companies. But that's another story. Here we chat a bit about TimeZest, a calendaring add-on for ConnectWise. Then we move to EOS - the Entrepreneurial Operating System - as described by Gino Wickman in his book Traction. There are many, many books filled with advice for business owners. Jamison likes the EOS model because it is most easily applied to small business. In fact, as he says, it can be self-applied without a coach. But there are some obvious advantages to having a coach who can help you have those difficult meetings and keep things moving when you get stuck in the weeds. Jamison has been a "serial entrepreneur" for over 20 years. He has a wealth of experience in several areas include: Founding and operating companies in the SaaS and IT Services space; participating in and moderating professional peer groups (HTG & EO); advising organizations in the SaaS and IT Services verticals; speaking on a range of topics from Cloud to M&A to People, and implementing EOS®. Links: - www.jamisonwest.com - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamisonwest/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxLTHiFo3UE Listen here: :-)

Harry Brelsford says cannabis is no longer a dirty word and is an industry desperate for your business to help them run their business. It is the Wild Wild West all over again and they need help with all aspects of their business yet so many do not want to help them. So how can you safely and successfully do business with those who are licensed to sell medical cannabis all while getting a piece of the multi-billion dollar new industry? Enter Harry Brelsford. His latest book is designed to help those in the tech industry, mostly Managed Service Providers (MSP), learn the ins and outs and governmental challenges of this unique and growing business sector but it also can help any business learn what to do to enter as a service provider. Take a listen as Harry shares insights from two plus years of research and doing business with the legal cannabis industry. Why start from scratch when someone has laid out the foundation for you?! Two years of specific vertical research has resulted in this, Harry Brelsford’s 21st book, plus numerous YouTube presentations and blogs/articles. An investor/entrepreneur in the Seattle Miracle era in tech, Brelsford shares his knowledge by sending the elevator back down in a “go giver” mentality that is part of his living theology. Best known as the CEO and founder of SMB Nation, Brelsford taught 12+ years at Seattle Pacific University and Central Washington University. Much of his business and technology acumen derives from global outreach to 45-countries including EMEA, APAC, LATAM, NORAM and India. In addition to six major certifications (MCT, MCSE, et. al.), Brelsford holds the following degrees: BSBA, MBA, PhD-Letters and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Learn more about Brelsford’s qualifications, experience and published works via his LinkedIn profile HERE.

Talking partner transformation with the founder of SMB Nation CJ6. This episode features Harry Brelsford, founder of SMB Nation, ski racer, and cycling enthusiast. Harry is a long-time advocate, consultant, and spokesperson for partners and is passionate about helping them succeed. Harry is on a new mission to help MSPs through partner transformation. Find out … Harry Brelsford: Time to Start Up or Start Over Read More »

Harry Brelsford In this SMB Community Podcast, Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation gives us an update on the latest and greatest from his world. Highlights include the Spring SMB Tech Talks (Topics include Blockchain and Bitcoin), Life-long learning, new analytics courses from Microsoft, and an update on “Pivot” marketing program. Harry finishes off with a quick summary of his hottest five tips for marketing online in the SMB Community.   Links Mentioned: Web Site:  www.smbnation.com SMB Tech Talks: http://unbouncepages.com/msptechtalkspring2018/   Check out the interview here: This interview is 30 minutes. Listen to the Podcast  

Harry Brelsford is the founder of SMB Nation. In this interview Harry announces a new Marketing as a Service platform called Pivot. We talk about marketing and analytics in the SMB community – and a lot more. See http://SMBNation.com/pivot.   Harry stresses that modern marketing requires analytics. You are wasting money if you just do a little SEO and buy Google ads. In addition, there are lots of things involved in marketing that the average MSP owner can’t do or shouldn’t do. You really don’t have time for analyzing your clients, split-testing ads, and all the other modern elements of marketing. Subscriptions start at $300/month. You need one one client to pay for that.   Links mentioned in our conversation: http://www.smbnation.com http://SMBNation.com/pivot http://www.blabpredicts.com/ http://www.lumapartners.com/lumascapes/social-lumascape/       Check out the interview here: This interview is 30 minutes. Audio Listen to the Podcast.  

How many times have you filled out a survey? How many times have you deleted them from your inbox without opening them? What makes a survey appealing to you? How can you be certain that the data you get is useful? Do you even know what to ask and who to ask it of? Surveys are just one aspect of this episode. We also talk using forms versus webpages, how you can used LinkedIn for "look-a-like or next door neighbor prospecting and how to ask questions to get anayltics that actually help you grow your business. Today's guest is Harry Brelsford, founder and CEO of SMBNation, geek and analytics junkie. He shares answers to the above questions and tells us how he pivots and how you can too. Harry Brelsford is a well-known channel partner executive in the SMB channel. He recently exited a Big Data predictive analytics startup that is the basis for this presentation. He is best known as the founder and CEO of SMB Nation, a community if MSPs, IT Pros, consultants and resellers. He has written 20-books, several hundred magazine articles and holds an MBA in project management from the University of Denver. Harry can be reached at harryb@smbnation.com.

Harry Brelsford, Owner of SMB Nation, shares SMB Nation’s exciting plans to embrace media transformation and pivot from providing content for MSP consumption to creating content for MSPs to utilize. Harry introduces Pivot, the new Marketing as a Service (MaaS) opportunity that SMB Nation will now provide for their MSP clients. Moderated by Ted Hulsy.

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!    

Final report from SMB Nation 2015. My guests here are Patrick Houston from Biz Tech Xperts and Rich Maddalena from LogicTree IT. Patrick Houston Patrick Houston is the co-founder and editor at Biz Tech Xperts (see www.biztechxperts.com) – Note: Not experts – xperts. BizTechXperts.com is a site for end user clients to come and ask questions. The site pairs you up with people looking for answers. You can then answer their questions and begin to build a relationship. The match-up gives you a warm lead because you are helping them answer a question. Now you’re “known” expert who can help them at a deeper level. Patrick talks about using the system to position yourself as an expert and for focusing on a niche market. There is no cost to you as the expert.   Finally, I talked to Rich Maddalena from LogicTreeIT.com about their Two Vie Hub product. Two Vie Hub is a mobile app platform that gives users the ability to customize the look, feel, and content of applications very easily. Rich Maddalena As Rich mentions, it only took about four hours to take the customizable app and generate the SMB Nation conference-specific app. You can check it out by going to your app store and searching for SMB Nation. Vertical markets, including cities, restaurants, schools, and of course conferences. Home owners associations is a very strong vertical market for them already. At this event, Rich is looking for channel partners who are interested in making money by selling customized apps. Rich has some great tips on how to make apps usable and valuable so that people actually open them. If you’re interested in a free trial – as well as advice on designing and selling apps – contact Rich. You can sign up as a reseller by calling Rich at 916-676-7335. Listen Now: Listen to the Podcast.

The first person I grabbed at SMB Nation was Robert Crane from CIA Ops – CIAOPS.com. Robert presented a great demonstration on using live data to create meaningful information for clients. Robert Crane Microsoft’s PowerBI is a business intelligence. Robert showed how to analyze data from a variety of sources. Once you have an Office 365 login, you can add this product and it will be just another app on your portal. In this interview, Robert covers a lot of territory about getting started with data analysis, including some notes about mashing up client data with public databases. The really good news is that these tools are readily available to your clients for no additional cost. He also talks about the huge public databases you can access. And of course everyone has web data. Some clients have data on sales trends and other internal processes. The one thing that’s very clear from this interview: Technology is not enough! You need to help your client with their business. Find out more and follow Robert at CIAOPS.com and on his blog at Blog.ciaops.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @directorcia. Chip Reeves Chip Reeves from Bigger Brains had a table to promote online training. In addition to providing training that you can resell to your clients, Chip announced “Bigger Brains Tech” in association with SMB Nation. For $99, you can give your technicians access to a series of training specifically for IT Pros. The first training is on network basics. A training on HIPAA will be released later this month, and troubleshooting course after that. Now you can get great training yourself, in addition to raising money selling training to your clients! More information at BiggerBrains.com.   Joel Zaidspiner Finally I chatted with Joel Zaidspiner from ChannelPro Network. He covered what’s in the ChannelPro magazine and how to subscribe for free. We also talked about the big ChannelPro SMB Forum coming up November 3rd in Neward, NJ. (Details at http://events.channelpronetwork.com/). As always, that event will feature great content that you can take home and use right away. I am honored to be a speaker there. If you register for the big ChannelPro SMB Forum in New York, mention me and you will receive 100% of your registration fee back when you attend the event. Of course you can find out more about ChannelPro magazine at www.channelpronetwork.com.   Listen Now: Listen to the Podcast.

Report One from SMB Nation 2015. Featuring Nick East from Zynstra and Dave Seibert from SMB TechFest. Nick East Last year Zynstra (www.zynstra.com) pretty much dominated SMB Nation with demos. This year Nick East announced that Zynstra is now distributed both through Ingram’s cloud program and through D&H. In fact, they were at the show with D&H (www.dandh.com). If you’re interested in finding out more, there’s a TCO (total cost of ownership) tool on the Zynstra site. Research shows that the number one thing you can do to increase your company’s value is to increase Recurring Revenue, followed by Professional Services. At the bottom are hardware and software. Zynstra’s goal is to turn all of these into recurring revenue. Nick also noted that Zynstra has a new acceleration program that gives you a huge boost in margin for your first three deals.     Dave Seibert and Karl Palachuk Next I talked to Dave Seibert from SMB TechFest (www.smbtechfest.com) about the big event they have coming up October 15-16. I will be joining Dave on the stage on the 16th. I fly in from Australia that morning. I’m renting a car and driving down to Orange County just in time to climb on stage. Join me. . . . In this interview, Dave talks about technology trends and some of the things we’re going to cover in our talk at SMB TechFest. I’m sorry I won’t see all the great speakers, including Gil Cargill, James Kernan, and Mike Semel. I’d love to see you there!   Listen Now: Listen to the Podcast.

I had a great catch-up chat with Harry Brelsford from SMB Nation. He’s busy with a couple of things going on at once. I know: Shocker! First up, SMB Nation is putting on the first “Behind the Curtains” training on Windows 10, in association with Microsoft. This is a vendor-free event. It is also sold out – but Harry has a waiting list. So be sure to register because that will guarantee you’re on the list to get information about the next big Windows 10 event. Details at the Events Page at SMB Nation.   The much bigger event is SMB Nation / Office365 Nation’s Get Connected event. Details are at http://getconnected.o365nation.com/ – including the agenda and speaker lists. Get Connected happens August 4-5 and focuses on Office 365, Windows 10, and Azure. As their web site says: “Bringing together Office 365 and Win10 experts, thought leaders, and a wide range of IT Professionals, THE Get Connected event provides you the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills and tools you need to support your organization. Learn how to incorporate the industry best practices at more than 20 educational sessions tailored to Office 365 and Win10. Join us to learn and explore bench marking features of Office 365 and Win 10 via this two day online conference August 4 and 5th, 2015, from the comfort of your desk.” The fun starts at 7:00 AM (Pacific) on Tuesday, August 4th. Sessions go through 4:00 PM that day. On the 5th, sessions are 7:00 AM until 1:30 PM. Harry Brelsford Topics scheduled so far include: Office 365 Licensing Office 365 Click-To-Run Deployment Making Money with clients on Office 365 Line of Business Apps/Integration SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business Migration Introduction to Windows 10 Windows 10 Security Windows 10 and Universal Applications Windows 10 and the Internet of Things Windows 10 Sales and Support Opportunities   Interviews with Harry are always fun and informative.     Listen Now: Listen to the Podcast.      

In episode 08 of TubbTalk Richard speaks with Derek Brown, the Managing Director of Pronto Marketing, who specialise in providing a flat-fee, all-you-can-eat web site service for MSP's and IT Service Providers. Show Notes Pronto Marketing  http://tubb.co/prontoMSP (http://tubb.co/prontoMSP) Derek Brown on LinkedIn - https://th.linkedin.com/in/derekbrn SMB Nation - http://www.smbnation.com/ Google Analytics - http://www.google.com/analytics Google Local Places - https://www.google.com/business/ What are the Benefits of Blogging? http://tubb.co/1Q3d6Wo Pronto Marketing exclusive discount for listeners of TubbTalk    Visit http://tubb.co/prontoMSP   Transcription    Richard:               Hi everybody, Richard Tubb here with another interview.  And today I'm joined by Derek Brown, the managing director at Pronto Marketing. Now, Pronto Marketing creates and manages all the moving parts of your Internet presence without it costing a fortune. In the previous life, Derek actually worked at Microsoft where amongst of the roles; he was the director of product management for small business server. Since homing Pronto Marketing, Derek and his team in Thailand had helped hundreds of businesses with their website design, copywriting, SEO, social media and more. Derek thanks so much for joining me today. How are you doing? Derek:                  Good. It's a pleasure to be here Richard. Richard:               Fantastic. Now, you and I had known each other for a number of years now. In fact, I think my MSP was one of Pronto Marketing's first clients here in the UK. And you really helped my business to – the best way I could put it is to stop procrastinating about getting a good quality website live and doing what it should do, generate leads. So, for anybody who's not familiar with yourself or with Pronto, perhaps you can give us a bit of background, share who you are, where you'd come from and a little bit more about what Pronto do. Derek:                  Okay. As you mentioned, my background before founding Pronto, I was at Microsoft for 13 years. When I left, one of the things I've thought a lot about, I wanted to start a copy in. I thought about a need out there. I actually went back to my experience when I was responsible for Windows small business server and how small IP service companies struggled with marketing. And I would go out and do road shows and user groups and SMB Nation and all these sort of things. I would hear that same thing about struggling in marketing and the number one reason you would hear was lack of time. So when started Pronto Marketing, we thought about how we could we help a small business execute on their marketing. The same thing was also true just in life outside of SMB of MSPs. If I was at a barbecue with a friend who owned a small business on Sunday, he said, "What should I do?" and I would say, "Send a newsletter." I would be a 100% sure he will never do it. He wouldn't have the time and he'd get busy and he'll have clients on Monday morning and you're in the tornado and the work doesn't get done. Our idea when we started Pronto Marketing is we really wanted a do-it yourself service so that for some portion of small business marketing activities, we take responsibility and work like an extension of their team. So from designing a website to writing a copy to hosting, developing it, doing updates, posting blog post, sending out email newsletters, optimizing SEO, adding new blending pages or forms when they're needed; to do that in a subscription based service. It was affordable and a full service for the small business. Today, we have over a thousand clients and the vast majority of those are some flavour of ITs servers provider or MSP. Richard:               Got it. Now, as I alluded to, my MSP used to be a client of Pronto Marketing way back in the day. Derek:                  Yeah. Richard:               And

Join Harry Brelsford, Founder of SMB Nation, Charles Keating of Keating Consulting Service, Inc., and others as we discuss highlights and important takeaways from this recent ground-breaking conference held at Microsoft in Redmond. Did you attend? Call in and share your thoughts!

SMB Nations Harry Brelsford & Increased Productivity w Brad Farris

Odd Tuesdays was launched this week by Host Karl Palachuk and Producer Monica Caraway. The Podcast is geared for I.T. Consultants and features what’s new in tech management and best practices for running an I.T. business. The Podcast airs on the first and third Tuesdays of each month and features a variety of Vendor & MSP consultant interviews and advice segments. In the first episode, SMB Nation’s Harry Brelsford joins the show to discuss all that 2014 has in store for the SMB Nation community. He also mentions their Emerging Technology Tour, of which Karl is participating in. Lars Andersson, from Cloud Nine, joins the show as well to talk about how instrumental SMB Nation has been to his business. Karl also updates the audience on the many live presentations he will be giving around the country this year. More information can be found at whereintheworldiskarl.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.

Final Report from SMB Nation Fall 2012. Our final interview from SMB Nation’s Fall conference is with Tom Poole, Founder and CEO of Cloud Nation. Cloud Nation is an SMB Nation family brand. Cloud Nation has created a three-pronged program for helping MSPs make it to the cloud. Their goal is to provide a system so that SMB Consultants can jump into cloud offerings very quickly — confident that they’re selling top-notch, reliable services. The program is good for both existing MSPs without a cloud offering and folks who are knew to the business altogether. Tom Poole Cloud Nation Components include: – Sales and marketing support – Education and certification – Platform (actual cloud offerings) Download the Interview with Tom Poole here. The timetable for the release of Cloud Nation is: – November 1st – You can sign up at http://cloudnation.co – December 1st – Educational component goes live – January 1, 2013 – The entire operation goes live   Past Podcasts We recorded two other podcasts with Tom. The first was part of the Cloud Services Roundtable in October of last year. Download the one-hour Interview with Tom Poole from Cloud Services Roundtable. The other podcast was a quick interview earlier this year from MVP Nation. (See the full report at http://www.smbcommunitypodcast.com/2012/07/smb-community-podcasts-from-mvp-nation-part-2/). Download the Interview with Tom Poole from MVP Nation. Personally, I am very interested to see the specific offerings from Cloud Nation. Can’t wait to see it live!  

Report from SMB Nation Fall 2012. Mike Bayless Near the end of this year’s SMB Nation, I caught up with Mike Bayless from America’s Tech Support in Sacramento. Mike says that networking with other MSP partners is the biggest benefit to attending. “The majority of what happens here for me is either at the exhibitor booths, or the vendor booths, or in the hallways and at parties.” Mike is very clear that the conversation has already moved past the “death of SBS” issue. Partners were talking about strategies for the future. Download the Interview with Mike Bayless here.

Report from SMB Nation Fall 2012. I was wandering past the Datto booth at SMB Nation and stopped to chat with Shannon Kohn, the Director of Marketing and Channel Relations. She invited me to watch them blow things up. We recorded a brief podcast. Download the Interview with Shannon Kohn here. Find out more about Datto at www.dattobackup.com. After that, they did in fact destroy a machine. Here’s Shannon’s report: The Datto team had a strong showing at the “Back to the Future” themed SMB Nation Fall event. As a Gold Sponsor, Datto was given a breakout session on Saturday that many attendees showed up for. The breakout, titled ‘Datto’s LIVE Disaster Demo’, was an interactive hardware destruction session that showcased their flagship business continuity solution, SIRIS. The Datto team put SIRIS to the test, performing both an instant local virtualization and an instant off-site virtualization in Datto’s cloud, right before the attendees eyes. To make it clear that this was not just an act, Datto let audience members participate in the destruction of the computer hardware and the SIRIS device. Datto concluded the presentation by speaking to the importance of business continuity for SMBs and the benefits of implementing solutions that save companies from experiencing costly downtime. Datto Disaster Demo 2 Datto Disaster Demo 1  

Report from SMB Nation Fall 2012. I had a good chat with Regina Ciardiello, Editor of SMB Nation magazine while I was in Las Vegas. Regina wrote the Daily Gazette “newsletter” for the event. In addition to the plug for next year’s SMB Nation conference, Regina gave us some information about SMB Nation staff member Jeremiah Ilges. Jeremiah suffers from aplastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Jeremiah is scheduled for his bone marrow transplant in a couple of weeks. A “10/10” match donor has been found. Jeremiah’s family could use some financial assistance. So the folks at SMB Nation are encouraging everyone to contribute what they can at www.adoptourfamily.com. Download the Interview with Regina Ciardiello now.

Interview with Jon Sastre One of the best interviews I had at SMB Nation was with Jon Sastre, one of the IAMCP leaders at the state, national, and international levels. Jon is also a very successful managed service provider, value added reseller, and system integrator. Jon’s company is Conquest Technology Services of Southern Florida. They are the Microsoft Partner of the Year for Lync. Download the interview Jon Sastre now.  

One of the fun things at this year’s SMB Nation event was the whole “Back to the Future” theme. In addition to the lovely Claudia Wells (see previous podcast), StorageCraft and Intel paid to bring the Time Machine to the conference hall. Since he was there all weekend, I grabbed the opportunity to talk to the current owner, Mark Shields. Download the interview with Mark Shields now. You can find Mark online at: www.TimeMachineRental.com or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/deloreanrental His web site has a photo gallery as well as a video gallery. Mark is an application Architect for a large corporation in Minneapolis, so this is a part-time gig for him. Not a bad side job. As Mark mentions in his interview, a portion of his rental fee goes to the The Michael J. Fox Foundation to fight Parkinson’s Disease. https://www.michaeljfox.org/ Over on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk), I posted some close-up pictures of the car. Mark says there are about ten replicas in the US. One very interesting note in this interview: Mark is working on how to un-SEO your Internet footprint. Mark has done some other projects in the past, including other replica cars. After he’s figured out how to convert existing SEO to his current projects, he’s hoping to write a book. I hope he stays in touch.  

Rob Patterson talked to me at SMB Nation about his very successful IT Pro group in New York City – the New York Small Business Server Group. He revealed to us the secrets of holding a meeting, plus the Pre-meeting meeting and the Post-meeting meeting. There’s no B.S. here: Rob is one of the great user group leaders out there. His success is possible because he has a large group of people who jump in and make things happen. The group has many unique features, including Michael Klein’s special presentation on news, trends, links, and more. He is a true resource who “does the reading so you don’t have to.” The New York group has a very strong community. Over 300 members with up to 100 at a meeting (200 when Microsoft has a big event). If you’re interested in contacting Rob, go to nysbs.net http://nysbs.net/ You can also sign up for their Yahoo Group from that site. Download the Interview with Rob Patterson Here.  

I caught up with Jeff Middleton at SMB Nation over the weekend. We covered several topics, including: – Update on the SBS Migration / IT Pro Experts conference (the annual conference that is held from time to time) – SMB Community Roadshow, sponsored by Microsoft and HP – The future (and past) of Small Business Server – The new IT Pro Experts brand: www.itproexperts.com – SBS Migrations going forward – Microsoft’s participation in the SMB space Jeff is a Microsoft MVP and a long-standing leader in the small business and SBS community. In addition to helping people with the technical side of what they do, he is very active (and successful) at bringing vendors into our space to participate at a level that can help small IT consultants to make money. Download the Interview with Jeff Middleton here. You can review the SBS Migration catalog at www.sbsmigration.com. You can explore IT Pro Experts at www.itproexperts.com. And Jeff says you can always email him at “Jeff@ almost any domain I control.”

As I said on my Facebook page, two of my favorite people in the world have been honored as the SBSers of the year: Rayanne Buchianico and Bob Nitrio. This award is officially the Jim Locke Memorial Community Award and is sponsored by SMB Nation and the SMB Technology Network (SMBTN). Both of these folks happen to be user group leaders, so we talked a bit about that. But we also talked about community involvement and why they participate so heavily. Robert A. Nitrio is the CEO of Ranvest Associates, Orangevale CA. The is the president of the Sacramento SMB IT Pros. Rayanne Buchianico is the Owner of ABC Solutions, Tampa FL. She is the founder (and runs) the Tampa Bay SBS User Group. Both are very active in the “SBS Group Leads” Yahoo group.   We also covered some of the other events they participate in each year and why they find value in them. Please download the Interview with Rayanne and Bob here. Also check out SMBTN and SMB Nation. http://www.smbtn.org http://www.smbnation.com

The theme of this year’s SMB Nation is “Back to the Future.” Basically, it’s wrapped around all the cool new things we have . . . and understanding them in light of the fact that SBS Server end of life is upon us. So Harry Brelsford and Chris Bangs over at SMB Nation got ahold of the guy who owns the DeLorean from the movie (Mark Shields). Yes: This guy still drives this car. Then they got ahold of Claudia Wells, who played Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer in the original movie. Claudia attended the first get together on the night of the Preday events. Turns out she’s a very nice, normal business owner with a great sense of humor. She owns a high end clothing story in Studio City, CA. She’s also got some new movies in the works. I caught up with her while taking shelter from the lightning storm. She agreed to a podcast. Download the Podcast Here Claudia’s store can be found at www.armaniwells.com http://www.armaniwells.com/ – High end clothing at discount prices. In addition she has a personal page at www.claudiawells.com. There you can see what she’s up to and even order personally autographed pictures . . . or a copy of the “Save the Clock Tower” flyer. Just a little extra fun along with the work and educational sessions.