The 20 Hires Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer to Join Leadership Team

Chris H. Davenport II joins as COO and Mark Elliott as CRO

Full press release

 

The 20, a leading MSP consortium, today announced the expansion of its leadership team with the hiring of Chris H. Davenport II as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Mark Elliott as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

 

Davenport and Elliott co-founded 3i International, an industry-leading Houston-based managed service provider currently serving over 500 clients.

 

“I’m thrilled to welcome Chris and Mark aboard,” said Tim Conkle, CEO. “The strong depth of expertise and leadership they bring to The 20 will be a pivotal resource in helping us to accelerate our forward momentum and ensure we achieve our long-term vision.”

 

As Chief Operating Officer, Chris H. Davenport II is a welcome addition to The 20’s leadership team. He will serve as the organization’s integrator and will be responsible for ensuring alignment and operational excellence across the company. Prior to joining The 20, Chris served as COO of 3i International.

 

“Chris is a seasoned operational expert with an excellent track record and strong leadership qualities. He is uniquely qualified to drive strategic prioritization and accountability within The 20, with a laser-focus on operational excellence,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. “I have tremendous confidence in Chris’ ability to align The 20’s world-class model with industry-leading operational practices to drive and extend the next generation of The 20’s vision.”

 

As Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Elliott will be responsible for the company’s sales and revenue growth strategies. As CEO of 3i International, Mark is a seasoned sales leader with over 25 years of experience successfully building and growing world-class sales teams. During his career, Mark has advised clients on effective – and cost-effective – approaches to developing infrastructure that fosters productivity and profitability.

 

“Mark’s proven success in driving revenue growth through digital transformation and innovative technologies is a natural fit for The 20 in its evolution into an end-to-end MSP blueprint,” said Conkle. “I am thrilled to have Mark join our leadership team and look forward to drawing from his expertise in developing new business strategies and leading high-performing sales teams.”

 

Both Davenport and Elliott will be based at The 20’s headquarters in Plano and will report directly to Tim Conkle.

 

“This is a pivotal moment for The 20. As the organization continues to expand, our top priority remains identifying the most qualified leaders to help our MSP partners achieve their growth objectives,” said Conkle. “Chris and Mark’s proven track records will be crucial to The 20’s continued success in the MSP space.”

 

Davenport and Elliott round out The 20’s executive team, which in addition to Tim Conkle as Chief Executive Officer, includes Jeff Griffin – Chief Information Officer (CIO), Crystal McFerran – Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Jonathan Blakey – Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Ciera Cole – Chief Experience Officer (CXO), and Donna Pebworth – Controller. Learn more about The 20’s executive leadership team here.

 

About The 20

The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSP) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond proven tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability.

Meet Donna Pebworth, Financial Controller

Today we turn the spotlight on Donna Pebworth. Donna quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Donna!

 

What do you do here at The 20?

I’m the Financial Controller and also handle HR & Payroll.

Describe The 20 in three words…

Innovative, Challenging, & Rewarding.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A Photographer. 

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

Trying to make processes and procedures so things run better, faster, and smarter. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

Going back to college later in life to finish my Associates, then on to my Bachelor’s, and then my Master’s, all while working full time and throughout the process, paying my own way. 

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success? 

I have two, you must be driven and self-reliant. 

What do you like most about The 20? 

The challenges I face daily and how these challenges help me grow as a person and as an employee of The 20. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies? 

 In my spare time,  I like hanging out with good friends and my four legged babies, going to dinner, and relaxing poolside. My hobbies are yard work/gardening, I love to have a beautiful lawn. It gives me a sense of pride. 

Where are you going on your next vacation?

Depending on the COVID19 situation, maybe Hot Springs, or the beach, or if nothing else, my backyard pool!

What’s your top life hack?

DIY Solutions- YouTube Videos


Interested in working with Donna at The 20? We’re hiring!
Check out our Careers page for more info.

The 20 is pleased to announce that it has taken all necessary steps to prove its good faith effort to achieve compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Through the use of Compliancy Group’s proprietary HIPAA solution, The GuardTM The 20 can track their compliance program and has earned their Seal of ComplianceTM. The Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard.

HIPAA is made up of a set of regulatory standards governing the security, privacy, and integrity of sensitive healthcare data called protected health information (PHI). PHI is any individually identifiable healthcare-related information. If vendors who service healthcare clients come into contact with PHI in any way, those vendors must be HIPAA compliant.

The 20 has completed Compliancy Group’s Implementation Program, adhering to the necessary regulatory standards outlined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule, Breach Notification Rule, Omnibus Rule, and HITECH. Compliancy Group has verified The 20’s good faith effort to achieve HIPAA compliance through The Guard.

“We are all very excited to have completed the thorough process of becoming HIPAA compliant,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20, “Our partnership with Compliancy Group will greatly benefit our MSP members and end clients. We will ensure that both their business and IT practices are adhering to HIPAA regulations and standards.”

Clients and patients are becoming more aware of HIPAA compliance requirements and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like The 20 choose the Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.

About The 20:
The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSP) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond world-class tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability. For more information, visit https://www.the20.com.
Follow The 20: TwitterLinkedIn and Facebook

About Compliancy Group:
HIPAA should be simple. That’s why Compliancy Group is the only HIPAA software with expert Compliance CoachesTM holding your hand to simplify compliance. Built by auditors, Compliancy Group gives you confidence in your compliance plan to reduce risk, increase patient loyalty, and profitability of your organization. Visit https://www.compliancy-group.com or call 855.854.4722 to learn how simple compliance can be.

Verify our Seal of Compliance!

Meet Terrence Boylan of PacketLogix!

 

Tell us a little about your MSP…

 Founded in 2002, PacketLogix has worked with organizations of all different sizes and in a broad spectrum of market sectors.  In the early days of PacketLogix, we focused exclusively on the corporate enterprise marketplace assisting large organizations and agencies mainly with network security and wireless design.  As cyberthreats became more omni-present, we have invested significantly in our capability of helping better protect both clients’ networks, but also their end points and servers.  For the past fifteen years, we have been working with the United States federal government through our own GSA blanket contract.  We have worked on national classified networks at various intelligence agencies, trained network technicians in Baghdad, Iraq, and even worked with the US Secret Service, US House of Represtatives, and the US Senate.  In recent years, PacketLogix has taken a focus closer to home in Rhode Island helping the small to medium business community.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

Since January 2020.

Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?

The model, the Support Desk and tools were clearly first class and what we needed to get to our next level.

Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.

The biggest change I have had since joining The 20 was the realization and action I have taken in seeking our larger clients that I can now handle with the support of The 20 Support Desk and community of like-minded partners.

What do you like most about being a member of The 20?

Hands down – the other members.  Their generosity and honest desire to help me grow my business has been so overwhelming.  I hope when I get on my feet I’ll be able to repay it forward with other members.

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?

Never, ever, ever give up.  You can screw up 7 ways til Sunday, but don’t ever give up.

What are your biggest business challenges?

 Sales and marketing.  Getting new clients.

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

New client acquisition and bringing our operations in line with the best practices of The 20 and its members.

What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?

Sales and marketing is everything.  Yes, you need great operations, but without sales and marketing excellence, you won’t have anyone to support.

What book are you currently reading?

MSSP Playbook by Charles Henson

Favorite blogs / podcasts

Click Funnels

 

Interested in becoming a member like PacketLogix? Click here for more information!

Don’t Miss MVP GROWTHFEST with MagiJohnson!

Don’t miss a once-in-a lifetime chance to Join us on June 23 from 1 pm – 4 pm EST for an extraordinary virtual event! ID Agent’s Matt Solomon will interview NBA Hall of Fame legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson, winner of 5 NBA championships, 3 MVP awards, and 1 Olympic gold medal.   

MVP GROWTHFEST is a 3-hour virtual event headlined by an interview with 3-time NBA MVP Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., celebrating the energy that powers growth and the drive to thrive in uncertain times. Tune in to hear Matt Solomon from ID Agent as he speaks with Magic about the obstacles he’s overcome throughout his life, and how his tenacity and commitment to community have been key to his success.  Our GROWTHFEST begins and ends with four powerhouse panels led by 15 Channel All Stars, who will examine the state of the Channel, share forward-looking insights and outline practical steps that you can take RIGHT NOW to grow and thrive in challenging times.

 

Turn Challenge into Growth

The effect of global pandemic has introduced new challenges for every industry – and that includes Managed Service Providers. But the Channel has demonstrated strength and resilience as MSPs have found opportunity amid massive change. So how can MSPs continue to gain growth momentum and adjust their operations to thrive in a challenged economy as the world moves forward?   

 

The 20’s CEO, Tim Conkle, will be a panelist! Conkle will be discussing “Leading and Accelerating through the Recovery.” MVP GROWTHFEST will be focused on turning challenge into growth. Throughout the virtual event, panelists will be addressing how to manage change and adjust your business through the current economy.  

 

  • See four powerhouse panels led by 15 Channel MVPs 
  • Win up to $2,000 in cash prizes 
  • Get practical steps that you can take RIGHT NOW to grow 
  • Gain positioning advice to thrive in the recovery 

 

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event that can help you become an MSP MVP! 

 

CLICK HERE to reserve your virtual seat now for MVP GROWTHFEST! 

MVP GROWTHFEST SPONSORS

Meet Chris Plouffe of CSP Technologies!

 

Tell us a little about your MSP…

Our HQ is located in Sedona, AZ, but was founded in Winston-Salem, NC in 2005. We service both AZ and NC, plus plenty of other states. 

How long have you been a member of The 20?

 We have been 20 members for 2.5 years and loving it. 

Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?

Operating as a one-man-show for so long just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. For me to be the business I wanted to be, I needed the help and depth of The 20. A 24/7 support desk, guidance, peer support, and more. 

Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.

 Everything has changed, but the biggest thing is me. My confidence, my expertise, my vision. I know we can provide TOP NOTCH service and support, and there is no company too big or too complicated that we can’t handle. Second would be revenue because that is always important too.

What do you like most about being a member of The 20?

 There is so much, but I would say the other members. Having accountability groups, people to bounce things off of, to learn from, and to have your back. 

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?

 Flexibility. Being able to pivot, change, or adapt to the changing landscape. Also, being flexible in your way of thinking too.

What are your biggest business challenges?

 I would say sales and marketing. Having a clear message and plan to reach people is always something we can be better at. 

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

 Growth on the business side, security on the tech side, but growing smart with the correct standards and controls to be able to scale. 

What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?

Join a group like The 20, honestly.  The resources I have and the information I’ve learned in just a couple of years, would’ve taken 15 more for me to figure out myself.

What book are you currently reading?

         Getting ready to start “Patriarchy Stress Disorder” – per my wife’s suggestion. 

Favorite blogs / podcasts

 I don’t do that many podcasts right now, I try to use my down time to relax by the pool more. Not many blogs either, except maybe Channel E2E for industry news.

 

Interested in becoming a member like CSP Technologies? Click here for more information!

Meet Joe Parr, Manager 0f Backup and Disaster Recovery

Today we turn the spotlight on Joe Parr. Joe joined the team several years ago and quickly became a tremendous asset to The 20.

 

What do you do here at The 20?

 Backup and Disaster Recovery Manager in charge of over 120 backup devices each backing up 5-10 servers a piece. 

Describe The 20 in three words…

Knowledgeable, customer-focused, friendly.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

 I had dreams of becoming the next Dan Rather, a news correspondent.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

Being the sole point of contact for all things BDR related. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

 Raising my niece from the age of 4 until she graduated high school. 

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success? 

Care about your employees, they are what help you succeed. 

What do you like most about The 20? 

The work/life balance here is good in that if I need to deal with an emergency, I can, no questions asked. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies? 

I love going to movies, listening to music, and spending time with my family.

Where are you going on your next vacation?

 I don’t know, but ultimate wish is to go to Fiji

What’s your top life hack?

Having common sense. 


Interested in working with Joe at The 20? We’re hiring!
Check out our Careers page for more info.

What Makes A Good Password?

As more and more of our lives move online, we end up accumulating more and more accounts each of which has its own password. It feels like almost every site has its own policy, ranging from lax to inane. But, is 4$%nT;6**a really safer than Butterfly5Cat5WaffleIron? What really makes a good password?

A good password is a product of its entropy, which is affected by the complexity and length of the password. Password reuse reduces or even eliminates security. How do these things work together and what does 2FA do to the equation? Let’s also see how to make some easy to remember passwords.

Entropy

A password’s strength is governed by its bits of entropy. Each bit of entropy is equivalent to an exponential growth in possibilities for the password. What this boils down to is that the longer a password is, the more limited the set of characters used can be (within reason) without necessarily harming the security. The complexity and length each play a part and serve as dimension for security. We’ll hit the math in a bit.

Entropy is powerful because it gives you a way to tell how much more difficult a password is in a more digestable format, but it has its limitations. It is not a panacea to security. Password1! is not as real world secure as Meyapar or similar gibberish. A hacker can make certain assumptions in order to reduce the bits of entropy they test, and potentially succeed. Passwords security means nothing if the database is breached. You buy time with hashes.

Some companies still employ systems which employ plain-text passwords. This renders your password compromised the second the company is breached. A legacy version of Ruby on Rails, or any number of platforms mean that your password may be ripe for the taking. There’s far more than entropy to contend with in the real world.

Password Complexity and Length

The traditional view of password security was that the more complex the better, though this is just one small part of the picture. The length plays in as much as the complexity. An extremely complex password which is short is as bad as an extremely simple password which is longer. When you look at complexity, you also need to take into account several variables to determine how many practical bits of entropy you have.

A mixed case only password will have 52 possible characters, an alphanumeric password will have 62. You can begin to add more characters to get every ASCII character or go even further with Unicode. Some sites have a minimum length, and others have a maximum. The way to approach the balance is to look at the possibilities mathematically.

If we look at raw possibilities, we get that potential charactersnumber of characters will define our number of password possibilities. This is only the number of possibilities though, and not really a true measure of security yet. Possibilities can be reduced with either the right knowledge or the right gamble.

While a password composed of 2 words from a 40,000 word dictionary could be dozens of characters long easily (with 40,0002 = 4e+08), it is about on par with a 6 character alphanumeric password in the grander scheme of things (526 = 9e+08). All it takes is the attacker knowing, or guessing that your password is composed a certain way to more easily compromise it. Or, they can compromise the admin account for your service and have a take at the hashes.

Reusing Passwords

We all have a million accounts and it gets frustrating accounting for every password. While there are solutions which help with remembering passwords, they can be annoying. Sometimes you need to setup a password and don’t get the chance (or forget) to put it in your device. Other times, you just want to use the service.

Many people reuse passwords. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. Reuse of a password compromises it in a way which bits of entropy can’t account for. How does the service store your password, and how many other services do you use which have the same username (or close enough), and the same password?

It’s fine to reuse passwords for burner services which have no bearing on your life, but once you reuse with a bank or similar, you run the risk of being fully compromised. Many people also forget to reset passwords after a breach, or they don’t even know it happened. There have been countless breaches in the past decade, how many have impacted you and how many do you know about?

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a technique to add an algorithmically generated password to logins. The logic goes that by adding a secondary password which is impossible to forget (though it can be lost), you can clamp down after fewer attempts. This means that a password with okay entropy might lead to a low entropy password which locks after 10 failed attempts and alerts the user.

This is the compromise security has made which ends up being substantially more secure. Since the code is random and cycles constantly, it is going to be near impossible to crack barring chance or a broken algorithm. Though there is the risk that some 2FA algorithms might be predictable, they are predicated on a secret key which shouldn’t be exposed. If you crack this far up the chain, you’ve cracked more than encryption can do anything about.

You have to have some degree of trust somewhere in the chain, and you have to assume that a physical and knowledge requirement should be enough for all but the most dedicated hackers. Where do you trade off practicality for security, and how do you stop your user from just writing the password down on their list on their computer? That 100 character requirement is now useless to stop anyone who walks in front of that computer.

What Holes Exist with MFA?

MFA at least ensures that the hacker needs the password and the phone or similar device. Users can still install an authenticator on their computer and write down the password, but you have taken as much care as you can. You can’t stop them, but now their security is entirely on them.

Your car may not drive with you buckled up, but you can always cut the belt and plug it in. If the belt has smart technology and similar, it’s still possible, but it’s probably just angering customers. Where does your responsibility end? You already implied your “do not drink” warning on the security bleach, why would you try and design a drink-proof bottle which will just enrage the other 99.99% of your customers who aren’t actively working against themselves?

MFA also doesn’t stop certain combined attacks. If someone is out to get you by stealing access to your phone and compromise multiple passwords (account password and phone keycode), they’re operating above the pay grade of your password solution. The attacker will just target the service instead, or use rubber hose cryptography at worst. You’re usually dealing with a movie scenario rather than reality at this point.

How This All Works Together

The complexity and length both make a password have higher bits of potential entropy, but predictable factors reduce those bits of entropy. If you’re using a long alphanumeric password, and it’s 2 words from a 40,000 word dictionary, you haven’t accomplished as much as you think you have from the math. This reduction does depend on the attacker knowing or at least gambling on the possibility.

This possibility of compromise gets higher as they target the system itself which means you should avoid reusing passwords, especially with similar usernames. You’re looking at 1 bit of entropy if the credentials are identical. MFA and 2FA can reduce this substantially, to the point you only really have to worry about this with spy film plot level events. They do happen, but most hackers just hit a different route.

The more unpredictability you can add into each password, the more likely you are to approach the higher end of the number of possibilities a computer has to go through. 00000000aA! is going to be cracked quicker on a system which iterates through each possibility with numbers at the start, the alphabet next, then symbols. While the password crackers I used back in the day used this method, newer ones use its evolution (if you want to take the gamble).

Crafting a Password

What are the known bits of entropy if they know what you did and what are the bits of entropy if they don’t? You want a balance without going too crazy. I like to use non-dictionary words with numbers and symbols to make easy to remember passwords.

A jumble of numbers, letters, and symbols is a pain, but something like $Tokyo7sutra%REVERE!!! is going to be much, much easier. While this password is easy to remember on its own, how do you keep track of it? I like to use something like a password algorithm to generate more complex passwords where possible. This doesn’t work for every account, but it helps cut down on a lot of them. You can always use a password app to circumvent this, but it’s good to have on hand.

To generate a secure password, you need to increase the complexity and length to raise the bits of entropy. You also need to take into account how many bits of entropy exist if someone gambles on guessing parts of your password. Your strategy can be as simple as a prefix and a suffix or a mix of affixes and interspersed characters. Mix in rules for casing and similar which are predictable, to you, and you can further increase the complexity.

Password Algorithms

If you use the password Password, you’re looking at virtually no bits of entropy from a modern dictionary based brute-force program. If you use this as a prefix and intersperse symbols, you greatly raise the complexity without making it harder for yourself. Password@google is substantially more secure but it also isn’t that easy if you don’t know the process. You can throw in a number at the beginning, the middle somewhere, or the end and make it even more difficult to guess. The bits of entropy won’t go up that much for knowing the algorithm though. How likely is your algorithm to be common enough to have rules for it?

The more arbitrary rules you use, the harder it will be for more dedicated hackers to see the pattern. At a certain point though, if you’re a target, you’ll need far more than a password to stay secure. Though quantum computing puts forward the promise to break modern cryptography, we still have a good while before it works out the details enough to actually do it. You’re far more likely to be compromised by social engineering, malware, a breach to the service itself, phishing, a break in the cryptography algorithm, etc. than a smash and grab password hack if you use a non-trivial, secure password.

Use an algorithm which is diverse enough that even knowing the basic rules isn’t enough to trivially compromise it. Have rules to make it easy to adjust and remember the password despite required changes. Split up services and use easier passwords for less important services and harder passwords for more important ones if nothing else. Make your financial sites each unique and don’t worry about some forum you got for a download and some site you signed up for coupons at. What the site contains affects how much security really needs to matter.

Well, that’s a wrap on our first Virtual Quarterly!

Spring Quarterly was held on Zoom on May 28th and 29th and we had an incredible time with all of you! We look forward to these events every year, and while this one was a little different, it was every bit as fun and informative as its always been.

Our first day was entirely dedicated to indepth training sessions by 3i International, Deep Instinct, BLOKWORX, and TruGrid. We then wrapped the day up with a Q&A session with Kris Blackmon of Informa, talking about the MSP 501.

Our CEO Tim Conkle kicked off day 2 with hammering on the importance of marketing and building pipeline. This was followed by a presentation from Danny Astin of Ciardi, Ciardi & Astin. We also held 3 insightful panel sessions: “How to Get the Most out of The 20” featuring several of our Elite members, “Growing is Not Magic” with Tim Conkle, Crystal McFerran and Mark Elliott, and a Support Desk/NOC Q&A with our CIO Jeff Griffin.

Last, but certainly not least, Nerdio and Crayon joined us to talk in-depth about Azure and Microsoft year-end incentives.

Everyone is adjusting within their businesses and we are glad to have had the opportunity to bring Quarterly to you during these ever-changing times!

So much was learned, and so much fun was had — we hope to see you at our next Quarterly!

If you have any questions about future Quarterly events, or would just like to learn more about The 20, please contact us today!

 

Meet Gary Blawat of Businertia!

 

Tell us a little about your MSP…

Businertia was established in 2006. Originally, we were going to be a management consulting business and had an opportunity to start an IT business for a real estate investor that wanted to diversify. We actually had two articles written about our flat-rate IT model in 2007. However, when the market crashed in 2008, we were able to negotiate an asset purchase for the IT company we started. Twelve years later, we are still enjoying delivering IT services to the SMB market.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

I saw Tim talking about Cytracom at ASCII for a couple of years before we joined and kept hearing about this great idea called ‘The 20.’ So, in May of 2018, I decided to dig a little deeper and I signed up a month later. Michael Vu, Michael Wayland, and others were big influencers to our decision. When you can hear the vision and then talk to people that are working to make it a reality, it was a game changer.

Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?

The bottom line was scale. With every new customer we always seemed to hit a resource limitation to perform technical work to a high quality and focus on growing the business. The biggest thing I realized was that we needed to focus on building our competitive advantage and that was not going to happen by organically growing a support desk or just outsourcing it. So, the idea of us joining a group that was building a common support desk, leveraging core tools, and most importantly: giving us access to a dynamic, mastermind group, became too good to pass up. It quickly became an integral part of our future growth plans.

Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.

Ensuring that we continue to create face value with all of our clients. Once the documentation is done and the support desk starts handling the day-to-day ad hoc requests, it became increasingly noticeable that we are in the ‘people business.’ We needed to ensure we were still reaching our customers in ways that maintained our local presence, but demonstrated the depth to handle their every day demands. The challenging part of that was not bypassing the support desk and doing simple work to create that value. With the amount of information that flows in the Teams channels, the question is not ‘how’ to create that value, but implementing ideas in planned stages over the course of a customer’s agreement.

What do you like most about being a member of The 20?

The people. There is so much business and technical acumen within the group. Every VISION, Quarterly, or daily peruse of Teams gives another ‘Aha!’ moment to solve a problem.

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?

Self-discipline. It is so easy to get carried away on fun items or worry about items that cannot be controlled. I’m always in awe over those leaders that have mastered it. They know when to push themselves enough to move ahead or just seem to focus on the right things at the right time.

What are your biggest business challenges?

Setting the right expectations. Really identifying where I want to take this business so it supports the right balance for my lifestyle and for my employees.

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

Setting the wheels in motion to become the best communicating MSP (MID) Service provider in South Eastern Wisconsin. This also includes re-branding the organization to better match who we are.

What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?

Stop looking at support desk as a cost-per-hour as it relates to dollars spent in correlation to amount-of-time on tickets. Having the support desk should be looked at as an operational cost that provides you scale in a very budgetable way. However, keep in mind, having a 24/7/365 support desk is only one facet of how you create value to your customers. There is still work to be done in justifying the price points you need to grow your business.

What book are you currently reading?

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg.  
– Good habits in a business empower employees and distinguish you from other like organizations.
A Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. 
– How can you not be interested in learning a philosophical way of battle/life from a Samurai?

Favorite blogs / podcasts

I look forward to my daily dose of The Insider News from Code Project.
The humorous subtitles in response to the article title starts my day with a laugh. For instance, take article title ‘The new surf game in Microsoft Edge now available for everyone.’ — the subtitle to the article is ‘I guess this means all the bugs are fixed (and they’ve run out of icons to change)?’

 

Interested in becoming a member like Businertia? Click here for more information!