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?
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
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!
Meet Michael Winward, NOC Manager
Today we turn the spotlight on Michael Winward. Michael quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I manage the NOC which is responsible for monitoring and responding to system-generated alerts from our partner’s client environments as well as ensuring our core services and tools are properly implemented and functioning effectively. In addition to the NOC, I manage Professional Services (a.k.a Project Services) for The 20. Need help with an upcoming project? We’ve got your back!
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, Driven, Community.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A political consultant or lobbyist… yeah, I was a weird kid.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Time. There is so much I want to accomplish, but the finite nature of time is a constant source of frustration.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Personal? Either teaching my dog how to patiently balance a treat on his snout until just the right moment, or cultivating a loving, trusting, respecting and fun relationship with my wife… both took a lot of work!
Professionally? Cultivating a team with similar attributes. Loving may be going a bit far, but certainly mutual trust, respect, fun and hard work… all things you need to work effectively together. The continuous forward progress of the team I lead every day, for me is the best gauge of my personal success.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Integrity. If you start with integrity, every other quality necessary becomes a part of the equation.
What do you like most about The 20?
The people. I am working with the most brilliant and interesting characters of my professional career, which is fantastically satisfying. It makes going to work every day (back when we used to go to work) easy and enjoyable.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
Happiness for me comes easily — a trip to the dog park with my wife and clinically insane Jack Russell is my idea of a good time. As a hobby, I enjoy brewing beer. Coming up next? A green chili and mango gose, and a carrot cake cream ale!
Where are you going on your next vacation?
Anywhere! I can’t wait for this lockdown to end! But it’s hard to make plans before it does. First thing though is probably to visit my family in New Mexico that I haven’t seen in a while due to social distancing.
What’s your top life hack?
For life incoming: Don’t sweat the small stuff that does or does not come at you. You’ll be happier for it.
For life outgoing: Remember the details. It is often small actions and statements that result in big impressions. They will really appreciate that you took the time to regard them.
Interested in working with Michael at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
Meet Caleb Brown, Owner of JS Computek!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
JS Computek is headquartered in Columbia, MO and we’ve been serving Mid-Missouri since 1997.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We chose to strategically partner with The 20 in early 2019.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
There were many factors, but here are the most influential:
A. The ability to scale with confidence.
B. The extra knowledge, cooperation, and human resources.
C. The ability to deliver the MID model which aligned with our company mission of delivering “IT Sanity” to our clients and staff.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
Since joining, the biggest impact has really been internally — thinking about making documentation and processes clear, concise, and accurate.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The helpful members; so many great resources in the group to share with.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Be willing to grow and adapt in your mindset and processes.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Breaking through the mindset of the prospect’s belief that IT should be like calling a plumber and that break/fix is a smart way to run a business.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
For 2020 our core areas of focus are cloud migrations and new client acquisition.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Find your uniques, define and sharpen your core processes, and then build systems around those processes that allow you to scale up or down on demand.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading The Compound Effect.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
Krebs on Security and Darran Daily.
Interested in becoming a member like JS Computek? Click here for more information!
Meet Lou Ernst, Senior Sales Development Representative
Today we turn the spotlight on Lou Ernst. Lou quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am a Senior SDR here at The 20. My job is to discover, create, qualify and reach out to potential clients for our MSPs in the Marketing Program. My goal is to educate companies of all the benefits to having a managed IT department and putting them in touch with the right MSPs.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Fun, Innovative and the Best!
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut!
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect of my job is probably handling potential clients in every single industry.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
I’d say the most important qualities necessary for success is having integrity, patience and optimism.
What do you like most about The 20?
I love my co-workers and just the environment in general. Every day is different, and there’s just no substitute for that.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
I love to camp and play golf!
Where are you going on your next vacation?
I’ll be heading to Costa Rica.
What’s your top life hack?
I’d say my top life hack is to simply have more fun, and stress less. Slow down and be thankful!
Interested in working with Lou at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
CARES Act Relief Basics
The CARES Act stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. This act is intended as a way to help individuals and businesses alike to make it through this uniquely difficult time. Most people are familiar with this act due to the fact it provides $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, but the business sections are going to be the most crucial to propping up the economy.
The CARES Act has four main section of relevance to most small businesses. There is the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster (EID) Loan Emergency Advance, SBA Express Bridge Loans, and SBA Debt Relief. Each of these has their own conditions and benefits which we cover more thoroughly in our webinar series. These are all primarily intended for companies with fewer than 500 employees.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan intended to help your company keep its employees (and for them to keep getting paid). This loan rewards you by offering forgiveness if you keep your employee headcount roughly static, or quickly rehire employees. You also need to keep from cutting salaries to qualify.
The loan doesn’t specifically need to be used for payroll, but at least 75% of the loan amount must be applied to payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. The important thing about this loan is that the SBA will forgive it if you keep all employees on the payroll for 8 weeks and use the money as required. The forgiveness drops off with the headcount and with wage cuts.
This loan has a 2 year maturity period at a 1% interest rate. You can apply for it through any SBA 7(a) lender, or through a federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, or participating Farm Credit System institution. The amount is going to vary, but unlike some loans, you don’t need to provide collateral.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (EID Emergency Advance) is a $10,000 advance for qualifying businesses in order to help them get through this time. This advance does not need to be paid back, but it may be used to pay off other loans from the SBA. This is basically on par with the $1,200 payout to individuals, but for small businesses (and with some requirements to receive it).
If you or any businesses you support don’t bother with any other options from the CARES act, at least apply for this one. It’s basically free money to keep you afloat. There are some stipulations to it, and certain types of businesses are excluded (legal gambling, strip clubs, etc.). Anyone affiliated with lobbying or politics is excluded as well.
SBA Express Bridge Loans
SBA Express Bridge Loans are loans made to be quickly available to businesses which already have a relationship with a SBA Express Lender. These loans can be up to $25,000, and the EID Emergency Advance from before will be used to pay this back. This loan type is made to facilitate getting cash to a business quicker than some of the other processes.
SBA Debt Relief
The SBA will provide debt relief for various loans depending on certain conditions. As we saw with the PPP before, the loan will be forgiven entirely if certain conditions are met. The SBA isn’t just limiting this to the PPP though. Per their page:
As part of SBA’s debt relief efforts,
The SBA will pay the principal, interest, and fees of current 7(a) loans for a period of six months.
The SBA will also pay the principal, interest, and fees of new 7(a) loans issued prior to September 27, 2020.
Applying These as an MSP or B2B Service
If you’re an MSP (or any other B2B service), your business’s health is tied to your client’s businesses. You can’t live on an island away from everyone and everything in the economy and expect to thrive. Work with your clients to help them through this time and to help them get access to these resources. Their success is your success.
If nothing else, apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance. If you work with more stable industries, consider the Paycheck Protection Program as well. Everyone is hurting from this pandemic, but there is some relief which can help get us through some of the harder parts.
Work with your clients and see if you can’t keep them going or supported during these trying times. They’ll remember your generosity and assistance for years to come. Businesses will close down, clients will fail, but you have to do what you can to save your business so that you can support those who are struggling. See our webinars for more information on what you can do for your business and your clients to help make it through this pandemic.
Don’t miss The 20’s webinar: Coronavirus Stimulus Package – What it Means for your MSP
The Basics of Windows Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is the natural evolution of terminal servers and cloud desktop environments. The overall commoditization of infrastructure has led to an explosion in the number of platforms and options for virtualization and cloud environments. VDI is the next iteration which turns a shared platform into a personal space embedded in a shared infrastructure.
Traditional terminal servers cannot scale without extra resources being added. Virtualized or cloud terminal servers might have some scaling, but a single user can impact the rest easily. With adaptive computing and all of the resources available to a VDI setup, a user can be provisioned where their work doesn’t impact other users or the overall cost of the solution (when provisioned and setup appropriately).
With all of these pros, you’d think that a VDI is the only way to go. But, like anything in technology, there are still reasons to use alternative methods depending on your client and their workflow. Some people view VDIs as a solution looking for a problem while others swear by them. To really assess whether a VDI is right or not for a client, we need to dig deeper into the limitations of VPNs, how they compare to terminal services, what they do well, what their limitations are, and what platforms work best.
Limitations of VPNs
Virtual Privatized Networks (VPNs) have their uses, but they also have limitations. A VPN can be a good solution when you have a good internet connection and don’t need to move things in and out of the network constantly. Past that, they break down for usefulness quickly.
A VPN also requires the user to furnish equipment which can handle their tasks, as well as getting licenses for software they need to do their job. While some programs will allow you to install on some number of devices for a given user, others don’t. There are plenty of other limitations and benefits of VPNs, but they’re way outside the scope of this document.
Terminal Servers Evolve Into Virtual Desktops
VDI is the evolution of the traditional idea of a cloud terminal server. Terminal servers originally set out to solve several problems: how can you enable users to access better computing resources, and how do you average those costs out? How do you get your users the best experience without it breaking the bank?
With a terminal server, licenses end up being cheaper for most applications. You can afford to use lower grade hardware to connect to the terminal server than you would need if you ran everything locally. Your user costs are averaged out by effectively buying computing resources “in bulk” and then divvying them up. Spikes in a single user’s session (theoretically) don’t impact other users either.
The first major jump for terminal servers was virtualization. Once they were virtualized, it got easier to provision resources on demand as necessary. Cloud hosting platforms took this model and some even add adaptive, on demand resource allocation and similar which can be charged for based on usage.
As virtualization got more and more prevalent, each cloud provider sought the holy grail of frictionless cloud computing. It got to be computationally cheap enough to just virtualize the whole operating system for every and any user based on a golden image. This grew into the modern concept of VDI.
VDI Versus Terminal Servers
History lesson aside, VDI is more efficient for users. It’s more configurable and more customizable, but heavier. Though computing has gotten cheaper, more traditional solutions still end up cheaper for many use cases. More traditional solutions win when there is a more standardized workflow and more shared resources or assets in use. They suffer in terms of security and for varied workflows.
Security suffers because you have multiple users accessing the same server. The old security adage goes that physical access is total access. While a hacker does not have access in terms of actual physical access to the hardware, one leaked set of credentials is as good as someone compromising the whole machine and sitting in front of it. The right tools and the right exploits mean root level access, or at the very least, ransomware across all the files the user has access to.
Terminal servers also suffer from a massive performance hit when you mix workflows, or have too computationally intense of a workflow. What happens when a single user pegs out 4 cores on the terminal server or 10 gigs of RAM? Most likely, your other users suffer. What happens when you have a bunch of different teams using the same platform? You need many different pieces of software which each have unpredictable workloads on the system. All of the advantages of a shared environment quickly become its inefficiencies.
The Benefits of VDI
VDI skirts around these because it is a whole virtualized desktop in the cloud. No one shares the individual desktop in this case. The user gets a customized workflow suited to their needs. When this is hosted on the right platform, all of the company’s data can be easily accessible by any virtual desktop as necessary.
Most VDI platforms offer either on demand resources, or can be over-provisioned. Traditional virtualization over-provisioning is a powerful technique, but there’s still a maximum cap. If your hypervisor has 12GB of RAM available to share between 4 VMs, each VM averages 3GB available to it, but you can easily have a VM use 9GB while the others are able to function on 1GB each with the right scenario. If you need 2 VMs to hit 6GB each though, you’re out of luck.
A VDI platform is going to have (near) infinite RAM for all intents and purposes. You don’t have a hard cap which requires modifying a server, you just need to pay more. Even then, you only pay more for a bit with most setups.
Virtual desktops also allow users to use them anywhere. Your user doesn’t need to worry about a VPN, an RDP setup, or any of the things which make terminal servers a bit more complex.
Another benefit is that a virtual desktop can be configured to entirely wipe the previous instance on each run. This isn’t a one-size fits all approach to a desktop environment, or even ideal for most, but it’s a value add for lab environments or certain workflows. If everything should be done off of a shared drive, who cares what happens to everything on the local OS between runs?
Limitations for VDI
One of the biggest slights against VDI is the overall cost. You end up paying more to do the same thing you could with a desktop with more expensive continued costs. You gain a lot of benefits and a lot of flexibility for this cost however.
Certain compliance situations necessitate the usage of on-premise data or access. VDI just plain doesn’t fit these models. You can roll your own solution or similar, but that’s a bit overkill except for large enterprises.
Like with any cloud technology, you’re also limited by your connection speed and latency. Speed is less of an issue with any modern connection, but latency can still hugely impact working in a cloud environment. When I hit a key, I expect to see the letter appear and the cursor move. Some solutions have certain workarounds for this, but they all have their own trade-offs.
Platforms for VDI
The 20 has partnered with multiple platforms in order to provide our customers with the best experience working with VDI solutions. There are a huge number of VDI platforms on the market. Microsoft has Azure, which Nerdio makes easier. Crayon also has their own offering with CloudJumper. There are a multitude of platforms each with their own features and their own limitations. No one platform is going to be right for every single business, but some platforms will be more universal than others.
What are your clients trying to do and how are they looking to do it? This is the most fundamental question which determines what you need out of a platform. Most popular platforms will be able to do what you want in some way, but the cost will vary wildly as will the complexity. One platform might be pennies on the dollar compared to another, but much more limited. Another might make everything easy but it costs twice as much as a platform which is harder to initially setup.
VDI is a powerful tool, but like any other platform or technology, it’s just another tool. It might be the right tool a lot of times, but you need to know what your clients need and why. Don’t just use VDI to fulfill buzzword bingo, use it because it’s the best tool to solve your problem.
Meet Michael Wayland, Managing Director of Byte-Werx!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
We’re Byte-Werx, an MSP out of Houston, Texas. We started business in March of 2013. Originally we were a web design and development company. After years of trying to be both, I realized I wanted to laser-focus on being an MSP. So, in January of 2017, I bought out my partners and made it happen! Since then we’ve had amazing growth and found success with CPAs, law firms, and a variety of other clientele from several industries.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We joined the 20 in June of 2017 — we’re looking forward to our 3rd anniversary coming up!
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
As a small local shop, I wanted to be able to offer my clients 24/7 service, assistance when we were unavailable, and best-in-class software that being in a big group provides.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
The biggest change is the community and drive to always make ourselves better. It has allowed me to learn and implement best-in-industry policies and procedures as well as letting me focus on growing my business.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The outstanding community. We are a member of several industry groups and none of them feel like The 20. The relationships we’ve built here have been some of the most beneficial in my career and I know there are several members that would be willing to drop what they’re doing and fly out to my aid if I really needed it.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
It doesn’t matter how big or small you are, you need to run your business like it’s a business and not a job. This means building process and procedures that scale, documentation, and being ready to hit the gas to grow when you’re ready.
What are your biggest business challenges?
One of our biggest challenges is getting our message out to new businesses who may have never heard of us. Lead generation has never come naturally to me but we’re starting to see a lot of promising returns on our investments now.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
For 2020 our primary focus will be on business workflows and implementing a modern workplace to our new and existing clients. With the jarring COVID-19 events, it is clear that all businesses need to be able to pick up and work anywhere at anytime and we truly believe that is the future of work.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
As an MSP our real value-add and profit driver is automation and efficiencies. You can’t roll a truck for every problem or do one-off remote log-ins. To scale you need to create a flexible and complete stack so you can focus on learning and perfecting your procedures.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently digesting Getting Naked and would highly recommend it. It shows how being completely honest with your clients will win you loyalty and allow you to grow your business. I will always recommend The Checklist Manifesto for any MSP just getting started on getting their process and procedures in order.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Non MSP-related podcasts include FiveThirtyEight, EconTalk, and Planet Money. My favorite MSP/industry podcasts are: Frankly MSP, Security Now, and MSP Voice.
Interested in becoming a member like Byte-Werx? Click here for more information!
Meet Camden Parks, Talent Acquisition Manager
Today we turn the spotlight on Camden Parks. Camden quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am the Talent Acquisition Manager for all departments within the company. I basically find, qualify, and help the hiring managers hire all of our employees. I also focus on our retention and employee engagement efforts to keep our company culture at its best.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, progressive, and collaborative.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian. It wasn’t long before I realized that I wouldn’t be able to emotionally handle that type of work, so I chose to do something that would make me happy instead!
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect about my job is having to reject candidates that I build relationships with. First and foremost, I’m an advocate for my company, but I always become an advocate for my candidates along the way. Sometimes, it’s just not a great fit for one reason or another, and I have to remember that the goal is to always set up employees for success. Networking is huge for me, so even if I don’t have a good fit for a candidate now, I am known to call them later when I find something that would be a mutually beneficial fit.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement at The 20 has been building the Talent Acquisition department from the ground up and watching the explosive growth we have experienced so far. We hired in 73 people last year alone, which is more than we had as a company when I started! To walk out onto the floor and see all the wonderful employees we have really warms my heart — I love when the connection between company and employee is a great fit.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Grit is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles. Someone once told me that motivation and determination alone will only take you so far, because they don’t last forever. Passion is what keeps you going when you feel like giving up. Grit combines passion, motivation, and determination for reaching long-term and meaningful goals.
What do you like most about The 20?
The best part about working for The 20 is feeling like I have the ability to make such an impact for the company. I know that my work is meaningful and purposeful and I know that I’m valued for what I contribute. My manager, hiring managers, and coworkers help foster a collaborative, fun, and open-door culture which makes my work environment so enjoyable. We spend more waking hours at work than we do at home, so it’s nice to be able to say that at our home away from home, we really are The 20 Family.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
One of my biggest passions in life is dog rescue. I work with a few different rescues in the DFW area, where I rescue, foster, and help transport dogs to different areas of the US. I have had 100+ dogs come through my home in the last couple of years — some with crazy medical issues, some seniors that have a hard time getting adopted, and some with behavioral issues. The best part is seeing each one get adopted into their forever home and getting updates from their families as time goes on.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
OBX, North Carolina to get my best friend married! After my bridesmaid duties end, I will be glued to the sand.
What’s your top life hack?
Mix Downy Unstopables laundry beads (1/4 cup) with hot water (2 cups) and baking soda (2 tablespoons) in a spray bottle for a cheap and easy air refresher that’s safe for fabric! My couches and dogs’ beds always smell great. Having lots of dogs in and out of my house required me to get creative!
Interested in working with Camden at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
Meet Allan Sivils, CEO of Sivils IT Consulting!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
Sivils IT Consulting is located in Virginia Beach, VA. We were established in 2014 after I spent 15 years managing enterprise IT operations. I wanted to create a niche business that focused strictly on partnering with our clients’ IT operations, and not selling software or hardware. We focus on building true partnerships with our clients that allow us to advocate for their business growth.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We joined in December 2019!
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
A couple of reasons – The 20’s model is very similar to what we have been building since we started our business; to focus on being the best “Managed IT Department” for our clients. So, it made perfect sense from a partnership standpoint. Second, we have clients on both coasts, and being a part of The 20 gives us the resources that we need in order to serve clients across the United States. This allows us to scale faster, while not sacrificing the quality that our clients should expect. Lastly, the shared expertise of being a member alongside other top MSP’s allows us to work together to bring the best solutions to our clients.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
We do not feel limited by how much we can scale our business by being a member of The 20.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The network of being a member. Being part of such a large community has already helped us since joining in December operationally. We’ve been able to provide onsite resources to our clients that are thousands of miles away, and have these resources follow the same processes we do internally. We’ve been able to implement better technical solutions and processes that have helped us internally to service our clients.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Relationships. Both within our MSP community, our vendors, and especially our clients.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Managing the ebb and flow of IT projects around our clients growth – while we do our best to ensure that we can schedule to meet expectations, sometimes the volume of projects needed at one time can be difficult to manage. Also, sometimes projects require a wide range of very specific expertise. Being a member of The 20, this is quickly becoming less of a challenge.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
Microsoft Azure, Windows WVD and Nerdio. We see that these have a huge operational advantage and efficiency versus having workloads onsite. It also helps us scale our clients faster, while ensuring their business continues to have the highest availability for their operations.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Stay focused on the relationships I mentioned above and being the IT Department advocate. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the business, with a lot of us being engineers that get too focused on the details, leverage your fellow partners/vendors instead of trying to take the entire pie for yourself. Follow this up by a repeatable IT operational standard and processes that will be clear and focused for your team to support and, most importantly; stable, secure, and protected for your client.
What book are you currently reading?
I travel a lot, so by “reading…” that really means “audio book” for me. This would be Traction by Gino Wickman. I’m actually listening to it again! I will listen to audio books that I have enjoyed, multiple times — that is — if I find the information extremely valuable.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
Honestly, I don’t have any. I spend so much time investigating, reviewing, testing, and reading about various IT solutions and methods. I guess I would say, I read “the internet.”
Interested in becoming a member? Click here for more information!
Baselines: What’s in your IT estate?
Heroes get business. When a customer thinks of you as a hero, they become your advocate. That same customer will run out into their network and let everyone know that you are the hero everyone needs. That same customer will also come back to you with future needs. All thanks to you informing them of Crayon Baselines.
Crayon Baselines is the beginning of the journey to optimization. The software compliance path begins with a Microsoft Baseline and ends with Agreement Optimization. Packaged separately, they work hand in hand so you can earn revenue, valuable customer insights, and reduce churn, which leads you to a big pile of cash. The Baseline is the gateway.
What is the Baseline, and how does it drive attach?
Through a Microsoft Baseline, Crayon offers your customers visibility into their entire Microsoft Software Estate. Foundationally, the Baseline shows your customer’s license entitlement vs. usage. 83% of the time, customer license utilization is imbalanced. As a Crayon partner, you will get to play the hero when you deliver data that demonstrates the sky is falling. You don your cape by delivering a comprehensive entitlement report to position the path forward.
If Baselines present the path to the solution, Agreement Optimization is the solution. In Agreement Optimization, Crayon will look at the Baselines, determine future needs, and make recommendations for optimizing the license agreement. Crayon will give you the playbook and sit side by side with you, ensuring the license agreement drives savings and growth for your customer. Together with Crayon and The 20, you walk away, looking like the hero.
#CRAYONBASELINES
Join Crayon March 4th at 10am CST for a Leadership Webinar featuring John Rex former CFO of Microsoft. Your participation is encouraged; so, please come with questions!
