Tell us a little about your MSP…

Managed IT Systems is located in Athens, GA, and our field engineers cover about a 100 mile radius from there. We have been providing top-notch IT support services since 2005.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

Managed IT Systems has been a member of The 20 for just under 2 years.

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

We initially partnered with The 20 because of the potential to grow our MID model and be able to offer more features, products, and services than we could alone.

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

We have increased our annual revenue by over 35% in only one year. This was possible due to added benefits, especially the help desk. Our prospects see us as a much more complete, larger organization, which means we are able to be more competitive when bidding for services.

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

The openness of communication between formerly-competing companies is astounding. On any given day, you can count multiple on-going conversations between companies from across the country that are geared toward helping solve a problem, offer a solution, or providing hands-on assistance.

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

Perseverance. You have to be willing to put forth the same effort day in and day out, regardless of the outcome. 

What are your biggest business challenges?

Getting more leads in the door has to be the number 1 challenge for us. Outside of that, struggling with client education – whether it is differentiating our services, explaining why we recommend a specific solution or service, or why they need to change their password regularly – is a challenge that we face each and every day.

What are your areas of focus for 2019?

Managed IT Systems is going to continue to focus on selling our MID service, but we are also going to push harder on managed security solutions as well as improve our cloud-focused offerings.

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

Take the leap and commit to becoming an Elite member so that you can take advantage of the help desk. The amount of time your company will gain back will allow you to focus more on new growth, better reporting, and perfecting your services.

What book are you currently reading?

‘How to Secure Office 365’ by Matt Katzer

Favorite blogs / podcasts

Linus Tech Tips – YouTube, MSP Insights

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and, for many of us, Mom was our first life coach.

Our Mothers paved the way for what we’d become, so what better way to honor our Moms than to list some of the ways they’ve impacted our lives? Here are 6 members of our 20 family, each sharing a nugget of indispensable wisdom, courtesy of their Moms.

Enjoy!

Matt King, Channel Sales Rep.

[My Mom is] very punctual and instilled that in me at an early age. She would say, ‘It’s always much better to be an hour early than one minute late.’

– Our Channel Sales Rep, Matt King

Camden Rendon, Talent Acquisition Manager.

My Mom taught me that we all sweat salty and we all bleed red. ‘Treat everyone with the same respect, and don’t ever look down on anyone, because one day they might grow taller than you.’ ‘Say ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no sir’ and always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ ‘Don’t spend a lifetime on someone that won’t spend a minute on you.’ ‘Love fearlessly, and never forget to tell people you care about them.’ ‘It’s okay to cry, but pick yourself back up and put on a smile before facing the world.’

– Our Talent Acquisition Manager, Camden Rendon

Joe Parr, Manager of Backup and Disaster Recovery.

‘Always be there for your family, they are the only one you have.’

– Our Manager of Backup and Disaster Recovery, Joe Parr

Rudy Lucas, Marketing Program Manager.

My Mom, Martha Lucas, would always say, ‘Depend on no one. The only person that is going to take care of the old you, is the young you.’

– Our Marketing Program Manager, Rudy Lucas

Michael Copeland, Creative Director.

For me, my Mom was always big on respecting others. Which seems like the most basic of principles, and it is, but it was always an important lesson growing up; the top of the charts. Whether it was about respect being a two-way street, and that you needed to give it if you wanted it in return, or about how actually listening to someone is the sincerest forms of respect, my Mom drilled it (and continues to drill it) into both my Brother and me.

– Our Creative Director, Michael Copeland

Kayley Lantrip, Marketing Coordinator.

‘If it is in a song or a script, you’re allowed to say the curse word.’

– Our Marketing Coordinator, Kayley Lantrip

Happy Mother’s Day!

Want to join our awesome team? The 20 is hiring! Check out our open positions here.

Well that’s a wrap on another successful Quarterly meeting with our partners!

Spring Quarterly was held at our offices at Legacy Central in Plano on April 11th and 12th, and we had an incredible time with all of you.

Our first day was entirely dedicated to in-depth training session by CloudJumper where they showcased their new Cloud Workspace Management Suite on the new Microsoft Azure Marketplace. This day-long training really allowed Cloudjumper to dive deep into the product and focus our members on the benefits of the new suite that features simplified management, optimized billing, and more automation with control.

The day concluded with 2 demos on ACE and CWA setup, followed by a happy hour sponsored by Cytracom! It was 2 hours of games, music and good times spent with our 20 family.

Day 2 kicked off with Tim Conkle discussing how vision without execution is purely a dream. He also talked about the unlimited potential of growth that exists if you simply reach for it enough. Then, Elite member John Rutkowski of Bolder Designs gave a great presentation on client relations and onboarding.

So much was learned, and so much fun was had – there’s nothing we look forward to more then when we have our partners in town, and in the same room. It’s a tremendous energy, and we’re always sad when it ends!

If you have any questions about future Quarterly events, please utilize our Chat feature on the site, or give us a call! We’d love for you to be a part of our Summer Quarterly in July!

Tim’s opening remarks.

COO Ciera Cole presents.

Cloudjumper presentation.

It would certainly appear that an increasing number managed IT service providers are selecting a vertical specialization in an effort to become more profitable and scalable. And really, why wouldn’t you? That doesn’t sound like a bad gig!

The numbers demonstrate that when an MSP picks key vertical markets to infiltrate, they end up having enormous success. But why do so many companies elect not to do this, and become the experts in certain practices?

Why vertical specialization is important.

While at one time, simply offering a help desk, network admin, or backup was unique and innovative, this is just not the case today. Adding to this, the cost barrier to compete as an MSP has never been lower. And services such as service desk and NOC are easily outsourced. This influx of competitors and lower barrier to entry has certainly led to a bottleneck. A 2018 survey of the top 501 MSPs by Channel Futures reports that “only 22% of the companies that earned a spot on the MSP 501 this year offer no sort of vertical-market focus.”

It would appear that the best performing and higher growth MSPs have developed a vertical specialization.

Think about it… most business owners are seeking an IT provider they perceive understands their business the best. This is where vertical specialization will help to separate your MSP from the others.

Put yourself in the business owner’s position; all things considered equal from an IT support standpoint who would I trust my IT to more?  Chances are the MSP that exhibits the most business knowledge and understanding about their workflow will win the business.  Even better, this MSP will most likely be able to charge a premium for the same services.

We talked to some of our partners who specialize…

WCI Technology Solutions has historically focused on financial advisors as a primary niche. This particular niche also fits very well with one of WCI’s core focuses: “Protecting What You Value Most,” and The 20 has helped WCI confidently provide this to that niche. I believe WCI has been successful with financial advisors because we have always been very aware that we needed to keep our clients, and their information, safe… Combining The 20’s help desk, security tools (like Deep Instinct), mindset, and working with their strategic partners like The Compliancy Group, WCI is extending our focus to become known as “The Compliancy Experts.” This will enable us to successfully enter additional niches like medical and manufacturing.

–Bill Wright, Owner, WCI Technology Solutions

Stratocent Technologies has a strong partnership with professional services firms – tax and accounting, legal, engineering firms in particular. Each of these have deadlines, mission critical data, regulation, compliance concerns, and a business model that relies heavily on their computers and networks. Our focus on mission-critical environments and workflows has worked very well to prevent downtime, increase confidence and productivity for our clients, often saving them money or increasing profitability in the process.

–Jim Bachaud, CEO, Stratocent Technologies

In our 10th year, BLOKWORX went channel-only when the majority of our new business was peer team and other MSPs looking for assistance. We have a strong presence in financial and other compliance-based industries.

–Rob Boles, President, BLOKWORX

…[TechNoir Solutions provides] IT support to nationwide co-working spaces (commercial real estate). Not only do we get their network up and running, but we can deliver ongoing support to the small businesses that comprise those spaces… Our mission is to be the technology advocate for startups and rapidly growing businesses that are experiencing technology growing pains.

–TJ Mitchell, Director of Sales and Marketing, TechNoir Solutions

How does an MSP determine a vertical specialization?

Look across your client base and study each of your clients. See what you got. And know that verticals aren’t just about particular industries — it’s a melting pot of many factors. Here are items to review when selecting verticals:

• Industry verticals: What particular industries are technology-dependent or see technology as a strategic asset?
• Technology verticals: Do you have knowledge of a particular technology that is in demand? Do you specialize on a particular security offering? Maybe it is document management or some other technology that many MSPs seem to not bother with.
• Geography: Are there particular geographies that are more lucrative than others? Are their parts of your city or state that are not serviced well by all the other managed service companies?

What do you have to lose?

Looking to fast track the growth of your MSP? Click here to learn more about The 20.

Employee Spotlight: Meet Joseph Deskin, Technical Onboarding Specialist

What do you do here at The 20? 

My official title is Technical Onboarding Specialist, which means I help new employees learn the systems we use and teach them about the current policies and procedures that the support desk follows. I also help to develop new policies and procedures as the support desk grows.

Describe The 20 in three words…

Fun, Determined, Revolutionary.

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

As a child I really wanted to be a teacher. I always enjoyed the aspect of helping someone learn something new.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

Developing new training methods and documentation for current and new employees to follow.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

My family.

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

Giving your all, even in the smallest task.

What do you like most about The 20? 

The people — 100%. We are a family who always does our best to lift one another up.

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

I enjoy gaming and streaming, hanging out with the family, and taking my dog out to the dog park.

Where are you going on your next vacation? 

We currently have plans to go to New York.

What’s your top life hack? 

The top life hack for me has always been a quote that was introduced to me when I was a teenager: “Show me your friends and I will show you your future.” This basically means that the people you place your self around and spend the most time with will help to develop the road ahead of you. This has been my main hack in navigating through life.

Want to join our awesome team? The 20 is hiring! Click here to view all open positions!

by Camden Rendon

Coming into The 20 as the new in-house Talent Acquisition Manager was a big career move for me. I knew I was walking into a company with no formal recruiting department – meaning that I would be building it from the ground up, picking and choosing the best MSP recruiting strategies to bring over. I was hired with the intention of doubling our company in size by the end of the year, while also bringing in strategies revolved around smart hiring and employee retention. With the right people in the right seats, the sky is the limit.

Following are some of the MSP recruiting strategies I recommend for recruiting and retaining top talent:

Smart Hiring

Inbound Recruiting

A lot of corporate recruiters will take a reactive approach to candidates, only reaching out to ones that apply directly with their company. Effective MSP recruiting strategies are more proactive and develop an active pipeline of candidates ready to go. This has helped cut down on time to fill for both our growth and backfill roles. Not only does this help keep a healthy pipeline of open candidates, but it gives me the ability to speak to the people that I think might be the best fit for the roles I’m filling. By utilizing passive candidate sourcing, The 20 has gone from 2-3 hires per month to about 8-10. The initial outreach helps us get in people that we know we want in the seat, as opposed to filling it with just anybody that can do the job.

Three A’s Approach

Ability, aptitude, and attitude are the three A’s to consider when hiring, according to Michael Skok. When I’m interviewing a candidate, I really dig into these three things. My favorite thing to learn about a candidate is their story. I like to know what adversities and challenges they’ve had to face and how they’ve overcome them. Their personal accomplishments. Their goals. I like to know the things that have shaped that person into who they are, because you can learn so much about their likes, dislikes, work ethic, and what makes them tick. A good recruiter should be able to easily read people, which can very quickly distinguish a good hire from a bad hire.

Employee Retention

Programs

One of the biggest projects I immediately suggested was an Employee Referral Bonus Program, where employees get paid if they refer a friend to work with us that gets hired. Employee referrals are proven to reduce the turnover rate (46%, as opposed to 33% from career sites), while also improving the quality of hire. It’s no secret that people are who they surround themselves with, so it’s the perfect opportunity to get like-minded people in the door. We have been able to implement that and have hired 5 referrals (and counting) this year alone!

I also proposed implementing an onboarding process for new hires. Employee onboarding plays a huge role in MSP recruiting strategies and specifically, retention – 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding, and 50% report new-hire productivity, making for a longer-lasting and better all-around hire.

Culture

The best and easiest way to keep employees is hiring good CULTURE fits. The heart of your company is your employee base. When you hire the right people, and all those people are sitting in the right seats within the company, you’ve got your strongest defense mechanism. Employees want to work where they are happy. Now more than ever, people are realizing that more of their day is spent at work than at home. With that, they want to feel like their purpose is fulfilled and they are appreciated. The 20 is huge on making sure people feel welcomed and appreciated – free snacks, nerf gun fights, a casual environment, lots of laughs, and an open-door policy help to keep our employees happy.

Want to join our awesome team? The 20 is hiring! Check out our open positions here.

Top photo: The 20’s new Q1 hires.

Tell us a little about your MSP…

I started Tech Junkies in January of 2007 in Hays, KS (I’ll wait for you to Google Maps that). I was working full time for a local ISP and fixing computers on the side. I started making more money from my side gig than my full-time job, so I decided to venture out on my own. I used my older brother’s four wheeler as collateral, got a loan for $8,100, signed a lease on a retail space, quit my job, cashed out what little I had in my company retirement, then went home and told my wife what I had done (I strongly recommend you put that last item first)! She was a bit shocked, but supportive. We were doing retail computer repair initially, but quickly started to transition into managed services for local businesses. Seeing need in our area for both residential and business IT solutions, we continue to offer both, utilizing a MSP service model.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

I was in The 20 before it was really ‘The 20.’ I was on the first call with Tim that started to form the concept of The 20. Since that time, I have been all in with The 20 model. I have seen it grow from just a concept to what it has become today. I guess I’d be considered the OG of The 20.

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

After hearing the concept, I was on board right away. My goal with Tech Junkies was to scale on a massive level. I saw partnering with Tim and The 20 as my best option to do so.

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

Starting day 1 we could handle almost any client that walked in the door. Coming back from the first meeting in Dallas I closed my biggest deal up to that point. Before The 20 I would have been gun shy to take on such a large client. However, with The 20 on my side it was an easy process to onboard and support.

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

The community. We have all become such a tight community between the partners, The 20 Leadership, and even The 20 staff. I have forged business relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime.

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

The ability to execute. I think some people just lack the ability to execute on ideas. Talk it great but it’s the walk that will make you money.

What are your biggest business challenges?

Lead generation. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy with the leads we are getting, I’ll always want more.

What are your areas of focus for 2019?

We are focusing on adding a comprehensive Cybersecurity Solution for all of our current clients and prospects. We handle managed IT services one way… the right way. We now offer a layered approached to cybersecurity defense based on the relationships that we have built through The 20.

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

Join The 20! Don’t re-invent the wheel. Let The 20 bring their expertise to the table on the operations and service delivery. You as a business owner should be focusing on marketing and sales.

What book are you currently reading?

Scaling Up byVern Harnish (I’m always re-reading / listening to it).

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.

Favorite blogs / podcasts

GaryVee – I usually have GaryVee or some other audio playing in the background all day.

Earlier this month, we saw the first of four ChannelPro SMB Forum events this year that featured presentations from industry experts and some of the top managed service providers in the country!

The event kicked off with a pre-day workshop on The Building Blocks of a Mature MSP.

The 20 hosted this alongside Cytracom, Compliancy Group, and Deep Instinct. The workshop covered the top challenges MSPs face, go-to-market strategy, adding monthly recurring revenue, developing stickier client relationships, and more!

The seminar also included two panel sessions, including one highlighting successful MSP owners: Rob Boles of BLOKWORX, Scott Meeler of Managed IT Systems, Terry Barden of Forward Systems and Paul Redding of Carlin Bradley. The vendor panel session featured Vance Carlaw of Deep Instinct, Dave Goldie of Cytracom, Marc Haskelson of Compliancy Group and Crystal McFerran of The 20.

It was a full house and so much fun.

The theme was Bigger. Better. Business. and the jam-packed event featured presentations from some of the brightest minds in the business who shared their insights on the hottest tech solutions in the SMB marketplace today. IT consultants, VARs, integrators, and managed service providers of all types networked with peers, and got detailed information on the latest technology trends and solutions.

The event concluded with attendees honoring vendor sponsors with the following awards:

Best in Show: Datto
Best Cloud Solution: Datto and SherWeb
Best Hardware Solution: Epson
Best New Solution: Domotz
Most Innovative Solution: Compliancy Group
Best Partner Community: Datto
Best Software Solution: Webroot
Best Revenue Booster: Cytracom
Best IoT Solution: Domotz and SYNNEX
Best Add-On: RapidFire Tools
Best On-Stage Presentation: The 20
Best Solution Presentation (Sapphire, Platinum, Diamond, Gold sponsors): Datto
Best Solution Presentation (Silver sponsors): bvoip
Best Distributor: SYNNEX
Best Silver Selfie: Domotz

The next seminar will be held in Chicago May 1-2!

Spots are filling up fast, so interested attendees should register immediately here!

We hope to see you there!

by Patrick Sullivan, Contributor

By understanding what Workspace as a Service (WaaS) has to offer your End Customer, you can ensure that you’re reaching the customers who will benefit the most from the cloud. WaaS has so much to offer to so many. But, who is the ideal prospect?

So often we are asked, “What’s the best vertical for your solutions?” and, “What industries do you typically target?” or, “What type of companies can WaaS help?”

WaaS has practical applications across every vertical and just about every size business. This widespread versatility gives our partners the flexibility to develop their solution and messaging for the verticals they are already targeting, or to focus their marketing and sales as broadly as they want.

Using the Core-4 to Find the Ideal WaaS Customer.

When evaluating a prospective WaaS customer, look for the Core-4, which will help you zero in on the ideal cloud workspace customer. If the prospect answers “yes” to any of these four questions, then you have a winner:

1. Will you require a server refresh or other large IT project within the next 12 months?

Especially this year as Microsoft will sunset Windows 7 and Windows Server 2001/2008 R2 next January, so many companies are going to have to decide: expensive fork-lift upgrade, or easy and inexpensive transition into the cloud. End Customers hate IT projects, and with the cloud, you can eliminate the majority of them, saving them money and resources, and building your cloud business in the process.

2. Do you have employees who work remotely? Or does your business have multiple locations?

In today’s global business environment, companies are turning more and more to hiring remote staff, often outside their geographic footprint. Consider a company who hires Susan whose sole responsibility is to meet with customers; any time she spends in the office is just wasted time. Or, what about a business who needs Grant’s specific expertise, but he lives in Seattle, hundreds of miles away. In both cases, the staffers need the same accessibility as anyone working from the office. In both cases, the company’s IT needs to have control over their technology. Cloud Workspace simplifies both of these, making them an easy reality.

3. Do you have extensive security needs?

Think about a small bank, finance company or insurance agent. These are small companies, but they store and share sensitive client information. Security is paramount for them. At CloudJumper, we work incredibly hard to ensure our solutions are inherently secure. Additionally, we have a number of optional security add-ons that help your End Customers who need even more.

4. Is your company’s IT function larger than your IT team can support?

This can come out in a number of ways. Of course, if they have big security needs, but maybe, they also have numerous software apps to manage and maintain. They might have tight IT requirements for maintaining certifications or franchise agreements. Maybe they have a mix of OS and devices that all need to connect. The list here is endless, and no doubt your prospects will share items they simply would love to off-load to the cloud.

Always Has Been, and Still It Remains, it’s the Core-4

These are the four prospect characteristics that so easily translate into a sale, and they always have in the 20 years we have been providing a WaaS solution. You will find them in businesses across every industry, every vertical, every part of the world. Understand them, recognize them, and the sale is yours! It’s just a natural fit.

By understanding the ideal WaaS customer, you will more easily grow your business in the cloud, and boost your sales, profits and the stickiness of your customer base. Especially as you are just starting to build your cloud business, start with the Core-4. Soon, you’ll find yourself supporting your customers in ways no on-prem server farm can handle.

Patrick Sullivan is the Channel Sales Manager for CloudJumper who uses his cloud expertise and business acumen to guide MSPs as they create and grow their companies in the cloud. His support helps them build an IT cloud solution that saves their end customers money, time and hassle. Patrick has been with CloudJumper since June 2015 and has been very successful working helping his partners build their businesses in the cloud. Prior to joining CloudJumper, he honed his business development skills working in the equipment finance industry for more than 8 years. In 2005, Patrick graduated from New Hampshire University with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.