Tell us a little about your MSP…
Southern Data Solutions, located in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 2005 with the purpose of providing excellent customer service. With a stellar team dedicated to the success of that vision, we have grown our business and looking to expand. Our services and products are now solidified and moving forward is much easier with special thanks to The 20. I have a saying that, “No one drives a Ferrari, until we can all drive a Ferrari,” meaning that the company’s success will be shared among all of the people that contribute to the success of Southern Data Solutions.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
Southern Data Solutions became a partner to The 20 in February of 2017.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
Southern Data Solutions was coming out of a failed relationship with Continuum and was seeking out a new partnership for help desk and NOC services. We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the entire offering from The 20 and signing up was a no brainer.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
The 20 partnership has helped Southern Data Solutions align our business so that we can focus on bigger-picture growth. Simplified, it means that The 20 staff take care of our existing client’s support needs while we can focus on the relationships of existing and new.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
Being around Tim Conkle… LOL! Seriously, it is a breath of fresh air knowing that new products and partnerships are being brought to the group — and the information sharing is the best!
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
I have always been a driven person and the key to success is finding ways to gain back as much of our most precious and valuable asset — TIME! Being proactive with our clients — and having good clients — allows the men and women I work alongside of to be able to spend more quality time with their family and friends.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Our challenges have consisted of bringing in new business on a consistent basis, as well as keeping the clients utilizing our established processes instead of latching on to one person in our organization. Engaging Google AdWords has significantly increased our inbound leads. As for keeping the client on track with our processes (calling the help desk and not the last engineer who helped them), we continually stand united in delivering the message of calling the help desk is faster than putting you, the client, in the queue of one person who has other tasks and tickets ahead of you.
What are your areas of focus for 2019?
Southern Data Solutions is focused on growth through new business, which will either be through new sales hires and/or acquisition.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Select a focus or goal and stick with it. Manage your time wisely and make sure your team is doing the same! Communication is key with both your employees and clients. Show appreciation to both your employees and clients. In this day and age you can find new clients, but a good employee is hard to find or replace, so always have their back!
What book are you currently reading?
I read the Bible daily and that is all I need.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
The YouVersion Bible app has great reading!