The 20, leading MSP consortium, honored top managed services providers and vendors with VISION 2021 awards. Presented at its eighth annual VISION conference, these awards recognized managed service providers and vendors for their outstanding achievements over the past year.
“Year after year, our community of MSPs continues to blow us away with their dedication to innovation, growth, and excellence. It’s an honor to recognize their commitment to The 20’s model, and showcase their continued performance and success,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20.
“It is also a tremendous privilege to honor the vendors propelling the growth of our MSP members, and give them the recognition they absolutely deserve,” added Conkle.
The VISION 2021 Conference featured best-in-class thought leadership, actionable content sessions, channel trends, interactive peer panels, and peer networking – all focused on growing your IT services business.Keynote speaker, Nick Vujicic, a world-renowned speaker, New York Times best-selling author, coach and entrepreneur, shared his life obstacles and how to turn them into opportunities. Hailed as the most important MSP event of the year, VISION brought together top MSPs and IT service providers for three impactful days of speakers, sessions, and networking focused on business best practices, thought leadership, and growth.
About The 20
The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) 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. To learn more about The 20, contact us here.
Post-Pandemic Principles for MSP Growth
The pandemic was hard on all of us, and it rocked the business world to its very foundations. But it’s like Einstein said, “In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.” This is definitely true in regard to the situation that managed IT service businesses are currently facing. Managed service providers (MSPs) are on the cusp of a potentially very fruitful next five years.
Covid-19 dealt us all a bad hand, but MSPs who play their cards right can stand to benefit from certain conditions that prevail in the post-pandemic world. The key phrase here is play their cards right. Although the MSP market is expected to grow a lot in the next five years, not all MSPs are going to be lifted by the rising tide. As in most industries, a select portion of MSPs are going to feast on profits, while everyone else fights for scraps.
To sum up the situation: what you’re facing right now as an MSP is an opportunity, not a gift. Current conditions are conducive to MSP growth, but getting to where you want to be with your business is still going to depend, more than anything else, on what YOU do.
The purpose of this blog post is to equip you with some general principles to guide you forward as you navigate the next several years of your MSP’s journey. Principles are important in life; they give us structure and focus. They allow us to cut through the noise and chaos and build toward a greater goal.
But before we get to “post-pandemic principles for MSP growth,” let’s review why right now is a great time to commit to your MSP’s growth.
The Time is Ripe to Grow Your MSP
The Rise of Working from Home (WFH)
We saw a sweeping transition to remote work as a consequence of Covid-19 — a change which appears to be here to stay. The rise of WFH complicates individual companies’ IT infrastructures and provides new points of ingress for threat actors.
What this all means for MSPs can be spelled out in two words: greater demand. Specifically, there is now a greater than ever demand for the type of proactive cybersecurity that MSPs tend to offer. This brings us to the second post-pandemic reality that has the potential to catalyze MSP growth …
Cybersecurity
Even before the rise of WFH, cybercrime was already a growing problem. The digital age is a dangerous one, and as more and more cyberattacks make the news, businesses are waking up and smelling the coffee: modern businesses cannot survive — let alone thrive — without a robust security posture. A survey of SMBs carried out by ConnectWise found that 79% of respondents were worried about undergoing a cyberattack in the next six months. And this very justifiable fear will translate to spending — or, investment rather: a study published by MarketsandMarkets™ forecasts that the global cybersecurity market will balloon to $248.26 billion by 2023 (it was at $152.71 billion in 2018).
MSPs stand to capitalize on these trends as their cybersecurity offerings tend to be more proactive and comprehensive than those offered by traditional break/fix outfits.
Digitalization
Finally, there’s the digital revolution itself, which continues to carry out society forward at breakneck speed. The IT landscape is constantly evolving and gaining complexity, and businesses are beginning to embrace — though perhaps not as quickly as they should — the idea that your IT provider shouldn’t just fix your computers, but turn your entire IT environment into an asset that improves your business’s operational efficiency and boosts profitability. And this idea is of course at the very heart of the MSP business model.
If you’re reading this as an MSP owner, the above three post-pandemic realities should be heartening, as they make one thing abundantly clear: Your MSP can really take off in the next several years. But don’t just expect it to happen. Make it happen. Put in the work. Plan intelligently. Make necessary changes to your business even when it scares you — especially when it scares you.
And keep the following principles in mind as you move forward with your business, as they can help you get the most out of your efforts.
Principles to Grow By
Principle #1: Go Deep!
This principle is vague and abstract, but therein lies its value: you can apply it to various aspects of your business. Here, we’ll look at two ways in which “go deep” serves as a useful guide.
The first has to do with your MSP’s offerings. Now, although it’s simplistic to say that it’s better to perfect a service you already offer than it is to add a new one, MSPs are often too eager to expand their repertoire, rather than ‘deepen’ it. Deepening your MSP’s offerings can simply mean getting better at them, or it can mean choosing one or two to focus on as specialties and points of emphasis in your marketing strategy. MSPs who specialize appeal to niche markets who are willing to spend a little more for tailored IT support. So don’t lose sight of the importance of mastery in your efforts to make your MSP a jack of all trades.
The second application of the “go deep” principle concerns client relationships (also the focus of the next principle). Many MSPs believe that adopting a “growth mindset” means something like: Seek out as many clients as possible. This can be detrimental for a variety of reasons (bad clients do more harm than good!), but one distinct cost of growth-by-expansion is that it can take your focus away from clients you already have.
The key to MSP profitability is, let’s not forget, recurring revenue, which you get when your clients stay put — when you build long-term relationships with the people you serve. Expansion is good, but not if it stretches you so thin that you can’t provide white-glove service and support to the businesses who are trusting you to do so. So instead of always looking for new clients, devote plenty of time and resources to deepening the relationships you have with your existing clients. It WILL pay off.
Principle #2: Put Relationships First
Our second principle for MSP growth in the post-pandemic world is really an extension of the first. However, given how utterly crucial relationships are to MSP health — and how they’re often underappreciated or just plain neglected — we think a separate discussion on the importance of relationships is in order. The discussion doesn’t have to be lengthy though, because the principle says it all: PUT RELATIONSHIPS FIRST. If you’re into mantras, work this one into the rotation. Say it to yourself in the mirror every morning before work. Buy a bumper sticker. Get a tattoo!
All jokes aside, find a way not to lose focus of the fact that your MSP is only as successful as the relationships it builds.
The relationships your MSP builds with clients are, of course, of the utmost importance. Happy clients stay put, and the best way to make your clients happy is to actually connect with them on a human level. They’ve hired you to be their IT provider, not their friend, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an effort to get to know them. Asking for referrals isn’t a bad practice, but if you’re truly taking care of clients, they’ll often refer you without needing to be asked. When that happens, you know you’re doing things the right way — with a human touch.
Take care of your clients, but don’t forget to foster relationships within your MSP too. Check in with your employees, promote a positive and supportive company culture, solicit feedback — and don’t go about doing this in an ‘artificial’ way, like a robot that feeds on metrics. Putting relationships first doesn’t mean pretending to for the sake of profit. It means actually caring, actually listening, actually connecting. If you can be real with your clients and your employees, and form genuine human connections with them, you can help your MSP stand out as a true IT partner in a sea of IT providers.
Principle #3: Figure Out How to Talk to Prospects and Clients about Cybersecurity
You might be thinking, “Aren’t principles supposed to give us answers, not tell us to figure things out on our own?” But here’s the thing: there is no agreed upon answer in this case — no consensus among MSPs as to how best present the issue of cybersecurity to prospects and clients.
Channel Future’s recent survey of MSPs yielded a variety of answers to the question: How are you addressing customers’ cybersecurity concerns? Some MSPs reported that they take an optimistic tack, reassuring customers that they’re being protected by “best-in-class products and suppliers.” Other MSPs said they choose to be frank about the severity of situation, telling customers outright that nobody who uses the internet is “safe.”
It’s not as though there is one perfect way to broach the issue of cybersecurity, and how you frame it for your clients will depend on your style of communication, among other factors. That said, finding out what works for you can give you a competitive edge.
Fear tactics can be too aggressive, but generic optimism and confidence might sound hollow and inauthentic to your prospects and clients. Try to find that sweet spot, where you’re honest about the very real dangers of cybercrime, but at the same time, confident and reassuring in how you characterize your MSP’s approach to cybersecurity. If you can pull of this feat of nuance, it will help you convert more leads and boost that bottom line.
Principle #4: Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!
If you choose to follow only one of the principles presented in this blog post, let it be this one. Here’s the deal. You might not like marketing. You might even think it’s silly — that it shouldn’t matter what font you use on your website, whether you post regularly on social media, etc. Or maybe you’re just not comfortable ‘putting yourself out there’ the way marketing often requires. And that’s fine. You don’t have to like marketing. But you do have to do it — if you’re serious about growing a successful MSP in this ultra-competitive industry. You have to do it consistently, seriously, and well. Why?
Because it WORKS. Look at what successful MSPs are doing. Put aside your pride and really look. They’re marketing up a storm. And they’re not going about it willy-nilly, either. They’re systematic, and in many cases, they’re hiring experts, because let’s be honest, most people who found MSPs know a lot more about tech than they do marketing.
Now, it can be scary to invest in marketing. When you begin marketing in a serious way, the results aren’t always immediate. It’s anxiety-inducing not to see a healthy ROI right away. But that’s just the way it works. You market your butt off, nothing happens. You keep going, making tweaks and adjustments. Nothing happens. A few more months. More tweaks. More adjustments. You see a few results. Nothing big. Then you start to notice a trickle. A lead here and a lead there. After a year — maybe more — the trickle grows stronger. You refine your methods even more. Now the trickle is a stream. Your sales pipeline gets fuller and fuller. You’re amazed to find yourself actually turning down work because your team is at capacity.
This is the pattern we see time and again, so if you’re planning on bringing your MSP’s marketing up to speed, you MUST (a) commit to being patient, and (b) commit to actively working on your marketing on an ongoing basis — or to hiring professionals who will do so.
Grow Your MSP with The 20
We’ve seen that MSPs face a potentially lucrative five years if they get their houses in order. The MSP market is growing, but it’s also becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. There’s no shortage of demand for the type of IT services and solutions that MSPs offer, but how do you distinguish your MSP in the eyes of your potential customers? How do you separate yourself from the herd?
The 20 is an exclusive business development group of MSPs aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-on-approach. Growing a successful MSP requires a lot more than technological prowess, and The 20 offers a robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform, along with proven processes for sales and marketing, to help MSPs not only separate themselves from the herd, but leave it in the dust. Instead of assembling all the moving parts your MSP needs in a piecemeal fashion, join The 20 and get them all in one convenient package. Learn more about what The 20 does and how we can help your MSP achieve monumental revenue generation and unprecedented profitability and growth.
VISION ’21: The Year of the Return
Reignite Your Passion for Your IT Business at the Premier MSP Event of 2021
Last year was tough on growing businesses. But if you’re an MSP owner, the future looks bright. Indeed, one reputable research report predicts that the MSP market will grow from $242.9 billion in 2021 to $354.8 billion by 2026. This is hardly surprising; more and more businesses are turning to managed IT services to negotiate the growing complexity in their IT infrastructures. And as remote work — and the cybersecurity challenges that come with it — becomes more common, the need for MSPs is only going to become more acute.
But good things come to those who … take action! MSPs are at a pivotal moment. If you’re an MSP owner, the next several years can bring monumental growth — but only if you stay abreast of market trends, business best practices, and customer demands in a post-pandemic world. Now, is it possible to ride the wave of growth without a community of likeminded MSP owners to propel you forward? Of course it is. But why make things harder on yourself?
The 20 is a group of MSPs who’ve decided to join forces. Our MSP members have risen to the top of the IT industry by leveraging shared knowledge and resources, along with a proven sales platform and single service delivery model. And after a socially distanced 2020, we’re excited to announce that this year’s VISION conference will be a live, in-person event. If you’re an MSP owner who wants to grow and scale, VISION ’21 is the one IT conference to attend live in 2021.
Come to VISION ’21 to CONNECT
VISION ’21 will be packed with stellar content for MSP growth. But as great as this content is, what makes a VISION conference truly special are the people. Our MSP members say it time and again – the sense of community The 20 gives them is unmatched.
One of our favorite parts of a VISION conference is seeing IT business owners who have been struggling on their own for years discover the power of our cooperative approach firsthand. Oftentimes, business owners attend VISION for the first time expecting the same networking opportunities they can get at any other IT conference. But when they actually start interacting with our members, they quickly realize that The 20 is different — that we’re not just a group of MSPs, but a genuine community where we actively help each other grow.
Similarly, ‘networking’ at a VISION conference is so much more than exchanging contact information. It’s coming together with your peers and bonding over shared struggles. It’s discovering that you’re not alone. It’s expanding your perspective and opening your eyes to new ways of thinking. So, don’t come to VISION ’21 to ‘network’ – come to form genuine and lasting CONNECTIONS. You owe it to yourself — and your MSP — to experience what it’s like to be a part of a genuine community in an industry where cooperation is rare.
Come to VISION ’21 to get INSPIRED
We’ve talked to thousands and thousands of MSP owners over the years, and we’ve noticed an unfortunate pattern. A person will found their IT business with a clear vision in mind and ambition to spare. But as the years roll on, and as they work tirelessly on their business without seeing it truly grow, that vision and ambition both start to fade. Even the most stalwart business owner isn’t immune to feelings of frustration and even despair. No one likes working hard without seeing results.
If you want to take your MSP to the next level, it’s vital that you take a good, hard look at your own mindset. Are you feeling positive about the future of your MSP? Excited to take on new challenges and innovate solutions to your business problems? Or are you feeling tired, unmotivated … or even hopeless? If it’s the latter, it’s probably time for a change …
Coming to VISION ’21 is a great idea for MSP owners who are feeling worn out or at their wit’s end. There is nothing quite as transformative as coming together with likeminded business owners for a common goal. MSP owners who attend a VISION conference often return to their businesses with a newfound sense of purpose and direction. We’ve seen it happen countless times before, and we can’t wait to see it happen again at VISION ’21.
Remember, sometimes all it takes is one speaker, one conversation, one idea – and your entire perspective can shift. It might be Maye Musk’s incredible story of success and perseverance. It might be an insight from a fellow MSP owner. It might be the refreshingly honest wisdom of Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. But whatever it is that inspires you at VISION ’21, it’s going to have a lasting impact on how you run your MSP.
Come to VISION ’21 to LEARN
The MSP world moves fast, and keeping up can be tough when you’re an MSP owner who’s working alone. The thing is, IT business owners generally know their stuff … when it comes to IT. But running a successful IT business requires A LOT more than tech expertise. In today’s crowded and highly competitive IT industry, less than 4% of MSPs ever reach $1 million in annual revenue. The reason is simple: the overwhelming majority of IT business owners try to figure out the ‘business side’ of things all by themselves: talent development, service delivery and customer satisfaction, sales and marketing, vendor management — the list truly does go on and on. Achieving competence — let alone mastery — in all of these things is a tall order when you’re already busy with the day-to-day tasks of running your business. So what’s an IT business owner like you to do?
Stop working alone! Come to VISION ’21 and help yourself to the collective expertise of world-class MSPs from all across North America. The 20 prides itself on being a genuine community, and a big part of that is being welcoming to newcomers. We’re not stingy with our wisdom, because we know that the more MSPs we can attract, the stronger we become.
At VISION ’21, you can plug into The 20’s network of IT business owners and industry experts to supercharge your IT business in just two days. Between all of the networking and the bevy of breakout sessions, there isn’t a single aspect of running an MSP that VISION ’21 can’t help you with. From cybersecurity to sales cadence to market automation, whatever you’re curious about, we’ve got you covered.
Come to VISION ’21 to have FUN
We’re bringing up fun at the end of this blog post because it’s not that important, right? Because having fun, when it comes to growing your IT business, is an afterthought … right?
Wrong! Fun is integral to running a successful company. Fun is energy. Fun is positivity. Fun is enthusiasm. Fun is passion. If you’re not having fun with your MSP, what’s the point? Also, if you’re not having fun with your MSP, chances are, it’s hurting business. Your attitude rubs off on your techs, and their attitude certainly rubs off on your end clients. Of course, you shouldn’t be expected to feel positive all the time — running an IT business can be stressful, and you’re only human. But it’s important that you take steps to keep yourself from sinking too low — that you make a conscious effort to ‘troubleshoot’ your own brain from time to time, for the sake of your business, and more importantly, for your own sake!
In our culture, we’re told to believe in “business or pleasure” — in the idea that our jobs aren’t supposed to be fun, but instead, something we ‘endure’ so that we can relax after work, after retirement, etc. But here at The 20, we don’t buy into that “business or pleasure” nonsense. We think “business AND pleasure” is a far better motto.
It’s true — no one parties like The 20. But don’t just take our word for it. Come to VISION ’21 and see for yourself. We promise it will be the most fun you’ve ever had on a business trip.
Let’s Grow!
This is the year you take your MSP to the next level — or, it can be at least, if you commit to making real changes to your IT business. It’s often said that if you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful people. We think there’s a lot of truth to that, and we encourage and warmly invite you and your MSP team to join us at VISION ’21. When likeminded business owners come together for a common purpose, magic happens – hearts and minds change, attitudes shift, hope returns. We can’t wait to see all the magic that VISION ’21 brings.
Registration for VISION ’21 is NOW OPEN. Also, check out our “Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend” video.
It’s the Year of the Return. Let’s GROW!
VISION 2021 – Why You Don’t Want to Miss Out!
VISION 2021 provides two days of compelling speakers, educational sessions, and networking focused on MSP business best practices, thought leadership, and growth.
Join world-class MSPs and ITSPs for two days of non-stop learning and a wealth of insightful sessions. The conference is supercharged with content catered to every member of your MSP team, from tech to exec.
Connect with IT professionals and experts from around the world. Exchange best practices and share tips, tricks, and secrets for success with a powerful network of MSPs.
Here are the top 10 reasons you don’t want to miss #VISION21:
100% Live Event
Our event is fully live. Not virtual, not hybrid, 100% live. We’re all ready to get back to live events and we have an awesome 2 days planned.
Attendees
Come surround yourself with the nations top MSPs, share best practices & network with like minded business owners.
Sponsors
We have a full slate of industry leading vendors including Datto, Dell, Huntress Labs and more.
Killer Content
Come learn results generating strategies to grow and scale your MSP!
Location
The event is being held in Arlington, Texas at live at Lowe’s right next to the Dallas Cowboy and Rangers stadium.
Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions, along with our main stage speakers! We have a wide variety of breakouts covering technical training to sales and everything in between.
Party
Nobody parties like The 20! Join us for live music, drinks & dancing.
The Year of the Return
Our theme this year is the year of the return, we have a kick off reception on the 28th which will include an actual delorean based off the Back to the future franchise.
The 20
If you are an MSP looking to grow and scale your business come hear from the best with sessions from our CEO Tim Conkle.
Speakers
We have a great line up of speakers covering a wide range of topics. Our keynote speaker this year is Maye Musk. Maye is a best selling author, model, trend maker and rule changer with a fascinating family. She’s mother to three incredibly successful entrepreneurs – Elon, Kimbal, and Tosca.
Join us at VISION for an incredible conversation with the amazing Maye Musk! Register Now!
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers the promise of bringing infinite automation at and beyond a level humanity is capable of at present. It also brings forth the promise of the singularity where all technical growth and development collapses into the automation cycle of advanced artificial intelligence. There isn’t an argument on whether this will happen or not (if we can avoid destroying ourselves until then), just a matter of when. The issue is that the “AI” of today isn’t really all that intelligent, but most people think it is.
Most modern AI is glorified machine learning (ML) at best. Even the most advanced lacks any comprehension or understanding of what it is doing. You have a black box; you plug data into it, and you get out some (hopefully) correct results. That isn’t to say ML isn’t impressive and can’t deliver results; you just need to know what you have and what you’ll get from the process.
There are some overblown claims in ML and AI, but if you understand what AI can do, and more importantly what it can’t, you can temper your expectations to fit reality. I’m going to refer to these various technologies as AI for the sake of convenience unless the distinction is pertinent.
The Promise Of AI
It feels like there’s some kind of AI or ML solution strapped into everything and anything. Security and networking solutions throw in AI. Analytic solutions bolt on ML. This isn’t a coincidence either; we’ve reached an awkward spot in the development of technology. We’re past the era of heuristics and human-generated algorithms in many fields.
There’s been an arms race in technology. Hackers use more and more novel techniques to exploit software and people at levels where even the slightest human slip-up can snowball into catastrophe. Modern viruses have become polymorphic messes of novel exploits that defy analysis outside of dedicated technical research. Humans can’t keep up. They need something at least fractionally intelligent for all the minutia — something that doesn’t get tired and doesn’t make mistakes.
This is where the promise of AI comes in. All of the various AI solutions claim to do this and more; they’ve unlocked the magic solution to every problem, and their solution does things better than any of the old-guard solutions. You just need to buy in, and all your problems will disappear like magic.
Limitations Of AI
Unfortunately, that’s all sales talk. The facts are buried in the fantasy, but it’s up to you to figure out what’s what. Even the simplest machine learning can bring something to the table, but you’re going to disappointed if you’re expecting a steak and you get a bowl of chips instead. Current-generation AI solutions are limited in many ways.
There isn’t an AI solution that has any degree of sentience or understanding of what it’s doing. You get your magic black box, which approximates a human by some measurement, but even the most advanced AI doesn’t understand the data, the results, what it’s doing or why it’s doing something. The AI can’t understand any part of the process, so bad data gets bad results. Another flip side to this, if the principle the process was created around was flawed, the entire process will be flawed as well. A person can use their better judgment to know whether something makes sense or not — a machine can’t (yet).
You need to know the right questions to ask to determine whether a product can or will fit your needs. What theoretical principles are behind the implementation? How does it collect or work with training data? Is the process adjusted regularly, or is it static? Are the real-world statistics in line with the theoretical statistics? What do you need to maintain? You need to pull at the thread until you unravel the whole thing to something you can understand. Otherwise, what exactly are you buying? There’s going to be a limit, and it’s up to you to figure out what it is.
Putting These Factors In Perspective
AI offers the promise of boundless improvement to virtually any process when done right, but that hinges on it being done right. What are you trying to solve, and how does the solution target that? You need the right solution for the right problem, or else you’re just wasting time. A good programmer won’t necessarily make a good technician.
If you’re introducing your findings to your company, you need to temper their expectations. A solution doesn’t have to be bad to not be the right choice, but many people treat it as a zero-sum game. This reductionist approach makes sense when you don’t understand all of the factors: Either it works, or it doesn’t.
You’re fighting an outside salesperson familiar with the product, what it can do and all of the smooth talking to sell your superiors on how sleek it is. If you don’t understand it and no one else at your organization does, who can make sense of the claims enough to make the right choice? To top this off, if you don’t understand it enough to relay the information, who will trust your interpretation of the solution for better or worse? It may be worthless, but you can’t just say that; you need to explain and show why it doesn’t fit.
The future is going to be lined with developments in AI, but that doesn’t mean every product that adds AI will be the right choice every time. What are you trying to do, and what does the solution do? Pull the fact out of the fantasy and see what you can actually expect. It’s not magic, but as Clarke’s Third Law states, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Do you want to fall for magic snake oil or see it for what it is and unlock the true potential behind a given technology?
Meet Brian & Mary of Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications is currently located in Roanoke VA. We were started in 2004. We started this company originally just to make an extra $1200 a month in cash.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We’ve been a member of The 20 since April of 2020.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
We partnered with The 20 to drive down the cost of our tool sets, partner with other resources that had knowledge that we didn’t and save money.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
Understanding scale and letting go.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
Our favorite part of being a member of The 20 is the 24 hour help desk as part of our sales strategy.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Letting go.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Our biggest business challenge is documentation.
What are your areas of focus for 2021?
Operations and Sales/Marketing
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Decide what you want to become and never lose focus on your goals!
Plano, Texas, May 10th, 2021 — The 20 MSP, a leading business development group for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Crystal McFerran, Chief Marketing Officer, to the highly respected Women of the Channel list for 2021. This annual list recognizes the unique strengths, vision and achievements of female leaders in the IT channel. The 2021 Women of the Channel list acknowledges women from all over the IT channel, including vendors, distributors and solution providers.
The women honored on this year’s list pushed forward with comprehensive business plans, marketing initiatives and other innovative ideas to support their partners and customers, helping them through the uncertainty brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. CRN celebrates these exceptional women for their leadership, dedication and channel advocacy.
McFerran has been critical in her leadership of The 20’s strategic planning, demand generation activities, and go-to-market execution for managed service provider members. She is an accomplished marketing professional with over 16 years of experience in B2B marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, lead nurturing, content strategy and multichannel marketing for the IT industry.
“CRN’s 2021 Women of the Channel list acknowledges accomplished, influential women whose dedication, hard work, and leadership accelerate channel growth,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “We are proud to honor them for their many accomplishments and look forward to their continued contributions to the IT channel.”
“I am extremely proud to be part of this list and to be recognized alongside many talented, hardworking, incredible women,” McFerran said. “I want to thank CRN for this honor and look forward to representing the women in the channel.”
The 2021 Women of the Channel list will be featured in CRN Magazine on May 10th and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC.
About The 20 MSP
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: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com
Freedom Tech was established in 2011 in Rural Harnett County, NC – but is now headquartered in Raleigh with additional locations in Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Lillington, & Southern Pines, NC.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We’ve been a member of the 20 for about 4 months.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
Without customer service, you have nothing. Yes, we answer our phones live, but if our reception team couldn’t get an available tech at that moment, customers often felt they needed to make more calls or send more messages, usually to me. I’ve lost clients in the past solely because I couldn’t be in 3 places at once. We want our customers to have the ability to reach a technician any time they pick up the phone.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
Full Confidence to scale, knowing our customers will be under-promised, and over supported with the team on the help desk always ready to help. Now it doesn’t matter if the client as 1 computer, or 1,000 – I don’t have to worry, know we’ll take care of them, and I don’t have to find additional staff to do it.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
Our excitement & anticipation for the future. We’re now part of a team & collective that isn’t just hoping to help & grow the industry, but we’re doing it! A lot of IT Company’s are sitting around wishing, but The 20 is taking massive action to ensure we get where we want and need to be. Not later, NOW!. And the best part, there’s room for more on the journey.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
You have to be willing to take massive action. Period. Wether it’s lead gen, sales, or scaling. You have to take action this very second.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Honestly, lead gen is our weakest link currently. I can sell, I can fix – our lead gen pipeline is the area we’re working on more now.
What are your areas of focus for 2021?
Sales, Sales, Sales, Sales, Sales, Sales, Sales. – The Core: Lead Gen + Sales + Scale.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Stop letting your pride, your family, your head trash, or whatever else keep you stuck. I promise you, if you’re looking for a team that isn’t stuck, The 20 is it.
Plano, Texas, March 29th, 2021 – The 20 MSP is being acknowledged by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, in its 2021 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide provides a conclusive list of the most distinguished partner programs from leading technology companies that provide products and services through the IT Channel.
Given the importance of IT vendor channel programs, each year CRN develops its Partner Program Guide to provide the channel community with a detailed look at the partner programs offered by IT manufacturers, software developers, service companies, and distributors. Vendors are scored based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support, and communication.
The 20 is a group of Managed Service Providers across North America who have joined forces to perfect a single service delivery model with unified resources to deliver excellent IT support. Paired with outstanding service delivery, The 20 provides a successful platform with proven processes to help IT providers grow.
“We are honored to be recognized in the 2021 CRN Partner Program Guide,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20.”We’ve seen impressive growth among our MSP members and we’ve worked hard to design a partner program that reflects our dedication to their success. The 20’s success is inextricably linked to that of our MSP members.”
“As innovation continues to fuel the speed and intricacy of technology, solution providers need partners that can keep up and support their developing business.” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “CRN’s 2021 Partner Program Guide gives insight into the strengths of each organization’s program to recognize those that continually support and push positive change inside the IT channel.”
The 2021 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April 2021 issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/PPG.
About The 20 MSP
The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) 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: www.the20.com.
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com
