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!

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!

What book are you currently reading?

Scaling up and Atomic Habits.

Favorite blogs/podcasts

Interested in becoming a member like Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications? Click here for more information!

Crystal McFerran of The 20 Featured on CRN’s 2021 Women of the Channel List

 Full Press Release 

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 10^th 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

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

© 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC.  All rights reserved.

Meet Clare Davis, Account Manager

Clare Davis quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Clare.

What do you do here at The 20?

I work with our awesome MSP partners as an account manager!

Describe The 20 in three words…

Supportive, visionary, agile.

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

A popstar!

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

Striking a balance between individual desires vs. collective needs.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

Every year of my life has been better than the last.

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

Resilience

What do you like most about The 20? 

The people and the vision.

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

Spend time with family and friends, travel, music, and be outdoors!

Where are you going on your next vacation?

Probably another wedding. ????

What’s your top life hack?

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

Meet Matt Jones of Freedom Tech!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

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.

What book are you currently reading?

Scaling Up by Verne Harnish & Leadership Strategy & Tactics by Jocko Willink

Favorite blogs/podcasts

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

Meet Brandon Stewart, Member Success Manager

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

What do you do here at The 20?

As a Member Success Manager, I am responsible for on-boarding our new partners into The 20 and setting them up for success. This includes ensuring that they are properly set up and trained in our systems and methodologies.

Describe The 20 in three words…

Inspirational. Growth. Excellence.

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

Growing up, I always enjoyed tinkering with things which made me think I wanted to be an engineer. Then I got my first PC, and I knew that I wanted to work with computers.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

The most challenging part of my job is gaining the trust of new partners that are navigating a major change in their business operations.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

My greatest achievement is the continual self-growth I have achieved through hard work and determination.

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

The most important quality for success is determination. No matter what challenge you face, the only thing that can lead to failure is YOU quitting.

What do you like most about The 20? 

What I like most about The 20 is the sense of camaraderie between the employees, even through enduring a remote workforce, we are all on the same team.

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

Pre-COVID, you would probably find me at a comedy club or traveling across the state and country. Now, I enjoy cooking delicious meals for my wife and relaxing with our animals.

Where are you going on your next vacation?

Colorado. My wife and I were supposed to go for our first anniversary but COVID hit, now we are going in late August for a friend’s wedding.

What’s your top life hack?

You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.

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

Meet Eric Emerson of  E-Squared IT!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

E-Squared IT is located in Clinton, New Jersey and has been open since 2015. Things really started taking off in 2018 right around the time we joined The 20.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

We’ve been with The 20 since around May 2018.

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

I came from small / medium sized MSPs before going independent and lacked the knowledge necessary to grow our MSP to that next level. Outside of some mastermind groups / reddit focused discussion groups there was zero companies that had what I was looking for.

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

Biggest change for us was our revenue. In 2020 alone in a down economy, we’ve more than tripled our monthly recurring revenue. It has been a serious game changer.

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

The biggest benefit is the collaboration with other like-minded MSPs. We tried to start a local mastermind group of local MSPs here in Jersey and were essentially told to go kick rocks. No one wants to share their “secret sauce” with the competition. Now with the20 we can share ideas of what works and what doesn’t work without having to worry about potentially losing local business.

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

100% you have to treat your clients like they could leave at any moment. Treat your clients like they are your only client, and spend time learning about who they are as people along with the tech stuff. The soft skills are becoming just as important, if not more important than the tech knowledge

What are your biggest business challenges?

Our biggest challenge this year was delivering on our QBR / customer service promise during a pandemic. It became extremely hard to connect with our customers when its chaos in the outside world.

What are your areas of focus for 2021?

Our biggest areas of focus will be continuing the sales and marketing push we did for 2020, but doing so in a controlled way that doesn’t degrade overall service delivery. This year was A LOT, all at once.

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

Marketing and sales matter more than you could possibly imagine. Carve out a budget for Google Adwords / Linkedin and push every dollar you can to those platforms.

What book are you currently reading?

The last book I finished was Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson!

Favorite blogs / podcasts

I cant seem to find any MSP / tech related blogs that aren’t overly vendor heavy, so im going to have to offer up the king of fake business himself Mr Tim Dillon on the Tim Dillon show. He’s a national treasure and must be protected at all costs.

Interested in becoming a member like  E-Squared IT? Click here for more information!

Meet Mike Bramm of BomberJacket Networks!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

BomberJacket Networks is located in Minnesota, Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul), Established: 2001, Previously a Value Added Reseller- System Integrator

How long have you been a member of The 20?

5 months

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

24x7x365 Support Desk/NOC

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

Breaking old Break/Fix habits

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

Tim’s Sales Pitch

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

Marketing, Hard Work, Persistence

What are your biggest business challenges?

Having enough time

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

Marketing 

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

Join The 20 Way

What book are you currently reading?

You Can’t Be Everywhere – Marie Wiese

Favorite blogs / podcasts

Building a Story Brand with Donald Miller

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

Meet Joe Martinez of KITE IT Pro!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

KITE IT Pro’s headquarters are in Tucson, AZ.  In 2014, we started off as a consumer/business break-fix company and made the decision to primarily focus solely on managed services in 2018.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

We have been a member of The 20 for a little over 4 months.

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

The size of our company really forced us to look to partner with The 20.  Scaling our service delivery was a huge issue for us.  We were not in the position to hire technicians or take on clients over a certain size in fear of service overload.  As we added new clients, we were essentially growing ourselves out of business.

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

CONFIDENCE.  We knew that we delivered our clients great IT service, we just lacked confidence in scaling.  Partnering with The 20 has allowed us to discover the difference between scaling our service and scaling our business.

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

We love the community of The 20.  The engagement between partners is priceless.  In this industry, every company holds their secret sauce under lock and key.  As members of The 20 community, we are learning from seasoned industry veterans on how to successfully grow and protect our business.

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

Hard work.  The 20 is designed to alleviate growing pains.  Everything you need to grow your business is in The 20.  Hard work is not just defined on the hours you put into delivering service, hard work is also defined by the ability change who you are as an owner, partner, and as a company.  Change is the hardest work you will ever have to do.

What are your biggest business challenges?

The biggest challenge we face is lead generation. It is always the principal challenge for each IT service company.

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

Lead generation and building a sales pipeline.  Now that we can scale our service delivery, we can “get out” in front of potential clients and develop our business.  The ability to get out from “behind the console” has been invaluable.  We can make more effort towards focusing on lead generation and sales which is paramount to our success.

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

If you are looking to grow your MSP, join The 20.  Stop wasting effort in hiring help desk technicians or getting yourself stuck “behind the console”.  The 20 gives your company the freedom to focus on lead generation and sales…the scaling is provided. We wish we would have done this back in 2018.

What book are you currently reading?

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen – Donald Miller

Favorite blogs / podcasts

Cyware Daily Threat Intelligence – Cyware Labs

Frankly IT (podcast)

Connecting The Channel (podcast)

Interested in becoming a member like KITE IT Pro? Click here for more information!

Meet Lance Keltner of UNI Computers!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

UNI Computers was established in 1993 as a computer repair store in Lawrence KS.  I took over ownership in 2006 after working there for 7 years.  At that point, business managed services was a very small part of the business, but I knew it would be the future and where I needed to focus growth.  I continued to put time and effort into growing the business services side of the company and today it accounts for more than half of our total revenue.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

We joined The 20 in 2018 and are a bit past 2 years of being a member.

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

The selling point for me was two fold and equal in importance:  #1 was the pre-curated stack of tools and security with the foundation already set and process in place to use, sell, and manage it.  #2 was the community.  I know enough to know what I don’t know, and having a large community of people just like me with all different experiences and skillsets is ultra-valuable.  Whenever I need an answer or solution to something, chances are someone has it and already knows it works.

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

The biggest change for us is having a solid process that I didn’t have to invent from the ground up over the course of years that’s already proven to work.  I sell with supreme confidence backed not only by me, but also vetted by scores of other businesses around the country doing it the same way as I do, every day.

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

What I like most is definitely the community.  I’ve formed life-long friendships here, which is not something I always do easily.  Everyone is here to help out.  No one is afraid of someone else stealing their stuff.  That’s rare in the world where everyone generally keeps their cards close to the vest.  I also like that if I need to get top leadership of The 20 on the phone for a call, it’s easy to do, and they are ready and willing to help with anything.  Our suggestions are taken seriously and more often than not brought into practice and used.  We are part of the process that makes The 20 better today than it was yesterday.

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

The biggest quality for success is the willingness to change and adapt when it’s shown that you can do something better than you were doing it previously.

What are your biggest business challenges?

My biggest challenges personally are marketing and sales, which The 20 has helped with immensely but also the community and the people I have met have helped equally as much. The collaboration I’ve been able to do with other members has been priceless.

What are your areas of focus for 2020?

My biggest areas of focus are getting in front of prospects and keeping the pipeline full.  COVID brought about a lot of instant change, but we were fortunate enough that our base of clientele was very stable and so we haven’t suffered like some MSPs have.  Reaching new customers and bringing them the security and support they need has definitely been more challenging, and is the key area I’m working on as it dictates our overall growth.

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

Join The 20!  Seriously. Tim says the three most important things you can do are 1. Lead Gen, 2. Sales, 3. Scale.  That’s what The 20 is built on and what its focus is.  If joining isn’t possible, then those three things are still what you have to do, anyway you can.  They will decide how successful your MSP can be. Period.  I’ve doubled my MRR since joining The 20. This is the way.

What book are you currently reading?

I am currently in a few different books, which are all great:  The 4hr Work Week – Tim Ferris, Traffic Secrets – Russell Brunson,  Building a StoryBrand – Donald Miller.

Favorite blogs / podcasts

I haven’t been much of a podcast guy as I usually like reading more, so for blogs/sites it would be:

 1. The 20’s Teams community!

 2. Chris Wiser’s marketing program communities

 3. Cyware’s security daily email

 4. Recorded Future’s daily email

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