Tell us a little about your MSP…

Carefree Technology was started in California in 2001. In 2014 we moved to Utah to be closer to family, so we now have offices in California and Utah, and thanks to The 20, we have clients in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah and Colorado!

How long have you been a member of The 20?

We joined The 20 in November of 2018.

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

We joined The 20 because it was time to grow our business. In 2001, when I quit the best job I ever had, it was so I could reclaim my time and be an active, present influence in raising our 4 kids. As our company grew, I noticed that the more employees we had, the less time I could spend with my family. Somewhere along the way, I made a conscious decision to have a “lifestyle business” so I could maintain my desired quality of life.

In a space of 4 months in 2018, 2 of our kids got married and another left for college. Now that our kids are leaving, it is time to change our focus from maintaining a lifestyle, to preparing for retirement by building a strong, profitable business and The 20 was perfectly positioned to provide the leverage we desired so we wouldn’t have to build and manage our own internal support desk.

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

Our biggest change since joining The 20 is largely psychological and emotional. We no longer look at a large opportunity and think, “That’s too big for us.” Now we look at those larger environments with a hopeful expectation that we can provide what others cannot.

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

It’s a toss-up between the Support Desk and the community. I love reviewing ticket notes and activities provided by the Support Desk that I didn’t have to be involved with. However, The 20’s partner community is really unique. I have developed many close relationships over the years with “friendly competitors,” but the level of camaraderie in The 20’s partner community is truly special.

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

To be successful, you need to know what has lasting value and importance to you and your family and then work towards that goal every day. As long as you are working towards a meaningful end, you are successful regardless of how long it takes. The moment you identify what is important and move in that direction, you are a success.

What are your biggest business challenges?

With all the demands on our time, our largest challenge is always maintaining a consistent focus on sales and marketing activities.

What are your areas of focus for 2019?

Working with The 20 has opened the door to much larger clients. Our focus for 2019 is learning how to work with these larger, more complex environments so we can continue to add more of them.

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

Be honest about your shortcomings and find people or organizations who are strong where you need help. For us, that was joining The 20. It has been an absolute game-changer!

What book are you currently reading?

My ADD makes reading quite a challenge; too many shiny things around. However, I love audiobooks on 2x or even 3x speed. This month I have listened to the following titles: The Road Less Stupid: Advice from the Chairman of the Board by Keith J. Cunningham, The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey and Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado.

Favorite blogs / podcasts

If I’m not listening to audiobooks, I enjoy listening to comedians like Jim Gaffigan or watching Good Mythical Morning with my daughter.

Interested in becoming a Partner? Click here for more information!

by Camden Rendon

Wondering if you should intern in college? Internships are fast-growing and more important than ever – for multiple reasons. Internships are proven to help students learn and prepare for the real world after college, because classrooms can only teach so much. Some schools and/or majors require internships in order to graduate, and some just encourage finding one (or two, or three) before graduation. Here at The 20, we completely support the learning process of students, and have opened up three summer internships this year to help in that process. It’s not to be taken lightly – we know that we are helping to shape the next generation of professionals. Here are five reasons that you should intern in college – bonus points if you want to work with us! ????

Network and Learn Under Professionals

Though there are many reasons you should intern in college, this one is reason enough to get an internship. I say this to every new grad I meet – you NEVER know who knows who and who you will meet. Connections go SO FAR in the workforce, to the point that some people hire solely off of referrals. Building connections and networking with people is a great way to learn about tons of opportunities in your field. In addition, learning under industry professionals can be great for your resume. If you get a good mentor to coach you through your internship and teach you as much as possible, you will come out of the internship with information that you can apply in your next (potentially full-time) role. As an intern, it’s your responsibility to be engaging, prepared, and to soak up as much as possible, as there will be so much to learn.

Figure Out What You Want in a Career… and What You Don’t Want

Sometimes we don’t know what we want to be when we grow up – and that’s okay! College makes you feel pressured to choose a major that will fit in with a career, but what happens if you don’t know what you want to do? The best way to test out different roles is through internships. You’ve got to start somewhere to gain experience, and companies are pretty supportive of that. According to NACE, 81% of graduates report that internships helped them to shift their career directions by changing either the focus of classes or their major. You may have your heart set on a particular profession, but after working it for a summer, may decide that it wasn’t for you – or that you like something better. Your college years are the years to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Real World Application

Let’s be real – your college classes and professors can only teach you so much while you’re sitting at a desk. You’ve got the brain knowledge, but what about the real-world application? No number of tests, pop quizzes, or projects will prepare you for what is required in a professional position. You will get to apply your textbook knowledge to things that you will apply in your day to day role.

Full-Time Opportunities Post-Graduation

It’s no secret that interns are usually the first to be considered if a full-time role opens up. According to Forbes, paid internships turn into full time job offers 60% of the time. Interns spend their time getting to know the company, the employees, and the position itself – meaning it’s the easy option when it comes to a full-time role. Companies can cut down on their spending for sourcing, hiring, and training a new employee, since the intern already has that knowledge. It’s important to be prepared, timely, and always give 110% throughout your internship.

Make Your Resume Stand Out

So let’s say for one reason or another, your internship doesn’t turn full-time. That does NOT mean that you wasted your time! Not only are you leaving there with actual, tangible experience, but you should also have some solid recommendations under your belt! In a sea of entry-level graduates and applicants, how can you make yourself stand out? By relating your internship experience to the next position! You’ve already got a leg up on the competition if you join an entry-level role with experience.

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

by Dan Astin

1) Change in Control

One of the most important legal tips every MSP should know involves “Change in Control.” In the event of an acquisition or other change in control of the client/customer, the MCA and ancillary SOW’s remain in full force and effect. “Change in Control” means any sale, exchange, transfer, conveyance or termination of any equity or ownership interests in the client/customer, or any corporate, limited liability company or partnership reorganization, restructure, merger, acquisition, transfer of assets, consolidation or adjustment with respect to Client if the persons currently in control of the client/customer would no longer have such control after such event.

2) BAA Requirements

HIPAA requires a covered entity to enter into “business associate contracts” with business associates to safeguard protected health information and to restrict its uses and disclosures to those permitted by the contract or required by law.  Business associates are also required to enter into business associate contracts with their subcontractors.  Business associates are persons or entities that perform, or assist in the performance of, any activity involving use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information. 45 CFR §160.103. This includes, e.g., claims processing, data analysis or processing, quality assurance, billing, practice management, and accounting and legal services.

3) Cybersecurity Insurance

According to the Ponemon Institute’s “2018 Cost of Data Breach Study,” the average cost of a stolen or lost record is $148, while the overall cost of a data breach is nearly $4 million. In addition, the likelihood of getting hit with another breach within two years after the initial one is 27 percent.

As noted by FICO, businesses typically shun cybersecurity insurance for three primary reasons:

A) The organization isn’t investing in cybersecurity overall, despite an increase in threat levels.
B) Leadership believes the organization will never be the victim of a cyberattack because it is too small to be targeted, or they believe security systems will protect it.
C) Leadership doesn’t understand how cyber insurance policy premiums are estimated or what exactly is covered.

Generally, cyber policies include coverage for costs incurred for remediation in response to a data breach, liability for claims arising from the data loss or breach, fines or penalties imposed by law or regulation, and additional payment card industry fines and penalties.

Dan Astin is a Managing Partner for Ciardi Ciardi & Astin law firm and regularly represents and provides legal and business consultations to commercial creditors, litigants, contract parties, corporate debtors, importers/ exporters, MSP’s, small business owners, and trustees, in matters of commercial business practices, litigation, customs and international trade, bankruptcy liquidations, administrative law, foreign corrupt practices act FCPA, contract negotiations, business restructuring, IT, select domestic and international trade. Dan’s legal experience includes prior service in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, as counsel to the Commanding Officer of USS Constellation (CV64); concious objector hearing officer in the first Gulf conflict; prosecutor and defense attorney United States Navy; trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee; Associate Council customs and international trade.

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

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.

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!

QuickBooks Printing Issue

Recently, one of our Live Call Technicians, Trent Shaw, had encountered a problem where an MSP client called in and said she couldn’t print correctly out of QuickBooks. She said all of the logos that were supposed to appear on the page weren’t printing as they were supposed to.

So, Trent went in and first confirmed that she could print normally from the printer in question, over and over again — to make sure that was working correctly — and it was. Then, he went in and confirmed that the print settings in QuickBooks were also set up correctly — that, too, was in working order!

To find the problem, Trent decided that he needed to open the template that they were using to print from, and check out if there were any issues there. It was here that he found the culprit: the JPEG that she was using for the logo turned out to be corrupt!

Trent found another photo of the logo, created a new file for it, and replaced the corrupted one inside the template. As soon as that was done, she was told to print out the document again, and sure enough: it printed out correctly.

And that was that! The resolution had been found, and from that point on, that customer ceased to have any problems printing through QuickBooks!

Thanks, Trent!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

Cirrus Technologies is located just north of Dayton, OH, and service the greater Dayton region, Cincinnati, and Columbus. We support clients and technology in 16 states and 2 countries. We were founded in 2015.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

We’ve been a member of The 20 from day 1 of our business.

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

I wanted the ability to scale and grow quickly, and this meant having the team and resources of The 20 behind me vs. going alone as a “one-man-band.”

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

We’ve had triple digit growth, and achieved an annual revenue that puts us at the top 4% of the industry!

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

The community, collaboration and sharing of best practices and collective knowledge.

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

Tenacity. The going will get tough, but it’s those who persevere and don’t give up who succeed.

What are your biggest business challenges?

Continuing to build reliable lead generation oil wells to grow at the same pace we have been.

What are your areas of focus for 2019?

Sales operations and marketing.

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

2 things:

1. Find someone else successful and model their success; it’s foolish to try and re-invent the wheel.

2. This is a very unforgiving business to those who try to go it alone. Join a community and peer groups; join The 20 – you cannot be successful living on your own island!

What book are you currently reading?

Traction by Gino Wickman, Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim, High Probability Selling by Jacques Werth, and Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz are all on my short term reading list.

Favorite blogs / podcasts?

EntreLeadership, Lead to Win by Michael Hyatt, and The Brendan Show by Brendan Burchard.

5 Reasons Why Your Company Should Outsource IT Support

Companies commonly outsource its accounting and bookkeeping duties, customer service, and HR management… so why should technical support be any different?

It shouldn’t.

Outsourcing provides a lot of benefits, especially to small businesses with limited resources. Plus, good IT support teams are especially hard for companies to build and maintain.

Here are 5 reasons as to why outsourcing is a good business move:

1. Reduces Costs

Reducing labor and equipment costs is one of the major reasons why companies outsource IT support. Employing a company to do the work for you is cheaper than hiring a whole IT staff. The employees’ initial training to get them onboarded, plus the regular training to ensure their knowledge is up-to-date, add to the cost as well.

Buying all the equipment you need for a functional IT department and maintaining the system also costs a lot of money. Removing these factors and paying a fixed cost contract will help you manage your annual operating costs more easily.

And If your operating cost is high, you will likely pass it on to customers by raising your product prices. This makes you lose your competitive edge.

2. Provides Support 24/7

If your business is one that needs to be open to customer calls 24 hours a day, that’s one of the reasons to outsource IT support. Instead of getting another IT staff, which will only cost you more, solely for answering calls outside of your normal working hours, outsourcing to a company will guarantee that someone is always available to help your customers.

A 24/7 team will also allow you to recognize flaws and bugs even before they affect your infrastructure and business.

3. Adjusts According to Demand

When the demand suddenly increases, and more calls start coming in, what do you do if you have a permanent staff?

Hiring temporary employees poses a lot of issues. You don’t know when the demand decreases, which will force you to terminate them immediately. You’re also not sure of the technical skills and personality if you’re in a rush to get someone onboarded.

Meanwhile, an IT company can easily scale up or down depending on your needs because of their access to vast resources.

4. Gives Access to Cutting-Edge Technologies and Industry Experts

Security of your data and your customers’ data is paramount. That’s why Facebook is in a lot of heat nowadays — its platform is vulnerable to third-party entities mishandling the users’ data. Even large companies are susceptible to attacks, with hackers successfully gaining access to JP Morgan’s 76 million households plus 7 million small businesses in 2014.

To keep your data safe and secure, however, you must have the newest technologies and the knowledge of industry experts. You and your staff must be up-to-date with the industry standards, which might be hard to do if you’re a small-time player.

Outsourcing solves this problem. It’s their job to get cutting-edge technologies and train their employees regularly so you don’t have to do it. Getting access to these will also ensure that your systems are working smoothly.

5. Allows You to Focus on Your Business

When you no longer have to worry about the security and integrity of your system, it allows you to focus on what you need to do in order to grow your business. Your employees, without network interruptions and possibly the added IT responsibilities, will also be able to perform with their best for the company.

You can focus on improving your products and services while the outsourced IT team deals with the technical issues so you and your staff can keep on working without worry.