Building Momentum in Your Managed Services Practice

March 1, 2010 – 10:28 am
Orginally I created the slide deck for Autotask Community Live 2009 and have delivered 4 more versions of it over the past year.  By far my favorite delivery was when I presented this deck at the Microsoft World Wide Partner Conference.    Great IPED data shared in context and still very relevent to those making the transition.  Enjoy! OK, after spending 5 minutes attempting to get Silverlight embed it's player in WordPress, here is the link to the videocast.

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Become an SBSC! (Free Exam Vouchers)

February 11, 2010 – 2:10 pm
Do you sell to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)? Do you provide your SMB customers with Microsoft technologies and related services? Do you want to differentiate yourself in your marketplace? If you answered “Yes,” have you considered joining the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC), a group of 6,500 trusted technology advisors focused on selling to Small Business customers. Benefits of joining include access to exclusive marketing dollars, recognition from displaying the SBSC logo, support from an Online Technical Community, and increased exposure to partners and customers through the Microsoft Partner Finder and Solution Finder. As an SBSC Advisory Council member, let me tell you why I am part of this Community.  Proving my company not only has the technical skills necessary to serve small businesses but the understanding of how technology must be applied differently than as the one-size-fits-all mentality applied to most larger business solutions. The Small Business Specialist competency shows our ...

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Top Eight Things To Consider As We Ponder An Economic Recovery

December 10, 2009 – 9:43 am
Below is one of the blogs I recently posted within the Autotask Community blogs.  If you are an Autotask user be sure to stop by the community often to participate in the amazing levels of interaction going on there.  If you are not an Autotask user, well… Top Eight Things To Consider As We Ponder An Economic Recovery So are you ready for an economic recovery? Are you really ready? I know you are ready to see your pipeline fill back up, your AR go back up and especially your cash-on-hand go back up but, are you ready to scale your business for an influx of new business? It’s a legitimate question that you need to answer because if you are not, it could mean the difference between growth or implosion. If you are like most IT services providers that have felt “the pinch” of the economic slowdown, then you have probably made at ...

Posted in Managing Your Business | 2 Comments »

Take a Peak Behind the SBS 2008 Wizards

October 9, 2009 – 9:07 am
Join the Third Tier Team for the a Third Thursday Webinar on “Behind the SBS 2008 Wizards".  What is actually happening when you use one of the wizards in SBS? Reality is that wizards are nothing more than scripts that were written by the development team. But knowing what they are doing is important information that will aid you in becoming an SBS expert. Steve Banks, SBS MVP and new Third Tier consultant will join Amy in this presentation. It will be Steve’s debut! We’ll tackle as many of the wizards as we have time for in this session. Please plan to join us on October 15th at Noon eastern time. When: Thursday, Oct 15, 2009 12:00 PM (EDT) Scheduled to Occur: Once Duration: 1:00 Confirm Here:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151373399588

Posted in Events, SBS, SBS Community, Technology | No Comments »

Microsoft Goes Grassroots With Windows 7

October 8, 2009 – 3:54 pm
Microsoft has announced their Community Connections imitative where they will attempt to influence the influencers and start a grassroots movement of Windows 7 for small businesses.  The details of this program are not finalized as it has literally gone from idea to launch in a few months (fast for Microsoft but then again we are talking about the juggernauts from the Local Engagement Team).    Here are program basics that were shared at SMB Nation": Free copies of Windows 7 for Local Business Community Organizations (LBCO) (Chambers of commerce and the like) Coupons to offset costs of installation by a local Microsoft partner LET assistance to conduct live Windows 7 events with local Microsoft partners Incentives for event attendees who purchase Windows 7 While many details such as hardware supplies (hopefully we will see an OEM step up – hint hint Lenovo) the program looks like exactly what SBSCs need to start leading the way to ...

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My New Role at Autotask

September 30, 2009 – 8:50 am
It is a rare occasion in life where you get to love what you do and do what you love and, as many of you know, my passion is working within the SMB IT community ecosystem doing what I can to help those I can.  Therefore, it is with much excitement that I’ve joined Autotask and their continued commitment to the success of their customers and vendor partners as Executive Director of Community and Business Development.    See PR here:  http://cnrp.marketwire.com/client/dallas_morning_news/release.jsp?actionFor=1052443 Why Autotask?   While I was very happy running Tech Care Team, Inc., this was a rare opportunity to put the many community and vendor relationships I’ve built within this channel to use for the good of the community.  This is time in our channel where technical innovation coupled with newly evolving business models have collided with an economic “reset”.  A time where the synergy of partnerships forged between competing and complimenting ...

Posted in Personal, SBS Community | 16 Comments »

Microsoft SBSC - What’s in it for me?

September 25, 2009 – 11:28 am
I'm often asked by Microsoft Parnters why I evangalize the SBSC program and why their firm should become an SBSC (besides the $1000 of MDF).   After giving several reasons the next thing they always ask is how they can become and SBSC.   Below is Microsoft's answer to both of these questions.    Leading the Way to Economic Recovery. Join a community of trusted Small Business Technology Advisors. Does your company specialize in the design, deployment, and customization of small business solutions using Microsoft technologies? • Are you an active member of the Microsoft® Partner Network? • Would you like to be a part of a community of over 6,500 Small Business Technology Advisors? • Are you looking for exclusive member benefits? Then join the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community and take advantage of these members-only benefits that can help build your business: 1. Small Business Specialist logo and branding As a member you have access to the Microsoft Small Business Specialist logo to ...

Posted in MS Partners, SBS Community, SBSC | No Comments »

Microsoft TPAMs Ready to Dial!

September 25, 2009 – 10:42 am
Great news for Microsoft TPAM Managed Partners, the dark period is almost over.  I’ve learned today that Microsoft has successfully trained over 35 of their 45 new TPAMs (Tele Partner Account Manager) that will be working with MS Partners via the top four distributors. Per Tim Schmidt, Directory of Inside Sales for Microsoft’s US Partner team, TPAM managed partners (including many SBSCs) should be getting a phone call from their new distribution aligned TPAMs over the next 2-3 weeks.  If you are not going to be assigned a TPAM based on the new PAM structure, you should have received an email by now from Microsoft notifying you of other license and sales support options.  If for some reason you think you should have been managed and have heard you will not be, or are not sure, you can contact the TPAM support desk (info below).  I’m sure Microsoft is appreciative of ...

Posted in MS Partners, Microsoft, SBSC | No Comments »

New Book from MSPU Now Open for Pre-Order

September 23, 2009 – 5:43 am
MSP University has announced they are ready to start accepting pre-orders of their next book titled “The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations Book Ever!”. Despite the shameless title you know this is going to be another must have book so you may as well just order in in advance and save $50.  I know I will have one on my shelf.  Go here to order.

Posted in Managed Services, Managing Your Business | No Comments »

$1000 if FREE marketing $ to Microsoft’s US SBSC Partners!

September 22, 2009 – 12:12 pm
Thank me later folks, but for now, get your mouse clicking over to www.mspartnerdirect.com and add promotion code SBSC to claim your $1000 in market development funds (or use the money for reimbursment of other marketing efforts - see www.mspartnerdirect.com/sbsc for more).  Your account could look like mine:   As your trusted US SBSC Advisory Board member I’m more than elated with the commitment made by François Daumard, the new Senior Channel Manager overseeing the US SBSC program, as he has determined that you and I (and all SBSC’s) are better positioned to find good uses for Microsoft’s SMB related products marketing budget allotted for SBSCs.  That means, once again, Microsoft has stepped up the plate and put their money into us, their partners, to help us grow our businesses in this win win Partnership they keep talking about. Amid all the talk of 6% on SaaS and the MS Stores competing ...

Posted in MS Partners, Microsoft, SBSC | 1 Comment »