Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Join me at NextGen 2017 - Theme: Disruptive Innovation

I am VERY pleased to be making two presentations at TheChannelCo's NextGen 2017 Conference & Technology Expo.

Join me December 11-13 in Los Angeles!

More info at www.thechannelco.com.



The NexGen 2017 Technology Expo is designed for solution providers on the cutting edge of the channel. These early adopters are a step ahead of the pack and actively seek out new solutions to drive more revenue and future profits. NexGen attendees consistently find innovative technologies, trusted partners and advanced strategies that transform their value proposition into a next-generation service provider.

This year's theme is Disruptive Innovation - an acknowledgement that we're entering a period of rapid change that's not going to stop. The NexGen 2017 Conference & Technology Expo will help leading-edge solution providers innovate and capitalize during these disruptive times with content and technologies focused on AI, business analytics; cloud computing; infrastructure and data center; IoT; mobility and apps; digital marketing; networking; and cyber and IT security.


See the Agenda

My presentations are on

- The Power of Bundles - Tuesday at 2:30 PM
and
- Successful Pricing Strategies - Wednesday at 3:30 PM

This looks to be a really great show. Check out the agenda and register today!

:-)

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Please Join Me on the 2017 SMB Cloud Roadshow - Nashville and Atlanta!

Please Join Me on the 2017 SMB Cloud Roadshow - Nashville and Atlanta!

Topic:Making Money with
Cloud Services in Small Business


This all-day seminar is 100% education. No vendors on site. No booths or up-selling. Just education on my very successful "Cloud Five Pack" and how we make 73% profit on our small clients.

Details at SMBRoadshow.com.

Invitation Video (Note - Now only 9 cities remaining):



The show is $999 at the door - but there's no excuse to pay that.

Remaining shows include:
- 4 in Australia
- 5 in the U.S.

And if you register now, it's only $599 ! 

You will literally pay for that with the first client you sign. In fact, you'll probably pay for it with the you charge!

The is CHEAP since:
  • You probably don't have to travel far to find a city near you.
  • You only need to sell ONE client on this package to make your money back
  • This really is a business model you can execute right away.  


One guy from the "dry run" we did of this seminar was able to create an offering and sign two clients within TWO business days of the event!


Details at SMBRoadshow.com.



Sessions Include:

Read More . . .
 - Cloud Services in Small Business
 - The Cloud Five-Pack
 - Cloud Migration
 - Implementation
 - and MORE!



Seminar Objectives

This is a workshop - which means you will leave with some real-world goals, and the tools to implement them.

We will cover the strategies for creating a powerful and profitable cloud service offering for the small business market. My managed services businesses have been selling these bundled cloud services since 2008. In fact, it's one of the things that helped us thrive during the recession!



Details at SMBRoadshow.com.


This is NOT a 30 thousand foot overview. We will discuss:
  • Specific products and services
  • How to bundle them
  • How to maximize profit
  • How to combine cloud-based and onsite options
  • The best way to integrate your onsite server
  • Managing multiple accounts
  • Specific scripts for implementing your "Cloud 5-Pack" (or whatever you end up selling)
  • How to change/upgrade the bundle
  • Tiered pricing options
  • Click-by-click setup and integration
  • Selling the cloud bundle
  • Bandwidth realities - and why you do NOT need massive bandwidth for a successful cloud integration
  • ... and more!

The handouts include VERY detailed instructions for configuring your bundles, implementing services, and migrating clients to the cloud. About 150 pages - spiral bound and available for download.




Details at SMBRoadshow.com.


Target Audience

This all-day seminar is intended for any IT service provider who wants to sell very profitable cloud-based services to small businesses. The ideal end-user client is anyone with 1 to 20 users.

You can certainly sell these services to larger companies - and this seminar will give you all the tools and strategies to do that - but larger companies tend to have slightly different requirements.

The basic cloud bundle is intended to provide all the technology a small company needs, including email, storage, backup, anti-virus, spam filtering, patch management, and remote support. You will learn how to up-sell this to include telephones, security monitoring, and other services.

The overall goal is to help you create a combination that is reasonably price for the client and hugely profitable for you.

Bonus Membership

We have created an exclusive Facebook page, open only to people who attend this seminar. It is a place to discuss the strategies presented in the seminar, share their experiences, exchange documents, and so forth.

Once you register for any city, and pay your tuition, you will have access to the Facebook group.

Another great reason to register early!



Details at SMBRoadshow.com.


Upcoming Cities Include:


Nashville, TN - September 19th

Atlanta, GA - September 21st



Adelaide, Australia - October 10th

Melbourne, Australia - October 12th

Sydney, Australia - October 17th

Brisbane, Australia - October 19th

San Jose, CA - November 14th

Oakland, CA - November 16th

Las Vegas, NV - December 8th  
Sign up early and save. 



SOP: Setting Client Expectations

I mentioned on The Facebook that I was getting ready to check my voice mail for the month of August. I work hard to make sure people know that telephone/voice mail is not the way to contact me. Willie asked a great question:

"You do a very good job at setting expectations via social media. Any tips for those of us who have to be significantly more connected than you are to do the same? 
For example, I'm sure there are a lot of solo/small shops who would appreciate how to let their clients know that nighttime calls have to be an emergency and go through the proper channels to get response. In my case, setting expectations of response time based on priority of message would be ideal."

Here are my thoughts.

#1 - Have a Regular Communication Method

No matter what my policies have been, I have always worked hard to communicate them to my clients. Probably the best tool I ever had for this was my monthly newsletter. For seventeen years I published a monthly (printed) newsletter for my clients. I printed it because I believe it would be opened and read more than an email.

The newsletter contents were pretty consistent:

- Intro memo about what's new
- Updates on viruses and other threats
- News about our company (new employees, changes in service, etc.)
- Topics related to tech support
- Offers

The newsletter allowed me to consistently push several messages absolutely non-stop for seventeen years. These included a focus on security and best practices, a commitment to replacing machines every three years, and clear communication on how to get the best service.


#2 - Written Notifications

Whenever we had a policy change that clients needed to know about, we sent out a letter. When you have less than 100 clients under management, with is not very expensive. And a letter on letterhead from the I.T. Provider is almost guaranteed to be read these days.

For example, when we instituted our first customer service web site for creating service tickets, we posted a note in our newsletter and sent out a separate mailing to give clients the details.

"Nagging" communications via email or even social media are not very effective. More official-looking communication via postal mail is taken much more seriously as communication from one company to another.

We used the same double-whammy approach to increasing rates, defining business hours, and publishing the "best" way to get service. Anything that was important to our relationship and profitability was communicated by both newsletter and postal mailing.


#3 - Have a "Client" Page on Your Web Site

We always maintained a page with very clear information about how to get ah old of us and our important policies. This included our after-hours policies and response times. We did not list our pricing there, but we did list our hours and contact information (phones, extensions, links to create tickets, etc.).

I'm actually surprised that so few IT companies have their basic policies posted. Your web site is much better as a communication tool with clients than it is as a sales tool for your company. But if you want it to be both, that's very easy to achieve.

We even posted PDF copies of our most recent newsletters for download.


Things Change Over Time

As Willie mentioned, I am very consistent in posting my communication preferences online on social media. But I would never consider that the official statement of our policies. Official statements are delivered via newsletter and postal mail.

Some policies - such as the best way to contact us - have changed a lot over time. We used to answer our phones all the time and publish our cell phones. That has obvious problems. And when we started having clients abuse this openness, we only published the official tech support phone number.

This change required some "management" of communications. Again, that was done by the three methods mentioned above.

Over time, we adopted what I now consider basic, common sense limits on when and how we communicate. If I could go back and put these in place ten years earlier, I would. In reality, we had very few clients who abused communications with us. But those few helped us adopt the policies we have now.

Another example, of course, is price changes. For clients without a managed service contract, we give a 30 day notice to raise prices. This goes out on all communication media.


Your feedback welcome.

Thanks for the note, Willie!

:-)

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

SOP: Sub-Contractor vs. Employee?

Over on my YouTube Channel, I posted this video: SOP - Your First Hire (Part 2) and Paul asked:

"Whats your thoughts on 1099 vs employee? I see pros and cons, and my current 3 techs prefer 1099 since they can write off tools and such. And an employee would cost me 15-30% in taxes, fees, etc.?"

- - - - -

I assume this conversation is all about hiring within the U.S. Some common sense travels across national boundaries but laws don't always follow common sense.

Here's the deal with hiring vs. outsourcing to a "contractor" or 1099: Unless it's a real temporary, short-term situation, you probably need to put them on payroll.

The reason for this is that big companies in the I.T. field treated contractors like employees, got sued, and the decision was made that you can't treat someone like an employee in all things, but pay them as a contractor.

The specific IRS document on this is here: https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/understanding-employee-vs-contractor-designation

If you tell them where to go, when to be there, which ticket to work first, and how you want the job done, they are probably employees. If you provide any benefits, they are probably employees.

If they don't offer their services for sale to someone else, they are probably employees. If their services are central to your business, they are probably employees. If your relationship is ongoing with no defined end point, they are probably employees.

A contract can help a LOT, but the IRS makes clear that it is not enough to make the final determination. If you have a contract that says someone is not an employee, but all this other stuff still applies, they are probably an employee.

[Side Note:
One of the primary reasons to sign contracts with clients is to answer all these bullet points for the IRS. For example, your contract should state that you are a contractor, that you are responsible for your own taxes, that you determine the order of the work, etc.]

- - - - -

What Should You Do?

Well, if you've already got three employees, my guess is you've got three employees.

If you were just starting out, you could get away with hiring someone "as needed" to fill in for your when you get busy. This would be a temporary arrangement, and you'd sign a contract with a defined end date.

But after people rely on this as a half time or full time job, they really are employees to the IRS and you should start running a regular payroll.

Sorry about that.

I know there are people who aggressively fight this and try to work around the rules. But the IRS can take away your birthday, so I'm not going to mess with them.

If you want to talk to a professional, talk to and Enrolled Agent. There are only three people who can represent you in federal tax court: Your tax attorney, an enrolled agent, or a Certified Public Accountant.

I prefer enrolled agents because their work is essentially 100% taxes. So talk to an enrolled agent and take whatever advice they give you.


About The Cost

The biggest cost shift for an employee is Social Security. An employee has to have 6.2% withheld from their pay for Social Security and you the employer have to pay another 6.2% of their salary for SS. The other taxes are generally minor, but they add up. Medicare is the primary other withholding you'll see.

Many deductions you see in payroll are not paid by you, but by the employee. You have to withhold this money (for disability insurance, etc.) and hand it over to some agency. You also have to withhold state and federal taxes and pay those to the right agencies.

In all, you'll pay about 10% above the "salary" rate. But you'll need to pay a payroll service to make sure all those withholdings are done right - and paid.

You should already be paying Worker's Compensation insurance for your workers whether they are employees or contractors. You can exempt yourself because you're the owner, but you have to pay for all employees and contractors.

When you hear people say that an employee will cost you 25-50% above their hourly wage, it includes all of the above, plus health insurance, desk, a computer for work, etc. You are already incurring almost any expense you would have except Social Security and Medicare.

- - - - -

Hope that helps, Paul. Probably not the answer you were looking for.

:-)

Thursday, August 17, 2017

SMB Roadshow . . . Only 11 Cities Left . . . Only 5 in the U.S.

The Countdown Continues!




Upcoming Shows:

  • London
  • Manchester
  • Edinburgh
  • Dublin

  • Nashville
  • Atlanta
  • San Jose
  • Oakland
  • Las Vegas

  • Adelaide
  • Melbourne
  • Sydney
  • Brisbane


My big SMB Roadshow is heading to Scotland and Ireland next. Please join me!

You can find out all the details at www.SMBRoadshow.com.

This six-hour seminar is jam packed with great information about bundling, selling, implementing, and maintaining cloud services. We've hit about half the cities we're going to visit this year.

This will be my only visit to these cities this year:

- Edinburgh - 22 August

- Dublin - 24 August

I put together an 8-minute video that spells out all details of what you get with this Roadshow seminar. It also explains in some detail what we're doing and how this seminar will prepare you to make a lot of money selling Cloud Services:



Check out the video -- which includes a discount code -- and plan to join me in August.

Questions welcome.

:-)

Help ChannelPro Identify the All-Star Vendors

I got a note from my friend Rich over at ChannelPro. They are looking for your participation to find the vendor who have had the biggest impact on the SMB channel over the last year. It looks like there's a nomination process, to be followed by voting.

Here's there announcement:

- - - - -

ChannelPro’s annual All-Star awards recognize vendors that our editorial team feel have had a significant impact on the SMB channel in the preceding year by:

--Introducing a new product or service that has market-changing potential
--Creating a significant new channel program
--Dramatically changing an existing partner program in a way that benefits SMB partners
--Redefining the company’s vision and strategy in a noteworthy way
--Making a serious move from the enterprise into the SMB market
--Significantly enhancing their channel education and training offers
--Doing more or less anything else that legitimately qualifies as having a “significant impact on the SMB channel”.

We’re currently soliciting nominations for our 2017 All-Stars. If you would like to suggest one or more vendors, please complete the online form at:



Nominations close soon, so if you know of any vendors that deserve a little love from ChannelPro, be sure to submit your suggestions soon. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have too, and thanks (in advance) for sharing your thoughts!

- - - - -

:-)

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Hiring a Good Administrative Assistant via Craigslist

Over on The Facebook, there's a discussion about who your first hire should be. I have long advocated hiring an administrative assistant as your first hire. Two questions arose from that. First, how do we find qualified people at a low price? And, second, how do I find them on Craigslist?

[Follow me on The Facebook at www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk.]

Here's the reality of the marketplace: There are LOTS of very qualified people who are willing to work 15-20 hours per week at just-above minimum wage. When minimum wage was $8/hr I paid $10 for Administrative Assistants just starting out. Now that the minimum wage is $10, I pay $12.

Many of these folks are "stay at home" parents with kids in school. They drop the kids off in the morning and are available to work until mid-afternoon most days. Then they need to go pick up the kids. Another big group is college students with very flexible schedules. The remainder are mostly people who would love to work full time but are happy to start half-time.

Of course I have only hired in Sacramento, CA over the last 22 years. But in that time, I've seen the economy go up, down, and sideways. And through it all, I've always found a huge pool of very talented people who are willing to work part-time for a couple of dollars above minimum wage. I have frequently had three or four administrative assistants at once. The amount of work they can make disappear is phenomenal.

The next question is, how do you get the quality applicants without slogging through 150 resumes? That's a matter of screening people before you collect resumes. Below is the ad I've crafted for this. Here's how it works:

1) Place the ad on Craigslist or a similar site.

2) If someone responds with a resume, move the message to an email folder labeled \Admin\No
 - and reply to their message by simply saying "Please re-read the ad."

3) If someone responds with an actual written paragraph, as requested,
 a) Read the paragraph
 b) If you like the paragraph, ask them to send a resume
 c) Move the message to an email folder labeled \Admin\Maybe

This should get you about 5-10 candidates who can follow instructions, write a coherent paragraph, and have shown some flexibility.

Notice also that this ad is not intended to attract middle management secretaries earning $50-$60K per year who just want to type correspondence. This ad says you might be asked to run errands, manage mailing projects, and even fill my car with gas.

Truth be told, I think I might have asked my office manager to put gas in my car once somewhere along the line, but that's not really what I expect AA's to do. I only put it in there because I want this ad to reflect the fact that you have to be prepared to work. As you know, in small business everyone needs to pitch in as needed. So you don't need a prima donna who says that's not her job.

The Ad:

- - - - -

"Person Friday" 
Part Time Administrative Assistant and Personal Assistant
Start out 15 to 20 hours per week - with luck will grow to more.

Note: Please read through this ad and do not send a resume unless requested to do so. We will not look at unsolicited resumes.

General Job Duties: 
-------------------
- Run Errands
- Help in coordinating mail campaigns (monthly & special projects)
- Inventory office supplies
- Set-up appointments with clients following set guidelines
- Update forms
- Copying
- Make bank deposits
- Prepare payroll
- Get the mail
- Sort the mail
- Prepare sales materials 
- Typing
- Mailing packages 
- Monitor chargeable and non-chargeable hours
- Filing / sorting
- Misc. Research projects
- Make coffee
- Whatever else is needed. 

Personal duties include getting coffee, filling car with gas, get lunch for in-house meetings, shop for supplies, etc. 

Qualifications:
--------------- 
- Must have experience with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel 
- Must be good with details
- Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills 
- Good verbal and written skills 
- Must have reliable car to run errands as needed
- Must have clean DMV record

Send your paragraphs to [email protected] 

Compensation: $12/hr 

Special Notes:
-------------
We place a strong emphasis on Top Quality, Experience, and Customer Service. 

Do not send a resume until requested to do so. We will not look at unsolicited resumes.

To apply for this position, send the following in response to this ad:
 - 1-2 paragraph description of why you would be an Amazing Administrative Assistant for us.
 - Some of those who respond will be asked to submit resumes.

We are looking for a long-term employee who will grow with the company.

This position is in Sacramento, CA. Please only apply if you are in the Sacramento area or plan to move to the area.

- - - - -

What About Virtual Assistants?

I currently have one "permanent" part-time Virtual Assistant or VA (my sister in-law). I also hire three different VAs to do specific tasks such as book layouts or tedious work in QuickBooks.

But I also have a part part AA who comes to my office. I think I will always have a real AA because there is some work that just can't be done remotely. If you go look up my original blog about the $200 Miracle, you'll see that the comments are filled with angry VA trolls beating me up because I insist that I have a real AA who actually shows up at my office.

I left those comments up because they illustrate many of the things that can be done remotely.

But I know from running multiple businesses for 22 years that some stuff just can't be done by a VA in another state or country. Period. Plus, as the testiness of some of those comments suggest, you need to make sure you hire someone whose temperament represents your company well.


The Bottom Line: Hire An Assistant!

This process has worked for me time and time again. You'll get 5-10 legitimate resumes from people who are sincere and eager and ready to work. You'll also get 15-25 resumes from people who do not read the ad and simply carpet bomb the internet with a generic resume. Add them to the "No" folder and don't waste your time.

But whatever you do, please hire an administrative assistant or virtual assistant. They really will take away massive amounts of work and make your life better.

Comments welcome - even from trolls.

:-)

Friday, August 04, 2017

SOP Friday Index Updated - Now Includes 100+ Videos



For many years now, I've been posting SOP (standard operating procedures) articles on my blog and putting SOP videos up on YouTube. All of that is "indexed" over at www.SOPFriday.com.

I got a note from someone who thought it would be handy to add videos to the index. I've just completed that. For videos related to a blog article, I just added a link that says "See Related Video." There are also more than fifty videos that are not "related" to blog posts. They're listed at the bottom of the SOP Friday page.

Please check it out. I want this to be a usable resource. The blog articles are organized a bit like the SOP books. The videos are roughly in the order they were posted. If you just use CTRL-F to search the page for a keyword, that's probably the easiest way to find all blog posts and videos on a topic.

. . .  (Don't worry, I'm working on a better way to index and keyword all this stuff.) . . .

And if you just want to browse my YouTube channel, it's at www.youtube.com/smallbizthoughts.

And the SOP play list is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cOXlfuT0_k&list=PLC8KYKhZTqAO1vBlVVIL2rQ8t31DD-5IN

Final note: Please subscribe to this blog and to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any new SOPs!

Thanks.

:-)


Thursday, August 03, 2017

Manuel's Audio and Video Products on Sale Now

My brother Manuel - the coach who takes you to the gym and doesn't just send you there - has a number of very popular products for sale over at SMB Books. You can find them all on the "Manuel Palachuk's Stuff" page.

Now we've got three of his most popular downloads on sale. Here they are:

Process Control for the I.T. Industry

If you think process control has no place in our industry, nothing could be further from the truth. From the ROI of Process Control to getting everyone on board, this presentation lays out the path to success for building a culture of quality refinement in any size company. If you want to have any hope at making order out of chaos in your company you must start here.

This presentation could easily be expanded and broken into five or more individual presentations based on the importance of the subjects covered. As with many of Manuel’s presentations you will find he is high energy and passionate about the subject but in this particular presentation, you may find you need to listen to it on half speed to take it all in!

Audio recording with some background noise
Content Format: MP3 Audio, PDF Slide Deck
Content Duration: 1 Hour


Save $20!



The Ten Golden Rules of PSA


Learn how to double your value to clients and your profit with these powerful golden rules of PSA Service Ticket Systems

In this webinar, Manuel focuses on the direct connection between your service delivery system, the value you give your clients, and your profit, and how to maximize each. He also gives an over view of Agile Service Delivery, an emerging method you must learn to stay competitive.

Whether you’re a one-person shop or 50, to be consistently profitable, you must have guidelines for how to break down the work in an organized fashion and how you will communicate with the client along the way.

You don’t have to be an MSP or even use a PSA to work efficiently and be profitable, but you do need a system and a method. These ten golden rules can be the seed for your own system if you have none, or you can adopt them in whole to enrich your existing methods. Either way, this is your opportunity to take your service delivery and your profits to the next level.

Recorded Webinar Session – Video with Mono audio
Content Format: MP4 Video and MP3 Audio, PDF Slide Deck and Q&A Follow-up
Run Time: 1 Hour

Now only $39.95

Save $20!



Working and Tracking Time in Real-Time

Tackle the single toughest obstacle to super high profits in your service delivery system with this information packed training webinar specifically presented for the IT Services industry in mind. Every CRM, PSA, and ticketing system out here wants to supply you with great reports on your bill-ability and your efficiency but not one of them can do it unless everyone is working and tracing time in real-time.

Tap into the wisdom of the author who has turned service delivery systems around for many companies and who can help you do the same for yourself. Even if you are the only one who creates billable time in your company you likely need some coaching on how to make the transition and here it is.

This training presentation starts by identifying the Profit and Value potential at stake then begins to clarify the interruptions that cost money and how to stop them. Manuel lays out the evolution of time tracking and clarifies the Working and Tracking Time in Real-time Maturity Levels. The path to success is outlined and you can easily see how to go from Level One: time stamps and notes taken on a tablet throughout the day, to Level Five: entering time in real-time directly into your PSA. Along the way, the great myths that a technician who multitasks is more efficient, is exposed and dispelled.

Some of the subjects covered include:
• Why Track Time?
• History and Evolution of Time Tracking
• Identifying and resetting the interrupt
• Working and Tracking Time in Real-time Maturity Level
• Time Increments for the Service Industry
• Profit and Value Potential
• The Multi-tasking Myth
• The Most Important Rules of Working and Tracking Time in Real-time
• Time Tracking Log Examples
• General Rules of 5 and 15 Minute Time Entry
• Steps to Success
• Getting everyone on board
• Measuring your progress

Recorded Webinar Session – Video with Mono audio and no background noise
Content Format: MP4 Video, MP3 Audio, PDF Slide Deck
Run Time: 1 Hour

Now only $39.95

Save $20!





Check out all these products and more at SMB Books today!

:-)

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

NEW: Video Training - Outlook Troubleshooting for Technicians

I am very pleased to announce that SMB Books is now distributing Lisa Hendrickson's Outlook Troubleshooting videos. This is a set of seven videos that go into a great deal of detail for technical troubleshooting.

The set is 25% off through the end of August. Check it out today.

MSRP: Only $199

Sale Price Through August 31st:

Only $149


Learn from an Expert how to troubleshoot, repair, and resolve Outlook technical issues.

Outlook is a program that contains a lot of data, lots of moving parts and offers 100’s of features which are all guaranteed to break at some point. As well, it’s the program most used with the Office 365 Business Plans. These videos will train you how to properly prepare, repair and learn Outlook in a 360 view.


Technicians should buy these videos to:

  • Advance their technical knowledge with Outlook, Exchange and supporting Office 365
  • Stop losing unbillable time trying to resolve issues you are not familiar with
  • Raise your rates and offer Outlook as a premium service
  • Have a marketing advantage over your competitors because you can promote Outlook as a service your company offers


You will learn

  • More knowledge about Outlook that allows you to fix and repair issues more quickly
  • How to create a spot check and backup Outlook data safely before performing work
  • How to troubleshoot without Outlook being open/won’t launch
  • How to create more sales with your clients by offering Outlook repairs and troubleshooting
  • How to repair and recover OST and PST files in Outlook


This series will easily save you enough labor to pay for itself in no time!



Sale Price Through August 31st:

Only $149



About the Teacher

Lisa Hendrickson, aka Call That Girl has been supporting all email platforms since 1996. In 2000, she focused on being a top helpdesk technician for Outlook at many corporate jobs. In 2007 she started Call That Girl and since 2013 has chosen to only support Outlook and Office 365. She is the author of six eBooks and has created 100’s of videos, blogs and articles, all about Outlook!

Lisa's also very active with posting videos, podcasting, and contributing to technology discussions online - including Facebook.


Endorsement:

“This is one of the best training sessions I have attended over my IT career and you will be amazed how little you really knew previously about the nuances of Outlook and Exchange. Along with the basic Outlook training series the troubleshooting series will give your technicians the one-two punch to create new business relationships because they will know they can fix the Outlook problems the right way the first time! Thanks to Lisa for sharing her knowledge with the IT community!”
-- Charles Perry/Owner PC Tech to Go

Summer Sale - Save $20 Right Now

I got together with a few other folks who sell into the SMB IT consulting community and put out a Sales email last week.
www.smbbooks.com

It went over very well. So I've decided to extend my coupon through the end of Summer (September 22nd).

The guidelines are very simple:


  • Minimum purchase $59.95
  • Enter code SummerSale2017
  • and you'll get $20 off any order.


That's it.

Order a class - save $20.

Order a book - save $20.

Register for the SMB Roadshow - save $20.

Buy an audio program - save $20.

No products are excluded from this sale.

www.smbbooks.com



(Sorry: Cannot be combined with other discount codes.)

:-)

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

Next Course - The Most Important Checklists for Any I.T. Service Provider - Starts August 8th

Small Biz Thoughts

W5-08

The Most Important Checklists for Any I.T. Service Provider

Taught by Karl Palachuk and Manuel Palachuk, Authors and Coaches


- All classes start a 9:00 AM Pacific



Checklists are critically important to creating SOPs - Standard Operating Procedures - for your company.
This course is intended for managers and owners of a managed service business. It covers many facets of the "checklist mentality" that the instructors have used at a variety of successful I.T. consulting businesses.

In addition to building hundreds of checklists and standard processes for KPEnterprises in Sacramento, CA, the authors have both written books, trained individuals, and coached teams on successful processes and habits for running a modern, successful managed service business.

This course will cover daily the use of checklists in daily operations as well as the "larger picture" of running the entire company. It will address both internal checklists for running your own company and external checklists for managing client relationships and client technology.

This is an intensive webinar course over a five week period. All assignments are voluntary, of course. But if you want feedback on assignments, please complete assignments during this course and email them to the instructor. 

Delivered by Karl Palachuk and Manuel Palachuk, authors of the Network Migration Workbook and many other books for MSPs - managed service providers.

Includes five weeks of webinar classes with related handouts, assignments, and "office hours" with the instructor.

This course is intended for business owners and managers. It is particularly useful for the Service Manager or Operations Manager.
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A Few Details . . .

  • Each course will be five teleseminar phone calls (50-60 minutes each)
  • There will be handouts and "homework" assignments
  • If you wish to receive feedback on your assignments, there will be instructor office hours
  • Class calls will be recorded and made available to paid attendees only.
  • All calls start at 9:00 AM Pacific Time