The Only 47 SMB Podcasts You Need to Know

Last year, on the Forrester blog, my friend Jay McBain published a post of "The 100 Best Channel Podcasts." I'd like to offer a major update to that post. (See the original here: https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-100-best-channel-podcasts-of-2021/.)

In addition to Jay's list, I've been adding podcasts from other lists, my own Stitcher subscriptions, and anything else that found it's way to my ears. But then I started paring down.

Why the update? Well, a number of of those pods have disappeared from the face of the earth. And a few new ones have become established. Finally, to be honest, a lot of the podcasts that make their way onto these kinds of lists are not a good fit for our community. That doesn't mean they're not good or that you can't learn something. But our audience is the SMB IT consultant, Managed Service Provider, and more broadly, any IT Service Provider in SMB.

Here are the podcasts I removed from the big list:

- Twenty-one podcasts on various lists are actually defunct. That is to say, they have posted nothing to Apple podcasts in 2022. Some still have an episode or two on their site, but not on a broadcast network. If you're not broadcasting to a podcatcher, you're not a podcaster.

Eight shows have produced zero episodes in the last three months. One of those only publishes on their own site, not to a broadcast service. Perhaps not defunct yet, but will be soon.

- Sixteen shows, though delightful and often good, are not really geared toward the SMB/MSP market. Some are very enterprise-focused. A large number are high-end sales-only focused. And a few are in a niche popular in the Salesforce world that you might call partnership and relationship professionals. Whatever they are, they're NOT immediately relevant to SMB IT or MSP owners and managers. 

- Seven shows are really Vlogcasts. They have no RSS feed, just video. Most of these are fairly active, but are definitely not podcasts. Podcasts that are audio-first and then provide video are still remain on the big podcast list.

- Of the remaining, there are six podcasts that appear to be in a slump. They have a large number of historical episodes (over 100), but are now producing at a rate of once per month or less. I kept them in the "big list" but noted that they might be fading. I kept them on the list because they ARE still producing, and anyone can have a slow summer.

That brings us down to the 47 podcasts listed below. Here are some notes about what we have to choose from among podcasts in our community.

Of the remaining 47 podcasts, I would consider 31 to be well established. All but two of them have 100 or more episodes, and those two will surpass the 100 mark in October. Of the remaining sixteen, three appear to be going strong. The rest have inconsistent production. 

Of the 47 podcasts on the list, 30 (67%) have guests. And, unfortunately, there's a great deal of overlap among these guests. Many are vendor-driven discussions, which makes them vendor-driven podcasts, whether they consider themselves in that category or not.

Twenty (43%) have ads or sponsors. This includes shows that are self-sponsored, such as Tigerpaw and B2B Tech Talk with Ingram Micro.

In terms of production quality, the mix is probably what you'd expect. Nineteen (40%) have higher-quality overall production; Seventeen (36%) have average production; and Nine (19%) have lower-quality production. And a couple more have mixed quality across shows.

Of the 47 podcasts on the final list, twenty-one (45%) are clearly vendor-centric. By that I mean that vendors are frequently the guests or the center of the discussion. In almost all cases, this means that a vendor is interviewed for a whole episode or a whole segment inside an episode. In a few cases, it's just clear that the vendor makes the show possible (for example, their name is on the show).

It's also interesting to look at the specialization or focus of each show. The most common topical category, of course, is "Various SMB/MSP." These shows provide a variety of vendors, partners, and information within the SMB IT and MSP world. Most shows fall into this category.

That's different from what I have labeled "Variety - General Tech." The variety group often doesn't address the IT Service Provider or Managed Service Provider directly. They tend to focus on miscellaneous emerging technologies or broader technologies that ITSPs need to be aware of, but might not touch every day. Three shows fit in this category.

I broke out security-focused shows (9) and marketing-focused shows (2) since those are popular specialties in the industry. Some people only listen to one or the other of these categories. Some listen to anything but these categories.

There are also a significant number of shows that fall into the Telecom world (7). Almost always, telecom folks talk as if they're addressing MSPs, but MSPs know that they're not the real audience. Much of the language is the same, but an MSP knows when the topic has wandered over to telephony and they're no longer interested. 

The only show that successfully addresses both audiences, in my opinion, is Changing Channels with Larry Walsh. As a result, he gets his own category as "MSP and Telecom." It would have been a disservice to throw him into one group or the other.

Other extremely small categories are: Mac-centric, Legal, Retail, and Tech in German.

I've broken down the list by subject category so you can easily scan for show types that you either have on your podcatcher or want to add to it.

Timing. The most common podcast length is about thirty minutes. Seventeen of the forty-seven podcasts are right in that range (36%). Three podcasts come in at an amazing TWO HOURS. Twelve podcasts are in the range of sixty minutes up to seventy minutes.

An interesting niche has emerged of micro-podcasts. Four podcasts come in at five minutes or less. There's one at ten minutes and another at fifteen. That means six (13%) of the shows are fifteen minutes or less.

Here are some stats. At the end of this table, I list each podcast, some production notes, and relevant links.

-- -- --

Podcast Name	Show Length	Vendor-Centric	Guests	Production	Total Episodes	Episodes last Quarter	Sponsors, Ads
Category: Various - SMB / MSP
B2B Tech Talk with Ingram Micro	15-30 mins		Yes	High	444	40	Yes
ChannelBuzz	15-45 mins	Yes	Yes	High	25	3	Yes
ChannelPro Weekly Podcast	2 hours !	Yes	Yes	High	239	9	Yes
CompTIA Volley	30 mins		Yes	High	156	6
Connecting IT	30 mins	Yes	Yes	High	68	2
Evolved Radio	30-60 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	90	2	Yes
Humanize It	30 mins		Yes	High	219	13
It Experts Podcast	30 mins		Yes	High	108	12
It’s All About the Questions	60 mins	Yes	Yes	High	327	1
IT4Whiskey Podcast	30-60 mins		Yes	Low	62	1
Mike Tech Show	30 mins			Low	840	9	Yes
MSP Initiative The	60 mins	Yes	Yes	Low	183	7	Yes
MSP Unplugged	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	126	19
MSP Zone The	30 mins		Yes	High	100	15	Yes
RocketMSP Podcast The	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Low	129	7	Yes
SMB Community Podcast	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	335	15	Yes
SolarWinds TechPod	50 mins	Yes	Yes	High	68	3	Yes
Technibble MSP Podcast	1-3 mins		Yes	Low	64	2
Tigerpaw Radio	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	55	6
Tubb Talk	15-60 mins		Yes	Low	123	2	Yes
Category: Security
Cyber Security and Information Security Stormcast	5 mins			Average	1561	90
Cyber Security Today	5 mins			Average	100	60
Cyberwire podcast	10-35 mins			High	1999	90	Yes
Defensive Security Podcast	30 mins		Yes	Average	269	3
Enterprise Security Today	60 mins		Yes	Mixed	288	14	Yes
SecureConnection: IoT Security Services Association (IoTSSA)	30 mins		Yes	Average	100	2
Security Now	2 hours !			High	19	12	Yes
Security Squawk	60 mins			Low	90	12
Security Weekly News	30 mins			Average	436	26	Yes
Category: Telecom
Channel Journeys	30-45 mins	Yes	Yes	High	97	6	Yes
Coffee with Craig and James - Channel Futures	25-65 mins	Yes	Yes	High	115	3
MSP Business School	15-30 mins	Yes	Yes	Low	98	16	Yes
Partner Channel Podcast The	10-20 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	100	20
Telco in 20	20 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	51	8
Telecom Reseller	30 mins	Yes		Low	50	50
Telecoms.com Podcast	2 hours !			High	247	6
Changing Channels (Category: MSP and Telecom)	15-30 mins		Yes	Average	100	3
Category: Variety - General Tech
Business of Tech (MSPRadio)	5 mins		Rarely	High	847	83	Yes
Killing IT Podcast, The	30 mins			Average	184	13	Yes
TBI Talks Tech	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	30	2
Category: Legal
Cyberlaw Podcast The	60 mins	Yes	Yes	High	378	8
Technology Bradcast The	15 mins			High	42	2	Yes
Category: Marketing
MSP Marketing Podcast The	10 mins		Rarely.	Mixed	25	3
Paul Green's MSP Marketing Podcast	25-40 mins	Yes	Yes	High	100	16
Category: Misc.
CMD-CTRL-PWR	40-70 mins			Average	482	12
Trusted Advisor The	30 mins	Yes	Yes	Average	77	3
MSP-INSIGHTS – Cloud & Managed Service Impulse	15-60 mins			Average	73	5

-- -- -- 

Category: Various - SMB / MSP

B2B Tech Talk with Ingram Micro
Shelby Skrhak
Not really SMB or MSP. Just tech.
https://b2btechtalkwithingrammicro.sounder.fm/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-tech-talk-with-ingram-micro/id1468502961

ChannelBuzz
Robert Dutt
One host. Casual. Newer podcast.
https://channelbuzz.ca/subjects/podcasts/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/channelbuzz-ca/id428767648

ChannelPro Weekly Podcast
Matt Whitlock, Rich Freeman
Two hosts. High energy, quick pace. Likeable hosts. Q&A format.
https://www.channelpronetwork.com/tags/podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/channelpro-weekly-podcast/id1095568582

CompTIA Volley
Carolyn April, Seth Robinson
Laid-back. Casual chat before introducing guests. Sometimes guests, sometimes not. Likeable hosts.
https://www.blubrry.com/volley/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comptia-volley/id1119742772

Connecting IT
Dan Tomaszewski
Casual vendorology.
https://www.connectit.com/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connecting-it-podcast/id1500650021

Evolved Radio
Todd Kane
Opens with a snippet of the show. Fresh Q&A sounds like friends chatting.
https://www.evolvedmgmt.com/podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolved-radio/id1096866947

Humanize It
Adam Walters & Skip Ziegler
Great, modern podcast! Casual. Light and fun. Likeable hosts. Relates today's culture to the topic of the show.
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/humanize-it-adam-walter-7Bgsf-U5SXL/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humanize-it/id1511560088

IT Experts Podcast
Ian Luckett
High production value. Recaps last show. Very modern style.
https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/it-experts-podcast-with-ian-luckett/id1488200335

It’s All About the Questions
Laura Steward
Modern looking pod art. Not MSP/Tech related. More about writers and artists. Old school Intro. Public radio feel.
https://www.laurasteward.com/category/its-all-about-the-questions
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-all-about-the-questions/id1008520291

IT4Whiskey Podcast
Mayron Herrera, Joe Ussia, Craig Hickman
Bro culture. Low production.
http://it4whiskey.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it4whiskey-podcast/id1431787686

Mike Tech Show
Mike Smith
Also offers video format of each episode. Ads are very long, right up front.
http://mikenation.net/
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id73330425

MSP Initiative The
George Bardissi, Alec Stanners, Ken Patterson
Every episode is live. MSP guests.
https://mspinitiative.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-msp-initiative/id1599292227

MSP Unplugged
Jeff Halash and Paco Lebron
Split into two segments "Resource Thursday" and "Tech Talk Tuesday." Charismatic hosts.
http://mspunplugged.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-unplugged/id1494653881

MSP Zone The
Charles Weaver
Has a new topic of discussion each episode. One host.
https://mspalliance.com/tag/the-msp-zone/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-msp-zone/id1504497136

RocketMSP Podcast The
Steve Taylor
Very low key. Friendly.
https://anchor.fm/rocketmsp/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rocketmsp-podcast/id1502450828

SMB Community Podcast
Karl Palachuk, Amy Babinchak, James Kernan
Our in-house podcast. Common Q&A format. 
https://www.smbcommunitypodcast.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smb-community-podcast-by-karl-w-palachuk/id1009543229

SolarWinds TechPod
Leon Adato, Liz Beavers, Sascha Giese, Patrick Hubbard, Kevin Kline, Thomas LaRock, Brandon Shopp, Kevin Sparenberg, Chrystal Taylor
Average. 100% vendor focused.
https://orangematter.solarwinds.com/techpod/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solarwinds-techpod/id1367299972

Technibble MSP Podcast
Bryce Whitty
Short tips and tricks. Micro advice you can use.
https://www.technibble.com/blog/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technibble-msp-podcast/id642396478

Tigerpaw Radio
West McDonald & James Foxall
Roaring intro. Vendor/MSP focused.
https://tigerpaw.com/one-company/tigerpaw-radio/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tigerpaw-radio/id1497538513

Tubb Talk
Richard Tubb
Happy. Always energetic.
https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tubbtalk-the-podcast-for-it-consultants/id900038524

Category: Security

Cyber Security and Information Security Stormcast
Johannes B. Ullrich
Quick, daily 5 minute podcast. Good clear sound. Informative.
https://isc.sans.edu/podcast.html#stormcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sans-internet-stormcenter-daily-network-cyber-security/id304863991

Cyber Security Today
Howard Solomon
Small bites of news. No frills.
https://www.itworldcanada.com/podcasts#cyber-security-today
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/cyber-security-today/id1363182054

Cyberwire podcast
Dave Bittner
Modern. Interesting. High quality production.
https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cyberwire-daily/id1071831261

Defensive Security Podcast
Jerry Bell, Andrew Kalat
Casual. Hot mics. Dynamic is a bit odd.
https://defensivesecurity.org/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defensive-security-podcast-malware-hacking-cyber-security/id585914973

Enterprise Security Today
Paul Asadoorian, Matt Alderman and John Strand
Two guests or more per episode. Mixed in with low production and overly produced soundbites.
https://securityweekly.com/category-shows/enterprise-security-weekly/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprise-security-weekly-audio/id1112175960

SecureConnection: IoT Security Services Association (IoTSSA)
Julian Lee
Run of the mill format. They have not changed the name of the host on the Apple description
https://www.iotssa.com/category/security-podcasts/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secureconnection-podcast-it-security-security-experts/id1310580559

Security Now
Steve Gibson, Leo Laporte
High energy. High production. Maybe too much, though.
https://twit.tv/shows/security-now
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-now-audio/id79016499

Security Squawk
Bryan Hornung & Reginald Andre
Three dudes chit chatting. Awkwardly long rock intro. Sound levels all over the place.
https://www.podserve.fm/series/website/security-squawk,2206/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-squawk/id1544342775

Security Weekly News
Aaron Lyons, John Strand, Beau Bullock and Paul Asadoorian
High energy. Interesting topics. Kind of like your local sports radio-energy.
https://securityweekly.com/category-shows/security-weekly-news/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-weekly-news-audio/id1111792719

Category: Telecom

Channel Journeys
Rob Spee
One host. Average format.
https://channeljourneys.com/category/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/channel-journeys-podcast/id1449164008

Coffee with Craig and James - Channel Futures
Craig Galbraith & James Anderson
Like a local radio station. Split into segments. High energy plus sound effects and background music. Too much going on.
https://www.channelfutures.com/intelligence/podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-with-craig-and-james/id1152619961

MSP Business School
Brian Doyle, Tim McNeil, Robb Rogers
Three hosts. Casual talk.
https://mspbusinessschool.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-business-school/id1510890056

Partner Channel Podcast The
Daniel Graff-Radford
Vendor driven. Run of the mill.
https://www.allbound.com/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-partner-channel-podcast/id1153309766

Telco in 20
Danielle Royston
Upbeat and lively host. Casual. Short and to the point.
https://www.telcodr.com/telcoin20/podcast-overview/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telco-in-20/id1534232642

Telecom Reseller
Doug Green
Sometimes there is an accompanying video. Very low energy. Maybe too low.
https://telecomreseller.com/category/podcasts/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telecom-reseller/id377663279

Telecoms.com Podcast
Iain Morris, Scott Bicheno
Chit chat between two hosts.
https://telecoms.com/category/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telecoms-com-podcast/id1124414975

Changing Channels (Category: MSP and Telecom)
Larry Walsh
Casual and well informed. Larry has a great microphone style.
https://channelnomics.com/category/pod2112/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/changing-channels-with-larry-walsh/id1554040398

Category: Variety - General Tech

Business of Tech (MSPRadio)
Dave Sobel
Energetic. Fast paced. Great news and commentary.
https://businessof.tech/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-tech/id1483264365

Killing IT Podcast, The
Ryan Morris, Karl Palachuk, and Dave Sobel
Our in house pod. Fun and casual. Original format with three subjects. Short, sweet to point.
https://www.mspradio.com/show/the-killing-it-podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-killing-it-podcast/id1463295432

TBI Talks Tech
Eric Hills, David Polakowski
Upbeat. Lively host. In studio, high quality. Face to face set up. Fun because of this.
https://www.tbicom.com/resources/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-talks-tech/id1501250239

Category: Legal

Cyberlaw Podcast The
Stewart Baker
Almost like local radio talk.
https://www.lawfareblog.com/topic/cyberlaw-podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id830593115

Technology Bradcast The
Bradley Gross
Clear, concise. MSP themes only.
https://bradleygross.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-technology-bradcast/id1475289507

Category: Marketing

MSP Marketing Podcast The
Scott Millar
Sometimes there are guests. Most of the time, the host answers questions from his community forum.
https://it-rockstars-msp-marketing.castos.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/it-rockstars/id1429549204

Paul Green's MSP Marketing Podcast
Paul Green
Good energy. Lively.
https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-greens-msp-marketing-podcast/id1485101351

Category: Misc.

CMD-CTRL-PWR
Joe Saponare, Sam Valenica, Jerry Zigmont
Casual. Three guys just riffin' Mac style.
https://commandcontrolpower.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/command-control-power-apple-tech-support-business-talk/id668387622

Trusted Advisor The
Jim Roddy
Average format. Great info on retail and POS markets.
https://www.gorspa.org/rspa-trusted-advisor-podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rspa-trusted-advisor/id1482142017

MSP-INSIGHTS – Cloud & Managed Service Impulse
Olaf Kaiser
Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch!
https://www.olaf-kaiser.coach/podcast/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-insights-de-german-cloud-managed-service-impulse/id1198933863

-- -- --

There are LOTS of bits of information here. Please forgive any errors. 

Comments are obviously just my opinion. 

Please send me updates and corrections.

. . . Now start listening!

:-)

The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, and Culture Killers

This is a Guest Editorial by long-time community leader Rayanne Buchianico:

The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, and Culture Killers

By Rayanne Buchianico

I started my career in a different world. I was grateful to have a job during a recession. I quickly learned the rules of the road and performed my work to the best of my ability, and most times, I went above and beyond what was asked of me. I had some great employers in my early career. I also had some awful bosses. I took lessons from all of them to build my leadership skills into the person I am. I purposely built my company so I could be the boss I always wanted to have. I thought, “If I make this a great place to work, everything else will fall into place.”

That worked for a long time, until it didn’t.

My company offers competitive salaries and an exceptional benefit package, flexible hours, extensive PTO, a stocked kitchen for lunches and snacks, company outings, and countless opportunities for personal and professional growth. I wondered who could possibly hate working here?

Two people decided that what I offered them was not good enough. They bonded. The gossiping and whispering began. I ignored it. The gossiping and whispering got louder and started to include other people in the office. I ignored it some more. The work was getting done. The clients were happy. I didn’t much care what they thought about me. I continued to work to make it a great place to be and pretended not to notice. After all, no one came to me with a concern or a complaint. 

To be fair, I had a lot going on during this time. It was busy season, my workload was off the charts, I purchased a building, and I had some personal issues that needed attention. I was not as present in the office as I typically am.

Then, it got worse. Some of my co-workers stopped communicating with me altogether. If I asked a question, they answered. If I asked them to do something, they did it. But, the underlying tone and lack of camaraderie was clear. You could feel the tension in the office. The forced laughter when they were in groups. The quick hush when I walked nearby. I should have put an end to it right then. You know how hindsight goes.

Instead, I sent one of the instigators to work from home full time. That kept them out of the office, but not off text messages. I began coaching another team member into a leadership position. I was sure I could turn this around. The more I did to improve the atmosphere, the worse it seemed to get. I called in a culture coach. I hired a leadership coach. I read books. I listened to podcasts. I organized company events. I thought I was doing everything right.

I met an MSP owner at a recent event. She went through the exact same scenario and took all the same steps I was taking. We had a good long talk about this, and I want to share what I learned. 

Make sure you are not the problem

This was the main takeaway for me. I was so sure the problem was not me, that I never stopped to double-check. Employees need a clear path to success. 

• Set goals for each team member
• Provide timelines and budgets
• Be sure you can measure their progress – and actually measure it!
• Review their work
• Written procedures are great, but training sessions are better
• In-office games
• Sports pools
• Contests
• Friendly competitions with prizes

Your employees need to know what it means to be successful at your company. Just coming to work and completing tickets and going home does not help to bolster morale or pride in a job well done. Be specific in your expectations and review them regularly with your team. What are they doing well? Where can they improve? Set goals for improvement and follow-up in 30 days.

Talk to your teammates one-on-one. No one likes to be called out in a team huddle. You need a one-on-one relationship with each member of your team.

Reward your team

Not all rewards need to be monetary. Sure, your co-workers will not turn down extra money, but that may not be their primary motivator. Ask them what they like to do. What are their interests? Can you do something meaningful for them? Gift cards and money are nice but so impersonal. Try stepping up your game.

• Buy a local adventure for them, even something touristy in your own town 
• Get a gift certificate to the best restaurant in town
• Movie passes
• Family adventures
• Performance bonuses

This is something you can bring up in a team huddle. You’ll hear each person shout out something they like to do. Make notes and choose rewards accordingly.

Trust your gut

If you feel dissention in the ranks, take charge immediately. One or two people can bring down half the company. They will create a toxic culture then blame you for it. If you let it continue, don’t be surprised when they all walk out because you let one of them go. 

No one ever said, “I should have waited longer to fire that person.”

If you can feel the tension, imagine what the other employees are feeling. No one person, or even five persons, are worth losing a valuable employee who wants to be part of your organization. 

Quiet Quitting

I did not know this was a thing until I started reading articles about it. After The Great Resignation hit my company, many of the players offered to stay on until their replacements were hired and properly trained by them. They cited concern for the clients. 

Against my better judgment, I allowed some to stay. Their work was not being done. Training was sloppy. Documentation mysteriously disappeared. They had two-hour giggle-fests in the office while I continued to pay salaries for them and their replacements. I put an end to that and on the day they left, they took two more co-workers with them.

When someone resigns, send them home. You are not saving yourself any work by allowing them to stay. 

Once the office was free of the employees, the atmosphere immediately lightened. We collectively breathed a huge sigh of relief. I ordered lunch for the staff, and we talked openly about the events leading up to that day. Then, we all banded together, picked up the broken pieces and got to work. 

By the end of that first week, I looked back and thought, “This is what a team looks like. THIS is the culture I have been building.”

-- -- --  

Rayanne Buchianico is the owner of ABC Solutions an MSP accounting expert. She is also a PSA consultant and podcaster, M&A expert, author, instructor and speaker, and a board member of the National Society of IT Service Providers. She’s won awards for her work and community involvement from every organization that matters in our industry.

:-)

The ASCII Group Creates Pivotal Industry Study on MSP Services and Vendor Selection

From my friends at ASCII sent over this missive:

The ASCII Group Creates Pivotal Industry Study on MSP Services and Vendor Selection

Bethesda, Maryland – September 12, 2022 – The ASCII Group, a large membership-based community of independent North American MSPs, MSSPs and Solution Providers, is pleased to announce the creation of ‘Rate My Stack’, a comprehensive industry study focused on MSP services and vendor selection.

For nearly 40 years The ASCII Group has provided programs, services, and resources for MSPs to better run their IT businesses. With the vast expansion of vendors in the IT channel, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are continually evaluating which vendor partners serve the needs of their customers the best while helping the MSP build a competitive services offering. To help with this, The ASCII Group saw a need to embark on this one-of-a-kind study. With community in mind, the aggregate data will be used to offer insight while providing peers the ability to share and rate each other’s ‘stacks’ anonymously.

Led by a committee of 12 ASCII members, the ‘Rate My Stack’ initiative was built on providing the individual Managed Service Provider deeper intelligence on what their fellow peers are doing in the market. In aggregate, the data will provide insight into the following areas:

• What components do MSPs typically provide as part of their service offering?

• What are the most popular components of the service stack by category?

• Which vendors are on the rise or decline and the reasoning behind it?

• What are the most popular products/services MSPs are using to run their internal operations?

• What services are typically not offered compared to their peers?

“The ‘Rate My Stack’ endeavor is the first step in providing intel in helping our community build a better service offering,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group. “Learning from peers is the best form of business education and knowledge sharing is the backbone of our group.”

To learn more about becoming a member of The ASCII Group, please visit www.ascii.com. 

About The ASCII Group, Inc:

The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, MSSPs and Solution Providers. The Group has members located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and membership encompasses everyone from credentialed MSPs serving the SMB community to multi-location solution providers with a national and international reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, extensive peer interaction and more. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of leading and major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support the mission of helping MSPs to grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com. 

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Check Out the NSITSP Candidates - Voting Starts Sept. 15th

We did a blog post over at NSITSP.org, but I thought I also post here.

NSITSP Members Campaign season is underway. It’s brief, so make sure you read up on the candidates as you prepare to VOTE, starting September 15th.

Check out the Elections Page Here and meet the candidates.

You can view all candidates or just the ones for a specific board or committee. This is the e-version of our voter pamphlet. Each candidate has their picture, plus a candidate statement, and links to their social media, so you can see how they present themselves to clients and the public at large.

Candidates: Don’t forget to share your candidate profiles with your clients. Let them know that you are investing in our industry and helping us to transform the industry into a profession. And don’t forget to monitor the Elections Forum and respond to posts.

Members: Join the Elections Forum, post your questions, and engage the candidates.

Note: All paid members are eligible to vote. So don’t worry about letters of reference. If you’ve paid, you can vote.

If you have questions, send us a note.

Thank you for all your support!

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