We Mourn the Passing of Ken Dwight - The Virus Doctor

 I was sad to receive a note this morning from my friend Mike Semel about the passing of Ken Dwight, one of the true leaders in the fight to tackle viruses intelligently.

Ken - known as the Virus Doctor - ran an online community and sent me regular emails for over a decade. He was an author, and one of the early advocates of doing a true clean-up after viruses have been knocked out. Even today, many AV tools stop the most destructive activities and leave all the detritus behind. As Ken informed his community, that means that millions (billions) of machines still have all the hooks and old code - now marked as safe - that let newer, smarter viruses attack.

It was always great to talk to Ken on a panel or podcast. He was one of those folks who just always seemed to have a smile on his face. Our industry is a better place because he shared his wisdom and passion with.

You've heard the old saying, "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life." Rather than giving us scripts, Ken taught many to do the work it takes to clean computers as they should be cleaned.

Rest in Peace, my friend. My heart goes out to your family, friends, and community.

Finding Sources for Hardware and Software - Lessons Learned

Finding Sources for Hardware and Software

This is episode 11 of the ongoing Lessons Learned series. For all the information, and an index of Lessons Learned episodes, go to the Lessons Learned Page. https://blog.smallbizthoughts.com/p/lessons-learned-blog-series.html

-- -- -- 

Today's topic: Finding Sources for Hardware and Software 

When I started consulting, I had to find places to buy the hardware and software that I would sell to clients. This definitely falls into the category of knowledge that seems easy many years later, but was quite confusing at the time.

Luckily, I had a friend who was both my tax advisor and an all-around good business advisor. While he did not sell merchandise, he knew what I needed to do. The first step was to educate myself on the California Sales Tax process. I need to get a seller's permit. This goes by different names in different states. Basically, it allows me to buy things without paying sales tax, and to then charge sales tax to clients.

This sounds simple. And maybe it is in some states. In California, we have fifty-eight counties, each of which can charge a different sales tax. And then we have school districts, utility districts, and other special districts - each of whom can charge additional taxes. So, "sales tax" can vary zip code by zip code. I soon had clients in five counties around where I lived, and they represented more than five tax districts. Those numbers grew significantly over the years.

So, the tax situation may not have been simple, but it was easy to understand. Sourcing hardware was another story.

I had a client that worked a lot with point of sale systems. (See Episode Five.) I asked him how he sourced cash registers, scanners, PCs, etc., and he pointed me to a company called Merisel. In part because of my connection with that client and his distributors, I comfortably slipped into selling point-of-sale systems to clients.

Of course, I wanted to get some credit with Merisel, and that took me some time to earn. Early on, I had to prepay for everything. I *should* have learned early that I need to be prepaid for everything, but that lesson was years down the road. 

Eventually, Merisel went out of business and was bought up by Synnex (now TD Synnex). So, I had no problem becoming a Synnex distributor, although I probably didn't qualify if I tried to apply without the Merisel account.

The real problem I had was that my volume was too small to get a decent price on anything. A printer might sell for $399 to the public, and my price would be $395 plus shipping! So I'd lose money on the deal.

Then two things happened. First, I learned that local sources would give me a better price. Second, I found out how to become a premium reseller.

Many stores, including Sam's Club, Graybar, Office Depot, and now-defunct Circuit City and Fry's Electronics would let me register my reseller's permit and give me a price break. There wasn't much profit, but I could source products. So I was happy.

In talking to an acquaintance about this, I got some golden advice that has served me well. He told me, "You need to be a premium reseller." I asked what that was and said, "It's simple. No matter what you have to pay for something, you sell it at a premium."

The basic advice amounts to this:

1) Ignore what anyone else is selling something for, and 

2) Charge your preferred markup. Plus,

3) Never explain, apologize, or justify your price. The price is the price.

That is some of the best advice I ever got. Even if I had to buy a printer at $395 plus shipping, I took that total times 1.25 to get my price. Thus, no matter what I sold, I marked it up 25% and rounded up from there so the price ended in 9.99. 

On rare occasions, someone asked me about the price. But that was truly rare. Most of the time, people just paid it.

Over time, I tweaked this a bit. Sometimes, my formula resulted in a price well below the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). In those cases, I adjusted the price up, but just below MSRP. In those cases, I was making a greater-than-average margin and selling below retail.

This was often the case with cables and accessories. All that "little" stuff was hugely profitable. A printer might not earn me much, but the markups on printer cables, toner, and paper were astronomical. 

Looking back, I spent way too much time trying to find/buy/sell products. I should have charged the clients by the hour to help them find the stuff. I might not t make any money on hardware and software, but I would have made a lot more on labor. Oh well.

-----

Next week, I cover one of the most important lessons I've ever learned. In fact, it might be THE most important lesson I ever learned in the IT industry.

Up next . . .  Regular Monthly Maintenance

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5-Week Course - Customer Service for IT Service Providers - Starts Jan. 7th

 Customer Service for IT Service Providers

Learn how to create a great customer service system for your IT consulting business – and how to hire and train the people you need to make it work.

The Course is Live at ITSPU.com.

Five Tuesdays

Jan 7th - Feb. 4th 

9:00 AM Pacific

All classes are recorded

Register Now at www.itspu.com

We all deliver service. After all, you're in a service business. Whether you're starting fresh, or just want to re-energize your IT business, this class is for you! My particular approach focuses on what I call the Three P's - People, Processes, and Programs.

I take a holistic approach. In other words, I believe that customer service touches every part of your company. It's not just when technicians or CS reps are talking to clients. Remember: Customers just call it service. And service begins with your marketing, sales, and client onboarding. It includes the way you invoice and do collections. And, of course, it affects your technicians, front office, and CS staff.

Check out the super-quick intro video

Course Description

Great customer service doesn’t just happen. It’s built from the bottom up with great processes, people, and programs. In this course, you’ll learn how to build a system that provides excellent customer service while keeping your company profitable. Most companies don’t design a customer-focused service delivery with intention. We’ll show you how to attract new clients based on your service delivery.

We use a framework that focuses on people, processes, and programs. “People” includes your employees, your clients, and your vendors. And that makes clear why you need to build a customer service system that’s totally consistent with your brand.

It’s critically important that you don’t simply “bolt on” customer service to whatever you’re already doing. Instead, we’ll show you how to create a never-ending loop of brand-building, employee management, and customer management. And we’ll do all this with in a way that maximizes profitability.

And of course, all of this is presented in the context of an IT consulting business.

Top Take-aways:

• Why is Customer Service different in small business?
• Where does customer service happen in your company?
• Why 10x-ing everything is stupid and harmful to your business
• How to build a great business based on your perfect clients
• Why customer service permeates every single thing in your business

PLUS lots more.

Course Outline

Unit 1 - What is Customer Service and Who Delivers It?

Unit 2 - People: Clients and Employees

Unit 3 - Processes for Success

Unit 4 - CS programs and automation

Unit 5 - Consistent, Scalable, Reproducible, Amazing Customer Service

Delivered by Karl W. Palachuk, author The Absolutely Unbreakable Rules of Service Delivery . . . and other fine books. As always, this course includes instructor office hours, lots of handouts, and homework intended to help you actually make change in your business.

Register Now at www.itspu.com

Specialist Certification Pathways

This course meets one of the core requirements for all of the ITSPU certification pathways:

• Management
• Front Office
• Technician
• Service Manager
• Sales & Marketing

This class will be recorded. Each unit is generally posted within 24 hours of the live class. These recorded units will become the On-Demand class and you’ll have lifetime access to it.

Five hours of live education, lifetime access, lots of handouts. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Only $399 per student.*

Get all the juicy details and register today at 

https://www.itspu.com/all-classes/classes/customer-service-for-it-service-providers/

-- -- -- 

* Members of the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community can register for free. See site for details.

:-)

Doing Things the Right Way - Lessons Learned

This is episode 10 of the ongoing Lessons Learned series. For all the information, and an index of Lessons Learned episodes, go to the Lessons Learned Page. (See the right-side column.)

-- -- -- 

Today's topic: Doing Things the Right Way 

As you might guess, from the guy who built a business on Standard Operating Procedures, I firmly believe there's a right way to do most things. More precisely, I believe most things can be done properly in at least one way. Your "best way" might not be mine, but it's just as correct. 

AND I believe there are LOTS of ways to do things wrong.

If you've followed me for long, or taken any of my classes, you've heard me give my advice and then say something like, "Of course, you need to adjust this for your business. You probably don't run a business in Sacramento, CA with my clients, my offering, my bundles, my pricing, my vendors, and my employees."

What I don't say is, "And if you want to ignore all this and pretend that you don't need a process, that's okay, too." You do need a process. You need YOUR process. You need your way of doing things. You need your standards. And it's okay to copy someone else and then make improvements.

Early on in my consulting experience, I saw lots of examples of the wrong way(s) of doing things. How did I know they were wrong? Well, I did have plenty of professional experience before I went out on my own. I was committed to SOPs and to documentation.

Perhaps the most important tool you can use to determine whether your way is a good way is a simple question: Would I be happy paying someone to give me service like that?

Here's an example. In my last real job, we had someone who came in once a month to perform preventive maintenance on our HP 3000 system. He used to clock in and then go stand in the hallway and take phone calls from other clients. This was the very early days of cell phones. Somehow, that just didn't sit right with me.

So, one day I told him that it bothered me. I told him that he was either ripping off me or the other client. And maybe both. I asked him to please find a way to either 1) not take those phone calls, or 2) document that we were not being charged for the time he was on the phone with another client, AND 3) find a way to assure us that his divided attention was not affecting his job on our server.

He didn't take it too seriously until I mentioned that I was going to make the same request of his boss. Right or wrong, I had expectations. And the appearance that I was getting less than I was paying for just didn't sit right with me.

Skip ahead about seven years. When I had employees, I set down some very clear guidelines. Don't take any calls when you're at a client's office. Don't let the phone interrupt conversations. And don't do anything that makes a client feel like they're getting less than 100% of your attention.

Far in the future, we would develop what we called The KPE Way of doing things (KPEnterprises was my company, and this was an homage to the HP Way philosophy). For now it was simply:

• This is how we document
• This is how we invoice
• This is how we secure a network
• This is how we do backups
• etc.

For us, there was always a "best" way of doing things. There might be other best ways for other companies. But everyone should have their best way. 

This is really a commitment to quality and professionalism. It just happens to also lead to "best practices" and a belief that some ways are better than others. 

In my opinion, letting each employee do whatever they want is not the right way. It doesn't guarantee that things are up to our company standards. And it doesn't build our brand. It might build the technician's brand. But since the company is paying for the technician's time, I think it's fine to ask them to do things our "right" way.

And so began my formal march toward documenting everything and every process, constantly working to make it better and better.

Note: If you feel that I treated employees as idiots who couldn't bring their genius to work, you would be wrong. We constantly asked the techs to talk through all these processes and agree on the best way. We asked them to constantly improve every process, when they could. And so, as a group, we all got better. We all improved what we considered the right way of doing things. Everyone got better. And the company did, too.

-----

Next week, we turn to a very practical consideration from my early years. 

Up next . . . Finding Sources for Hardware and Software.

Subscribe to the blog so you don't miss a thing.

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Join My Community NOW and Lock in a Massive Savings for Life

Note: If you join the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community in January, you will lock in amazing savings for life. Community Plus members will enjoy ...

• All my books, hundreds of hours of videos, audio programs, checklists, calculators, SOPs and a wonderful community, AND

• Five free 5-week courses valued at $399 each (total value $1,995), AND

• Five free certification exams valued at $199 each (total value $995).

So, that's pretty good. 

But if you join NOW - Before December 31st - you get ALL of our 5-week courses free of charge. That's now twenty-six courses at $399 each. The value of that training is $10,374. And you're locked into that deal for life.

Why is this number so absurdly high? Well, we kind of backed ourselves into a corner. First, our classed used to be less expensive. More importantly, we keep adding classes to our schedule. We started the community in 2018. 

• We added two new 5-week courses in 2019 ...
• and two new 5-week courses in 2020 ...
• and one new 5-week course in 2021 ...
• and one new 5-week course in 2022 ...
• and two new 5-week courses in 2023 ...
• and one new 5-week course in 2024 ...
• and we're adding a great new 5-week course in 2025: Mergers and Acquisitions for MSPs. 

In all, we've added TEN completely new courses since we started giving the training to community members. 

Note: We don't intend to stop. I expect we'll just keep adding new content and new courses year after year. And all members will have access to this training. Here's the big change. Beginning in January, new Community Plus members will receive Five Courses and Five Exam Certificates each year. 

Existing Community Plus members will receive ALL Courses and Five Exam Certificates each year. So, if you join now, you'll be an "existing" member when January rolls around.

Let's be honest, these are both great deals. The existing membership is just unbelievably massive, compare to new new program, which is merely "Truly Amazing."

You get to choose. Either way, we think you'll be happy.

... And if you don't need all that training? No problem. Community membership at only $799 per year includes one course and one exam certificate per year. Just enough training to keep your business on the cutting edge.

Sign up today at smallbizthoughts.org.

Join Today!

Actions Needed

Current Members: Do nothing. You are automatically upgraded to the new Community Plus membership. Your price will stay the same . . . forever. And you will continue to receive ALL courses at no additional charge.

Non-Members: Check out the SBT Technology Community. If you join now, you get all the courses. If you join in January, you get the merely "Amazing" five-course training offer. A great deal.

All tiers include 

• All of my books, audio programs, checklists, and members-only events
• Unlimited courses for your staff at huge discounts
• Weekly calls, community forums, and special group Breakouts
• and more!

Member benefits . . . starting January 1, 2025:

Join Today!

Not sure? Schedule a Zoom meeting with me. Fill out the contact form at https://smallbizthoughts.org.

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Register now: My 16th Annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT - Jan. 8th

The One Thing for 2025 

– My 16th Annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT

Register free:

January 8th

9:00 AM Pacific

Register Now on Zoom

Last year we set the stage for the rest of the decade. We talked about your business as a system. I’ll give you an update on that and then we’ll look ahead to 2025 and beyond.

Our theme for 2025 is The One Thing. We’ll look at the one thing you need to do to thrive in the new year. And we’ll give some tips on how to focus on the most important things you need to pay attention to going forward.

A fundamental shift is under way in our industry. You might feel like your are severely disadvantaged if you are a small IT business. I will argue that you have the advantage. You just need to have a strategy to take advantage of it. I’ll give you my thoughts.

Topics Include:

• Highlights and low-lights from 2024
• Technology Updates for 2024 . . . and what’s next
• The obligatory update on Artificial Intelligence
• The Economy
• Speculations about 2025 – and beyond
• A strategy for taking advantage of the changes ahead with large vs. small companies in the SMB IT space.
• PLUS, we’ll have time for questions and answers. So plan to take notes.

Don’t worry – No Politics Here! 

Also, no selling. 

No cost. Just register and tune in.

Put that date into your calendar so you don’t forget!

See you then.

:-)

Technicians Who Refuse to Learn - Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned Episode 9 - Technicians Who Refuse to Learn

For all the information, and an index of "Lessons Learned" episodes, go to the Lessons Learned Page. https://blog.smallbizthoughts.com/p/lessons-learned-blog-series.html

-- -- -- 

Early on in my journey through the world of technology, I realized that there are people who only learn what they have to learn. Very often, they learn it well and they are very good - to a point. But the problem is, everything changes all the time! Those who refuse to learn the next big thing get themselves stuck at a point in time.

And time and time again, I've seen that these people become consultants. There is nothing worse than a consultant stuck in the past! Here are a few examples. These are more or less in chronological order.

Backups (of course)

In the last installment, I talked about backups, and how they are just as likely to fail as to succeed. This is true because of a little accepted rule that is absolutely true:

Backups don't fail unless technicians fail.

Related to this is an absurd, and widely held, belief that tape is unreliable. Tape technology basically never fails. Drop your favorite medium - BDR, hard drive, whatever - from the top of the Empire State Building into a puddle of water where it is instantly driven over by a delivery truck. ONE technology will contain easily recoverable data: The backup tape.

Tape is slow and generally cumbersome. It involves more mechanical dependencies than almost anything. But it is more reliable than any other medium ever.

I've seen time and time again that lazy or unqualified technicians want to sell a "set it and forget it" solution. By solution, they mean install it and walk away. It is often not the right choice for the client, not the right size, not set up properly, and not maintained. So it's not really the backup that failed. The backup didn't stand a chance.

SCSI Technology

The primary reason that many early backups failed is because the fastest, most reliable interface to the computer was SCSI - small computer system interface. SCSI required that technicians either 1) Understand a couple of layers of technology, or 2) Be willing to flip switches and move jumpers randomly out of sheer ignorance until you figure it out.

I don't know why, but SCSI technology was a major block for many technicians. When we say backups failed, it was often improperly configured SCSI controllers or devices. If you don't know what you're doing, it's easy to set up a system that "works" but is very fragile. 

And when it fails, the incompetent technician blames the controller or the tape.

Those folks then failed miserably when faced with five- and ten-drive arrays for large storage systems.  Or storage arrays plus early scanners and other SCSI devices. As SCSI form factors changed, they became easier to manage and harder to screw up. But lazy technicians never got better.

Note: I'm talking so bluntly because the majority of all the frustrations in my consulting business for the first five years was based on cleaning up after these incompetent technicians. And that was more than twenty years ago, so they either figured out how to learn new technology or left the industry. In either case, they shouldn't be offended.

Windows Versions

Some of my favorite stories about incompetent technicians involves those who fell in love with an old operating system. Here's another truth you can rely on: There will always be a new version of the operating system. We're never going to freeze development. And you can't freeze time. 

Early on, when I was using three major operating systems to run several companies, I committed myself to always learning the newest O.S. version. I believe deep in my hear that all those technicians who fell in love with an O.S. lost a lot of money because they and their clients clung to the past. In truth, the clients were hostages of the technician, whether they knew it or not.

And there's a related rule that made everything easier for us: We never sell hardware and software that are not matched in terms of version level. For example, I would not sell an AI-dependent software license today unless it was for an AI-enable computer. Installing old drivers on new machines, or disabling features because of a mis-match always leads to spending more time and more money down the road.

Great example: Many technicians (and I'll say it now . . . misguided, cheap, lazy technicians) avoided upgrading to Windows Vista. Why? Well, if you installed the new Vista O.S. on old hardware, it didn't always perform well. We never installed a new O.S. on old hardware. Ever. Period. As a result, we never had any issues of any kind with the Vista operating system. 

One time, I mentioned that I never had issues with Vista, one of my favorite Microsoft MVPs responded, "Well that's because you only install it on new hardware." Yup. That's exactly right. 

Falling in love with the out-going standard and avoiding the newest thing is always a mistake. Really. A perfect example is . . .

SBS - It's Dead, Fergoodnesssake. Let it go!

Microsoft Small Business Server is the second greatest software bundle in the history of the universe (the first is Microsoft Office). Many, many of us made an actual fortune selling various versions over the years. From SBS 2000 through SBS 2008, it was a great way to build a "total" on-site system for clients. 

But by 2008, the bundle was just too much for one physical server. Microsoft (and most technicians) had known this for a long time. Those who were tuned in saw the end coming years in advance. Unfortunately, way too many technicians refused to see it coming, refused to prepare for the demise, and even refused to stop selling it when it was obsolete.

In just coincidental timing, the housing marketing and financial markets crashed in October 2008. By the time the economy recovered, two things had happened: The release of SBS 2011, and the rapid adoption of cloud technology. Cloud was ready five years before, but consultants just refused to sell it to their clients until the recession forced many people to stop investing in hardware.

Anyway, SBS was long dead by the time SBS 2011 was released.

And yet, thousands of consultants spent the next ten years trying to find a "replacement." They refused to move on. The irony is, the cloud had already replaced every element with more reliable and secure options (except the onsite backup, which was replaced by BDR technology).

A Continuing Trend

I'll mention two more examples in passing because they represent an ongoing trend. The trend is leaving the industry rather than learn new things. The two examples are:

1. Active Directory. The first time I ever saw an voluntary exodus from IT consulting was in the fall of 1999 when Microsoft released Windows Server 2000, which incorporated Active Directory. Many technicians actually tried to see how far they could go without learning AD, the registry, or group policies. 

To be honest, many of them found themselves afraid of the technology for the first time. They hadn't educated themselves. They hadn't kept up. And they considered the learning curve too steep to climb. Ultimately, they gave up. And so, by the first anniversary of Server 2000, a lot of people had decided to take a job or leave IT consulting altogether.

It was painful cleaning up their messes, but it was good for the industry overall.

2. Cloud Services. I released the first edition of Managed Services in a Month in 2008 - and immediately starting moving all of our clients to the cloud. Starting in 2007, I spent five years trying to convince people to adopt cloud services as their primary offering. I got tired of preaching that message, so I focused on other messages for the next five years. 

During that period, more than one consultant said the following words to me, "I just refuse to learn another generation of technology." Well, I have to say, if you're burned out, leaving the industry is the best thing you can do. In that five year period, my best guess is that about 25% of all SMB IT consultants left the industry or retired altogether.

In 2017, I did a worldwide road show on cloud services - and it was successful. Even though the technology had been ready for a long time, the average consultant was now ready to embrace it.

You can hold off new technology for a little while, but it's like trying to stop the tide from rising. It not a battle you can win!

-- -- --

There are many more examples. Sadly, we see it all the time.

If you plan to be in this business twelve more months, then you are free to cruise on to the end without learning anything. But if you plan to be in business for two, or five, or ten more years, then you have to commit to the future. 

New technology will never stop coming. And with it come new opportunities. It's great to reach a plateau and and spend a year or two cashing in on your knowledge and experience. But then you need to re-educate, re-tool, and re-think your offerings. 

And if you're not at a profitable plateau where you can just sell and delivery the same solution for two years, that's okay. It just means you're in the re-tooling and re-thinking phase. Keep learn and you will keep growing.

-----

In the next episode: Doing Things the Right Way.

Subscribe to the blog so you don't miss a thing.

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Free Valuable Things for MSPs (Really)

Free Valuable Things for MSPs (Really)

The IT community is filled with people who practice a "give-first" approach to working with MSPs and ITSPs. These free resources are designed to help folks like you with your business while also opening the door to meaningful connections with leaders in the community.

Over the years, I’ve seen how valuable these kinds of resources can be. For example, my "famous" 68-point checklist has been a go-to freebie for readers for years (Check it out at this link). Inspired by that success and the generosity of others in the IT space, I reached out to my network with a simple question: 

Do you have something valuable to share with MSPs and ITSPs?

The response was overwhelming. And now we've put together a collection of these resources for you. (see below) 

The total value of these give-aways is more than $2,500!!! All available for the asking.

There are no hidden sales or agendas here—just genuine offers from people who care about supporting the IT community. To claim these freebies, all you need to do is engage: send an email, click a link, or fill out a form.

Some of you may wonder if there’s a catch. The answer is no. These resources are offered in the spirit of giving first, with no requirement to sit through a webinar or sales pitch. 

Of course, many of these contributors hope you’ll find value in their work and stay connected, but that’s entirely up to you. 

Check out the list below. I think you'll recognize many people who seem to give and give and give. I assure you that the other names on the list are just as generous with their time and talent.

Here's How It Works:

Explore the offers below. If one or more looks interesting, follow the instructions.

Please use a legit email, if requested. These folks have put out an effort to be part of this program. And they are giving you something of value.

Be patient. It might take some effort to organize a coaching session or receive a postal mailing. And some are in other time zones and countries!

Say thank you! If you find something particularly helpful, close the loop and say thank you! A quick note or shout-out on social media is a great way to express your appreciation.

With all the big bucks in our industry these days, it's good to remember the people who focus on community first and giving first. Yes, they still need to sell *stuff* and make a living. But the give-first approach is a great way to make new friends and build meaningful relationships.

I'd love to hear your feedback about this program - and don't forget to check out MY give-away as well!.

Thank you. - Karl P.

-- -- --

The Great Free Stuff:

From: Karl W. Palachuk / Small Biz Thoughts

Freebie 1: For everyone in the U.S.: FREE Waterproof Fleece Picnic Blanket - $25 Value

Details: Use code FREEBLANKET24 at https://store.smallbizthoughts.com/product/sbt-logoed-picnic-blanket/. You will need to pay $4 to help defray shipping (Actual cost is $10-$20). Available only inside the United States. Offer expires January 31, 2025.

Freebie 2: For everyone outside the U.S. (or those who don't need a blanket): Free book - The IT Consultant's Year of Intention (My newest book) - $29.95 Value.

Details: Use code FREEYOI24 at https://store.smallbizthoughts.com/product/the-it-consultants-year-of-intention/. If you order the e-book version, it's 100% free and you can download immediately. Offer expires January 31, 2025.

-- -- --

From: Terry Hedden / Marketopia

Freebie: 1 free hour of business consulting - $249 Value 

Details: Marketopia is offering 1 free hour of business consulting to help MSPs figure out what they need to do from a sales and marketing perspective to achieve their business goals. You can take the plan and implement it yourself or give the plan to any vendor you wish. Value of $249 and the advice has no catch, no cost, no pitch!

Link: https://marketopia.com/who-we-serve/managed-service-providers/growth-assessment-msp/

-- -- --

From: Heather Johnson / Gozynta

Freebie: One hour of Business consultation - $400 Value 

Details: Ready to level up your business? Gozynta Eureka Consulting is excited to offer a FREE one-hour business consultation as part of our Growth Program—a perfect opportunity to gain expert insights into the areas that matter most to you.

During this customized session, our consultant can guide you through key topics like:

• Work through some of your current issues running your MSPs 

• HR questions and employee management

• Strategic discussions

• Mental health and well-being …and much more!

Simply click here to schedule your free session, and let's talk through some of your business challenges! https://calendly.com/gozyntasales/freeconsultation

-- --

From: Michael Siggins / ChannelPro

Freebie: Cybersecurity Sales Guides from ChannelPro (new ones just added) - Value: $30-$350 depending on downloads selected

Details: ChannelPro is offering you 14 different resources developed specifically to boost your cybersecurity sales efforts. These include a pricing calculator, conversation starter scripts, tips on upselling services, proposal templates and more. MSPs tell us these have been very effective at helping them close more deals. Several MPS have lost weight, and one guy in Sheboygan claims it cured his baldness. These things work! All free, all instant downloads. Select as many as you like. All courtesy of your friends and channel advocates at ChannelPro. 

Link: https://www.channelpronetwork.com/channelpro-defend-cybersecurity-resource-center/?utm_source=free_offer_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=free_offer 

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From: Paul Green / Paul Green's MSP Marketing 

Freebie: Free 8-page magazine on MSP Marketing - Value = $10 (content is priceless)

Details: Magazine mailed to MSPs in the US and UK (everyone else gets a PDF). There are no shipping costs or attempts to sell you anything. It's 100% VALUE.

The magazine is full of quick and powerful ideas to improve your marketing, including:

• An insight into how ordinary business owners and managers buy IT support (and how to influence them)

• The world's most powerful MSP marketing strategy

• A case study of how an MSP owner fixed his marketing

Get your copy mailed to you free, here: https://www.mspmarketingedge.com/free-magazine/

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From: Richard Tubb / Tubblog

Freebie: “Content Marketing for MSPs (and Any ‘Boring’ Business)” e-book. Value: $14.95

Details: This book is your ultimate guide to creating content that builds trust, attracts clients, and grows your business. Packed with practical advice, real-life examples, and tools tailored for MSPs, this e-book helps you overcome content creation challenges and turn your expertise into engaging blogs, videos, and podcasts. Discover how even “boring” businesses can captivate audiences and drive real results.

Sign up for MSP Insights to receive weekly strategies, curated resources, and practical advice for managing your MSP—and get this e-book as a free gift to jumpstart your content marketing journey! Sign up here: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/msp-insights/

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Scott Millar/IT Rockstars

Freebie: Free website listing on MSP Near Me. Value $149

Details: This is a directory of MSPs. It currently ranks in Google on the 3rd result for that search term. Who knows? Your next client might be looking for you at MSP Near Me! Review the site. Notice that we have a featured MSP as well. 

Sign up today at https://mspnear.me/add-your-business/

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Amy Babinchak / Third Tier

Freebie: AI Acceptable Use and Ethics policy template - $100 Value 

Details: Use this template as a conversation starter. Every business has heard the FUD of AI and this template can lead you to a solution. To get it for free, visit https://ThirdTier.net/shop, make the purchase of the template and use the code CED9WRT8 at checkout. Pairs well with our Developing an AI Consultancy for your MSP course. 

-- -- --

James Kernan / Kernan Consulting

Freebie: Mastermind LIVE VIP Pass -  $499 Value

Details: Experience downtown Dallas like never before! This 2-day action packed event will inspire you and show you how other successful MSPs are growing their business. March 27-28th, 2025 at the AT&T Executive Briefing Center downtown.  Certain restrictions apply ( Limited to 5 per quarter ). 

To grab this goodie, fill out the form at https://kernanconsulting.com/contact-us-page/

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Laura Steward / Wisdom Learned, LLC

Freebie: 1 free hour of business strategy consulting - $500 Value

Details: One Free hour of strategy consulting to help you get past a plateau, get around a problem you are having, or flesh out a plan for a new offering. Perhaps your problem is not in your business life but your personal one? Laura is happy to help you figure out a plan for that too. Not sure what else? Ask! Plus - get a free PDF copy of Laura's award-winning book to help you learn how to ask better questions in your business and your life. Just email her at Laura @ LauraSteward.com for the PDF and to book your one hour zoom call.

-- -- -- 

Thank You for checking out these offers.

Please Note: Other people you know (and might have expected to be on this list) said "Yes, but I need more time." If we get a good response, we'll start working on another list with new freebies.

As always, I would love your feedback. Is this kind of "Free Valuable Stuff" email worth receiving? Send me a note.

. . . and have a great end-of-year 2024!

All my best . . .

• Karl W. Palachuk, Small Biz Thoughts

• [email protected]

The Absolute Truths about Backups! - Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned Episode 8 - The Absolute Truths about Backups!

In previous installments, I mentioned some of the backup systems I'd worked with and managed. They varied from old "mainframe" systems to Novell, Windows, and Unix. The biggest and scariest were truly massive projects - executed every business day.

With the old HP 3000 system, we did a 57-tape reel-to-reel backup five nights a week. That was a complete backup. And the system was extremely stable . . . until a hard drive failed. I told most of that story in Episode two. 

The other monster backup was the massive corporation with 5,000 desktops spread across two buildings on a huge campus. Fiber ran between the buildings, and each building backed up the servers in the other building. I literally don't know how many tapes that took. I managed the team that did the backups. And it was a large array of DAT-72 tapes every night.

Both of those backups were designed, built, and funded well. I liken them to NASA projects. They simply cannot fail. Lives were not at stake, but the value of the data was unfathomable. And part of the zero-failure strategy was an acceptance of the First Absolute Truth about Backups: Something's going to fail. It's probably not the tape. It better not be the design. And that leaves the hardware, the software, and the people. Between the three of these, you can bet that the people fail a lot more than the hardware or software.

Interestingly, over the course of about four years, I don't recall ANY failed backups. With one true crisis (failed hard drive), the "current" backup was in progress during the failure and therefore was an incomplete backup. 

The Second Absolute Truth about Backups: You need multiple restore points. Which is related to a belief that will change your perspective for the better - Assume that the most recent backup is unusable. This might be because of hardware failure, the backup is incomplete, software failure, media failure, or human error. You don't know what it is. But if you assume the most recent backup will be bad when you design your backup system, you will work to make sure that they backup before that does the job. 

Murphy's law is in full force with backups. When you do lots and lots of backups at each client, and have lots and lots of clients, then "one in a million" things happen regularly. And when you're talking about millions of files, they quickly become hundreds of millions of files. STUFF happens. You might have an incomplete backup on the current backup, a hardware failure on the one before that, a software failure on the one before that, human error on the one before that, etc. STUFF happens. 

As I took on more clients, I noticed a trend over and over again. About half of them did not have a working backup - whether they knew it or not. Some had no backup and knew it. Some thought they had a backup, but the system didn't work. Many of these switched out the media (tape or hard drive) everyday, unaware that the backup either failed or never finished. And so . . .

The Third Absolute Truth about Backups: There is no such thing as a "set it and forget it" backup. And the best way to rephrase that is, "If you don't test your backups, you don't have a backup!" The worst current iteration is the modern BDR system. You're told to never think about it. And that's one of the main reasons people get into trouble. Nothing works perfectly forever. Entropy works every day.

I said that about half of the clients I met did not have a working backup. Over time, that estimate has grown stronger and stronger. Today, after seeing more than a thousand of backup systems, I believe this is a rule you can rely on. And the sad truth is, it absolutely doesn't have to be that way.

This leads to my strong belief that testing backups is the single most important thing you do in your business. Really. No matter what else happens, you can get a company back in business if you have a good, tested backup.

I used to receive the printed copy of the quarterly Disaster Recovery Journal. I don't know why I didn't keep the issue that came out after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. DRJ had stories about companies with good and faulty backup strategies. More than one of those companies was based in the Twin Towers and was back up in business with fully functioning computer operations the next day - but no employees. 

Even today, that kind of recovery is miraculous and expensive, especially with financial data subject to a mountain of compliance law. But it's doable. At the same time, small businesses today can be back in business the next day for a good amount of money - and within a week for a very small investment. They can, IF they have a well-tested backup.

You - the IT consultant - will always have a job for one simple reason . . .

The Fourth Absolute Truth about Backups: Everything gets old. Technology gets old fast. If you've been in business five years, you might have old backups on hard drives you no longer support - because you can't find them. At ten years, you've got clients whose backups include DVDs or even CDs. Fifteen years ago, you were replacing 250 GB ZIP Disc backups. And on and on it goes.

The folks who make the hardware, software, and media all want to claim that it's "archive" quality. Tapes are well over 99% reliable. But not if you write over them every few days for fifteen years or leave them in a storage unit unattended for ten years. Stuff happens.

Hard drives are awesome but shockingly fragile. Take your favorite brand of hard drives and Google the MTBF (mean time between faults). Gulp. Some of the most popular brands are greater than 3% or 4% per year. You spin a physical device long enough, something's going to break.

Everything gets old. Everything needs to be replaced. There's always a better, faster alternative. And none of them will ever be permanent or live forever.

-- -- --

Bottom Line. If you believe these four Absolute Truths, you will be able to design, build, sell, and maintain great backups. And if you don't, then you'll make one of the most common errors in our business. You'll try to fix a real problem by buying an off-the-shelf solution so you can set it and forget it. Instead of creating a system that works, you'll create one of those backup systems that falls into the wrong half of all backup systems.

The four Absolute Truths about Backups:

1. Something's going to fail.
2. You need multiple restore points.
3. There is no such thing as a "set it and forget it" backup.
4. Everything gets old. 

Association rules to live by:

• The first medium you try to use will be bad/unusable
• About half of all backup systems are failing in some way right now
• Testing backups is the single most important thing you do in your business

-- -- --

Final Notes

A few more things I have come to learn about backups. I am a BIG believer in full (complete) backups every night. Remember: If a restore fails, it's probably the operator's fault. You can have a good backup and a bad restore. That's a big reason for doing monthly test restores: Your people know HOW to do it. 

When you have incremental backups, especially if they're different with every client, you add a layer of complication that can lead to long, expensive, unsuccessful restores. Even if the technician is trained to make the backup media read-only before they start, a failed restore means redoing the entire restore.

"Automated" incremental backups, which are almost universal in BDR and cloud backups, rely on trusting automated systems to never fail. Never is a long time. And every once in a while, there's a story of when this failed.

Again, the more complicated, the higher the likelihood of failure.

Finally, I have learned that almost all back backups start with technicians who are operating beyond their current level of knowledge. They are very technical and know that they can "figure it out." Sometimes, that on-the-job learning comes at a very high price. 

We'll talk more about that next time. Stay tuned for the next installment:  Technicians Who Refuse to Learn

-----

Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community Members: I have a 12-page white paper on how to create a great backup. Its' free inside the Community. Just log in. You will find lots of resources if you search for "backup." Or just follow this link to the backup white paper: https://www.smallbizthoughts.org/member-content/create-a-great-backup-system/

Non-members should consider joining today. https://www.smallbizthoughts.org/join/

:-)

Join ASCII and Me for a Great Webinar: Work/Life Balance Isn’t A Myth!

Work/Life Balance Isn’t A Myth! 

Free webinar with The ASCII Group

Wednesday

Dec 11, 2024 

11:00 AM PST

Register Now at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4000909949767876949

This is a perfect time of year to commit - or re-commit - to work/life balance.

Every industry has stress. But I think IT has more than its share. We maintain and fix the most important resources our clients need to be successful and profitable. The more technology a company needs, the more pressure there is for it to work perfectly. Which is impossible. That's the world we live in.

Over the last three decades, I've seen thousands of stress-filled businesses. And one of the key components of stress is the constant crush of activities on the “to do” list. This presentation gives you and your team a set of practical tools you can use to manage stress when the workload continues to grow more and more each day. 

If you’re paralyzed and frustrated because every task is high priority, we'll show you how to manage the workload – and get more done!

This seminar will give you some key habits of success that will literally change your life in the next 30 days!

Free. Please register today!

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4000909949767876949

:-)

Goodbye to the Portland Technology Wizards - and Thanks for the Gift!

I was extremely honored to get an email a few weeks ago from Walt Bell, the board secretary of the Portland Technology Wizards - offering to make a large contribution to the NSITSP.

Technology Wizards is one of the oldest and most successful SMB IT professional groups. They started, as did many, as and "SBS" user group, focused on Microsoft's Small Business Server. When it was clear that that product was going away, they reorganized on what their members really represented: Professional IT Services for the SMB Market. 

I had met some of the key players (Walt, Ken Shafer, Matt Wilson, and others) at SMB Nation. But the first time I ever heard of the group was from Harry Brelsford, who gave them as an example of a group that doubled down on professionalism from the start: They charged businesses to be members and didn't let strangers just show up for all their meetings.

Technology Wizards was organized as a 501(c)3. Now, after twenty-three years serving the IT professionals of Oregon, they are dissolving the group. Membership has dwindled with all the competing organizations and technology. But, as a chartered non-profit, they cannot disperse the money between members: They have to transfer it to another non-profit with a consistent mission.

Walt was emailing me to inform me that the board had decided to donate their remaining funds (just under $2,600) to the NSITSP.  I am saddened by their dissolution and honored that they see the NSITSP as an organization continuing the work they started.

My personal history with the group goes way back. 

When I first started traveling to groups with Harry Brelsford - to promote his books, my books, and one we wrote together (The SAN Primer for SMB), the Portland group was always on the list. Early on, from those tours, I realized that there were groups who always had a good turnout. Portland was absolutely in the top tier. I spoke there many times.

I was honored to be a speaker at their 10th Anniversary festivities in 2013, along with Steven Banks, President of the Seattle user group.

Here's Steve with Tech Wizards President Ken Shafer. 

If my memory serves me right, Steve's wife made an anniversary cake for the occasion. That's a perfect example of how this group was also very involved in the broader SMB IT Community.

In the flurry of emails that preceded the gift above, I exchanged several nostalgic emails with Walt, Ken, etc. Time and time again, they expressed gratitude to Amy Babinchak, Steve, Harry, and others for always being willing to drop by their meetings when they were in town - or close.

Portland has always been a technology hub in the shadow of Redmond, WA. Intel and Nike are headquartered there. Microsoft maintains a nice office there, and that was the home of the Technology Wizards.

And so, for more than twenty-three years, this group has contributed to our industry and community at the local, state, and national levels. Of course, many of their members will continue to be active. So when you see them, thank them for everything they've done - and for the gift to the NSITSP.

Note: I also wrote a short "announcement" blog post on the NSITSP blog, here.

You can learn more about the mission of the NSITSP - and how you can get involved - at www.nsitsp.org.

... And if you want to contribute $2,500 - we'll take it!

:-)