Hello Karl,

News from Down Under

Let me be very clear: These little quokka really are this cute. I think they evolved to be photographed.

I had never heard of them before. But I met someone in a bar at the LAX airport who said that if I was headed to Perth, I have to go to Rottnest Island and see the quokka. One Google search and I made the decision.

One of the main reasons I don't make detailed plans when I travel is that I always find unexpected goodies - like the Quokka!

Avoid Un-ending Adjustments

I was paying a lot of attention to news last month, mostly because the California state legislative session was coming to an end and the Governor was signing and vetoing the 1,000+ bills that hit his desk. It occurred to me that the reason the government can never fix a problem is that they never stop reacting to the moment.

In your business, you should measure things, get to understand your process, make changes, and then stop making changes . . . until you can take some good measurements and see the long-term results.

Governments should be responsive, of course, but that doesn't mean they should be constantly fiddling. Luckily, you can be more rational with your business. The more data you have the better. But you shouldn't change policies every day or every week. Let the data tell a story - then respond.

See the stock marketing graphs:

If you look at the long-term graph, you see that things are generally headed in the right direction. If you zoom into a small subset, you don't see the full picture. The lesson is: This moment is a very small sample. Policies should be based on more robust data.

Making constant adjustments to your goals and strategies should always try to look at the big picture rather than short-term trends. AND don't forget the number one rule of troubleshooting: Only change one thing at a time.

I have to admit, this is a challenge for me. I like to fiddle. So I'm lucky to have people who remind me that I need to go slow and wait to see if the last change is helping us move closer to our stated goals.

Book Update

Small Biz Thoughts Community Members: Download your free PDF version - and sign up for the class. Included in membership!

Everyone else - grab your copy now. The PDF version is flying off the e-bookshelf. Get it now for only $29.95 at https://store.smallbizthoughts.com.

Thanks again to Gozynta and The ASCII Group for giving us a little financial support to get the book published!

Everything is moving forward for other versions (Kindle, epub, paperback). Thank you for your patience.

-- -- --

Tid Bits . . .

A short newsletter this week. Plowing straight ahead to the end of the month. I *will* get some work done while I'm n Australia. Just haven't done it yet. :-)

-- -- --

PLEASE send me your calendar updates. Which events are you attending in 20204?

-- -- --

A GREAT new class starts tomorrow from Lori Hardtke: Profit First for MSPs. Details below and in the interview video. You will love it!

Please send me your calendar updates for this year or next!

That's it for now. Have a great week.

• Karl P.

:-)

Join me live at . . .

• SMB IT Pro Conference - October 27-28 in Melbourne, Australia

• ASCII event - December 7 in Waikiki, HI

• Karl's 2024 State of the Nation report for SMB IT - Register Now

Links below in the events calendar - or at WhereInTheWorldIsKarl.com.

ALL NEW Class Starts Tomorrow !!!

Profit First for MSPs

Taught by Lori Hardtke

MSP and Certified Profit First Professional

- Five Tuesdays

- October 24th - November 21st

Register Now - Only $399*

(Only $349 with code below)

Learn how to break through to a 6-figure salary and build a profitable and valuable MSP business. You’ll learn the benefits of having multiple bank accounts and how to make financial business decisions by simply looking at your bank account balances.

Running and growing a business can be one of the most rewarding things you do in your life…it can also be one of the most frustrating and challenging endeavors you embark on. As an IT business owner myself, an educator, and a certified Profit First Professional, it’s my mission to help business owners of any size eliminate debt, prioritize profits, provide clarity, and reduce financial stress.

Can You Relate To Any Of These?

• You run your business paycheck to paycheck
• You are stressed out every month worrying about how you’ll pay all the bills, your employees and/or consultants.
• You shuffle money from your personal account to your business thinking you’ll pay yourself back in the next month or two or ten.
• You, the business owner, don’t pay yourself a respectable salary if at all, or you wait until the end of the year to see how much profit you made
• You don’t want to learn or understand how to read your financial statements
• You see a decent profit at year end (from your Profit & Loss Statement) but wondering why that amount of money isn’t in your bank account
• You keep thinking you just need “1 more big client” or “Better PSA, better tools” or “A sales person, another tech, etc.” and then the money will come pouring in
• You want a sustainable, profitable business month after month, year after year
• You want your staff (W2 and/or 1099) to have a vested interest in the success of your business
• You dream of having no A/R, no debt, and cash in the bank.
• You want to be insanely profitable!

If you answered Yes to any or all the above, then you need Profit First!

Lori Hardtke would be honored to help you pave your way to financial freedom. Sign up now!

Only $399 - only $349 with code

Top Take-aways:

• Breaking through to a 6-figure salary

• Avoiding burnout and building a business that serves you

• Recognizing and eliminating unnecessary expenses

• Learning how to pay off debt and saying good-bye forever

• Funding your retirement account year after year

PLUS lots more.

Here are the specifics of what you'll learn, week by week:

Unit 1 Why Profit First and How It Creates Predictable Profits

Unit 2 Determining CAPs & TAPS and Creating Allocation Rhythm

Unit 3 Cutting Expenses, Learning How to Pay Off Debt

Unit 4 Disbursing Quarterly Bonuses and Owner Tax Reimbursement

Unit 5 Funding Your Retirement Account & Creating Stronger Money Management Habits

Delivered by Lori Hardtke, MSP, Certified Profit First Professional, Peer Advisor and Coach. Lori has been an MSP for many years and lives and runs her MSP remotely (in Hawaii) for clients in 7 different states with no full-time employees.

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

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

This course is intended for business owners or finance managers.

(The title “Profit First” used with permission.)

ITSP University Certification:

Meets Certification Requirements for:

• Management

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.

Register Now - Only $399*

Save $50 with code above

Note: * Members of the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community attend at no additional charge. See details in the Community

Check out my interview with Lori on the Profit First philosophy:

Small Biz Thoughts Blog:

• Owners and Managers Should Update Documentation
• The Four Dimensions of Customer Service
• Released: The IT Consultant's Year of Intention Now Available for Download!
• Small Biz Thoughts Community - Biggest Announcement in Five Years!

Killing IT Podcast - NEW

• Overworking, AI, AR, and More!

SMB Community Podcast - New episodes drop every Thursday

• MSP Packaging and Pricing
• What's Your Favorite Password Tool?
• How to Compensate Fully Remote Workers
• Husband and Wife at the Same Company: Yes or No?

National Society of IT Service Providers News Blog

• NSITSP 2023 Election Results
• It's Time to Vote - And Brag about It
• A Good Reception with Larger Consultants

Relax Focus Succeed:

• Tips on Tipping from a World Traveler
• Take a Stand - It's Your Brand!
• What Are You Worried About?

.

Video of the Week . . .

Selected Recent Videos and Webinars:

• Owners and Managers Need to Update Documentation
• Working with Priorities in the Real World
• Interview: Lori Hardtke on Profit First for MSPs
• SBT Community News October 2023
• New Book - The IT Consultant's Year of Intention

Our YouTube IT Consulting channel now has more than 9,200 subscribers and 712,000 views! Subscribe today and don't miss a thing! https://www.youtube.com/smallbizthoughts

OR my Relax-Focus-Succeed Channel at https://www.youtube.com/relaxfocussucceed



Members: All New Class - and the new Breakout Program

Start November 9th. Sign Up Now!

Ready to Launch: Community Breakouts

IF you've been paying attention, then you know that the new book The IT Consultant's Year of Intention is free to you in the community. But we want this to be a lot more than a book. My motto is . . .

Nothing Happens by Itself

And that's why everything we do is focused on taking action to make changes in your business (for the better). Our courses have homework so you are prompted to take action. We produce workbooks and checklists to promote taking action.

And so . . . The new book is also a new class inside the SBT Technology Community.

100% free to members. 100% not available to non-members.

Get all the juicy details (and register) here:

https://www.smallbizthoughts.org/class-and-breakout-based-on-the-new-book-year-of-intention/

The special class is schedule for four sessions:

• November 9
• November 16
• December 7
• December 14

In each class, we'll go through some of the book and then have "Breakout" session to help you begin planning your 2024 - with Intention. The Breakout will be something like a peer group or mastermind group - but with a defined time frame.

Our new Breakout programs will be very focused on a specific topic - but without the open-ended long-term commitment of most peer groups or mastermind groups. We're using the Year of Intention book to kick off the Breakout program.

If you just want the class - GREAT. Sign up. I promise you'll get great value from it.

If you want peer feedback and a safe space for brainstorming with other IT consultants, that's also GREAT. Jump in and join us.

Those who choose to join the Breakout program will continue to meet for the first few months of 2024. So, you get to customize the experience you get.

Bottom line today: The first class is coming up in a few weeks, so sign up today. You don't have to commit to anything now. But we'd love to have you in class.

Note: All of this is 100% free to members! So jump in.

Here's the last Community News video:

I had a good time hanging out with Shannan Jones in Fremantle (near Perth). I normally see Shannan once a year at the SMB IT Professionals conference. And I will again next week as the conference kicks off in Melbourne.

:-)

October

SMB IT Professionals National Conference

October 27-28

Melbourne, Australia

More Info: https://www.smbitpro.org/conference-2023/

Join me Live!!

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

Oct. 30-Nov. 2

Miami Beach

More Info: https://www.channelfutures.com/channel-events

November

ChannelPro CyberSecurity Strategies

Nov 1-2

Los Angeles

More Info: https://events.channelpronetwork.com/content/2023-events-registration

IT Nation Evolve Business Leaders

November 6-8, 2023

Orlando, FL

More Info: https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve/agenda

Nerdio Training Camp

Nov 14-15

Austin, TX

More Info: https://getnerdio.com/nerdio-training-camp/#trainingregister

IT Nation Sales and Service Leaders

November 28 - December 1, 2023

Nashville, TN

More Info: https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve/agenda

:-)

December

Growcon

Dec 3-6

Clearwater, FL 

More Info: https://web.cvent.com/event/70970f2a-39dd-46ad-9469-1c6e7733071e/regProcessStep1:74825d1d-ed84-4213-ac63-741430f5a2d4

Women of the Channel Leadership Summit East 2023

December 4-5

New York, NY

More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/events

ASCII Navigate in Hawaii !!!

Dec. 7th

Waikiki, HI

More Info: https://navigate.ascii.com/

Join Me Live in Hawaii!

James Kernan's Millionaire Mastermind Quarterly

Dec 7-8

Newport Beach, CA

More Info: https://kernanconsulting-mastermind.mykajabi.com/mastermind-event

Nerdio Training Camp

Dec 12-13

Los Angeles, CA

More Info: https://getnerdio.com/nerdio-training-camp/#trainingregister

:-)

January 2024

Karl's 15th Annual

State of the Nation Address for SMB IT

January 10th on Zoom - Register Now

Join me Live Online!

February 2024

MSP Expo

February 13-15, 2024

Fort Lauderdale, FL

More Info: http://www.mspexpo.com/

March

XChange Orlando

March 3-5

Orlando, FL

More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/xchange

XChange UK

March

UK

More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/xchange

Channel Partners Conference & MSP Summit

March 11-14

Las Vegas, NV

More Info: https://www.channelfutures.com/channel-events

Join me live!

Midsize Enterprise Summit IT Security 2024

March 18-19, 2024

Indianapolis, IN

More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/events

MSP Rescue from SMB Nation

Date TBD

Los Alamitos, CA

More Info: https://msprescue.pro/

AI Transparency Statement

We do not use artificial intelligence apps in the writing of any content for this newsletter. Some of our royalty-free paid graphics might use AI-generated images. But all of the writing is by Karl W. Palachuk, or others as noted.