Nothing Happens
by Itself
Copyright © 2023 Karl W. Palachuk
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Hello Karl, -
I'm going to make this newsletter short and focused
I have three asks:
ONE - Dave Sobel's brand new course on Navigating Emerging Technologies for MSPs starts tomorrow. There's no one more qualified to teach this great class. It's a great mix of strategies and tactics focused 100% on managed service providers. See details below.
TWO - My 15th Annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT is Wednesday. We have over 100 people signed up. This is always a major event. Don't miss it. See details below.
THREE - We have a number of calendar updates this week. And we'll keep adding them. See the calendar at the bottom . . . and keep sending me your updates.
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Resolved: I will do *ONE* thing I know I need to do
There's an old truth about advice (business consulting, coaching, therapy, and even advice from friends):
People already know what they need to do!
I wrote the book, The Absolutely Unbreakable Rules about Service Delivery for IT consultants because it honestly contains the most important things I've learned to run my business. It's not a "customer service" book per se. There's some good advice regarding CS, but the real focus is on rules inside your business that make you more successful.
Almost without fail, when I am coaching someone, I point them to a chapter in that book. Most recently, this was a chapter entitled, "Get prepaid for everything."
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And, almost without fail, the answer is along the lines of, "I know I should do that but . . ."
[ I can't ]
[ I'm afraid my clients will leave ]
[ I don't know how ]
[ I don't know where to start ]
[ We tried that once ]
So the bottom line is: You know what needs to be done. And you probably have a way to explain why you're not doing what you know needs to be done. OK. Now, how do you get un-stuck?
The answer is shockingly simple. Once you decide to do something, the "how" will reveal itself. Before you commit to doing something, all the excuses have power. After you commit to doing something, the excuses become speed bumps.
Alternatively, you can take Daniel Burrus' advice and skip your biggest obstacle. In the speed bump analogy, this is simply driving around the speed bump or taking a different route. There are normally many paths to one destination.
Once you set your sights on a destination, you choose a path that makes sense for you.
Lesson for the new year: Take stock of the good advice you've been ignoring - and pick one thing to change.
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This Wednesday:
My 15th annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT
Some thoughts on 2023 and 2024. I tally up my predictions. Wins and losses. One massive dire prediction. The challenge for private equity. And the good news for MSPs that no one wants to talk about.
And almost nothing on Artificial Intelligence.
Free, of course. Register now at MSP Webinar.
Wed., January 10th
9:00 AM Pacific / Noon Eastern
This year's theme is The Dawning of a New Era for IT Consultants. Yes, I'm biased to the positive. But the change that's coming is gargantuan and important. So don't miss it.
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Michigan won the Rose Bowl. Tonight, I plan to be drinking beer with fellow alums at a local tavern. And, with luck, UM will be national champions. #GoBlue
I'm not a huge sports fan, but like most Americans, American Football is my favorite sport. Here's my favorite stat for 2024 so far: 93 of the most-watched programs of 2023 were football!
See https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/01/05/nfl-games-made-up-93-of-the-most-watched-tv-programs-in-2023/
Best surprise in that article: The Next Level Chef program came in 94th . . . because it aired right after the Super Bowl and enough people just left it on while the Super Bowl party continued. If you're in real estate, you might call that location, location, location.
Have a great week.
:-)
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Join me live at . . .
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Karl's 2024 State of the Nation report for SMB IT - Register Now
- ASCII Edge - Feb. 21-22, 2024 in Costa Mesa, CA
- Channel Partners Conference - March 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV
- ChannelPro SMB Forum - Nov. 12-13, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA
Links below in the events calendar - or at WhereInTheWorldIsKarl.com.
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Great New Class to Kick Off 2024 !!! | |
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Starts tomorrow!
Navigating Emerging Technologies for MSPs
Taught by Dave Sobel
Technology Analyst and Podcaster
- Five Tuesdays
- Jan 9 - Feb 6
Register Now - Only $399*
In this five-week course, you will delve deep into the strategic facets of leveraging emerging technologies and trends for Managed Services Providers (MSPs). As the technology landscape continually evolves, the ability to identify and integrate new technologies into your MSP service offerings can be a significant differentiator. This course is designed to equip you with the tools, frameworks, and practical skills necessary to not only adapt but also thrive in this fast-paced environment.
Week 1 sets the stage by helping you understand the analysis process of current technology trends and how they can impact your MSP business. You’ll learn forecasting techniques that empower you to anticipate technological shifts, giving you a competitive edge.
Week 2 focuses on equipping you with decision-making skills tailored to technology adoption. By understanding how to evaluate and prioritize technologies based on various criteria, you’ll be well-placed to make choices that align with both market demand and your company’s capabilities.
In Week 3, you’ll gain financial literacy specific to technology investments. Whether you are a business owner, a manager, or a technical lead, understanding the financial implications of your choices is crucial. You’ll learn about building financial models to calculate ROI, TCO, and payback periods, enabling you to make fiscally responsible decisions.
Risk and compliance are the central themes of Week 4. In today’s complex regulatory environment, integrating new technology into your offerings isn’t just a matter of technical compatibility; it also involves meeting compliance standards and managing risks. You’ll acquire skills to navigate this intricate landscape effectively.
Finally, Week 5 enables you to put all the pieces together. You’ll engage in practical exercises that teach you how to create pilot programs, adjust your existing service offerings, and develop strategic roadmaps for incorporating new technologies into your business.
Through a blend of lectures, examples, exercises, and group discussions, you will emerge from this course with a robust understanding of how to strategically leverage technology trends. Whether you’re a seasoned MSP professional or aspiring to become one, this course will provide you with valuable insights and skills to elevate your career and business.
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Only $399
Top Take-aways:
- Technology Opportunity Identification: Gain the ability to identify and assess emerging technologies and trends relevant to Managed Services Providers.
- Decision-making Skills for Technology Adoption: Gain understanding in using frameworks and criteria to make informed decisions about integrating new technologies into service offerings.
- Financial Literacy for Technology Investments: Acquire skills in building and interpreting financial models to evaluate the ROI, TCO, and payback periods of technology investments.
- Risk and Compliance Management: Learn about risk assessment frameworks and compliance requirements for adopting and implementing new technologies in services.
- Practical Implementation Skills: Develop skills for creating pilot programs, adapting existing services, and formulating strategic roadmaps for technology adoption.
PLUS lots more.
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Here are the specifics of what you'll learn, week by week:
Unit 1 Scanning the Technology Horizon for Opportunities
Unit 2 Evaluating and Prioritizing Emerging Technologies
Unit 3 Financial Modeling and ROI for Technology-Driven Services
Unit 4 Risk Management and Compliance in Technology-Driven Services
Unit 5 Incorporating Emerging Technologies into Service Offerings
Delivered by Dave Sobel, Technology Analyst and Podcaster.
As always, this course includes instructor office hours, lots of handouts, and homework intended to help you actually make change in your business.
ITSP University Certification:
Meets Certification Requirements for:
- Management
- Service Manager
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*
Note: * Members of the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community attend at no additional charge. See details in the Community
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All the Resources That Are Fit to Print | |
Recent Blog Posts, Podcasts, and Videos | |
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Small Biz Thoughts Blog:
SMB Community Podcast - New episodes drop every Thursday
National Society of IT Service Providers News Blog
Relax Focus Succeed:
.
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Video of the Week . . .
My most popular video for 2023:
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Community News
SmallBizThoughts.org
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Join us every Thursday
9 AM Pacific / Noon Eastern
All members welcome.
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HUGE thanks to Eric Anthony from All Things MSP. Eric was our first 2024 guest on the Community Roundtable. The Roundtable is recorded and you can find it on the Community/Roundtable menu.
You can catch up with Eric (All Things MSP) on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/@AllThingsMSP
and on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/allthingsmsp
We meet every week on Thursdays at 9:00 AM Pacific. The SBT Roundtable is the first Thursday of the month. The Weekly Zoom Meeting link is always in your community dashboard.
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New Members (and old members who want a tune-up): Show up 30 minutes early on the second Thursday (Jan. 11th) for a grand tour of of the insides of the SBT Community. Bring you questions.
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Here's the last Community News video: | |
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Spotted in my local parking lot. Not sure why I thought this was funny. But there it is.
:-)
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What's Here?
This calendar lists two kinds of things: LIVE in-person events from any organization that focuses on the SMB consulting community; and MY events, whether live, webinar, etc.
If you have live events on your calendar that may be useful to others in the SMB Community, please let us know. We'd be happy to list them.
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February 2024
ConnectWise Automation Nation
Feb. 5-8
Tampa, FL
More Info: https://info.connectwise.com/events/automation-nation-2024-announcement
Cisco Live
Feb. 5-9
Amsterdam, Netherlands
More Info: https://www.ciscolive.com/emea.html
Microsoft Envision AI Tour
Feb. 7
Sydney, Australia
More Info: https://envision.microsoft.com/en-US/sydney
SMB TechFest
February 8-9
Irvine, CA
More Info: https://www.smbtechfest.com/showdates.asp
World AI Cannes Festival
Feb. 8-10
Cannes, France
More Info: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/events/advancing-ai.html
MSP Expo
February 13-15, 2024
Fort Lauderdale, FL
More Info: http://www.mspexpo.com/
ASCII Edge 2024
February 21 & 22
Costa Mesa, CA
More Info: https://events.ascii.com/
Join me Live!
NerdioCon
Feb. 12-16
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
More Info: https://nerdiocon.com/
MSP Expo
Feb. 13-15
Fort Lauderdale, FL
More Info: https://www.mspexpo.com/east/
TDWI Transform
Feb. 19-23
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://tdwi.org/events/conferences/las-vegas/home.aspx
Gartner CIO Leadership Forum
Feb. 26-27
Phoenix, AR
More Info: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/cio-us-west
Mobile World Congress
Feb. 26-29
Barcelona, Spain
More Info: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/
ChannelPro LIVE
Feb. 28-29
Chicago, IL
More info: https://events.channelpronetwork.com/
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March
XChange Orlando
March 3-5
Orlando, FL
More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/xchange
VSLive!
March 3-8
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://vslive.com/events/las-vegas-2024/home.aspx
Cloud Expo Europe
March 6-7
London, England
More Info: https://www.cloudexpoeurope.com/
Right of Boom
March 6-8
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://www.rightofboom.com/event/22f53824-56a7-4e87-9dc4-c25d1d93baf7/summary
MSP Summit
March 11-12
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://channelpartnersconference.com/msp-summit
XChange UK
March 6-7
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!
Gartner Data & Analytics Summit
March 11-13
Orlando, FL
More Info: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/data-analytics-us
Microsoft Envision AI Tour
March 12
Paris, France
More Info: https://envision.microsoft.com/en-US/paris
NVIDIA GTC
March 17-21
San Jose, CA
More Info: https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/
Datacenter Dynamics Converged
March 18-19
New York City, NY
More Info: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcd-connect-live/connect-nyc/2024/
CloudFest
March 18-21
Rust, Germany
More Info: https://www.cloudfest.com/
Midsize Enterprise Summit IT Security 2024
March 18-19, 2024
Indianapolis, IN
More Info: https://www.thechannelco.com/events
KubeCon + CloudNativeCon
March 19-23
Paris, France
More Info: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-europe/
ASCII Edge 2024
March 20 & 21
Houston, TX
More Info: https://events.ascii.com/
Days of Knowledge
March 21-22
Birmingham, England
More Info: https://www.directionsforpartners.com/conferences-and-events/days-of-knowledge/uk-2024
Gartner CIO Leadership Forum
March 25-26
Hollywood, FL
More Info: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/cio-us-east
Microsoft Fabric Community Conference
March 26-28
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://fabricconf.com/#!/
MSP Rescue from SMB Nation
Date TBD
Los Alamitos, CA
More Info: https://msprescue.pro/
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April 2024
Fortinet Accelerate
April 1-5
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://www.fortinetaccelerate.com/home/3861565
Intel Vision
April 8-9
Phoenix, AZ
More Info: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/events/on-event-series/vision.html
Google Cloud Next
April 9-11
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://cloud.withgoogle.com/next
North American Cloud & Collaboration Summit
April 9-11
Dallas, TX
More Info: https://www.collabsummit.org/
ChannelPro LIVE
Apr. 10-11, 2024
Orlando, FL
More info: https://events.channelpronetwork.com/
Days of Knowledge
April 12-13
Odense, Denmark
More Info: https://www.directionsforpartners.com/conferences-and-events/days-of-knowledge/nordic-2024
Directions
April 14-17
San Diego, CA
More Info: https://directionsna.com/
Black Hat Asia
April 16-19
Singapore
More Info: https://www.blackhat.com/asia-24/
ASCII Edge 2024
April 17 & 18
Newark, NJ
More Info: https://events.ascii.com/
eMerge Americas
April 18-19
Miami Beach, FL
More Info: https://emergeamericas.com/
TDWI Transform
April 28-May 3
Chicago, IL
More Info: https://na.eventscloud.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=777592&_gl=1*x88u25*_gcl_au*NjI4NDAyOTQxLjE3MDE3Mjk1NjI.
Kaseya Connect Global
April 29-May 2
Las Vegas, NV
More Info: https://www.kaseyaconnect.com/
Microsoft 365 Conference
April 30-May 3
Orlando, FL
More Info: https://www.m365conf.com/#!/
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November 2024
ChannelPro SMB Forum
Nov. 12-13, 2024
Los Angeles, CA
Stay tuned for info: https://events.channelpronetwork.com/
Join me Live!
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Note: If you know of any in-person event for SMB Consultants, please send info to karlp@greatlittlebook.com. | |
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Small Biz Thoughts is a subsidiary of Great Little Book Publishing Co., Inc. | |
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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.
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