Nothing
Happens
by Itself
Copyright © 2023 Karl W. Palachuk
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Greetings!
Thank you for the emails! Between May Day, May the Fourth be with you, and feedback about private equity, I received a LOT of email last week. I try to respond to everyone. So keep it coming.
I had a crazy, busy, fun, and productive week in Las Vegas. Did a lot of coaching for the NSITSP and ChannelWise. An just when I was getting home, I received a graphic for approval from Fiverr. It's for my site, Where In The World Is Karl? There's a larger version in the Picture of the Day, below. |
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Super Quick Note (more on the blog): Join me for a great free webinar on making the move to Managed Services.
Who should attend:
Seasoned professionals who haven't fully committed to the managed service business model.
New IT consultants who are just getting established and a "starter kit" for running good, sustainable business.
Managed service providers who are looking for a few gold nuggets to fine-tune their operations.
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NSITSP All-Member Meeting: May 10th!
The quarterly NSITSP meeting is open to everyone. Please register now and join us May 10th on Zoom. We have LOTS of news.
The agenda includes committee reports related to growing the organization, following legislation, marketing, fundraising, events, and more.
We'll also talk about the recent webinars and upcoming events we have planned. Free and open to everyone - Please register now.
Join us!
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The folks at Asigra sent me this entertaining and educational video. Please check it out. (Asigra is the sponsor of the SMB Online Conference next week.) |
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Air-gapped and immutable backups are no longer good enough. In this video, we explain the attack loop. And, with the increase in ransomware attacks, how secure are your backups? |
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Follow-Up . . .
Thoughts on Private Equity
Thank you for all the notes about last week's article. I did a follow-up blog post on this, here:
That post sheds a little light on how PE can choose to be a positive force instead of a negative one. And it raises an issue I have never heard anyone (other than me) raise before: Data Portability.
This is a simple tool that will have a positive effect going forward. If you can take your data (which you own) and leave, then vendors might make customer service and customer retention part of their business model.
Sadly, I don't see the "core" media outlets in our industry touching this with a ten-foot pole because they are funded largely by the companies funded by private equity. Anyway, please keep reading and giving me your feedback.
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The SMB Online Conference only happens every three years.
Don't Miss It!
We now have over 150 registered. This conference is really a two-day conversation. Always new, fresh, and educational.
This is a GREAT deal for only $399
For two days of education - and presentations you won't find anywhere else.
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A Quick Side Note: What IS Artificial Intelligence?
We've been using predictive analytics, large language models, and sophisticated algorithms for at least a decade. Is there a clear line between that and AI?
I went to the source and asked Bing, powered by AI: What's the difference between AI and really sophisticated algorithms?
Bing responded (I put parentheses around the citation numbers):
"That’s a good question. AI and algorithms are related but not the same. An algorithm is a set of instructions that can be followed to perform a specific task, such as sorting data or finding the shortest path between two points(1)(2). AI, on the other hand, is a group of algorithms that can modify its algorithms and create new algorithms in response to learned inputs and data, rather than relying solely on the inputs it was designed to recognize as triggers(1). This ability to change, adapt and grow based on new data is described as intelligence(1).
"This is the fundamental difference: AI can change its outputs based on new inputs, while an algorithm will always generate the same output for a given input(3). AI can be used for tasks such as classification and regression, while algorithms are typically used to sort data or find the shortest path between two points(3)."
Citations:
- https://www.cmswire.com/information-management/ai-vs-algorithms-whats-the-difference/
- https://www.datasciencecentral.com/difference-between-algorithm-and-artificial-intelligence/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-difference-between-ai-algorithm-koridorapp
- https://www.eweek.com/big-data-and-analytics/ai-vs-algorithms/
I found this to be a surprisingly simple explanation that could be the basis of explaining AI to your clients. I wonder, if you give Bing the same question, whether you would get the same answer.
I will never forget that our local phone company (sometimes PacBell, sometimes AT&T) spent fifteen years telling businesses that they were providing "cloud services" when they were really just selling hosted Windows 2000 Servers.
So I asked, How can I tell if something is AI? And Bing said . . .
"Verifying that something is AI can be challenging, as AI-generated text is becoming more realistic and indistinguishable from human-written text. However, there are some ways to spot AI-generated text, such as:
"Length of sentences: AI-generated text often includes very short sentences or very long sentences that lack coherence and punctuation.
"Repetition of words and phrases: AI-generated text may repeat the same words or phrases multiple times, especially if they are uncommon or specific to a topic.
"Lack of analysis: AI-generated text may lack complex analysis, reasoning, or arguments, and may rely on vague or generic statements instead.
"Hallucinated facts: AI-generated text may invent facts or details that are not true or relevant to the topic, such as names, dates, numbers, or locations.
"Biases: AI-generated text may reflect the biases that were present in the training data, such as stereotypes, prejudices, or preferences for certain groups or opinions."
Thoughts? Feedback? Send them my way.
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Thanks for reading. PLEASE join us for the big NSITSP all-member meeting Wednesday, May 10th.
And please join us for the live 2-day SMB Online Conference May 17-18.
Have a great week!
:-)
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You only missed two classes. Sign up, catch up, and we'll see you tomorrow!
Position Your IT Firm for Growth or Sale
Taught By: Rayanne Buchianico, Author and Coach
- Five Tuesdays - April 25 - May 23
“Rayanne’s course on getting a company ready for growth or sale was amazing.”
– David Streit, Stephill Associates
As your business matures, you want to take control of profits and your financial house. You invested the time to set up your chart of accounts, align income with COGS for easy measuring, and organize your reports and service desk. You have the information you need; this course teaches you how to use it.
This class provides unique content from a unique teacher! Rayanne is a managed service provider from Tampa, FL. She is also an accountant and an Intuit Certified ProAdvisor. In addition to her MSP business, Rayanne helps I.T. consultants to take control of their finances and understand their own business at a deeper level.
Topics for this class include:
- Create KPIs specific to your company
- Benchmark against your peers
- Detailed cash flow management and measure debt against income
- Measure service-level profits and improve profitability
- Identify red flags in your business, make changes before they become problems
- Prepare your company for growth, sale or merger
- Use margins to price your services for profit
- Income Tax Planning and Projections
- Action plans for success
... And More!
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Here are the specifics of what you'll learn, week by week:
Week One
- Plan
- Organize
- Documentation
Week Two
- Valuation Methods
- Working Capital
- Tracking EBITDA
Week Three
- Build KPIs
- Develop Trends
- Labor Costs
Week Four
- Cash Flow Forecasting
- Debt Reduction
- Controlling Costs
Week Five
- Workshop – Bring is together
Delivered by Rayanne Buchianico, Accounting Professional and QuickBooks Advisor. Rayanne has been an MSP - managed service provider - for many years and advises MSPs on how to get the most out of their QuickBooks and PSA integrations.
Includes five weeks of webinar classes with related handouts, assignments, and "office hours" with the instructor.
This course is intended for business owners and managers. It is particularly useful for the Owner or Operations Manager.
ITSP University Certification:
Meets Certification Requirements for:
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.
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 |
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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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Selected Recent Videos and Webinars:
Our YouTube IT Consulting channel now has more than 680,000 views!
Subscribe today and don't miss a thing!
A quick guide to my Playlists:
- Total: Over 925 videos on the Small Biz Thoughts channel
- 360+ SOP videos
- 275+ Relax Focus Success videos
Plus . . .
- Training, Courses, Seminars on Managed Services
- Product Reviews
- and more
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Community News
SmallBizThoughts.org
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Join us every Thursday
We continue to grow!
Welcome, New Members!
In addition to all the free class, free books, and endless checklists, we have live meetings every week! The link is always in your dashboard.
Also: You should be registered for the SMB Online Conference. Contact us if you need more info.
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Our May Roundtable will be THIS Thursday, May 11th
Our guest will be Kelly Holmstrom. Kelly is a strategic marketing consultant who works with some of the largest technology companies in the world.
Her core competency is around CX - Customer Experience. She is also a leader in the concept of "Decisioning" - a practice that involves big data, analytics, and predictive analytics. We'll talk to her about how this big-data model is changing the world our clients live in.
This will be an amazing and enlightening look into the world of big data and next-generation customer service.
The link to join is always in your Community Dashboard. If you need assistance, email Kara or me.
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ALSO: Don't forget to sign up for your FREE classes at www.ITSPU.com. Note that these sites are different, so you need a unique logon for each. Your "transcript" of classes is tied to your login email. That way, no matter what happens in the future, you can access all the classes you've taken.
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Here's the April Community News video: |
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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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May
N-Able Empower
May 9-12
Prague, Czech Republic
ChannelPro Summit
May 9-10
Chicago (Midwest)
Service Desk and IT Show
May 10-11
London, UK
Ingram Micro Cloud Summit
May 15-17
Las Vegas, NV
7 Figure MSP Live
May 16-18
Nashville, TN
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2023 SMB Online Conference!
May 17-18
Online - Two Days - 13 Hours of Education
Join Me Live Online!
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Women of the Channel West 2023
May 16-17
Palm Springs , CA
IoTSSA Cybersecurity Expo
May 18
Columbus, OH
Channel Sec 2023
May 18
London, UK
MSP Geekcon
May 21
Orlando, FL
IT Nation Manchester
May 22-26
Manchester, UK
VeeamOn
May 22-25
Miami, FL
Dell Technologies World
May 22-25
Las Vegas, NV
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Get Start with Managed Services - Webinar with Zyxel
May 23rd
See the blog post note above about why you should attend.
Join Me Live Online!
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ASCII Edge 2023
May 24 & 25
Newark, NJ
Dublin Tech Summit
May 31 - June 1
Dublin, Ireland
:-)
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June
Cisco Live!
June 4-8, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
IT Nation Secure
June 5-7, 2023
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
Orlando, FL
Nerdio Training Camp
Jun 7-8
Las Vegas, NV
ChannelPro Summit
June 7-8
San Jose, CA (West Coast)
Join Me Live!
MSPDay
June 9
Riccione, Italy
London Tech Week
June 12-16
London, UK
Pax8 Beyond
June 11-13
Denver, CO
IT Nation Sales and Service Leaders
June 12-16, 2023
Denver, CO
Nerdio Training Camp
June 20-21
New York, NY
Infosecurity Europe
June 20-22, 2023
London, England
ASCII Edge 2023
June 21 & 22
Tampa, FL
James Kernan's Millionaire Mastermind Quarterly
June 29-30
Denver, CO
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July
IDM (Identity Management) Dach
July 6
Frankfurt, Germany
XChange Security 2023
July 10-12
Dallas , TX
ASCII Edge 2023
July 12 & 13
Columbus, OH
CyberSecurity Expo
July 13, 2023
Manchester, UK
Nerdio Training Camp
July 19
Calgary, Cananada
SMB TechFest Q3
July 27
Anaheim, CA
MSPRescue
July 27th
Princeton
:-)
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August
Nerdio Training Camp
August 1
Toronto, Canada
ChannelPro Summit
Aug. 9-10
Newark, NJ (Northeast)
IT Nation Evolve Business Leaders
August 7-11, 2023
Denver, Colorado
XChange - Nashville
August 20-22
Nashville, TN
Join me Live!
Inclusive Leadership Network Workshop 2023
August 23
Nashville, TN
ASCII Edge 2023
August 30 & 31
Toronto, Canada
:-)
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September
ChannelPro Summit
Sept. 6-7
Boston (New England)
Nerdio Training Camp
Sept 12
Atlanta, GA
Midsize Enterprise Summit Fall 2023
September 17-19
Houston, TX
ASCII Edge 2023
September 20 & 21
Chicago, IL
CanIT Con
Sept 24-26
Banff, Alberta, Canada
James Kernan's Millionaire Mastermind Quarterly
Sept 28-29
Omaha, NE
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October
dattoCon 2023
Oct. 2-4, 2023
Miami, FL
Nerdio Training Camp
Oct 3
San Antonio, TX
Best of Breed Conference 2023
October 9-10
Atlanta, GA
ChannelPro Summit
Oct. 10-11
Atlanta (Southeast)
NexGen 2023
October 15-18
Houston , TX
Acronis #Cyberfit Summit 2023
Oct. 16-18
Miami, FL
Nerdio Training Camp
Oct 17
Dallas, TX
NexGen Security Workshop 2023
October 18
Orlando, FL
SMB TechFest Q4
October 19
Anaheim, CA
ASCII Edge 2023
October 18 & 19
Washington, D.C.
Beerfest with Karl
- October 2023
- Perth, Australia
More Info: Details to be announced !!!
Join me Live in Perth!
SMB IT Professionals National Conference
October 27-28
Melbourne, Australia
Join me Live!!
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November
ChannelPro CyberSecurity Strategies
Nov 1-2
Los Angeles
IT Nation Evolve Business Leaders
November 6-8, 2023
Orlando, FL
Nerdio Training Camp
Nov 14-15
Austin, TX
IT Nation Sales and Service Leaders
November 28 - December 1, 2023
Nashville, TN
:-)
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December
Growcon
Dec 3-6
Clearwater, FL
Women of the Channel Leadership Summit East 2023
December 4-5
New York, NY
ASCII Navigate in Hawaii !!!
Dec. 7th
Waikiki, HI
Join Me Live in Hawaii!
James Kernan's Millionaire Mastermind Quarterly
Dec 7-8
Phoenix, AZ
Nerdio Training Camp
Dec 12-13
Los Angeles, CA
:-)
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January 2024
Send us your updates
February 2024
Send us your updates
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March
Midsize Enterprise Summit IT Security 2024
March 18-19, 2024
Indianapolis, IN
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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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