Nothing
Happens
by Itself
Copyright © 2023 Karl W. Palachuk
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Greetings!
Thanks to everyone who registered for the big Asigra webinar! We had a great turn-out and a great Q&A session. I even had someone "tip" me $5 on YouTube for the replay video. I've never had that before.
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NSITSP News
In other fun news . . . Andy Higgins from the NSITSP Marketing Committee held a meeting to discuss an important weakness in the Microsoft MFA for M365. Basically, evil people can get past the MFA, add an additional form of MFA . . . then wait until the logs expire. At that point, they can log in with "legit" credentials and spend lots of time looking around - because no alarms will go off. Evidence of the original break-in has been recycled because of short log retention.
Anyway, a big thanks to Andy. We'll be posting that up for members as soon as we can.
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Cybersecurity Insurance Webinar THIS Wednesday. Join Amy Babinchak and Brian Mahon to talk about the complex and frustrating world of modern Cybersecurity challenges. We have over 125 registered so far. See https://nsitsp.org/events. Register Now. Join us Wednesday.
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All-Member Meeting
May 10th
9 AM Pacific/Noon Eastern
The NSITSP All-Member Meeting happens Quarterly. We have a MASSIVE amount of news related to marketing, legislation, upcoming elections, CISA, events in the space, and MORE.
Everyone is welcome. Join Us!
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Say vs. Hear
I love this channel because she's so very entrepreneurial. She's also very smart and gives great advice. I stumbled onto her some time ago because I wanted a good education on Shopify, print-on-demand merchandise, and drop-shipping.
Obviously, I know something about print-on-demand and drop-shipping, but glaringly ignorant on Etsy and "that" kind of online store. But, like so many things on the Internet, I figured that I could do anything any teenager can figure out first!
I was reviewing some Wholesale Ted videos over the weekend and realized that I also love them because of her no-BS attitude. She spends a good deal of time telling you that there's no easy road; there's no get rich quick; and you have to keep trying new things and be committed to the long term.
Long time entrepreneurs might say, "No kidding." But many, many people of all ages somehow filter these messages to fit their own desired outcome. Many times, I've pointed out that people in this industry buy marketing services (e.g., Robin Robins, SEO, video production, or even marketing copy) and think they're buying sales or sales advice.
The seller will literally say, "Here's some marketing ideas. Now go work your butt off and don't forget that you still have to do sales."
But buyers hear, "Just do this one simple thing and you'll make sales."
It's literally like they heard the opposite of what they were told. This happens time and time again. I've seen people post online that they tried something once and it failed. So, they conclude, it's a total rip-off. That's like buying lumber from Home Depot and then complaining that there's no shed in your back yard.
You still have to do the work. Let me clarify. You still have to do lots of hard work. And it's going to take a long time. At some level, I want to believe that "everybody" knows this. But there's too much evidence to the contrary.
Two Ways to Learn from Experience
You've certainly heard that you need to learn from your failures. There are memes about how important failure was to this athlete or that famous inventor. But don't forget Fred Flintstone and Ralph Cramden. I wrote about this in my book, Relax Focus Succeed.
One way to learn from your failures is exemplified by Thomas Edison and all long-term successful entrepreneurs. That is: constantly keep track of what works and what doesn't. Keep fine-tuning. Commit to the long-term, and keep working at it.
Failure is not about the failure. It's about putting in your 10,000 hours. It's about doing it every day. It's about committing to your craft. It's about practice, practice, practice.
The other way to "learn" from your failures is to try something, fail, then give up and try something else. That's the Fred Flintstone/Ralph Cramden approach. You've met these people. Every time you see them, they've got a new offering, a new sales person, an updated program. Sometimes they're actually in a different business. They have ZERO stick-to-it-iveness.
These folks are betting on the one big grand slam that will set them up for life. Sadly, that never comes (at least not for 99.99% of us). But what does work is getting up everyday, working hard, learning a little bit, moving forward, and committing to the long run.
So I guess one more thing I love about Wholesale Ted is that it's a great example of a young person who has figured out that the "formula" for success is different all the time, but it always includes working hard, learning new things, and committing to doing it for the long haul.
Comments welcome.
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The SMB Online Conference only happens every three years.
Don't Miss It!
We are approaching 150 registered. This conference is really a two-day conversation. Always new, fresh, and educational.
Register in April and save $100.
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Rayanne's GREAT class starts tomorrow. This is always an amazing class. And Rayanne updates it every time.
Calendar Updates!
Once again, we've added about a dozen events to the calendar below. Keep those updates coming!
Note: If you want to know where you can see me, you can also check out WhereintheworldisKarl.com. And keep an eye out: A new graphic has been ordered.
The most exciting new addition to the list is an ASCII event in Hawaii. You know I signed up as quick as I could. I have a Hawaiian Airlines card . . . and I live on the West Coast . . . so it's an easy choice. I hope to see you there.
I continue to be very busy. But it's better than being bored. :-)
Have a great week!
:-)
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New Class Starts Tomorrow
Refreshed for 2023!
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Sign up today!
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 677,000 views!
I now believe we might surpass a million views in 2023.
Subscribe today and don't miss a thing!
A quick guide to my Playlists:
- Total: Over 900 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
Our weekly meetings are fun and educational!
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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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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I love this artwork I found at a local restaurant. Enamel and brushed aluminum. I would love to own it, except it's eight feet wide and I have no place to put it.
Also, it's $13,000.
:-)
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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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April
Midsize Enterprise Summit Spring 2023
April 23-25
Orlando, FL
Kaseya Connect IT Global
April 24-27, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
RSA Conference
Apr. 24-27, 2023
San Francisco, CA
TECHSPO New York
Apr 27-28, 2023
New York City, NY
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May
Channel Partners
May 1-4
Las Vegas, NV
Join Me Live in Vegas!
Free Coaching
ALSO: Do not miss the FREE coaching sessions being sponsored by ChannelWise.
This event is inside the MSP Summit. Many coaches, including Jeff Ponts, Amy Babinchak, Erick Simpson, and more!
May 3rd
Las Vegas
Join Me Live in Vegas!
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IT Nation Evolve
May 1-5
Dallas, TX 75207
Nerdio Training Camp
May 2-3
Houston, TX
SMB TechFest Q2
May 4-5
Anaheim, CA
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
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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