MSP University Managed Services Blog

Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service

Join us for MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar
 
Please join us Thursday, November 19th @ 9am PST as I host MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar.

Topic: Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service
 
Solution providers have always been pioneers in taking advantage of the latest technologies and translating their expertise into profits. Small and medium business' demand for computing services has not changed in over a decade: they need reliable, cost effective and full-featured products that help them execute their business strategy. What has changed is the solution portfolio that is now available to everyone on demand.

Gone are the days of expensive internal network design, centralized security and working with dozens of vendors to provide necessary technology for business. Small and medium business customers are spending their money on mobility through their laptops and smartphones, providing the ability to do business anywhere, anytime. The term "cloud computing" has come to encompass computing capability without intense local configuration and software deployments. 

Cloud services present MSPs with an opportunity to extend their business model of delivering predictable service levels at a predictable cost by providing services and solutions without large capital investments for themselves or their clients. Technologies such as Hosted Exchange, SharePoint, Offsite Backups, Web Filtering and more provide enterprise level reliability and features far beyond company firewalls.

Our special guest for this timely Webcast is Vlad Mazek, CEO of Own Web Now Corp www.ownwebnow.com, a global provider of hosted solutions to the IT industry, who will share his special insights into the growing cloud computing movement and how you can take advantage of it.
 
Attend this valuable Webinar and learn to sell the cloud as a Managed Service!

Click here to register! 

 

About MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series
 
MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series is meant to inform.  The more you know about your industry, the products and services available to you and your clients, and how to market and sell those products and services, the greater your opportunities to increase your value to your clients, as well as your business success. 

About Erick Simpson

Vice President and CIO of MSP University, Erick is a recognized industry expert and IT and Managed Services author, speaker and trainer, and contributor to numerous industry publications and events. Author of "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know..." the definitive book on Managed Services, and the follow-ups in MSP University's Managed Services Series "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!", "The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!" and "The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER!". Erick has also co-authored the HTG Peer Groups publication "Peer Power - Powerful Ideas for Partners from Peers".
 
About Vlad Mazek
 
Vlad Mazek, MCSE, is an author, technology radio show host, Exchange MVP and CEO of Own Web Now Corp, creator of ExchangeDefender and Shockey Monkey, and which hosts thousands of SBS and Exchange Servers. Mr. Mazek is very active in the IT professional community and has over ten years of experience managing and developing secure communication networks and platforms. Through a network of thousands of partners, numerous international data centers, A popular blog site and a radio show, Mr. Mazek has a unique insight to the needs of both businesses and IT solution providers.

The Human Touch is Still Important

For services-based businesses in general, two circumstances have caused a reduction in the amount of in-person meetings cpncucted with clients.  First, many offerings; such as Managed Services, have moved to an online or remote delivery model.  Second, the down economy has forced businesses to cut back on expenses such as travel, affecting the frequency of on-site meetings for geographically-displaced clients. This is unfortunate because human-to-human contact is still extremely important in client-provider relationships.  Even the best audio and video conferencing solutions cannot replace the impact and effect of an on-site visit.

Know When to Go

How do you know when to venture out to client sites, and how often?  Part of the answer lies in knowing your client.  You should be able to tell which clients require more contact and which do not.  Suffice it to say that even if a client appears ‘fine’ during infrequent conferene calls, video conferences or in email communication, they might be considering other options for services that you provide, because they may incorrectly perceive that you do not value them as a client.  An annual visit is probably too infrequent and a monthly one might be too often.  Something in between is probably about right. For new Managed Services clients, a monthly visit during the first 90 days, bi-monthly visits for the next 90 days and quarterly visits thereafter is a good strategy. Remember to keep these visits at the strategic level and discuss not only what your team has accomplished since the last visit, but the benefits you are providing the client towards helping them reach their business goals through technology roadmapping.

Know What to Present

Gone are the days of proving value in your client relationships by of taking them all out to dinner and a few drinks.  That is acceptable from time to time, but your strategic sessions with your clients need to continue to reflect your value as you present solutions that increase your clients' efficiencies, reduce their overall costs, eliminate business pain and mitigate their risk - all which improve their profitability. And if your solutions can help them increase their sales as well, that is icing on the cake.

During these meetings steer discussion on expanding on your services and explain what you do and how you operate to make your clients' businesses benefit from it.  Provide some backroom stories about ways that you have helped clients in dire need and how they are doing at the present.  Then, if you do have new product and solution offerings, present those as well.  The goal is to maximize on the human touch during your strategic meetings while generating excitement.

Build Loyalty, Strengthen Relationships

Meeting with clients regularly builds loyalty to your company and services.  Everyone is quick to respond something breaks and needs to be fixed.  And that is important in salvaging a relationship that might be damaged.  But strategic on-site visits strengthen relationships that help weather those kinds of storms.

Go With Something in Hand

Take something with you that clients can physically hold when you leave.  These are always good reminders of your relationship.  Choose items that your clients will not perceive as corny or cheap - you should not shy away from investing in your clients for these leave-behinds - after all, they are investing in you, aren't they? One way to make these take on even more significance is to have a story to go with them, even if it is humorous and has no connection to doing business with them.  The impact comes when they look at the items and remember the story and your relationship.  Try it, it works.

Sure, on-site visits cost money, but they can mean the difference between keeping a client and watching them move over to a competitor and losing that revenue completely.  Which would you rather go experience?

 Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The Cloud Needs a Manager or Two

By using cloud computing and virtualization technologies, corporate enterprises have gained advantages that they have never before realized:  consolidated computing environments, reduced hardware and software management, and cost containment. As a result of continually decreasing costs and increased benefit, these solutions are now becoming widely utilized in Mid and Small business markets as well.

But for MSPs, new challenges have arisen by throwing multiple deliverables together into a constantly growing value-added smorgasbord for their clients.  That is why you need to have a good management system in place to streamline your service delivery processes and increase your efficiencies.  Here is what to look for in management systems:

Total Integration

For maximum efficiency you need a solution for managing networks, systems, services and applications as well.  But that is just the beginning.  To best serve your clients, your solution requires other management capabilities as well, such as CRM functionality, robust reporting, invoicing, asset management, integration with your accounting system, inventory control and more.

Cross Computing Environments

The ability to use these solutions in cross-platform environments is a key component made increasingly more necessary as market share is gained by operating systems other than Microsoft Windows - hence the need for not only Windows support, but Linux/Unix, Mac compatibility and more.

NOC and Service Desk Tools

The ability to auto-generate trouble-tickets based on alert conditions and remediate simple incidents through scripted responses makes maintenance and service much more proactive, efficient and effective. Popular RMM tools such as Kaseya and Level Platforms offer these capabilities, along with a host of other features to offload many of the labor-intensive chores of a NOC such as patching and updating devices, operating systems and applications. Maintaining a robust knowledgebase is a key to speeding identification and remediation of previously resolved issues, and this component is included in most PSA solutons on the market today, such as ConnectWise, Autotask and Tigerpaw.

The next question in this discussion:  do you allow your clients some level of management and customization in your toolset?  The answer to that will depend on the client and the reasons for providing some of that control. Again, most popular RMM and PSA solutions offer some level of access and rights management for additional users, so you may decide to share these benefits, or even market them to your clients when it makes sense. Does doing so invite the possibility for conflicts and configuration problems to occur?  Certainly, but the bigger issue is one of meeting client needs and flexibility.

With stringent guidelines in place and carefully monitored access, certain parts of your MSP tools can be client managed.  This will allow a client to feel less like a customer and more like a partner - especially if you service the Mid and Enterprise markets, where the potential for your supporting an internal IT resource or team is more likely, and sharing your toolset can build a stronger relationship. On the other hand, this can also uncover inadequacies in the internal IT resource or team, so tread lightly here, and work to help these resources improve their efficiencies and effectiveness, garnering their trust and support. This way you are perceived as the Trusted Advisor from both the decision maker and their IT resource(s). And isn’t that what you want?

With the above systems fully implemented, you will be able to provide effective management for your clients' environments as well as for your own internal operations.  

Resource management in a cloud computing environment is challenging to say the least. RMM and PSA solutions are being revved to support these solutions.  That is why it is important for you to select and configure your solutions now, as the more your client base grows and your solutions diversify, the more you will need these systems.  And once they have been implemented, you will be better able to meet the needs of your clients, and keep your own cost structure under control as well.

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The ‘One Stop’ MSP Shop

The old saying “jack of all trades and master of none” is passé.  In the world of MSP offerings, you have to be able to offer what your clients need to add the most value to your business relationship.  Here are a few tips that can help you accomplish this task.

Expand Your Knowledge

Be an avid reader of trends and happenings in the MSP field.  Join discussions on the issues and offer your opinion.  Soak up as much as you can on topics that you do not know about or understand.  Take courses and attend conferences.  Write an article on a subject that you need to learn more about which will force you to do some research.

One professional stated recently, “I was not as knowledgeable about VoIP systems as I should be until I was asked to be on a panel of service providers to help customers learn about and make wise choices for their businesses.  It made me take a look at that area of our business and make changes so that we can now offer it in our suite of services.”

Focus on Your Strengths

Most MSPs have an area in which they are highly proficient and add great value.  Look for ways to tie in other areas to that strength so that you are able to provide a sense of a ‘well-rounded’ set of offerings for your customer.

For example, if you are good at networking monitoring and management, add asset management to your service offering line card by leveraging your network discovery and reporting capabilities.

Create Strategic Business Alliances

The ability to subcontract for things that you do not do helps provide your clients a full range of services.  You can also use this method while you ramp up your business to be able to offer these services yourself in the future if it makes sense.  Another benefit of this is that you look larger in the eyes of your clients and prospects.  Ask which comment you would rather have said of your business:  “They seem pretty small, I’m not sure they could handle this.” Or “I like what I see in their offerings and think they would do a good job.”

Make sure that any business agreements are clearly spelled out in a document that is acknowledged and signed by both parties before proceeding with this type of a plan.

It’s time to be the best MSP that you can be through your ability to service your cleints to address any need that they have.  It is good for you and them, and it will help you grow your business at the same time.

Learn more about MSP University's philosophies on partnering to broaden your solution stack to become the trusted advisor that is perceived by your clients as their business partner with the ability to marshal the resources necessary to meet all of their current and future business needs in MSP University's The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know...

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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5 Tips To Prevent Insider Security Threats

As a Trusted Advisor and Business it is your responsibility to be aware of new security threats to ensure your clients remain protected at all times. And I'm not talking about electronic security threats - this is about human beings. One bad employee can ruin your company's good reputation.  There are simply some things a computer cannot do, including judging an individual based on the information provided.  Here are five tips to help you avoid insider security threats.

1. Background checks and employee pre-screening - The first and most obvious way to avoid hiring a person whose ethics may be questionable is by investing the time, energy and money in full background checks as well as other forms of employee pre-screening. Each potential employee should be vetted according to the position they are applying for within the company. Positions which carry larger responsibilities as well as exposure to sensitive information should require a more in-depth background check. Employees should understand that they have to pass a background check in order to be awarded the position - and keep it in the future. Background checks should include, but not limited to financial and criminal history.

2. Initial and periodic drug screening - You certainly don't want to hire an employee that fails a drug test - and periodic screening of all staff can identify potential issues before they become problems.

3. DISC and PIAV behavioral profiling - I remember clearly how hit-and-miss our success at hiring the right staff used to be before we discovered the value of utilizing DISC behavioral profiling in our hiring process. Based upon the groundbreaking work of William Moulton Marston Ph.D. (1893 - 1947) in the (then) emerging field of psychology, DISC measures four dimensions of normal human behavior:

1. Dominance - relating to control, power and assertiveness (how we respond to problems or challenges)
2. Influence - relating to social situations and communication (how we influence others to our point of view)
3. Steadiness (submission in Marston's time) - relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness (how we respond to the pace of our environment)
4. Conscientiousness (or caution, compliance in Marston's time) - relating to structure and organization (how we respond to rules and procedures set by others)

We have not only been able to significantly improve our success rate at hiring the right staff since implementing DISC behavioral profiling, but we have used DISC profiles to help in team-building efforts.
The Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values Profile (PIAV) shows why a person works. It describes the traits that drive a person to work; that motivate action or create resistance.

The PIAV Profile ranks a person’s attitudes based on the following six core motivators, which reflect a person’s primary interests:

1. Theoretical--Truth, knowledge, objectivity.
2. Utilitarian--What is useful, what will work, what will make money.
3. Aesthetic--Expression, experience, harmony, beauty.
4. Social--People, relationships, nurturing.
5. Individualistic--Advancement, getting to the top, assertion of self.
6. Traditional--Finding the highest values in life, living according to an unquestioned set of rules.

A person’s attitudes play a major role in motivation. The PIAV profile describes the major categories of motivation in terms of interests, attitudes and values. The insights gained through the PIAV profile show us why people are moved to work hard, or not, on the job. Understanding these motivators helps managers handle employees in a more productive manner in order to get the best possible work out of them.
~Integrating DISC and PIAV behavioral profiles into your hiring process will provide you a with insightful information to insure you not only get the right people on the bus, but also in the right seats on the bus - to borrow a phrase from Jim Collins. Visit MSP University to find out how to get a complimentary DISC behavioral profile for yourself.

4. 2-Factor Authentication Tokens - Implement a 2-Factor Authentication solution for all staff requiring access to sensitive internal, as well as client network and data access. Assigning tokens to your staff that support this functionality allows you to avoid providing them the administrator passwords of any devices and services supporting this ability (most newer devices and operating systems do). See our friends at Scorpion Software for more information.

5. Make these actions a part of the company policy -  Running background checks, drug screens, behavioral profiling and requiring secure authentication for potential new hires and existing staff is not the beginning and end of your responsibility as an employer.  It is imperative that your company have a detailed policy which explains the rights and responsibilities of your organization as well as those of each employee. There should be no grey area as to what information is off limits or highly sensitive.  The policy should also list what the repercussions are of crossing these boundaries.  Security must be a part of the culture of the company.

Train managers to spot risky behavior-  Managers must be in tune with the staff in order to spot changes in behavior that might indicate a security risk.  While it is important for managers and employees to have an open and hopefully friendly relationship, close personal relationships should be avoided.  Small companies have the advantage of fewer employees, yet any size company must make it a point to pay attention to changes in the behavior of their workers. Recognizing personal, financial and emotional problems in employees may be the best way to address and eliminate a security risk before it becomes a major problem.

Technology improves each day and in many cases makes our lives much easier; however at the end of the day, the human factor remains the one thing that technology cannot control.  Therefore it is up to the owners and management team to create an atmosphere which stresses the need for security and the consequences should employees fail to meet that requirement.  It is also important to remember not to treat your employees in such a negatively security-conscious manner that it creates disgruntled and unsatisfied employees who then become the very thing you are trying to avoid - an insider security threat.

A happy workplace with specifically documented policies messaged consistently will create happy employees and happy employees are less likely to risk their job and their freedom with risky behavior.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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How To Promote Your Company Blog Off The Internet

If you are taking the time and making the effort to create and manage a company blog, it is just as imperative that you take all of the necessary steps to get that blog in front of the eyes of your target audience. Sure, you likely know about using the traditional places for promoting your blog, including social networking sites, but are you sure you are doing everything you can to promote that blog in the offline world as well?

Believe it or not, the offline efforts you make on behalf of your blog are just as important and can be just as effective as your online efforts. Here is a list of places you can use in the non-virtual world to get your blog noticed and prove yourself to be an authority in your chosen field or niche industry:

Print Publications

Newspapers and magazines are still a respected resource for information for many. In addition to adding your blog's URL to any advertisements you place, you can also work to create a relevant story on your blog and subsequently promote it to newspapers and industry magazines. Create a professional press release and email it with a link to your blog. Keep in mind that many newspapers also publish feature stories on their own website, which in turn gives readers a direct link to your blog. 

Conventions, Conferences and Industry Events

One of your goals with your blog should be to create a reputation as a reliable authority on information relevant to your target market. Attending conventions, seminars, and other business events allows you to promote your blog. Consider printing up several of the best articles posted on your blog to be used as handouts. Be sure to add your company logo and other contact information on these handouts. Also include your blog address on promotional giveaways such as pens, t-shirts, and brochures. 

Business Cards/Stationary

You can advertise your blog URL directly on your business card. As you continue to network person-to-person, you will easily be able to get your blog information and your name in front of the right people no matter where you are. Business cards are an easy and inexpensive way to promote all of the business services and resources that you offer to the public. 

Host a Seminar For Readers

If your blog has been able to establish a nicely sized local readership, you can set up a meeting for your readers to meet in person. By gauging the feedback you are getting from your readers on the blog, you can likely chose the right topics for discussion that would attract readers to participate in an in-person get together. It is an excellent way to gain respect and authority in a niche industry in your local area. This opens the door for opportunities with prospects you might not have been able to reach through other marketing means.

While social networking may be the newest big thing in the online world, it is still essential that you and your company representatives make a proactive attempt to meet people outside of the virtual world. Focus your efforts on all aspects of marketing when promoting your blog and your expertise. The offline business world and its traditional marketing strategies are still the most effective for many of us new to social media, even if your company leads a virtual existence. Learn to blend these two worlds to maximize your marketing efforts by leveraging them together in a complementary fashion.

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Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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It's time to Think Outside of the Managed Services Box

It's time to think outside of the Managed Services box to set your business apart from the rest.  This is good advice and is worth examining a little bit closer.

Yes, we all have our methods of staying in contact with what is happening in our industry.  IT professionals are good at networking.  The tried and true pathways of networking with other MSP organizations and VARs work well.  Then, there are always the trade magazines, conferences, trade-shows, and websites (like MSP University!) that inundate us with information. The problem is that almost all of that information comes from inside of our industry.  There are great things happening outside of our industry that warrant a look at adopting into ours as well.

Six Sigma is one such methodology that is most often implemented in a manufacturing setting, but is finding its way into non-manufacturing businesses and settings as well.  The basis for the Six Sigma process is a series of steps that are designed to improve a manufacturing process and eliminate defects.  This has been expanded to apply to other parts of the business in a removal of anything that could lead to customer dissatisfaction.  The training for Six Sigma is detailed, intense and all-encompassing.  The useful application for it towards IT is to focus laser-like attention to delivering what the customer needs and wants and doing it with excellence on a consistent basis.

Lean Manufacturing contains elements that are applicable to our industry as well.  Along with efforts like 5 S (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain), the implementation of lean concepts introduce the ideas of getting the right things to the right place at the right time in the right quantity for the purpose of achieving optimum work flow and minimizing waste while being open to change.  Lean processes can be applied to a set of tasks or a workspace, thereby making the application to businesses universal.

There are others, but suffice it to say that they makes the case for adopting and modifying other practices and processes from outside of our industry to help us become better than we are now.  And we all know that there is plenty of room for improvement.  Since there is so much that can be learned and applied that will assist us at differentiating us from our competition, why wouldn't we take advantage of other industries' successful methodologies?

Widen your scope and look for new methods.  You might be surprised at what you find.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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Social Networking - Does It Replace Real Networking?

Are you a user of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other method of social networking for your business?  Does it add real value to your business relationships or is it a distraction?  Can you point to an instance where a contact on a social network helped you land new business, or provide better service? We certainly can.

Most businesses opened up their firewall so that employees could begin to use these social networking sites with the intent of encouraging the exchange of ideas and knowledge about the business.  But, is that communicated correctly to the employees?  Should there be an addendum to the Employee Handbook acceptable use policy that states the reasons for allowing employees to access these sites while at work?

Distractions Exist Everywhere 

We need to start at a common point that will help form the basis for a discussion about this issue:  distractions exist everywhere.  Those who are prone to, and are engulfed in distractions that prevent them from doing their jobs need to be reminded of the damage that this can cause to their productivity -  with the alternative being to show them the door.

A California university professor described the method that he uses to handle these distractions.  At first, he thought it was wise to instruct all of his students to turn off any form of electronic communication while class was in session.  After a period of time, he realized that he was cutting these students off from their world, and it was affecting their attention span in a negative way.  So he made a new rule:  use your devices in a responsible manner during the lectures or be forced to come to the front of the class and give a summary of what was just spoken.  Incredibly, he had not one student with a problem the rest of the year.

Networking with Purpose

It is no longer enough just to give an incoming employee an email address and a copy of your email policy.  There needs to be instruction offered that teaches how to use all forms of communications and the requirement to use them responsibly.  Guidelines need to be communicated as to what is and is not appropriate.  This is especially true for those who use social networking in the work place to foster business relationships which result in new business or excellent customer service.

But, it should not stop there.  This needs to be followed up with a proactive approach on how to use social networking to benefit the business.  Making these tools available and teaching how to use them for the advancement of the business is good for business.  Adding this to the already tried and true methods of interacting from a business standpoint provides avenues for contact that might not otherwise exist naturally.

The bottom line:  it is all about using tools that are at your disposal to create and cultivate relationships which go beyond “water cooler” discussions.  Social networking can have an impact that is positive and lasting for your business when used correctly.

 Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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MSP University Sponsors Ingram Micro MSP Workshop - Accelerate Your Managed Services Business

MSP University is sponsoring and delivering training at the Ingram Micro MSP Workshop on September 16th, 2009 in Santa Ana, California. We hope to see you there!

   

Accelerate Your Managed Services Business Ingram Micro's MSP Workshop Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Doubletree Hotel, Santa Ana, Calif. Your Exclusive, Hands-on Training Opportunity At this dynamic, interactive workshop, industry marketing and managed services experts will provide practical, hands-on training to propel your business forward. At this event: Jennifer Baier Anaya, market strategist, iD8 Marketing and Strategy, will guide you through a process to determine what makes your company different than the rest and share ideas on how best to brand and merchandise your managed services practice. Let us help you get your prospects to grant you that critical face time that usually sets the buying process into motion. Gary Beechum, president and CEO, MSP University, will outline a proven, step-by-step process to help catapult your business to success with actionable steps to give you a competitive edge. Learn how to build the next generation of personalized services for your SMB and mid-market customers with Cisco Smart Care Service. A technical demonstration on our affordable, scalable, private-label service that enables you to provide a comprehensive, high-end Network Operations Center (NOC) will wrap up the afternoon. Click here to learn about Seismic Global NOC. Join us at Ingram Micro's MSP Workshop and develop the expertise necessary to escalate your managed services business to the next level. Agenda 7:30 - 8:15 am Arrivals and Continental Breakfast 8:15 - 8:30 am Welcome - Jason Beal, Director of Services Sales, North America 8:30 - 10:00 am Brand Workshop: Discovering Your Brand Facilitator: Jennifer Baier Anaya 10:00 - 10:15 am Break 10:15 - 11:45 am Pricing, Sales and Marketing Essentials for MSP Profitability Facilitator: Gary Beechum Noon - 1:15 pm Lunch provided. Vendor presentations from APC, Cisco and NetEnrich 1:15 - 1:30 pm Seismic Portfolio - Jason Beal, Director of Services Sales, North America 1:30 - 2:30 pm NetEnrich Technical Demonstration REGISTER NOW registration *Limit two attendees per company. Space is limited. Event Sponsor For more information, contact Michael Moon at (714) 382-2207 or at michael.moon@ingrammicro.com or Cynthia Yamaguchi at (714) 382-2812 or at cynthia.yamaguchi@ingrammicro.com. back to top     BEFORE YOU UNSUBSCRIBE: Please note that when you click on the UNSUBSCRIBE link, you will no longer receive special promotions and new product announcements targeted to your business. GET AN INTERNET ID: When you click on a link to www.ingrammicro.com, you may be prompted to log in with your Internet ID. If you do not have an Internet ID, get one by calling (800) 616-4665. © 2009 Ingram Micro Inc. All rights reserved. Ingram Micro and the Ingram Micro logo are trademarks used under license by Ingram Micro Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Products available while supplies last. Images are for illustration purposes only and may not represent actual products featured in the text. Please verify specific SKU and product when ordering. Prices subject to change without notice. 64918.1350

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE! Erick Simpson  MSP University Subscribe to my blog here Subscribe to our Newsletter here    Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

Tips For Expanding Your IT Business To Additional Locations

If your IT or Managed Services business is growing and it seems that expanding by adding additional locations is a feasible option, take note of the following tips to help manage your organization across multiple locations. The growth process is always a learning experience but with some preparation and planning, you will find that you can handle the transition and management of multiple locations. 

Here are some tips to help you manage your business in multiple places:

Find Structure

Once out of the main office, some employees may feel a bit more freedom - which can be both a positive and a negative. The documented processes, rules and procedures of the main office should be duplicated and put into practice at alternate locations. When just beginning to expand, many secondary locations leave key employees temporarily in charge with no real full time management onsite. This can be a positive in that in a more relaxed environment, employees may feel more empowered to take charge and be productive. On the negative side, some employees with too much freedom can negatively impact the productivity of the secondary location. In preparation for expansion, meet with and present both new and existing employees a handbook or guide that outlines the company structure, operations, chain of command and communication and contact information for all resources that covers all locations of the business.  What is working in the main office will likely work in any secondary locations.

Be Specific About the Chain of Command and Communication

This is a primary factor in the success or failure of a secondary location. If there is not proper communication at all times between the company's home base and the other locations, costly problems can develop quickly.  You've probably already experienced this when sending some of your IT staff out to client locations from time to time. Be sure that all staff at all office location are aware of the chain of command and the order of communication to keep things running smoothly at all times. Those in the lead should always be in the know. 

Be Open About Expectations

Some IT and Managed Services Providers operate their offices under a more relaxed atmosphere than others. Regardless of how “at-home” employees feel, they still need to be aware of and meet the expectations for productivity and the overall success of the operation, as well as the level of professionalism each of your clients receive. Your goals for the main office, as well as secondary locations should be made clear to all employees, resulting in company-wide goals and consistency across your various locations.

Maintain High Visibility At Secondary Locations

As the business owner it is imperative, especially during the start-up phase of a new location, that you maintain high visibility onsite and stay on top of the new venture. You can also regularly schedule phone/video conferences to touch base with your new operational locations to insure that your goals are being understood and achieved and if not, discuss what could be improved upon to make these goals a reality.  You can't be in more than one location at a time, so having quality  management staff in all locations is imperative to the success of your expanding IT and Managed Services business.

Bring A Team Together

For smaller startups that have been a close knit group from the first day, it can be a challenge to integrate new people into the fold, especially ones that do not work in the next cubicle each day. Brainstorm ideas with staff and management to discover ways to keep the team spirit going regardless of who works where. Host get-togethers, mail newsletters, hold company-wide meetings and celebrate successes together as an entire organization and not just at one of your office locations. When employees feel like they are part of one big team regardless of their location, you will find that morale is increased and communication, cooperation, and productivity levels will be more effective and consistent across locations.

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Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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