The IT Experts Podcast

Nigel Moore is the Founder of The Tech Tribe, a growing community of MSP business owners from around the globe, with the mission to equip them to better run and grow their business and to avoid the millions of mistakes he made throughout his journey. Kicking off the episode, Nigel and I talk about how things are changing for the MSPs as he is seeing in the Tech Tribe community. Nigel briefly talks about Covid19 and Cybersecurity but from a business perspective, the change that he's seeing in the space over the five years of building the Tech Tribe community is that the model of the MSP is shifting far more drastically away from being just a helpdesk right across to security management, risk management, and technology adoption planning, among other things. According to Nigel, the really big shift that he's seeing over the last 4-5 years is that the MSP industry is really starting to more mature. The competition has become harder and tougher, and new MSPs have a lot to keep up with, and having MSP business growth coaches like myself and a community like Tech Tribe helps MSPs speed up that maturity. Nigel and I then discuss the great personality that MSPs have that is while being in an industry with a lot of competition, they care about each other because MSPs are just 'helpers' in nature. Nigel also highlights that this is why he built the Tech Tribe community because he loves how MSPs are devoted to the community. We then talk about the important things that most MSP owners should focus on and let go of the techy stuff. Nigel then talks about his experience on the topic and what he learned from it. I ask Nigel about the most common thing among MSPs that he has observed, and he says it's the struggle of how to get more leads that lies within the Marketing and Sales side of things. As we talk about Marketing, Nigel shares his experience and how he became good at it. We both agree that Marketing, including Sales, is a long game. But because we don't know how the game works, we are too scared to start. This is something that MSPs really struggle with, but Nigel and I both agree that it will be worth it, and things will get easier once you learn the basic MSP Marketing structure. Lastly, I ask Nigel the differences between MSPs from each continent and across the world, being the founder of the community that has thousands of MSPs from around the globe. Nigel jokes that he might be hated for his answer, but he thinks that the difference is nowhere near what most people believe they are. Most differences are in people's heads. Wrapping up the episode, I asked Nigel what the future looks like in the Tech Tribe community, and to know what they are, you have to listen to it yourself. I hope you enjoyed this episode, as much as Nigel and I enjoyed recording this, and the whole IT Experts team enjoyed creating it. Learn more about The Tech Tribe or join the community, click here – The Tech Tribe Connect Nigel Moore on LinkedIn and see what he's up to by clicking here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelgmoore/ Check out the Behind the Geeks episode about Content Marketing by clicking here – https://youtu.be/1A85Qj_-_z8 At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

This interesting, laughter-filled, and almost unfiltered episode is brought to you by myself and Stuart Warwick, who will now become a permanent co-host of the show, to share with you our journey, from how we met to how we have been working for the past year to make The MSP Growth Hub come alive. We also share with you the reason and the purpose and the mission behind why we decided to build the MSP Growth Hub and what you will expect from us from now on. Stuart also discusses The MSP Journey that he knows so well after working with hundreds of MSP owners which are: Survive Drive Thrive Arrive Stuart talks about what these phases in the MSP journey are and how an MSP owner travels and grows from one phase to another. In this episode, we also started a new tradition of giving you one tip each from myself, Ian Luckett, and Stuart Warwick, before we bid goodbye. You can connect with me on my LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianluckett/ And you can connect with Stuart Warwick on his LinkedIn profile here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartwarwick/ Join the Scale with Confidence FREE Facebook group simply by clicking here – https://www.facebook.com/groups/738967166458742 At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

If you are struggling to understand what that means, they're the 9 things that I hear where MSP business owners struggle with either their plan is not connected, or they do things but still don't get great results. As a business coach, I understand that the way to grow and scale a business if you are an ambitious MSP business owner is to have a connected strategy that encompasses everything to build the maturity of your business. So this is where the 9 key things come in and make themselves very critical in scaling your MSP business. These are: Have a focused plan. Share your vision, your mission, and your plans with your team. Have a clear expectation exchange and active accountability. Have the right people in the right roles. Get that operational flow. Set your team's targets. Ensure you have a compelling positioning. Make referrals become a lead flow. Optimise your existing clients. Of course, I explained each of these key things one by one according to what these are and why these matter to being an ambitious MSP business owner. These 9 key things are part of the Scale with Confidence Model that you are going to be hearing a lot from me from now on. I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did the little scoring exercise and you're finding yourself with a lot of twos and ones, don't be a stranger and drop us a message. You can connect with me on my LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianluckett/ And you can connect with Stuart Warwick on his LinkedIn profile here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartwarwick/ Check out the Scale with Confidence Facebook group here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/738967166458742 At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Speaking of SOP, Ben Spector shares with us who he is, what he does, and who he helps. He also shares with us a bit of the back history of his previous life. Before we dive into the main part of the show, I ask Ben what he would have done differently after knowing what he now knows today. Ben says that it will be delegating more effectively to the people you hired to do better than you. It was something he really struggled with especially in understanding that he didn't have to do everything. Your ability to grow and build an amazing team is the only thing you need to master to grow and build an amazing business. Ben and I then talked about trust, and I ask him about a golden nugget he can share that would help IT & MSP business owners that struggled in delegating effectively as he did. Ben states that it starts with a shift in mindset about trust. Trust until you can't, rather than don't trust until you can. Then I ask Ben when he started to get a passion for the symptoms and pain of having bad systems and processes that he became a "Process Doctor". Ben thinks they are looking at this too late in the journey in a way because a vast majority of MSPs contain only a few employees which put them on a scale where the processes don't necessarily exist yet. We then talk about the way techie MSP business owners think and act when hiring salespeople, and how their mindset lacks in terms of understanding the process and more importantly, trust. Ben then humbly shared the reason why he exited his MSP. I also highlight that vulnerability when it comes to one's experiences or mistakes is important in helping other MSP business owners learn. Then I ask Ben, how do you know which processes are broken and which one should you go and fix first? Ben says it has something to do with process analysis. He then explains what it is and how engineers are naturally very vulnerable to this. Ben highlights that processes will never be perfect. Don't allow yourself to be paralysed by process. Just get out there and do it. We both then talked about involvement, employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and data as important elements in getting the processes right. Ben then explains more about systems and processes. Systems are where you're going to implement the process and the crucial role that capturing data plays in the overall process. Ben then also highlights how his career experiences made him learn a lot of relevant things being both an employer and an employee, learnings that he can then apply should he decide to start another business. Wrapping up the episode, we talked about Shiny Ball System Syndrome and Ben shares his tips on how MSP business owners can make a sensible decision quickly without turning the whole business on its head. Don't miss it. I hope you enjoyed the humility and vulnerability of this episode that makes it one of our bests yet. The value that this episode offers does not disappoint. You can connect with Ben Spector in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benspector1/ Or you can visit his website by clicking here – https://benspector.uk/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

We share with you the three-step key structure and we will help you understand how this process links together to help you generate better leads, get a better bang for your buck, and build your own system that you can understand. The three steps to your MSP marketing process are: Gathering Data Identify your customer target and avatar. Understand the pain points they have. Link the pain points to real business outcomes. Ask yourself these 3 questions: Why are they going to buy from you? Why are they going to buy at all? Why are they going to buy now? Understand your value proposition. Inbound and Outbound Outreach Your Sales process and support Then I dissected each and every point and how each and every step all links together. Now, this is a firehose of information as I said so I suggest you listen to this sharp episode to get everything that you need because there isn't a second of this episode that doesn't provide value. You can connect with me on LinkedIn by clicking here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianluckett/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Like a standard operating procedure, Richard quickly shares who he is, what he does, and who he helps. He shares how his many mistakes as an MSP business owner are now helping MSP business owners now. We're starting off the episode straight to the point as I ask Richard the two or three things that he thinks an MSP should master to stand out from the crowd and their competition. I also ask Richard about the landscape he sees in the MSP space this year. Richard says that first, we should go back to the way the world has changed in the past two years and that means when Covid-19 Pandemic started, which he remembers as "The Great Working from Home Rush". Now, the attitude towards tech has changed. People who have businesses are looking to MSP owners to help them do things better. Now, MSPs should need to be striving for excellence rather than just delivering a good enough service. Truly, the way to stand out from the competition is to be really good at what you do, and not only that but also for your clients to be really talking about you and how good you are. Excellent service brings more referrals. You can be the best IT company in the world but if nobody knows about you, what is the point? Richard also highlights that the IT & MSP businesses are the real heroes of this story because, without them, none of the small businesses would have been able to keep going following the pandemic. Another thing for an MSP to do and possibly master is all around content marketing, which generally means getting out there and showing people how good you are and providing social proof I also mentioned the many guys out there in the channel like Richard Tubb that will help with content marketing like the guys in The Tech Tribe. To stand out means being excellent, and part of that excellence is by demonstrating expertise, authority, and knowledge via channels. Richard then recommends us a book that has also inspired and helped him greatly which is They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. Although it has nothing to do with the IT industry, there are so many lessons to be learned from it. Richard and I then talked about the ways to do content marketing like blogging. We both agree that even if you think that no one will read it, it's simply not true. It will find the right person by making it available to the world. Even if you are writing with your own experience and don't have the A++ skill as a writer, you are going to be helpful to the right people that need them and provide them solutions. If you are not out there on the socials, you will never be known as someone they can trust, no matter your expertise. Wrapping up the episode, Richard gives us his tips on getting out there and speaking at public events. He highlights that the thing about speaking is just do it. You may not enjoy it but keep doing it and the rewards will build up. You might then reach a point where you actually enjoy it and start to believe in yourself as well. It has been amazing to have Richard Tubb in the IT Experts Podcast, and I suggest you listen to this episode and the previous one, as many times as you need to get all the value you can get. If you want to continue the conversation with Richard Tubb, you can reach out to him by simply clicking HERE You can listen to Richard's podcast, Tubb Talk, the podcast for IT consultants, HERE Grab a copy of Richard's book The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide by clicking HERE At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

A lot of you already know who Richard Tubb is, I presume, but if you don't, Richard humbly introduces himself. He briefly shares his journey, from selling his MSP business about 11 years ago to now helping MSP business owners avoid the many mistakes he made himself when he was running his MSP business. Kicking off this energy-filled episode, Richard and I started talking straight about the mindset of an MSP business owner. I asked Richard what things that MSP business owners need to get their head around being a business owner with a technical background. Referring to the book Getting Things Done by David Allen, Richard says that one of the turning points from his experience was not just being busy taking care of the tech but also dealing with Sales, Marketing, Finance, etc., because that's what being a business owner is all about. It's not just enough to be a good technician to grow an IT business. Richard also highlights one of the many things he learned from the book was, "If you try and get all the ideas in your head, you end up doing none of them." He says how important it is to optimize and maximise the tools we have around us rather than keeping everything in our heads. The mind is not a good place to store ideas. Freeing your mind is key. It was after Richard has done the same, was also when a whole world of opportunities opened for him, and it reduces what he calls SPF or Single Point of Failures in the business. Richard then reveals how he was able to sell his business. Although himself is his favourite topic in the world, the business wasn't built about him. The future is uncertain, and you don't want to make yourself the key component of the business. Richard and I then talked about how to help MSP business owners who have the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Although it might come off as uncomfortable, Richard says that it all just surrounds the idea of one's ego. Removing yourself, as a business owner from some of the processes and the conversation, will not make you lose the business. Do not believe if your mind tells you that it's the other way around. When Richard started the right task delegation to his team, he was able to work on his business rather than in his business, something that we also teach here at IT Experts. For an MSP business owner who is too busy to do anything, Richard's advice is to slow down, document the things to be done on a specific task, and make it a process. That's how you start. Bottom line is, we can't let our ego get in the way of thinking what we can and cannot hand to other people. We then tackled the almighty DISCIPLINE, and how to have it. Both Richard and I agree that Discipline is just all about ROUTINE. Richard highlights how discipline gets a bad reputation because of how it has been used against us when we were growing up; disciplined in school or at home when you do something naughty, etc. Richard then continues to explain how to get disciplined by developing a routine and he refers to his book, The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide, which he wrote to help MSP business owners avoid the mistakes he made. Although discipline gets a negative connotation, it is essentially doing the right things every day that are going to move you forward. Wrapping up the episode, Richard reminds us that although MSPs are typically techie people, that alone is not enough to grow a business to build a life that you want. You've got to be a business owner to grow a business that runs without you. Richard also recommends reading the following books that have helped him greatly and he believes that would help all MSP owners too. The books are Getting Things Done by David Allen and The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. I hope you enjoyed this episode and catch Richard Tubb on the next one where we talk and help you learn how to stand out from your competition in 2022. Connect and listen to Richard Tubb on his website by clicking here – https://www.tubblog.co.uk/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

As usual, Nate introduces and lets us know a little more about himself, who he is, what he does, and how he helps MSPs with Marketing. Kicking off the episode, we then go straight-talking about one of the strategies from the whole marketing toolbox. I ask Nate how he came about with this whole concept of meeting prospects and customers where they're at. Nate says this is something that he's learned seven years ago from his sales coach and his mentor. It's something that he has seen being done by a lot of their MSP clients. When a prospect comes to you for a one-off need, meeting them where they're at is all about seeing the bigger picture. It's about bridging the gap between that one-off need to an ongoing strategy to scale and grow. Nate and I then tackled how it connects to the sales process that follows where you continue to nurture, build relationships, and offer value. Nate then explains how it does connect, what to do on these next steps, and why they are important. He highlights that one of the best core values for an MSP business to have is 'Help first'. It's not about selling, it's about positioning. We then talk about conversation around value alignment. Nate says that for an MSP to know whether their prospect is a break-fix client or not, it's critical to dig into two things – the island of sad (pain points) and the island of happy (goals). Having a proper and structured qualification mechanism is the key. Nate and I then discuss the winning formula, client retention + relationships + results, and how this becomes a great thing for both parties. Get a head start on the first two factors before ever start working on a client. Nate thinks that a great way to win a customer and show results is to reduce the time of value as soon as possible. He then explains why. Wrapping up the episode, we then talk about relationships. Nate and I agree that building better relationships is what helps build a better business. And it all starts with one simple question rather than giving them a strict call to action. Just ask, "How can we help?" I hope you enjoyed this episode. It is a fresh perspective about a simple thing that you can do in your IT & MSP business that will help you meet your prospects and customers where they're at, but there's more to it than that. You can connect with Nate Freedman in his LinkedIn by clicking here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/natefreedman/ Check out Nate's website here – https://www.techpromarketing.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

One of the biggest reasons that people don't attend MSP events is that they can't see the value they will get from it. This is why we have come up with this short sharp blast to help you understand the value that you will get in attending an MSP event. Attending an MSP event is all about being purposeful, and I share with you my experience as well. This episode is short, but I hope this is enough for you to not only consider going to an MSP event this year, but I also expect to see you at these events! If you don't know where to find these events and how to join them, connect with me on LinkedIn to be up to date. Simply click here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianluckett/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

If you are a new listener, I briefly mentioned the two pillar episodes that make this a brilliant trilogy series which are Episode 75, where we talk about how to increase the value of your MSP and Episode 80, the dos and don'ts when you want to exit your MSP. What a journey it has been indeed. As usual, again just for the new listeners who have yet to keep up with this series, I asked Daniel to explain briefly who he is, what he does, and who he helps. He shares his experience in the area of buying and selling of MSP business. Kicking off this value-loaded episode, I asked Daniel first what is one's purpose of buying an MSP. Daniel says that it's because of the assets, primarily the customers and staff, and secondary to that would be the intellectual property, processes, and reputation, although it's a case-to-case basis. He then explains why these factors matter. Daniel and I briefly weighed in on an MSP's value before the sale and we then discuss the initial steps in the process of actually buying an MSP. Daniel reminds us that first of all, this is a sales process, and you need to approach it in the same way as if you are acquiring clients. Establish the target market. Profile and understand the target market. Then build the relationship with the target market. Those are the first things first. Daniel then moves on to explain a little bit more specifically this process. Just out of curiosity, I asked Daniel if there are brokerage services for this kind of activity in the MSP space. He said not quite but explains more on what he does that is similar to that service. We both then tackled whether it's best to reach out to someone like Daniel to ask for help when you want to buy another MSP or would it be better to "DIY" and build that relationship yourself. Daniel says you have really got to do both for more achievable sale. He also discusses the benefit of each option and how more beneficial it is to do both. Now you've got the MSP that you want to buy, we then talk about the next step to do and how long does it really takes. Daniel notes that it can take as quick as a couple of weeks or as long as a couple of years. Because then again, it's a sales process. Take your time to properly assess and understand the opportunity. Daniel then takes us through the process and talks about the important agreements and planning that the buyer and seller will have to make. Wrapping up this episode, Daniel and I discuss funding. We talk about the common ways of funding an MSP purchase. And according to Daniel, of depends on the size of the transaction. It can go from personal funding to debt funding to equity funding, which then Daniel explains each kind. This concludes the trilogy series with Daniel Welling that surround on MSP valuation, selling, and buying. I hope you've taken lots of value from these episodes. You can listen to the first and second parts below: Episode 75 – How to Increase the Value of Your MSP Episode 80 – Preparing to Exit Your MSP If you want to continue the conversation or simply learn more about exiting your MSP, you can reach out to Daniel Welling in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-welling-54659715/ You can also check out Daniel's website here – https://www.wellingmsp.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

This podcast episode is coming from the recent event that we delivered, the IT Experts LinkedIn Lead Generator Masterclass. Entering the world of LinkedIn and Lead Generation is like opening a pandora's box full of overwhelming questions. How do I generate leads from LinkedIn? How can I help my clients here? What content do I put out there? How do I connect with people? What messages do I send? And how do I even start? First of all, do not think of LinkedIn as a spider web or a never-ending maze that you might not get out of. Think of LinkedIn as one of the most powerful tools available that will help you connect with people all over the world that will then make your IT & MSP business scale and grow. It is important to understand your customer journey and the fact that using LinkedIn is all about making sure you are creating touchpoints. That's where it all starts. Before I tell you my five top tips on how you can start an effective LinkedIn Lead Generation, I go through with you a simple but strategic process about Lead Generation in LinkedIn. So here are my top five tips: Build a killer profile. (Personal and company) Create amazing content. Build relevant connections. Do not sell. Get consistent results. And of course, I dissected each tip and explain what they are, why they are important, and how you can do it. I talk about Sales Navigator, CTA, the types of content that you can put out there, how you can connect with people, who you should connect with, how to send your messages, and more. This is a firehose of information wrapped in less than 30 minutes so I suggest you grab your pen and notepad again because you will definitely need them. I hope you enjoyed this episode. It's never too late to start your LinkedIn Lead Generation. At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Most times, MSP business owners are so consumed in making sure the business grows technically and serve more clients, that they get themselves stressed and overwhelmed with everything that's happening within the business. Although some of you might think that is a good thing, in this short and quick break-fix episode, I will tell you why it's not and the 5 things you can do to avoid it. Here are my 5 tips to reduce that MSP overwhelm and free yourself from stress: Block your time. Change your environment. Have clear SOPs. Delegate to build trust. Discipline – Getting an accountability buddy. I dissected these tips and explained why they are relevant and very important. Growing your MSP business is about confidence, and you can't be confident when you are stressed, overwhelmed, and stuck in the mud. This may be a short break-fix episode, but I hope you've got massive value from it. At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Just five episodes ago in Episode 75, Daniel Welling helped us learn how to increase the value of your MSP especially in case you want to exit. So, this will be a second part of a trilogy episode with Daniel where the third one, coming up real soon is when we delve into how to buy an MSP. First and foremost, for those who haven't listened to the previous episode, which I highly recommend you do, Daniel shares with us who he is, what he does, and who he helps. Kicking off the main discussion of the episode, I ask Daniel to share with us the high-level process of when people decide to sell their MSP business and also consider the emotions that come with it especially in getting your head in the right space to exit your MSP. Daniel says that there is a wave of emotions to be preparing for, most especially guilt and fear. There is a "remorse stage" which is mostly caused by the long sales process that normally takes time. You will feel like being in a waiting room for weeks and months during the process so it's important to be logically ready for that, and then keep the emotions in check and balance them throughout the process. Daniel then drew out from his own experience and journey when he also sold his MSP, and he goes us through how handled the emotions during the "remorse stage" as he calls it. We then continued to tackle the process, after you've made the decision of selling your MSP business, I ask him about the first thing that's needed to do. It is going to the market. Daniel mentions that this will go after establishing the value of the MSP business, as discussed in Episode 75, which is very important in knowing the deals that can be offered. There are a few ways of going to the market but the most common is going to a broker, or you can also do it yourself. Daniel then explains both ways and how they affect the process. Daniel and I then tackled on briefly about niche and due diligence. He then explains why due diligence is also very important and this is where you basically have to be prepared to support everything that you've said in the prior stages. Then we delved into what happens after due diligence and Daniel continued to explain the different types of transactions that would take place. He also introduces the share purchase agreement and explains what it is. He also talks about the roles that solicitors play in the process. We then moved on to talk about communicating with the staff, which can be very critical if you are not being careful since there are important things to consider to avoid jeopardising the whole sale, especially who to tell first and when to tell them. Wrapping up the episode, Daniel and I briefly talk about other different types of agreements that you may come across in the process. I hope you enjoyed this interesting episode. This is something we don't normally talk about but we hope we have given you the value that you need to understand the complexity and critical points as you prepare to exit your MSP. If you want to continue the conversation or simply learn more about exiting your MSP, you can reach out to Daniel Welling in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-welling-54659715/ You can also check out Daniel's website here – https://www.wellingmsp.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Chris shared how stressful the first few years of the business were for him when he took over. He lost grip of the culture and the business, no KPIs to measure, and no core values to immerse themselves in. He didn't know what success looked like and also didn't know what a good customer looked like. It was because of football that made Chris think enough is enough and things need to change He saw how invested his people are in football more than the business. That's when he made a decision that scared him the most, slimming his staff. Today, Vermont Systems, although they have decreased its turnover, it has become a nicer place to work with a small team of experts that shows commitment and possesses its company values. We talked about believing in oneself, how and why it is very important as a business owner. Chris highlighted that it is important to recognize that you need help and do reach out for help to MSP Business Growth coaches like myself who help scale MSPs and change lives. I hope that you enjoy this episode and that you've picked some tips that you can apply in your own MSP business. You can connect with Chris Ward in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmmward/ You can also email Chris at – [email protected] At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Kicking off this high-energy episode, Paul briefly talked about his pre-MSP Marketing career which went from his 13-year experience in the radio broadcasting industry to starting a PR agency to general Marketing and finally to 'marrying' MSP Marketing. Paul then continued to introduce and share what he does now with MSP Marketing. We went straight directly to MSP Marketing trends, and I ask him about the difference between generic Marketing and MSP Marketing. Paul briefly shares that this year, 2022, and the next 2 years, the way we do marketing is going to be affected by Covid. He thinks that the thing that makes MSP Marketing different is that there is no other world like the world of MSPs. Customers don't buy technology. They buy relationships. They buy 'help me sleep at night'. They buy trust. According to Paul, your MSP Marketing strategy not only for 2022 but for the next 20 years is to build a relationship with your leads and prospects before they are ready to pick a new MSP. He then explains how and why, which I then relate that it all surrounds around trust. We then tackled the key ways that MSPs can make use of the marketing mediums to help build that trust and Paul says answers with a few relevant things like meetings and LinkedIn which are actually your tactics. This is where Paul discusses the difference between strategy and tactics. First and foremost, you set a goal. Then, your marketing strategy is a three-step process which are as follows: Build multiple audiences. Build a relationship with them. Commercialize the relationship. Once you've got your goal and strategy, you then implement the strategy with the tactics that are appropriate to you. Paul recommends making your email list as your number one tactic and LinkedIn coming in as your number two. The key thing to get both right is to put out both educational and entertainment content, or as he calls it, "edu-tainment". I then add up that the only way to know if it works is to test it. Paul and I then talk about LinkedIn. We weighed in whether it's better to find your prospects and support the content they put out there or having prospects that support your content and contacting them when they do. LinkedIn's algorithm changes all the time, so Paul broke both points down and explains which one he believes is better than the other. Marketing for MSP is a numbers game and a game of timing. Multi-touch marketing is the key. Wrapping up the episode, Paul gives us his top tip on where people need to get started with LinkedIn and those are the three C's. Connect Content Contact He then explains why these are high key things. I hope you enjoyed this high-energy and fun-filled episode. I suggest you listen to this as many times as you need to get every bit of value this episode offers because there is not a second of this episode that doesn't scream value. If you want to learn more about Paul Green's marketing services, simply click here - https://www.mspmarketingedge.com/ And to get a copy of Paul's book, click here - https://www.paulgreensmspmarketing.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

To start with, Fiona introduces herself, what she does In the MSP Channel, how she started in the channel, and who she helps. Kicking off this value-loaded episode, I ask Fiona what she sees as the biggest blocker in MSP sales or the thing that scares MSP business owners the most. Fiona says it's taking them out of their comfort zone, which is being technical. We both agree that just like they need to work on the technical side of their MSP business, they need to work on the sales and marketing side too. Fiona then explains how she gives MSPs the confidence and ability to trust the sales process. She explains that selling MSP services is relatively easy if you have the right strategy and tactics in place. She then discusses how she works with MSPs to build that confidence. Fiona and I then continued on to talk about Value Proposition and Niche. We both agree that the value proposition should focus on selling the business outcomes, not the tech. Fiona also says that she is a big believer in niche and explains why it is also important. I then ask Fiona her top tip for MSPs in increasing their sales funnel, and she says it is consistency. Having a clear target customer and putting out customer-centric campaigns with consistent call to actions are the key things. One of the most successful calls to action that MSPs use is calendar appointments according to Fiona, because it's what converts the most, and I agree. We also talked briefly about content creation in relation to call to actions. We then tackled strategy and I ask Fiona what happens when MSPs don't have a style strategy for their sales and Fiona straightforwardly answered that it all falls apart. Then they fall back into the comfort zone of going back into technical and conclude that all their sales and marketing efforts don't work, so they stop. Strategy is important. Know who you want, target them, and put the top of funnel in place. Wrapping up the episode, Fiona shares her final tip for MSPs and that is, when speaking to a customer, it's important to qualify the total customer and not the opportunity in front of you because you might just be leaving revenue on the table. She then explains why. I hope you enjoyed this energy and fun-filled episode, apart from the value of course. You can get in touch with Fiona Challis on her LinkedIn profile here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionachallis/ Or you can visit her website to learn more about what she does, simply click here – https://www.mspsalesmastery.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Mark starts off by sharing a bit about himself, what he does and who he helps, but this time, it's all relating to MSP website success Kicking off this episode, I ask Mark why websites are so important in the sales process. Mark says that you are what you are online and unless you portray yourself in the right way, no one will know about you. If you portray yourself in the wrong way, people will get an impression of you that isn't necessarily true. Mark and I then tackled the biggest mistake that MSPs are making on their websites, and he gave us two. The first one is the complete lack of personality, and the second one is the complete lack of understanding of key phrases. He then explains each and why it's important to correct these two mistakes. We also talk about and weigh each other's opinions on the number one objective that an MSP needs to achieve from the website itself. Mark thinks that the objective is the website being there to start a conversation. I add that it's not just about the website but your collective online presence. We continued on to talk about a little bit of marketing, pillar content, and vertical niche. Mark and I then discuss Google My Business and we weigh in why it is important for the website. Mark says it is because of the immediate social proof you get when you search for an individual company, and it absolutely affects rankings. We also talk about desktop wallpapers as an underused asset for an MSP. Wrapping up the episode, we both then tackled the good old CTA (Call to Action) and the things that MSPs can do to make sure they increase their conversions. According to Mark, it starts on the homepage, and its whole point should be to start a story. He then explains full circle why it's very relevant. So, I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as Mark and I had fun creating it (You can tell!). This is truly an episode full of great advice, tips, tricks, and of course value bombs that will surely help you achieve website success in your MSP. If you want to get in touch with Mark and/or get a hold of his Website Success 101 checklist, simply click here – https://mspsitehub.com/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Normally, we're talking about business growth, but in this episode, we'll take a different turn and talk about some of the tactical things that MSPs need to do to build their business value so that when they exit, they have got a business that's worth some money, and all the hard work, pain, and stress will be worth it. To start off, Daniel introduced himself, what he does in The MSP Finance Team, and who they help. Daniel and I will also do two more episodes, one about what to do when you actually sell the business and how does that transaction work, and another one about what to do if you want to buy an MSP. Daniel and I then talked about the vision that people have for their exit. I asked him about his experience in the business owner's view as he also formerly owned an MSP before and sold it. He thinks that given the volume of the market, you can see pretty much every scenario. It depends on who you talk to. We then talked about why it is important for business owners to have an exit plan even though it might just be a loose idea in their heads. Daniel thinks that it's going to form a good and healthy business plan. We also talked about how much of the exit plan should the business owner keep in his head and how much should he share with his team. We then continued on to talk about the things that MSP owners need to do to increase the value of their MSP. Daniel answered with a four-method solution. These are: Annual Recurring Revenue Gross Profit from Annual Recurring Revenue EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) The Business Plan He then explained each of the methodologies and why they are relevant. Daniel and I both agree that the most critical way to increase the value of an MSP is to have systems and processes in place so that the business operates easier. The more you can automate or delegate, the better. Daniel also says that a business owner has to be all over their numbers, which dials us back to the episode with Adam Morris about knowing your MSP numbers. To wrap up the episode, I asked Daniel about the common mistakes that he sees when people come to plan their exit. Daniel says that the valuation is the main one, and the second would be preparedness to go through a sales process. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Be on the lookout for the future episodes that Daniel and I will be running, one about what to do when you exit and the process around it. And the second one is going to be what to do when you want to buy another MSP, which I know will be interesting for people who put that into their growth plan. To get to know more about Daniel, you can visit his website here – https://www.wellingmsp.com/ You can connect with Daniel Welling on LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-welling-54659715/ At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Happy New Year to you all! As you know, at IT Experts, we dedicate all our time and talent to help IT & MSP businesses succeed and we have put together these 12 steps to help you get 2022 off to a flying start!. With each step, you can do every month or once a week, as it is a straightforward guide that you can follow throughout the year to grow your IT & MSP business to your next level. Here are the 12 steps, and of course, I went on and discussed every single one of them. Have a compelling Vision. Create your Company and Personal Values.\ Align your team with your new the Vision and Values. Set company KPIs. Set individual targets. Create your Marketing Model. Upgrade your Sales planning - align language and your value proposition. Niche your Marketing – TEST TEST and TEST some more! Get good at Sales. Get great referrals and create a scheme for your clients. Hang around with legends and people that can help you. Measure what matters. With that, I also leave you off with my final thoughts which also means my two greatest tips as you follow these 12 steps, and they are: Get an accountability buddy. Take one day at a time. It's only the first week of the year and we are not kidding when we say that we only want to help your MSP business grow, so start your year right and follow these 12 simple steps. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoy creating it. Again, have a happy and prosperous 2022! At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP Business of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

It has been a long year, and it made perfect sense to look back at the most downloaded episodes that resonated with the MSP community the most. We have made so many connections over that last year and we didn't let the travel restrictions get in the way! Many I am now proud to call great friends! Here's our top 10 episodes for this year, to listen to the individual shows, just click the titles. #10 - EP035- Getting Productive and Profitable with Your PSA with Chris Timm and Ian Luckett We had a great chat with my friend, Chris Timm about everything you need to learn about why you need a PSA, and how to make the most out of it. #9 - EP033 – MSP Business Growth Strategy 101 with Ian Luckett In this short, sharp, punchy episode of the IT Experts Podcast, I talked about 5 of the key MSP business growth strategy elements that you can easily adapt in your IT & MSP business. #8 - EP046 – Returning to the Hybrid Office with Ian Luckett In another one of our Break Fix episodes, and in this one, I shared 3 strategies or tips to get staff back into the office, get them working, and keep them engaged. If you have a team, this episode is for you! #7 - EP061 – IT Channel Predictions with Jay McBain from Forrester In this episode, we are joined by Jay McBain -- this guy is a powerhouse of data! If you are an MSP owner and you want to know about upcoming trends in the MSP space, you should check this out, there's so much value in this episode! #6 - EP063 – The Pillars to MSP Success with Karl Palachuk and Ian Luckett In Episode 63 are joined by the godfather of the MSP, the legendary Karl Palachuk. He is a pioneer of managed services with over more than 2 decades in the channel, check out his tips and tricks in client management, profitability, and service delivery to help MSP business owners succeed. #5 - EP059 – Straight Talking Cyber Security with Mostyn Thomas and Ian Luckett Mostyn Thomas, a fellow ITBetweeners and CEO of Astrix, has joined us for this episode as we help you get your head around security and cyber threats that will challenge your IT & MSP business. #4 - EP034 – Perfect MSP Pricing with Nigel Moore & Ian Luckett Nigel has written a couple of books now around perfect MSP pricing (including how you should be packaging your services) and how to operate an MSP. He is an absolute legend, and this is a must-listen to episode! #3 - EP040-Understanding Your MSP Digital Marketing Footprint with Ayan Adam and Ian Luckett I met Ayan at Clubhouse (the social audio app), she is a digital marketer in the MSP space, and in this episode, we were talking about your MSP's digital footprint, how important it is and what are the top tips and tricks that you should be adapting in your business. #2 - EP032 – MSP Cold Calling Secrets with John Montgomery and Ian Luckett In at #2 is John Montgomery -- the Cold Calling King, and in this episode, we talked about real and working MSP cold calling tactics that will help you get the best results for your IT & MSP business. #1 - EP060 – MSP Success Stories – The LMS Group with Luke Mead & Ian Luckett And in our # 1 spot, the episode that resonated to our listeners the most -- is the success story of LMS group and Luke Mead! In this episode, we talked about how he started back when he was in his teens being drove around by his dad as he fixes people's computers -- fast forward to today with his deck chairs and very own pub inside the LMS headquarters! Did your favourites make it? At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

As usual, we kick off the episode with Adam sharing with us about who he is, what he does, and who he helps. Adams goes us through his journey from owning an MSP to running The MSP Finance Team, a company that helps MSP owners manage money. Adam and I quickly chat about how managing finances well in an MSP business is as important as the operations. Adam also shares that the most transformative thing that happened in their business was educating and bringing up to speed the service directors and service team members from the financial perspective. Then, I ask Adam what things MSP owners should consider in building a bulletproof financial system. He says that building a solid foundation is the key and getting the basics right is the first step. Getting solid data and having solid month-end processes which means looking at the data on a month-by-month basis, is the key thing. We then continued on to talk about reporting. Adam strongly believes that having the insight into what's actually going on with your MSP numbers can really help everything you know. You have the foundation and data, you're all set. The data is there to help make the right decisions. For the highlight of this episode, I then ask Adam about some tips and things to look out for MSPs of less than £250K turnover, between £250K and £1 Million turnover, and the ones with more than £1 Million turnover. Here are David's tips: £250K – It's all about cashflow £250K - £1 Million – Understand margins and sales opportunity. Over £1 Million – Hold leadership heads to account on the financial goals. Of course, Adam explains them one by one and why those key points are important in that particular MSP company turnover. To wrap up the episode, Adam and I quickly talk about analytics for your KPIs. Adam says that gross margin and service gross margin are the two key things and then went on to explain why they are important. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Finance may be boring, but you aren't going to run a business without it, so it's important to understand and know your MSP numbers. You can reach out to Adam through his email at [email protected] Get to know The MSP Finance Team by visiting their website, just click here – https://www.mspfinanceteam.com/ At IT Experts, we get up every morning to help IT & MSP Businesses thrive, IF you're looking to take your business to your next level and don't know where to start, then let's connect and we can organise some free support. All you need to do to learn more is click this link :- https://innovatetosuccess.com/free-support If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Mark has been in the MSP channel for years and has written a book around help desk habits, and has developed and created online courses around it, as well as MSP website success. (Hint hint: our next podcast episode) Before we kick off the episode which is value-loaded about what help desk habits you should have, Mark tells us about himself, who he is, what he does, and who he helps. Then to start, I ask Mark first about service recovery paradox, what it is and why it's so important in IT. Mark thinks it is critical to behave in this way in the IT space because things go wrong all the time and it's why help desk exists in the first place. The lesson that the service recovery paradox teaches IT & MSP business owners is to accept the things that go wrong and if you fix the problem, do it well and embrace it. Chances are that customers will be more loyal. What do your clients really buy? It's the business outcomes. It's peace of mind. I then ask Mark a question I've never asked anyone before, "Is it a service desk? Or is it a help desk?". Mark firmly answers it depends on who you talk to and the two are interchangeable. We then agreed, why not use the word help? Mark thinks the word "help desk" actually portrays a certain positive personality, but if you can think of something more creative, go for it and create that personality for your help desk! Mark and I then continued to talk about the concept of human customer service. Now Mark shares a phrase of his that correlates to this certain topic and that is, "Remember the human beings on the end of the endpoints." It teaches us that it's a mind shift about putting ourselves in their shoes and the importance of understanding. Then we tackle where habits come into all of this. Mark says it is all about long-lasting behaviour change. He then proceeds to explain the concept of habits and how exactly habits tie together to your MSP help desk. We also mention a few key topics like The Chimp Paradox and the importance of IQ & EQ in your team. We weigh in on these topics and talk about how they link to habits in your help desk. I also ask Mark about his own habits and even his answer to this is just a value bomb! To wrap up the episode, Mark and I have a raw moment of laughter as he then shares an important tip that will help you get the 4 Rs in your MSP help desk which are: Reviews, Recommendations, Referrals, and Renewals. Don't miss it! This episode is truly dropping value bombs all over the place, so I hope you listen to this again and again, and as much as you can to make you catch all the value this episode offers. I also hope you enjoy this episode as much as we love creating it here at IT Experts. You can reach out to Mark Copeman through his website by clicking here – https://www.wisecurve.co.uk/ You can buy the book, Helpdesk Habits by Mark Copeman, just click here – https://helpdeskhabits.com/helpdesk-habits-book/ At IT Experts, we get up every morning to help IT & MSP Businesses thrive, IF you're looking to take your business to your next level and don't know where to start, then let's connect and we can organise some free support. All you need to do to learn more is click this link :- https://innovatetosuccess.com/free-support If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

In today's episode, we share with you how to close 16 seats at £3000 per month. One of my clients had a situation wherein their client was in a somehow messy situation themselves. Now, my client had limiting beliefs around his abilities to sell and offer value, and he then phoned me for some coaching then I helped him get that confidence and successfully close. This episode is short but will surely offer you a ton of value. At IT Experts, we get up every morning to help IT & MSP Businesses thrive, IF you're looking to take your business to your next level and don't know where to start, then let's connect and we can organise some free support. All you need to do to learn more is click this link :- https://innovatetosuccess.com/free-support If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Now, first of all, I gave a brief overview of my background and how IT Experts came about. Then I shared some relevant statistics that correlate to why we need to improve the quality of Leadership in our IT & MSP Businesses. I also weighed in the difference between MSP Management and MSP Leadership, topics that business owners think might be the same, but isn't. In short, the 3 pillars to MSP leadership success are: Personal Leadership Strategic Leadership Team Leadership I discussed and explained them one by one, the relevant key points they come with, and why they are so crucial and important in being an MSP business owner. I also shared some important subjects in this keynote like the Foundations of a Successful Business, The Leadership Growth Mindset, Shadow of the Leader, and brief information about The MSP Growth Hub that houses a recent business venture I started with my new partner, Stuart Warwick, and that is the MSP Mastery. Finally, I gave the attendees a 90-Day Leadership Development Plan, which is a guide that MSP business owners can strategically follow to be a more successful MSP business leader. I hope you enjoy the show, this was a great session and presentation and we at IT Experts just love sharing it with you. At IT Experts, we get up every morning to help IT & MSP Businesses thrive, IF you're looking to take your business to your next level and don't know where to start, then let's connect and we can organise some free support. All you need to do to learn more is click this link :- https://innovatetosuccess.com/free-support If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

This episode is brought to you after we ran a quarterly planning session with our IT Experts Mastermind Program Clients and in the previous episode, we went more detailed in terms of the business elements of being an MSP business leader. In this final part, we help you tackle the following key parts to MSP Leadership success.: Build your leadership self-awareness. Create expert events. Make sure to measure your employee engagement and understanding the measures. As usual, I expanded all these point by point as to why they are critical and relevant when running an IT & MSP Business today. If you take a note of these steps since the first part, you are now ready to lead people who want to be inspired and want to win. By executing these steps, you are already there, building confidence as an MSP business leader. At IT Experts, we get up every morning to help IT & MSP Businesses thrive, IF you're looking to take your business to your next level and don't know where to start, then connect with us and let us help you with some free support. All you need to do to learn more is click this link :- https://innovatetosuccess.com/free-support If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

First things first, I mention how Kate and I met which was during the previous Managed Service Summit in London where I attended her keynote speech and within about 10 minutes of Kate's presentation I said, "You are coming to my podcast, so many more people need to hear about this.", so here we are. To start with, Kate shares a little bit more about her, her career history, and how she became to be a company culture expert which now offers culture as a service to organisations. She shares how she helps businesses in their employee engagement to make sure all their employees feel valued and cared for, as well as communication with leadership teams. I then asked Kate what company culture is? Kate says company culture is identifying who you are as a business, the behaviours and values you have as an organisation, from the leadership team right down to every single person in your business, that's your culture. She then continues to explain why company culture matters. Kate and I then weigh in on how the words "change" and "progress" differ. We then eventually agree that it's up to the person who looks at those two words and assess what those words mean to them. We also tackle communication within team members and why it plays an important role in people understanding what "change" and "progress" mean. I then asked Kate how people develop and embed culture within their business. Kate advises to not try and do it yourself. She then talks about having a team of cultural ambassadors and explains the roles they play in building that company culture, most especially in living the company's values. I then ask Kate the very same question I asked her during her keynote speech at Managed Services Summit in London, and that is "How do we measure culture". Kate said that the overall annual measurement should be the business growth and she continues to explain why. Finally, to wrap up the episode, Kate shares one tip she can give to people working on building that great company culture, and that is to go and ask the people in your organisation because they will help you with the answers. I hope you enjoy this value-loaded episode as much as we enjoyed creating it. I suggest you listen to this episode as many times as you want to make sure you get every drop of value you can get. You can reach out to Kate Wood in her LinkedIn profile here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-wood-pocketsforall/ Kate Wood and I are both going to be in the Managed Services Summit – North next week, November 16th, together will other experts in the industry to provide tonnes of value and high-level presentations, discuss channel issues, meet, debate, network. If you are an IT/MSP Business Owner, VAR or System Integrator, and you want to get involved in this amazing event, you can secure your space right here – https://managedservicessummit.com/north/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Again, this episode is brought to you after we ran a quarterly planning session with our IT Experts Mastermind Program Clients and in the previous episode, we talked about how communication in general can help you build confidence. In this second part, we go more detailed in terms of the business elements of being an MSP business leader. Here are my next three tips for you in this episode to help you out: Get to know your numbers and metrics. Cascade your vision to your team. Build and measure employee engagement. Of course, I expanded all of these point by point as to why they are critical and relevant when running an IT & MSP Business today. If you take a note of these steps since the first part, you are one episode away from leading people who want to be inspired and want to win. The value doesn't stop here because we will be back with a part three! Stay tuned! You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

We talked about how planning and processes play a critical role in disaster recovery, especially in this past year or so. Melvyn also mentioned about how important it is to "Plan for the worst-case scenario!". Your team should not be only thinking about point products and point solutions but how these products and solutions fit into a plan and how to execute this plan to counter disasters. He also shared with us his 4 step MSP business continuity and disaster recovery process. They are: 1. Create a comprehensive risk assessment and business impact analysis - Look at potential risks and their impacts on your business. 2. Hardware and software Inventory - A comprehensive disaster recovery programme should include a thorough analysis of what you own and how you use it. 3. Set up an Instant Response Team - This ideally must be comprised of the members of the IT team; they are the men and women with the expertise to repairs those servers, to troubleshoot software, and can get you back online ASAP. 4. Keep the Disaster Recovery Plan Ready - Do not keep it a secret. It must be accessible especially during an emergency. As they say, a winning effort begins with preparation. Hope you enjoy this episode, and you learn from these MSP disaster recovery tips. How many of these have you already adapted into your MSP business? You can reach out to Melvyn White by emailing him at [email protected] You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

This episode is brought to you after we ran a quarterly planning session with our IT Experts Mastermind Program. As an IT & MSP business owner, we know that your happy place is in the tech, so, having difficult conversations with people like asking them for contracts or money might be something not easy for you to deal with. Before I give you my three tips for this episode, I remind you that understanding yourself through your DISC profile is one of the key things to do as any Business Leader. Here are my three tips for you in this episode to start building leadership confidence, Get yourself into a safe environment, in readiness. Have a structured plan for the situation. Record the session for reflection and learning I dissected these three tips and explained why they are relevant and very important. Confidence building is like driving a car. When you couldn't get the clutch right and you kept stalling then you probably end up arguing with your driving instructor, but as soon as you knew that you could do it, you're off and start driving. Business is no different than that. This may be a short break fix episode but I hope you've got massive value from it. Be on the lookout for part two! You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

First things first, Karl shares how he started in the IT & MSP space, how it all began for him, and how he got to where he is today. Karl says he has loved technology from day one and that took him to who he is now. Karl and I exchange sharing career experiences and he shares how he learned a lot about "the right way to do things". We then briefly talk about one of Karl's key pillars to his thinking which is around prioritisation of what you're doing and not be interrupt-driven. Both of us agree that contrary to popular beliefs, business isn't what makes us successful. Karl says that before MSPs become independent, they are judged by the amount of business and stress they have but actually, none of those two contributes to an MSP's success. Karl and I then tackle company culture, and I ask him when he realised that it is one of the key pillars to business success. Karl thinks most consultants go into business because of bad bosses. We also weigh in on good and bad bosses and we both agree that good company culture is all about building relationships. We then move on to talking about client management and Karl shares his tips on the key things MSPs need to focus on to ensure that they make the money and keep their clients well. Karl says it's a rule of life to only work with people you like and like you. He also highlights that with clients, it's a must to always be engaging in a high-level, two-way conversation with clients. As a result, MSPs can properly determine what shall be done and then go and put those things in place. Communication is key. Karl and I also briefly talk about sales and having quarterly business reviews, which he calls road map meetings. We then continued to tackle finance by asking Karl about some of the fundaments that MSPs should consider in terms of profitability, and Karl answers with "Get prepaid for everything." He then explains how and why it matters. We also talk about Karl's comment that I noted, saying that it's not our responsibility to save our client's money, and why it's something for an MSP to consider. Finally, Karl and I talk about service delivery. I ask Karl what things MSPs should really consider in making sure that their service delivery toolbox is ticked off and he answers, having a PSA. It's not absolutely necessary but it's very useful to keep track of everything that needs to be done, and I relate it to scalability. To wrap up this value-loaded episode, I ask Karl for two tips for MSPs, one for the 6-figure MSPs and one for the 7-figure MSPs. Don't miss it! I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as Karl and I enjoyed creating it. This is a truly pillar episode of the series and I suggest that you listen to this episode as many times as you can and make sure you get every ounce of value from this pillar episode. You can reach out to Karl Palachuk in his social media accounts here – LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlpalachuk Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karlpalachuk Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karlpalachuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlpalachuk/ You can also visit Karl Palachuk's website at – www.smallbizthoughts.com Or his community website at – www.smallbizthoughts.org Download Karl Palachuk's book here – https://www.absolutelyunbreakablerules.com/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

To start with, Dave introduced himself and shares what they do in Wingman MSP Marketing. I briefly ask him about his insights about lead generation and how Dave thinks the marketing has changed for the MSP over the last 18 months. He says that the most important thing now is to focus on how MSPs are going to pick apart their relationship now with their clients. MSPs have now got to own the market and be all over their clients. We also talk about niche marketing specializing in a particular sector, and Dave thinks it's the only way to own the market and really put yourself apart from a lot of MSPs. We both agree that MSPs should focus more on selling business outcomes rather than the tech. Dave and I then continued to discuss the three pillars to MSP marketing success which are: Audience Messaging Broadcast Dave and I go on to dissect each pillar and discuss what to do about it and how it's important. We talk about how to create an audience and how to build value around them. Dave highlights that the first step is to understand the language around it. Leads come from prospects, and prospects come from suspects. Audience segmentation is also important as you start to move down the pipeline and Dave explains the key thing to do when taking a slightly different approach. We then tackle the messaging and I ask Dave how do we make our messages different. Dave emphasizes that your messages have to be sexy or scary to get people's attention. If you do something that they feel is relevant to them, that is what's going to make them stop scrolling and check your message. Use a pain point for the front end and give them a story that resonates with them to get their attention. Finally, we discuss the third pillar which is the broadcast, where I ask Dave the importance of becoming the subject matter expert and understanding the whole process of code to solve the sales funnel when MSPs are starting to attract leads. Dave says that there is a lot of steps involved, a lot more work needed, a lot more qualification, and a lot more pain to spot. The key thing is to take them through the journey and qualify them into the different pockets at different stages. Build out the sales process and have a good CRM structure to manage that so you know where they are at. To wrap up, Dave and I briefly discuss multi-channel marketing for your broadcast and the successful ways for MSPs to use it. Dave says to not just rely on social media and SEO for clients to come find you, because it's almost too late at that point. The bigger element is to be all over them like a rash consistently but not persistently. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we love creating it and gives you massive value in achieving your MSP marketing success. You can reach out to Dave Sutton in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-sutton-870090154/ Or you can visit Wingman MSP Marketing website at – https://www.wearewingman.co.uk/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

As usual, we kicked off the show with Jay sharing more about who he is, what he does, and who he helps. Jay shares a little more about his amazing career and experience over the years and how he has been in the middle of the MSP space. Jay also shares his DISC profile and how it contributed to his career experience at IBM. We then discussed the possible big changes in the MSP landscape post-Covid and how's it looking for MSPs right now. Jay initially states that he thinks that with Covid, we all are in the middle of something with no direct vision of when it's going to end or how. So, what MSPs can do is look at the trends within the pandemic and take advantage of it. Jay highlights that automation is the number one opportunity in the world right now. We are not in the office-centric world anymore with major Fortune-style companies shutting down headquarters locations. He re-iterated that work is what we do, not where we go. Jay then talked about how big tech companies are growing over the last year as a result of the demand during the pandemic. And we both agreed how technology is not now a luxury and the world is slowly understanding that it's almost as important as electricity. He also highlights that all of the 27 industries are going through major transformations right now, companies are spending billions of dollars in terms of rethinking their business for the post-Covid world, which is going to be highly digital, looking a lot like the inter-Covid world. Jay and I then tackled the product services and solutions that MSPs must start getting their heads around that demand is going to be forced for them in the space. Jay talks about the emerging techs they are looking at in Forrester and that a lot of those techs are here right now. He then says to focus on following your customers and follow the opportunities that are there. The reason why Managed Services is a good business model is because you can never have anybody on the bench. You have experts who see the same problem at different companies, and they come in with that expertise. Finally, to wrap up the show, Jay and I talked about where's the best place or platform to get the right information from, where he recommends people would get their news and know what's relevant. Jay advises finding a place or platform where you feel comfortable to consume this information and really motivates you to engage with like-minded people. These show notes do not do justice to the massive amount of information and values that this episode offers. We suggest you listen to this episode as much as you need to digest all this information! You can reach out to Jay McBain in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymcbain/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

In today's episode, we are joined by Luke Mead from the LMS Group, a multi-7 figure MSP -- which started at the age of 15, while working at a part-time job cleaning gravy pans one fateful Wednesday in a local restaurant. Luke started the business so young at his parents' dining room and still needed to be driven to his clients' offices. He registered his Ltd company back in 2010 at 19 years old, with their first official office right above a kitchen restaurant. Today, LMS Group is a multi-awarded and accredited MSP business with a team of expert IT consultants and support technicians who help businesses, regardless of industry, with their IT needs. We also talked about how in the early days Luke took a leap of faith and decided to work on scaling the business which includes hiring a new team member and getting a loan. Luke shared how having systems and processes in place even in the company's early days, at the FOUNDATION level, have helped him scale the business. We also talked about how important it is to take care of your employees -- Luke even has an in-house pub in the office now! I hope that you enjoy this episode and that you've picked some tips that you can apply in your own MSP business. You can reach out to Luke Mead on his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukemead/ You can also visit the LMS Group website here – https://lms.group/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies, and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube, and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

In the business world, especially within the IT & MSP space, there had been and there will always be attacks. It's just a case of how they present themselves in the world. In this episode, we learn and understand how to react to them and most importantly, how to respond to them. We kicked off the episode with Mostyn sharing with us who he is, what he does and who he helps. Mostyn is the CEO of Astrix and they specialise in cyber security for MSPs. Mostyn and I started by discussing what he would personally say to MSPs who say that they know what they are doing when it comes to cyber threats or attacks. Mostyn highlights that sometimes MSPs don't actually know much about their clients and their services aren't focused on what is missing and this is vulnerability discovery. We then talked about the mindset around security. I asked Mostyn what are some of the things that he's seeing at the moment that are challenging business owners, particularly the IT & MSP space. Mostyn reiterates that it is a little bit of that false sense of security. He then explained in this detail. One tip from Mostyn was to focus on your email security. Mostyn and I both agree that this is the same conversation about which CRM we should choose, and you choose the one that suits the business right now for what you need. We also talk about reaction and response when a cyber-attack happens, and Mostyn gives his recommendations for an MSP business owner when an event happens. Another tip from Mostyn is to first of all, as an MSP business owner, it's useful to build a network of good connections of people that you trust, and it ties very well together when you come across cyber threats in your business. We also reflect on a recent attack that we have heard from our space, and we talk about how it was taken on not only by the ones who were affected but also by those who only heard it happen. Mostyn and I continued to discuss and understand the business interruption, data disaster recovery and business continuity that comes from and after an attack. Mostyn says that flexibility and resilience in mind are important. We also exchanged our perspectives in terms of backing up and both agree that the old-fashioned way of backing up as well as the robust way are both key things to do. Finally, we wrapped up the episode with Mostyn sharing all the ways that he can be contacted should you want to keep the conversation going! You can reach out to Mostyn Thomas in his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsecuritywales/ or you can email him at [email protected] You can also visit Astrix website here – https://astrix.co.uk/ You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

To start, I share a brief summary of how Phil and I connected and then Phil went on to introduce himself, what he does and who he helps. Phil shares that they specialise in looking at customers' usage of Microsoft 365, having noticed that there is a lot of underutilisation of the app and people are leaving value on the table. Phil says they think there is a great opportunity for partners particularly in the IT & MSP space. Phil's company has conducted a lot of research, over 10,000 users in detail and have found that in general, only 11% of users are using all of their Microsoft 365 apps. In conclusion, they aren't getting the value of their Microsoft 365 subscriptions. He also stated that when people leave and organisation, there's no recycling of subscriptions, and that's not just a waste of money but also a security issue. Phil and I then continued on to talk about the jaw-dropping things that they find when they start working with a new client from the IT & MSP space. Phil responds with the two aspects to look at with Microsoft 365 optimisation, which is procurement and optimisation of usage. He then explains both aspects and what to do. Phil creates an analogy that Microsoft 365 is just like a chocolate box, where you have got a lot of chocolates but only eating a few and throwing the rest away. He also talks about discounts in procurement. We then continued to weigh in on 'whose fault' is it, business-wise, that a lot of organisations are in this position. Is it from the buying side where the person buying doesn't know what they're buying? Or is it through Microsoft's side where they bring out new apps from time to time that doesn't get promoted enough? I then ask Phil to share about their Microsoft 365 Health Check, and how do we find out what our clients are missing? Phil says it's more like an efficiency check that will show clients a full assessment of how much money they're wasting and where they can get value. He then explains in detail how they do it so you can fully optimise your Microsoft 365 subscription. Phil highlights that for their partners and MSPs, they see the opportunities to sell in value-added services and get extra revenue streams. To wrap up the episode, Phil and I discuss a little bit about the future of where this technology and most importantly Microsoft 365 optimisation is going in the next few years. And Phil states that they are looking at endpoint management and shares briefly how it pans out. I hope you enjoy this episode. It's honestly been a learning point for me and certainly a great discussion point for ourselves and the IT Experts Community. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you want to learn more about what Phil Hames does or do a 365 health check, you can get in touch with him at [email protected] or visit their website www.businesssoftwarecentre.com If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your IT and your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

The podcast episode is called Beyond Awesome: Creating Systems for Success and in this episode, there is much vulnerability from me. We begin the episode with myself sharing personal things like my story and who I am outside of the IT Experts Community. I also shared with Jason and Heather where I came from, why I'm doing what I'm doing and how we at IT Experts are helping the IT & MSP community. I also share with you, and the guys from Bitdefender my favourite movie, and something that people don't know about me! Don't miss it. We then continued to talk about insights on the system we at IT Experts created to help the IT & MSP community which is our MSP Profit Builder System. I shared where it started and how it came together that now leads to IT Experts helping IT & MSP business owners grow and scale their business. I also share how I have started meditation as one of the ways to help me focused. Jason, Heather and I then tackled work life balance and integration. I highlighted that I make sure to remind my clients that they're spending time working on their business strategically, then allocate time working in their business technically, because this is how they will grow. Jason and I also agreed that there's a workaholic in all of us and it is evident when we make conversations with people on a daily basis. Finally, I shared with the guys one of our successes here at IT Experts which is being accredited in Thomas International DISC profiling, and that the main reason we've done it is so we can understand our clients better so I can coach them better. Both Jason and Heather agreed that the DISC profile is a powerful tool for businesses to use. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed creating it with the guys from Bitdefender. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ You can watch the original episode and in video from Bitdefender's Youtube channel here – https://youtu.be/Sxhu1MDifGw If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your it in your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

I love to work in a collaborative manner with the members of the IT Experts community, but sometimes we need a bit of "Tough Love! In this episode, I am telling you frankly to stop selling the tech in your MSP and check out this short sharp blast on what you should do instead and more importantly how to change your messaging to help resonate with your target market better To begin with, I highlighted that not all MSPs are the same though they do the same function, just like business coaches! I want to get you thinking about the business outcomes that you're fixing, solving and providing to your clients rather than the tech, because most times, as a techie business owner, we forget that. I cover some key points because no one cares about the type of tech, they just want it to work. Remember that your experiences with working with your target market is the key. Create your own way, stop selling the tech in your MSP and start selling the BUSINESS outcomes. I hope you enjoyed this short and sharp break fix episode, a bit of a rant but justified. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your it in your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

The SDC Channel Summit was a one-day summit including a series of 50-minute roundtable sessions educating MSPs on the key issues they face as they look to be a partner in their customers' digital transformation journey. I'm proud to have been part of this event and do the keynote speech on how to build high-performing teams that drives business growth. In my keynote speech, I talked a little bit about our very own, the IT Experts MSP Profit Builder System, the Shadow of a Leader which is about how to coach people and also the elements of a successful business. If you are involved in the IT Channel, then you are going to get massive value from listening to this episode. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you want to watch the full video version of my keynote with the slide decks, as well as other keynotes, presentations and roundtable discussions, you can still register. All you need to do is click this link – https://sdc-channel.com/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If you're looking to scale your IT & MSP business and you don't know where to start, just navigate and explore here on our website www.innovatetosuccess.com where we've got a whole load of tips, tricks, strategies and community to help you grow and scale your it in your MSP business. I also invite you to come and take the IT experts test and we can help you to work out what to focus on right now to get you the quickest results in your business. You can take the test here – https://bit.ly/ITEtest If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

You may know that we have an amazing team based in the Philippines. I get asked a lot about my team, what we do, how we work and how we make it a great team? I start this show by sharing some brief details about my team and how I want them to feel part of the business, not only with the successes but also with the challenges we'll go through to scale and grow. I highlighted that though I want my team to work hard and give back to the business, at the same time I want all of us to have a bit of fun and enjoy a good time as well. I also briefly shared with you that after getting some amazing success, we've gone from doing our own social media posting and lead generation ourselves to taking on to running a department we call 'IT Experts Business Services' where we not only do social media posting and lead generation but also branding, research and all sorts of tasks for other clients. But that's a discussion for another day! So here are my 9 amazing, tried and tested tips, to help you build an amazing virtual team, even though they are thousands of miles away. Here they are : Set clear roles and responsibilities. Run DISC profiles. Give ownership. Let them make mistakes. Create and store voice-over instructions. Take advantage of good systems. Learn about them as "People". Involve them in quarterly reviews. Respect their environment. Even though my team is over 7,000 miles away and I am absolutely blown away by the resourcefulness and initiative that they have, and by deploying some of these tactics in your business, you too can do exactly the same! I hope you enjoy this quick show and if you need a hand with anything around remote teams, then give us a shout. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, www.innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Today we talk about business automation, process automation and delivering significant stickiness to your clients by providing them effectively with their own PSA Tool. To start off, John shared the journey of the company which started as a one-man MSP then transitioning to a company that's now a Dynamics for SME-based clients. John then touched on technical side of things like details about Microsoft Dynamics and the apps they include. He describes MS Dynamics as a big box of Lego. John and I then continued to talk about how MS Dynamics brought a massive impact on his business, and he shares how this system has helped his business grow. John expressed how there's a shortage of Dynamics skills in the UK and in the world, and we both agreed that it's a great opportunity for MSPs to join in and embrace. I highlighted that if you're an IT & MSP business owner who has an interest in the Dynamics environment, this is something that they could easily use to create stickiness to create a system, a CRM and an amazing opportunity for a PSA tool for their clients. John then shared how it is going to work and how it will help the MSP space. He likened it to basically putting another string to your bow. He emphasized that when you build the system that your clients use to run their business, they are going to stay in touch with you. You know how their system works and you can keep supporting it over time. Both John and I agreed that doing this takes your MSP to another level and John iterates that by integration with other systems, it's a much nicer conversation to have than 'you know my cybersecurity is better than yours' type of thing. We then continued on to talk about what the process would entail if MSPs have their own system to deploy to clients or build their own system for them. John gave an example of one they've built, putting the idea into reality. Additionally, we also tackled John's recommendations about holding or selling data when creating a bespoke system for clients and how IT & MSPs can begin understanding the whole thing about selling the business outcome and perceived value. I also asked John about how the IT & MSP space could get an ROI back and he answered that they could get it really quite quickly. Finally, to wrap up the episode, John highlights how he would wholeheartedly support any IT & MSP business that wants to add Microsoft Dynamics, CRM and business central power apps to their portfolio. He reiterated that it's a brilliant idea and a great thing for an MSP to add. He assures that although it might look a bit scary, it is definitely well worth it. I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode as much as we enjoyed creating it. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/podcast/ To contact John, you can connect with him in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjohnclark/ You can also drop him an email at [email protected] and check their website here – https://www.solutionsshared.co.uk/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, www.innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

I asked Jason what the relationship with new clients will look like in the future, and how conversations will change. Jason believes that the biggest fundamental change in terms of client relationships is that the goals of technology will then be a direct alignment to the goals of the business. Jason and I then talked briefly about sales and how sales language is so important. I shared how it's similar in our very own IT Experts Community within the IT Experts App where we don't sell but rather focus on giving value and explaining how we can help. We also discussed how important it is to create a partner relationship rather than a supplier relationship, and that you can leverage it down to your team, so you don't have to do it all. Jason shared an example from their operations in Uptime Solutions on how to get your team to transition from supplier to partner relationships. Both of us agreed that putting your customers first is important. Looking after your customers and giving extra value to your customers especially in times of crisis will make them feel more important thus making the relationship become stronger and stronger. That's the way to go! Jason and I then continued talking about differentiating yourself from others and standing out. Jason emphasized that focusing on a specific audience or area should go the same with MSPs, identify a criteria to figure out to whom you, as an IT & MSP business owner, deliver best. The opportunities don't diminish, they just become more focused. In the end, you essentially end up with far better relationships that fit your standards as well. Finally, to wrap up this series with a cherry on top, Jason gave the top three takeaways that IT & MSP business owners should focus on now or at least in a month ahead. This one is something you shouldn't miss! I hope you enjoy this episode and I hope both parts in this series gave you massive value to grow and scale your IT & MSP business. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you want to reach out to Jason, you can message him in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-kemsley-630983159/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Don't forget that we are still currently accepting entries from the EP050 Special Episode contest. Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

We talked about business automation, the latest technology, the shape of leadership and the things to come in your IT & MSP business in the new way of working. Jason began talking about how he sees rapid changes within the structure of the MSP and helpdesk as a whole. He talks about the points he believes will be in the future of MSP and help desk like how the customer care piece is going first line and product portfolios will just continue to grow and grow. Then Jason and I weighed in briefly on the maturity in the business that affects its structure and organisation. I highlighted that reviewing the effectiveness of the tasks you are carrying out on a daily basis in your IT & MSP business is very important. Jason then continued on to discuss how they assessed the amount of technical 'shiny balls' that came in the business and related that to how they started building Uptime Solutions. He emphasized the biggest thing that contributed to their success that is also similar to what we teach here at IT Experts. Both of us then tackled about how we think the business owner leadership is changing and Jason then explained what the clearest correlation between bigger MSPs and their business mindset is. Finally, to wrap up the first part of this series, Jason and I discussed, what we think the future of MSP client relationship will look like. We both agreed that even with the massive shift we are seeing within this space, looking after customers is the most important. He also emphasized that selling on value is important and can't be overlooked. I hope you enjoy this episode, watch out for Part 2 of this episode where Jason and I discussed further on client relationships, how to build those relationships, a little bit about sales and how to build value in your customers. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you want to reach out to Jason, you can message him in his LinkedIn here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-kemsley-630983159/ You can also catch us at the SDC Channel Summit on 6th July, where Jason and I were invited to speak. Check it out here – https://sdc-channel.com/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Don't forget that we are still currently accepting entries from the EP050 Special Episode contest. Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

We are still giving you a tonne of value but this time, it comes with so much MORE. First, we cover off what you need to do right now to get you on track and get your IT & MSP business growing. Spoiler alert! It's all about confidence and discipline. Secondly, as we launch this special episode, we also launch our brand new IT Experts Test, I go through with you in this podcast why we asked each question and then explain why it is so important. I encourage you to take the IT Experts test which only has 10 questions and is absolutely FREE. We will then email you a report that explains your results, analysis and what areas in your IT & MSP business that YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW. Lastly, I provide the details on how to enter the prize draw to get a chance to WIN a FREE IT Experts Discovery Session worth £495+VAT. Don't miss it! I hope you enjoy this special episode as much as we enjoyed creating it. Again, we are thankful for the feedback from the previous 49 podcast episodes and we love hearing the results clients are getting from all the tips, tricks, and strategies within all the content that we create. Take the IT Experts Test here – https://itexperts.surveysparrow.com/s/IT-Experts-Test-/tt-594a90a4c6 Send a screenshot of your review and email your entry for a chance to win the FREE Discovery Session at [email protected] You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

This episode is a two-part podcast where I share with you the interview that BBC Radio London held with me talking about how to adopt to the new way of working. In this episode, I tackle the four key points and break down the tips and strategies in adopting a hybrid working environment, I share with you the 7-minute audio clip of the interview I had in BBC Radio London. In the interview, I talked about how to set up a routine when working from home and the changes we've seen on how we work more effectively in this new way of working. The second part of the podcast is where I share and discuss with you the following tips on successfully adopting this new working environment while growing your IT & MSP business. The four main points are: Having a routine Having a great environment How to motivate your team? How to help out and find out if someone is struggling working remotely? I also talked about how these tips are not only for you but for THEM (your team) and more tips on how to coach your team remotely. Since this episode is a two-part podcast, that mean you have double the value to give you so you can take your IT & MSP business to YOUR NEXT LEVEL while working on a hybrid environment. You can access all the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected]

PPA or DISC profile, whatever you name it, is a profiling tool that scores you from the questions you answer. It is an assessment of behaviour for you to better understand yourselves, your peers and your team members. It scores you focusing on four personality traits: D – Dominance I – Influence S – Steadiness C – Compliance I go on to explain more specifically the different types of assessment, from D to C, and how people with these results fit into the world of IT & MSP. Then I shared with you my own profile. And what I have learned from doing this with my team is that I now know how to adjust my management, leadership and communication style to make sure everybody can get into flow as quickly as possible. DISC profiling is an investment. It helps you build better teams and understand their roles so that you can get more out of your team, that in turn will deliver more for your clients easier. Now what to remember is that these results change because we all grow and develop, so it's always good to rerun the program and assessment. I hope this episode has provided you with great value, especially in having a better understanding of DISC profiling to help you become a better, more effective and efficient leader in your IT & MSP business. You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube, and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

In this episode, he shared powerful tips on how to smash, destroy and kill any reservations, issues, and challenges that IT & MSP business owners have around prospecting online, how to talk to people online, and closing online. Matt shares how he believes that human-to-human interaction built within the structure, despite technology automation and marketing, plays a very bold part in sales, now more than ever. He and myselWef then continued to share how Sales is all about the service element. A lot will sell a product, but the big money is in the relationship built through trust. It is important to be clear on your company values and live by them as well. Matt then went on to give great tips on prospecting and connecting online. The key thing in prospecting is qualification. Matt and I then tackled optimising social media to create awareness for prospecting. We discussed how it's important to be clear and obvious on what you want people to want from you. Then, connecting is a long strategy so it is important to make sure to have a conversation with somebody and ALWAYS have a logical next step. Both Matt and I dived into more tips, the dos and don'ts in the sales process, and the importance of having a script in closing. And one of the key things in closing especially online is to work harder than you ever did and make the close effortless for your clients. Matt highlights that Sales is simple, you just commit to understand it, commit to finding out what people need from you, then decide when you are a match and work to get the results. To say that this podcast episode is full of tips is an understatement. It is LOADED with not only useful but powerful tips to help you grow your IT & MSP business. You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App, where you can reach out to Matt himself for more tips, as he is part of our IT Experts Power Team in our IT Experts community with loads of videos and content from him for YOU. – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM You can also get a free copy of Matt's book, Open with a Close, The Twelve Point Guide to Closing More Sales here – https://www.eliteclosingacademy.com/owac-book-offer-website If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over here at our website, innovatetosuccess.com Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Returning to the hybrid office will obviously come with leadership challenges for IT & MSP business owners, so I share with you 3 strategies or tips to get staff back into the office, get them working, and engaged. 1. Regrouping and reconnecting 2. Resetting individual targets 3. Creating an engaged environment I hope that this episode helps you prepare to get your teams back to the office and make sure you are getting the best out of your IT & MSP business. You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube, and over here at our website. Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Welcome to the IT Experts Podcast - Break Fix Edition; shorter and sharper blasts of IT & MSP business growth tips, tricks, support, and advise. And in today's episode, I share with you our IT Experts community and what it's all about, how it can help you, what it can do for you, and what it provides you. Obviously, we created our own app that's aligned with our company values and created a community to provide value, assistance, and support to IT & MSP business owners. There are 3 levels in the community and they are: App Level IT Experts Community Level Accelerator Programme or Mastermind Programme Level Our amazing IT Experts Community provides a boatload of value and is housed in the IT Experts App available in iOS, Android, and Desktop. I hope that this episode helps you in your journey to taking your business to YOUR next level. You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over our website at innovatetosuccess.com. Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Heather shares with us how the way of selling and growing is evolving. She then talks about how making inclusive business decisions will not only get your business better results but also have your team buying in the same vision and moves the same direction. She also notes two sides to consider in selling virtually which are: 1. Technology 2. Strategic understanding before getting on a call and sell Heather also discussed how marketing doesn't have to be expensive. She encourages to find a partner in your area that can help you build and develop but don't break the bank either. Heather noted that marketing is also constantly evolving and that you need to evolve with it. Jason then shared about hybrid teams and that it is a way of future-proofing the business. He noted that to be a leader in a hybrid workforce, it is important to connect and care for your team. Listen to your team, have an open mind, and make sure to let them know that you care about their success, not just your own. Jason went on to discuss the importance of challenging your team to come up with out-of-the-box thinking. We also tackled some other leadership, sales, and marketing tips that you can use to help your IT & MSP business grow. If you want to learn more or just keep the conversation going, you can get in touch with Jason Eberhardt via his email. You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over our website at innovatetosuccess.com. Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Pippa shared with us how marketing has changed in the last five years, with the trend now focusing a lot on the digital space such as social media, webinars, e-books. She also foresees this trend to continue in the next five years. We talked about when, as an IT & MSP business owner, you realise that working with an external marketing agency takes too long and you need to be more reactive, that is the time that you need to invest in your own marketing team. It is important that you stay reactive. We also discussed how your marketing team does not need to be big, you simply need a group of people dedicated in that area of the business. Pippa also talked about the importance of value-based contents as pitching may no longer work. As we say here at IT Experts, people buy from people. I hope that this episode helps you get your thoughts straight about what you should do to take your marketing to YOUR next level. To get in touch with Pippa, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virtually-unflappable-pippa-loveridge You can access the other IT Experts Podcasts here – https://innovatetosuccess.com/itega-podcast/ If you haven't seen it yet, come and join our community in our own IT Experts App – you can check it out here – https://bit.ly/ITE-COMM If we're not connected already, let's connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and over our website at innovatetosuccess.com. Alternatively, you can drop me an email at [email protected] Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!