Richard Tubb's Blog, page 36
October 31, 2022
Tubbservatory Round-Up #10 – October 2022
Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSPEach week Richard throws a spotlight on five resources Managed Service Provider (MSPs) business owners should take note of in the IT industry. The Tubbservatory is a weekly video broadcast featuring useful articles, podcasts and events that bring value to IT business owners.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #10 – October 2022 is a collection of all of the Tubbservatory broadcasts made in the month of October. It’s edited together for you to watch at your convenience. The items are summarised below, with links to the resources mentioned in the video.
This month’s topics include: client onboarding, cybersecurity, business culture and sales.
#1 A Crafty Approach to Managed Services
A video that caught my eye is Linode’s James Steel talking with Wim Kerkhoff, the owner of Crafty Penguins, an MSP that specialises in both Windows and Linux.
I’d recommend this video to anyone who wants to learn more about how an MSP can specialise successfully.
#2 Sales Stack 2022: Sales Tools for B2B Sales ProfessionalsJakob Thusgaard of YourSales has just produced their annual Sales Stack 2022, a comprehensive list of sales tools for professional B2B sales.
Which challenges would you like sales technology to solve for your sales team? That’s the question this year’s list sets out to answer.
#3 The 10 Hottest SaaS Startups of 2022 (So Far)CRN has produced the 10 Hottest SaaS Startups of 2022 so far, and to no surprise, MSP revenue platform Zomentum has been named on the list.
Wade Tyler Millward of CRN spotlights Zomentum CEO Shruti Ghatge and other leaders alongside a raft of tools that MSPs should keep their eye on.
#4 5 Minute Guide to ISDN & PSTN Switch OffMany UK-based MSPs still have clients who are using ISDN and PSTN circuits, despite the fact that BT are turning these services off in 2025.
So, this five minute guide from The Computer Service Centre on the ISDN & PSTN switch is useful reading to prepare for what comes next.
#5 Acronis Cyberfit Summit 2022And finally, the Acronis CyberFit Summit 2022 takes place on Nov 7th-9th in Miami, Florida.
With 1,500 managed services businesses expected to be in attendance, expect this event to be one of the biggest of the year.
Our very own, Richard Tubb will be in attendance recording some very special episodes of the TubbTalk Podcast for IT consultants, directly from the show!
#1 What is Typosquatting and How Can You Stay Protected?
What is typosquatting and how can you stay protected?
Doron Ben Cohen of Atera explores this new cybersecurity threat in this article, and explains how cybercriminals are registering incorrectly spelled versions of legitimate website URLs, and then mimicking the brand of the original URL.
Typosquatting, or URL hijacking, is an increasing form of cybercrime, so this article is one for MSPs to read.
#2 The Team Metalogic Onboarding ProcessYou only get one chance to make a good first impression, so a video that caught my eye is the Onboarding Process from MSP Team Metalogic.
CEO Mike Parfitt and his team have put together this wonderful video series for their new MSP clients, and I think it’s a great example of how you too can wow your new clients when bringing them on board.
#3 BeReal: Can My Post Get Me into Trouble at Work?Can your BeReal post get you in trouble at work?
If you’re not familiar with BeReal, it’s a social media platform that notifies all users simultaneously at a random time every day. It gives you just two minutes to stop and take a picture of your surroundings.
However, BBC’s Newsbeat reports that some users are sharing confidential data in their screenshots.
The danger implied here is why I’d recommend MSPs share this article with their clients.
#4 5 Reasons to Outsource Your MSP Service Desk
I’m a big proponent of MSPs working with outsourced partners, but why would your IT business outsource something as important as your service desk?
Jason Kemsley at Uptime Solutions has written an excellent article on 5 Reasons to Partner with Uptime Service Desk, and if your MSP has been on the fence about outsourcing, this read may just convince you of the benefits.
#5 ConnectWise IT Nation Connect 2022IT Nation Connect 2022 takes place in Orlando, Florida between November 9th-11th.
ConnectWise’s event is one of the premier technology service provider conferences, and you’re sure to leave the event with inspiration and concrete steps to grow your IT business.
#1 The 3 Phases of Effectively Onboarding a New MSP Client
The effectiveness of your onboarding process will tell a new client a lot about your business.
So this article on the SuperOps website from Joshua Liberman, the CEO of MSP Net Sciences, is a great read from one of the keenest minds in our industry.
Liberman shares the three phases of effectively onboarding a new MSP client: discovery and enumeration, ingestion and integration, and the welcome mat.
#2 6 Tips MSPs Should Know About Heading into 2023MSPs can take lessons learned from the pandemic and leverage different strategy efforts to transform their businesses in 2023, according to a panel of channel executives.
CJ Fairfield of CRN has put together a great write-up of advice given by executives at The Channel Company’s XChange Best of Breed Conference, entitled “6 Tips MSPs Should Know About Going Into 2023”.
Featuring Ryan Walsh, COO of Pax8; Dan Tomaszewski, EVP of channel at Kaseya; and Ryan Bowman, director of solutions engineering for ThreatLocker. The three came together to discuss the channel outlook, what partners can do to adapt going forward, and what to leverage to grow their business.
#3 Pax8 Europe Opens New Office in ZwolleManaged Services partner Pax8 continues its growth in the EMEA region, recently opening a new office in Zwolle, The Netherlands.
Pax8 CEO John Street helped open the new space and announced the company’s plans to support European-based MSPs
#4 How I Would Hack You: Methods Used to Attack and How to Defend Against ThemA video that caught my eye recently is; How I Would Hack You: Methods Used to Attack and How to Defend Against Them by Tom Lawrence.
Lawrence is joined by noted Cybersecurity experts, Matt Lee and Jason Slagle, for an eye opening conversation.
#5 Increase in Number of Girls Taking GCSE Computing Exams in 2022Caroline Donnelly of Computer Weekly shares some welcome news: there been an increase in the number of girls taking GCSE computing exams in 2022.
Julia Adamson, director of education at the British Computer Society, said the uptick in the number of female students sitting the GCSE computing exam was cause for celebration – but not complacency.
#1 The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Culture Killers
This guest editorial article by MSP consultant Rayanne Buchianico is a great read for any employer.
Written for Karl Palachuk’s Small Biz Thoughts blog, this piece gives some valuable insights on spotting and mitigating employee unrest.
Engagement and communication are key. Taking charge of the situation before it escalates are just some of Rayanne’s top tips here.
#2 Webinar: The Untold Stories of RansomwareA webinar that caught my eye recently was “The Untold Stories of Ransomware” from Justin Campo, Sr., Cybersecurity Analyst at Barracuda MSP.
In the webinar, Justin highlights attack statistics broken down by industry. as well as a detailed ransomware case study. You’ll also find some useful takeaways and best practices for MSPs to defend against the latest threats.
The webinar is now available to view on demand.
#3 UK Information Commissioner’s Office Accountability FrameworkThe UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)has garnered a great reputation for publishing very practical and helpful guidance on privacy.
So this video from Robert Baugh of Keepabl with Data Superhero Tash Whitaker of the ICO is a valuable watch as Whitaker discusses the ICO’s gold-standard benchmark: the Accountability Framework.
If you’re serious about privacy within your MSP (and you should be) this is an excellent resource.
#4 3 Ways Buying IT is not like Buying a CarMarnie Stockman, CEO of Lifecycle Insights, shares a valuable sales education for MSPs in her article “3 Ways Buying IT is not like Buying a Car”.
She explains the similarities between buying cars and buying IT, and the important nuances which make them different.
Spoiler – if you follow Marnie’s advice, you are being a strategic partner to your clients.
#5 IT Nation Share Q4 – Copenhagen 30th Nov 2022For MSPs in Europe, the IT Nation Share Q4 2022 event takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark on Nov 30th 2022.
Hosted by Dan Scott of ConnectWise, this event is open to all MSPs and is focused on the theme of Growth, Scalability, and Cybersecurity.
Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up
Mentioned in Week 2
What is Typosquatting, and How Can You Stay Protected?The Team Metalogic Onboarding ProcessBeReal: Can My Post Get Me in Trouble at Work?5 Reasons to Outsource Your MSP Service DeskConnectWise IT Nation Connect 2022Week 3The 3 Phases of Onboarding a New MSP Client6 Tips MSPs Should Know About Going into 2023Pax8 Europe Opens New Office in ZwolleHow I Would Hack You: Methods Used to Attack and How to Defend Against ThemIncrease in Number of Girls Taking GCSE Computing Exams in 2022And Week 4The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Culture KillersWebinar: The Untold Stories of RansomwareUK Information Commissioner’s Office Accountability Framework3 Ways Buying IT is not like Buying a CarIT Nation Share Q4 – Copenhagen 30th Nov 2022
That’s all from the round-up for October 2022!
Is there a useful tool or resource that you’ve discovered that you think we might be interested in? Please let us know in the comments.
The post Tubbservatory Round-Up #10 – October 2022 appeared first on Richard Tubb.
October 24, 2022
Why Mental Health is a Key Pillar to Success for IT Businesses
It’s often been said: ‘It’s tough at the top’. An essential part of being a successful entrepreneur is dealing with the highs and the lows of being a business owner. The price of hard work is the toll it takes on our mental health.
It requires constant effort to ensure your business runs smoothly through an ever-evolving industry landscape, as well as mature and grow, despite client and employee turnover.
It’s vital for IT business owners to ensure they are offering the most innovative technology solutions to ensure their clients remain competitive and that their data is safe.
Recent Industry PressuresDigital transformation came to the fore during and after the pandemic.
Many organisations took to this working-from-anywhere ‘life raft’ as a means to ensure their businesses would be more sustainable, should another national lockdown come into effect.
But along with this massive surge for portable IT solutions came huge amounts of stress for IT service providers. And that stress is just one example of the ways in which IT business owners can be driven to burn-out. That’s being pushed to your limits for so long that you crack under the pressure of it all.
Mental Health and the IT IndustryIn a recent article for training provider Mi Crow’s partner newsletter, our own Richard Tubb described his own battle with burn-out and depression throughout his journey as a former MSP owner.
While giving a presentation on mental health to an audience of managed service providers, he revealed that 1 in 4 people suffer from a diagnosable mental condition in any given year.
Following the presentation, he was approached by a number of men and women in the audience who had all struggled with their own mental health, and that it was a relief to find out that they weren’t alone.
Mi Crow are a video-based online training platform tailored for MSPs and their clients.
One of the many training courses they have on offer is centred around Mental Health in the Workplace.
IT Entrepreneurship Can Be Lonely, but You’re Not AloneIt’s important to recognise good mental health as one of the pillars to being a successful IT business owner.
You need to have a good support network in place – you don’t have to manage your mental health alone.
Aside from speaking to a professional therapist, there are a number of useful resources out there available to help you.
Here are just a few:
1. Attend a Local Peer GroupPeer groups are a great example of places where you can share your pain points and frustrations.
There are professional organisations that you can join or become a member of that also do this.
The Tech Tribe have regular local gatherings where you can attend and meet other MSPs and IT business owners.
2. Read About How IT Business Owners Manage Their Businesses EffectivelyReading about how others like you deal with their stress is a great place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed or out of your depth.
These will help with the root causes as well as manage the symptoms of your stress.
There are lot of useful nuggets of information in:
The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide by Richard TubbSurvive and Thrive by Nigel MooreAnd if a humorous approach is something you find helpful, then you should read this blog post from Paul Green‘s MSP Marketing:
This MSP Faces Burnout – and can Solve his Problems with These Three Steps3. Use Technology to Improve Emotional State VisibilityThere are a number of apps and tools that will help you with your mental health.
There are far too many great apps to list, but here are a few that we use here at Team Tubb:
Moodbeam – a smart wristband that allows you to track your emotional triggers so that you can monitor your emotional stateGeekbot – a Slack Plugin that asks you a few accountability questions each weekTruth Tuesday – a check-in for the team to leave a comment or emoji response to how they’re feeling4. Podcast Interviews that Promote Good Mental Health PracticesListening to others who have experienced their own battles, and have overcome them, can be a great comfort.
TubbTalk 65: Chris Brogan – Mental Health for IT Business Owners – In this podcast, Chris Brogan, the best-selling author and keynote speaker, talks to Richard Tubb about the stigma of mental health for business owners, and how to deal with depression ‘red flags’Evolved Radio 73: Eric Rieger – Managing Mental Health – Host Todd Kane talks to Eric Rieger of Webit about some of the challenges he’s had with mental health, as well as some of the management practices he uses to help5. Other Things That Help Improve Mental HealthThere are other things you can do that will drastically reduce your stress levels, which impact on your mental health, including:
Get back to nature – The combination of exercise and fresh air will invigorate and recharge you, and both are proven to reduce stressSwitch off phone notifications – Notifications during breaks and after hours can be intrusive, so get into the habit of turning them off. Also, leave your work phone at home when you’re on holiday, and to reduce screen time at night, charge your phone downstairsBalance energy intake – reduce stimulants in your diet and get to bed at a sensible time. A full night’s sleep will often reduce stressTactile and creative hobbies – hobbies which involve your hands and result creative output will reduce your stressThe Mental Health Foundation have a great eBook packed full of practical tips for helping to improve your general mental health, all backed up by research.
Reducing the Stigma of Mental HealthOne of the main conclusions Richard Tubb draws in his piece for the Mi Crow Partners newsletter is that, as an industry, we need to do more to raise awareness of the growing mental health crisis affecting IT business owners all over the world.
We must also do more to reduce the stigma of addressing mental health issues in the community, and help each other to face our battles without judgment.
Mental Health Resources Mentioned in this ArticleVideo: Moodbeam Product Demo on YoutubeArticle: Geekbot – Remote Team Check-insResource: A Comprehensive List of Mental Health ResourcesResource: Tech Tribe Local GatheringsPodcast: TubbTalk 65: Mental Health for MSP OwnersPodcast: Evolved Radio ERP097 – Managing Mental HealthBlog: This MSP faces Burnout – and can solve his problems with these 3 stepseBook: Mental Health Foundation: Best Ever Mental Health Tips Backed Up By ResearchWebsite: Mi Crow – Mental Health in the Workplace
In ConclusionThough some of us are alone on our entrepreneurial journey, it doesn’t mean we have to fight our battles with mental health alone.
The more we open up about our vulnerabilities, the more we relate to each other as human beings.
Yes, we’re in business, and yes, there is competition. However, we should learn from others who have walked these lonely paths before, and use their wisdom to advance beyond. We are here to enjoy our lives, as well as make a successful living.
Have you suffered with your mental health as an IT business owner? What have you tried to lighten the load on your mental health? We would love to hear from you in the comments.
The post Why Mental Health is a Key Pillar to Success for IT Businesses appeared first on Richard Tubb.
October 19, 2022
Acronis #CyberFit Summit 2022
Are you free in November? Fancy a trip to Miami Beach? Then a ticket to the Acronis #CyberFit Summit 2022 
might be just what you need!
Taking place at the Fontainbleau Hotel between 7 and 9 November, the #CyberFit event promises to be super valuable for MSP (managed service provider) owners.
The event is brought to you by the industry-leading experts in cybersecurity, Acronis.
I’m really looking forward to it, especially as I’ll be recording episodes of my TubbTalk Podcast in the Acronis Cyber Studio!
What’s Happening at the Acronis #CyberFit Summit?There’s a LOT packed into the three days of the #CyberFit Summit!
There’s an incredible line-up of speakers, an expo hall and a host of networking opportunities. And if you can’t make it in person, you can grab yourself a virtual ticket.
Your all-access ticket gives you:
Entry into all sessions and workshopsTraining programme participationAll meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) each dayNetworking opportunitiesAccess to the exhibition hallEntry to the welcome reception on the Sunday before the event beginsThe opportunity to become accredited in one of the Acronis Academy’s cloud courses (virtually and in person)Entry to the closing party
Live Recording in Miami BeachI’ll be recording some very special live episodes of my TubbTalk Podcast for IT Consultants directly from the custom-built Acronis Cyber Studio at the #CyberFit Summit.
Make sure you’re subscribed to TubbTalk in your favourite podcast player to get the episodes as they are released!
Get a Ticket for the Acronis #CyberFit Summit 2022Ready to do some learning and planning to get 2023 off to a great start for your MSP? Then grab your grab your ticket now! Let me know if you’re going so I can say hi.
You Might Also be Interested InConsidering the Challenges and Opportunities of Hybrid Working for MSPsPodcast: How to Effectively use Cyber Essentials, GDPR and KeepablOn-demand Webinar: Protecting Your SMB Clients From Today’s Cybersecurity ThreatsThe post Acronis #CyberFit Summit 2022 appeared first on Richard Tubb.
October 17, 2022
National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day: A Chance to Organise
There’s an old idiom: ‘Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind’, meaning that a cluttered or disorganised environment may affect your ability to think clearly. This doesn’t just apply to your physical environment, but to your virtual environments too.
National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day takes place each year on the third Monday in October. This year, it falls on October 17th, 2022. This day is your chance to take back control of the sprawling clutter on your desktop, and organise your files better.
It began as an initiative thought up by the people at the Personal Computer Museum, in Ontario, Canada, back in 2010.
It was seen as a way to encourage people to sort out their desktops, and return them to a state closer to how they were when they first purchased their computer.
As part of the sorting process, any files no longer needed could be discarded and removed, and any important files could be backed up on external disk drives or saved to the cloud.
The Psychology of Having a Clean WorkspaceThere are some psychological benefits to having a less cluttered desktop.
It is said a clearer workspace promotes confidence and reducing anxiety.
In this article by Alice Boyes Ph.D. she explores 6 Benefits of an Uncluttered Space, and why it’s important to declutter for our mental health.
Wait! Being Messy Isn’t All BadHowever, here’s a contradiction to the positive beliefs on an uncluttered workspace. There’s strong evidence to believe that accumulating a lot of clutter could be linked to higher intelligence and greater creativity, if you have something called ‘Chronic Disorganisation’.
This article on Lifehack explains this theory deeper.
Despite this, even the chronically disorganised can benefit from a day to tidy and reorganise every now and then.
It’s not just about reducing the number of shortcuts and icons on your desktop. There are many ways to celebrate National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day.
Before You Begin, Back Up Your FilesIf it’s something you forget about doing, make this day an excuse to back up your files. If you happen to delete something you later realise you actually needed, you’ll know that it was saved in your back up before you started the cleaning process.
Sort Through What You Need and Don’t NeedIf your desktop background is obscured with lots of icons and shortcuts, you probably need to go through these thumbnails and determine if they’re things you need on your desktop.
These will probably be a mixture of files and program shortcuts. If your desktop doesn’t have many icons on it, you can sort through your documents folders instead.
Recycle Documents You No Longer NeedObvious examples include old project files, previous years’ accounting spreadsheets and anything you’ve worked on with multiple versions.
Maybe you downloaded an image to use in a report and you didn’t put it in the Recycle Bin – there are many examples of files we keep on our desktop that we’ve used once and forgotten about.
Organise Documents You Want to Keep and Remove Them from Your DesktopFor those documents you do want to keep, now’s the chance to put them into folders where you can find them again.
Though this sorting may take a bit of time to organise, you’ll find your documents much easier in places that make sense.
Why not put all of your finance related document into a ‘Finance’ folder with subfolders for each year? Put your projects into separate folders organised by client and by date.
Moving files to the cloud are another option for files you want to access files on other devices.
Uninstall Old Software You No Longer UseIf some of those icons on your desktop are for programmes you no longer use, then you should uninstall the programme from the Applications or Apps menus in Settings.
You can also remove shortcuts for programmes if you’re happy to use the apps menus on the task bar.
This guide from Business Insider goes into detail about how you can do this on PCs or Macs.
There are a number of other things you can do to help speed up your computer after you’ve decluttered your desktop.
These are standard housekeeping tasks you should do regularly, but it’s especially recommended after moving or deleting a lot of files:
Antivirus Definitions UpdateOperating System Update CheckSave old videos or pictures to an external drive or to the cloudRun disk defrag once all of the files you wish to move have been movedEmpty your downloads folder, or at least get rid of anything over 6 months old
Faster Processing
The more icons you have on your desktop, the slower your machine will run. This is because these programmes and files use up a lot of RAM. Hence, the fewer desktop shortcuts you have, the faster your computer will be.
More Disk SpaceHaving a sort out and getting rid of files and programmes you no longer need will free up more space on your hard drive.
It’s obvious, but in the case of laptops especially, space is at a premium.
Also, the less you have on your machine, the easier it is to find whatever it is you’re looking for.
A Clean StartUse this opportunity to approach your file saving in a much more structured fashion. After a clean up and reorganise exercise like this, you’ll feel great.
With everything up-to-date, folders organised, and your desktop clear of messy shortcuts, it should feel like a brand-new machine.
Greater Productivity and Reduced AnxietyThe mental health benefits from taking the time to reorganise your virtual space are a great by-product. It will lift your mood and give you energy, which can improve your productivity cycle.
Though it may have started out as a gimmicky holiday in North America, there are some good reasons to observe National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day.
The benefits of this kind of housekeeping affect how you approach your work, as well as how fast your computer might run.
Also, you don’t have to wait until next year to keep your computer clutter-free and up-to-date.
Does your organisation promote National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day for its employees? Let us know in the comments.
The post National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day: A Chance to Organise appeared first on Richard Tubb.
October 10, 2022
Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022
Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSPEach week Richard throws a spotlight on five resources Managed Service Provider (MSPs) business owners should take note of in the IT industry. The Tubbservatory is a weekly video broadcast featuring useful articles, podcasts and events that bring value to IT business owners.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022 is a collection of all of the Tubbservatory broadcasts made in the month of September. It’s edited together for you to watch at your convenience. The items are summarised below, with links to the resources mentioned in the video.
This month’s topics include: Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing. GDPR, Productivity and MSP Podcasts.
#1 Lloyd’s to End Insurance Coverage for State Cyber Attacks
Lloyd’s of London has indicated that it will instruct its insurance groups to exclude “catastrophic” nation state cyber attacks from cyber insurance policies from 31st March 2023.
Underwriting director Tony Chaudry said Lloyd’s remained strongly supportive of cyber insurance, but said state-backed attacks have the potential to greatly exceed what the insurance market is able to absorb.
It follows a trend where affordable coverage is becoming harder to acquire for smaller businesses, and so it’s worth watching out for.
#2 Zomentum: Inside the SMB SaaS Technology Buying ProcessIn April 2022, Revenue Platform providers Zomentum commissioned an independent study to look into SaaS buying for small to medium-sized businesses.
The aim was to find out how SMBs view technology, what they look for from their technology providers and how it drives the growth of their business.
The report also explains why partners are critical to the buying process for SMBs, and how to influence decision makers. Therefore, it’s definitely an interesting read for any MSP who provides Software-as-a-Service.
#3 SuperOps: What are Some of the Biggest Time Drains for MSPs?As we all know, the world of MSPs has evolved from an open table of opportunity to a highly competitive field, and one in which time is a precious commodity in short supply.
This article from SuperOps highlights four areas which can easily consume our precious time, if we let them get out of hand.
The areas highlighted include:
Project ManagementIT DocumentationAsset ManagementTeam Training#4 Managed Services Summit London 2022Celebrating its 12th year, the Managed Services Summit UK was held again in London on 14th September 2022.
The event centred around the changing role of the MSP in today’s market, and featured a number of presentations, panels and networking opportunities. As well as the split sessions aimed at business leadership, or technology leadership, held throughout the day.
#5 The Most Popular Tech on the Year You Were BornWhat was the big mover and shaker from the tech world in the year you were born?
This fascinating list, compiled by Adrian Willings of Pocket-Lint, includes an impressive collection of iconic and game-changing pieces of technology from 1960 right up to 2020.
Items include: The Atari 2600, the Sony Walkman and the yuppie favourite, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X cell phone, amongst many others.
#1 Webinar: Building a Security Stack for SMEs
Navigating the current cybersecurity landscape can be challenging.
So, if you need advice on building a security stack for small & medium sized businesses, then this on-demand video from a recent joint webinar from Atera, Threatlocker and JumpCloud will help you.
In the video, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker, Gil Pekelman, CEO, Atera, and Rajat Bhargava, CEO, JumpCloud, discuss the best-in-class security tactics you need to implement to help stop emerging threats.
They also offer tools and resources that will help you make informed decisions, saving you time, money, and resources in the long run.
#2 The CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization -ISAOWith so many sophisticated cyberthreats out there, it can be tough for technology companies to keep themselves and their clients safe.
The CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, or ISAO, tailors proactive threat intelligence and actionable analysis to meet the needs of technology vendors, managed services providers (MSPs), solution providers, integrators, distributors, business technology consultants and their customers.
This organisation gives members access to a number of industry peers and is a resource well-worth checking out.
#3 7 Useful Productivity Chrome Extensions for MarketersYou can be the best IT company in the world, but if nobody knows about you, what is the point?
To help you market your MSP, Nikita from Snov.io wrote a guest post for Wishpond sharing 7 Useful Productivity Chrome Extensions For Marketers.
These extensions will help with:
Text verificationSEO optimizationMore convincing writing styles#4 Floppy Disks in Japan: Minister Declares War on Old-Fashioned TechnologyDespite its reputation for innovative, high-tech gadgetry, Japan still has some paradoxical habits when it comes to storage and communication.
BBC Tech reports that a Japanese minister has declared war on the old-fashioned floppy disk, which is still shockingly being used in over 1,900 government processes in Japan!
This is the minister who, in 2018, confessed to having never used a computer.
Have you got any clients still using floppy disks? We would love to hear about it in the comments!
#5 DattoCon 2022 and the Managed Services Summit 2022MSP conference season began this September and it kicked off with two big events on either side of the pond.
Sept 11th-13th saw DattoCon 2022 from Washington, DC – where Team Tubb’s very own Claire Jenks was in attendance.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Richard Tubb attended the Managed Services Summit in London on September 14th.
#1 LastPass Issue Notice of Security Incident Affecting Their Development Environment
Password management organisation LastPass issued a security notice this month. An unauthorised party gained access to portions of the LastPass development environment through a single compromised developer account.
They took portions of source code and some LastPass technical information, but no user systems were affected.
LastPass are to be commended for being so transparent about this incident, and this should not put anyone off using password managers as part of their security protocols.
#2 Pax8: The View from a Security Expert – VideoWhen was the last time you reviewed your MSPs cybersecurity policy?
In this video, Cybersecurity Expert and former MSP owner Mostyn Thomas joins Phylip Morgan from Pax8 to share the biggest threats to MSPs and the practical steps you can take to ensure your organisation remains protected against those looking to profit from your hard work.
Mostyn Thomas is a highly respected expert in this field, and so I’d strongly encourage every MSP to watch this video.
#3 The Pax8 Cybersecurity Masterclass Takes Place in November 2022Pax8 announced their next Cybersecurity Masterclass for UK partners on 24th November in Bristol.
The Cybersecurity Masterclass is a practical and collaborative one-day event that helps you and your clients navigate the complexities of cybersecurity.
Amongst other benefits, attendees will learn what is needed to achieve Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus – two very important milestones for MSPs.
#4 Spear Phishing: Top Threats and TrendsCybercriminals are constantly refining their tactics and making their attacks more difficult to detect.
So this free eBook from Barracuda on spear phishing: ‘Top Threats and Trends’ is an essential resource for MSPs.
In the eBook, Barracuda shares the latest methods attackers are using to trick their victims, and the best practices to protect your business from these ever-evolving threats.
#5 Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover – September 2022During the month of September, our very own Richard Tubb was one of a number of MSP podcasters taking part in the Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover event.
As part of the event, each contributor shared their best piece of business advice.
Along with Richard Tubb’s podcast, there were podcast episodes from:
Adam Walter (Humanize IT)Ian Luckett (The IT Experts)Kevin Clune (MSP Growth Hacks)Paul Green (MSP Marketing Edge)Praveen Ramesh (SuperOps.ai)Todd Kane (Evolved Management Consulting)All of this culminated in a special broadcast, which went out at on 30th September.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 4#1 Paul Green’s MSP Marketing Podcast Ep129 – A Clever SEO Idea for MSPs
In a recent podcast by MSP Marketing expert Paul Green, he mentions a clever Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) idea for MSPs.
The idea, which involves local news site and back links, should help you to rank better for local searches in Google.
Make sure to download the episode in your favourite podcast player to listen!
#2 Alternative Cloud Providers Can Help MSPs Grow Their Business Faster Than Hyperscalers
Richard Tubb was recently interviewed by Swapnil Bhartiya for the TFIR video show to talk about how the Alternative Cloud Provider Can Help MSPs Grow Their Business.
Alternative cloud providers like Linode can help you to reduce the cost of support, so you can increase your profits.
Furthermore, alternative cloud providers are more relatable to MSPs, and it’s much easier to scale up with alternative cloud partner in tow.
#3 What Will the Data Reform Bill Mean for UK Businesses Operating in the EU?That’s the question Peter Galdies, founder and senior consultant at DQM GRC, asks in this article for Computer Weekly.
At the heart of the reform, the proposals seek to lessen the administrative burden on small businesses while maintaining rights of the individual.
Despite the good intentions, the reality is that there will be a lot of work required to achieve the necessary compliance.
GDPR has not gone away with Brexit, and UK MSPs should read this article to be aware of the upcoming challenges for their clients.
#4 Microsoft 365 Masterclass with Jason Kemsley of Uptime Solutions and Scott Riley of Cloud NexusDo you need help with your 365 work? Want to get to the right answer quicker? Would you like access to PowerShell scripts and how to guides that will speed up your 365 support and projects?
If so, this short video will help. Jason Kemsley at Uptime Solutions talks to their partner, Scott Riley at Cloud Nexus, about their new M365 Masterclass.
If you use M365 in your MSP business, the M365 Masterclass is well worth being aware of.
#5 The Women in Tech Festival – London, 3rd November 2022The Women in Tech Festival 2022 takes place in London on 3rd November.
Diversity, Innovation and Empowerment are the themes for this event organised by Computing and CRN.
Some of the amazing ladies in tech who are presenting include:
MSP Branding Expert Claire JenksSamantha Kempe of IMMO Investment TechnologiesJane Deal, the IT Director of the Law SocietyTubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 5#1 The 5 Kinds of People a Founder Should Have Around Them
SuperOps CEO Arvind Parthiban has started his own blog, entitled “Stories by Arvind”, and it’s packed full of wisdom and insights from this serial entrepreneur.
“The 5 Kinds of People a Founder Should Have Around Them”, is a great example. It highlights the importance of how having the right people around you can make the difference between success and failure.
Here, he isn’t talking about the hard skill subject matter experts but the strategic thinkers and energetic go-getters that can help you to leave your entrepreneurial mark on the landscape.
#2 Keepabl – Privacy and Environmental, Social and Corporate GovernanceEnvironmental, Social and Corporate Governance (or ESG) is fast becoming a key focus for businesses looking to make a difference to people and the planet.
Privacy is a fundamental area of ESG. This article from Robert Baugh of Keepabl, a GDPR platform for MSPs, gives a step-by-step guide to rivacy and ESG.
For those MSPs that want to be seen to be more than just an IT provider, this knowledge will set you apart from the competition.
#3 The ComputerWeekly Downtime Upload PodcastAn interesting podcast that caught our attention this week was the ComputerWeekly Downtime Upload Podcast.
Hosts Clare McDonald, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly talk about a variety of interesting topics for IT businesses.
The episode on the “Metaverse and Women in Software” is a good place to start.
#4 Acronis – Advanced File Sync and ShareDo you have clients with regulatory requirements or high-levels of security precautions? If so, then you may want to consider Acronis Advanced File Sync and Share for secure collaboration and productivity.
There’s support for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, Windows PCs, Macs, and all popular web browsers. Advanced File Sync and Share features encryption, embedded e-Signing and even notarization and signature certificates.
Also, Acronis are currently offering a promotional rebate for MSPs when you switch to Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.
#5 Standardization Sells: How Consistency Shortens Your Sales CycleAn upcoming webinar, “Standardization Sells: How Consistency Shortens Your Sales Cycle” is to take place on Wed 5th October.
The event features Zomentum’s Ben Spector speaking with Yusuf Yeganeh, the Managing Director of Microbyte Solutions. The two will discuss the secrets of selling standardized services, and how this can save you both time and money.
Registration is now open.
That’s all from the Round-Up for September 2022!
There was so much going on this month, did we miss anything?
Have you discovered a useful tool or resource that Richard might be interested in? Please let us know in the comments.
The post Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022 appeared first on Richard Tubb.
September 27, 2022
Advantages of Simple Cloud, Security & Being an MSP Champion
When it comes to cloud computing solutions, there are many more options out there than the ‘Big Three’.
The Big Three, (AWS, Google and Microsoft), are what the industry refer to as the ‘hyperscalers’, and while they are bigger, they aren’t always better for the SMB-minded Managed Service Provider.
Smaller providers are able to add a personal touch to their services, and that might be exactly what you need from a cloud provider.
Stephen McCormick, MSP Community Manager, speaks to James Steel, Senior Partner Community Advocate of Linode.
In this interview, some of the things discussed include Linode’s new partnership with Akamai and the challenges facing MSPs today. Plus, takeaways from a panel session James chaired at the CompTIA Community meeting in Bristol, and some of the things Linode are doing to engage their partners.
James Steel is a Senior Partner Community Advocate for Linode, which is now part of Akamai Cloud Computing.
James is an experienced member of the channel. Formerly the Managing Director of a software distributor, James took up the role of Senior Partner Community Advocate with Linode in April 2022. Now James works closely with the Managed Services community to help improve the experience that Linode and Akamai bring to their partners.
He achieves this through attending channel events where he can listen to the concerns of MSPs and the community in general. And he works to improve the partner experience and develop marketing strategies that appeal more to partners.
Linode’s position is that the cloud market has always been to offer an alternative solution to the ‘Big Three’ cloud providers. There are a number of ways they make this choice more desirable to potential partners.
Firstly, they are able to provide a cloud solution that rivals a competitor like AWS at a much lower cost – nearly 30%. And secondly, they focus on quality support from professionally qualified engineers.
Akamai’s acquisition of Linode earlier in the year offers much more in terms of edge computing solutions. Although the first step on the roadmap is to roll out a lot more sites.
Security and the Cloud – How Does Linode Ensure Customer Data Remains Secure?It’s not just about the DDoS protection and API security, although that is still an integral part of the security stack. There is a lot to be said about user behavioural security as well. Linode has been working with external partners, such as Hackersploit, to provide training and security-targeted content for partners to read up on. This is to maintain a belt and braces approach to security.
Events are Opportunities to Connect and LearnJames has been very busy since he started his role. Not only does he network with partners and channel experts, but he also does interviews with them as well. You can catch some of the interviews he did at CompTIA’s ChannelCon in Chicago in August 2022.
However, in June 2022, at the CompTIA Community Meeting held in Bristol, James led a panel of Managed Service Providers on the subjects of Cybersecurity, Recruitment and Growth. There were some great pieces of advice given by the panel there for MSPs in similar predicaments.
He’s also been to Valencia in Spain for Kubecon, an event all about Kubernetes, as well as the ChannelFutures MSP Summit in Orlando.
You can find links to videos James recorded at some of these events below.
The Monthly Partner Round-ups and Educational ContentAnother way James and Linode help their partners and MSPs is through their monthly Partner Round-up videos. This is a great way to share news, events and industry updates with the community.
One of the recent Round-ups reported that they have partnered with KodeCloud to provide accreditations for deploying and maintaining Kubernetes clusters.
This is just one of many initiatives Linode provide to help users get the most out of their cloud infrastructure. In fact, there are many e-books, educational series and guides, and many are produced in-house, many are also in collaboration with other agencies. One of these collaborations was with Richard Tubb himself: The MSPs Guide to Modern Cloud Infrastructure.
What’s Next for James and Linode?The short answer is: more of the same. He wants to continue to build on the momentum he’s already begun, by attending more MSP events, producing more content and getting Linode’s message across.
Everyone at Linode is excited about the future of the Linode/Akamai partnership and how that will evolve services and infrastructure.
You can find out more about Linode and what they have to offer here.
Get in touch with James via his LinkedIn Profile.
If you enjoyed this interview and want to see more, please subscribe to the Tubblog channel on YouTube here.
Transcript – MSP Q&A The Future of Linode’s Cloud, Security and Being an MSP Champion – James Steel
MSSP Alert: N-Able Study finds that 90% of MSPs have suffered a successful cyberattack in the last 18 Months
Linode Blog: Cybersecurity, Recruitment, and Growth: Advice from 3 Managed Service Providers
YouTube: Linode Partner Roundup August | Cybercriminals Attack MSPs, ChannelCon, Free K8s Cert and More…
CompTIA: Explore CompTIA Communities
Hackersploit: Pentesting and Red Team Training
Do you think more engagement and personalised services are a good thing for the MSP community? Do you think an alternative cloud provider is a better fit for the niche SMB market your MSP serves? We would love to hear your comments!
The post Advantages of Simple Cloud, Security & Being an MSP Champion appeared first on Richard Tubb.
September 22, 2022
The Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover
If you’ve seen any of my social posts recently, you’ll have noticed me talking about the Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover.
But what is this crossover all about?
Well, a group of podcasters in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) and tech space are sharing and promoting each other’s shows, to help you find great new content that is of value to your business.
Plus, each attendee is sharing their top piece of business advice, their favourite episodes and their latest interviews!
Oh, and we’re also getting together for a light-hearted (not competitive at all!) quiz for the event finale. Two teams will go head to head to find out who’s the most knowledgeable about the world of IT! 
You can find the posts across all social media platforms via the hashtag #MSPpodcastCrossover.
Plus, if you’re a LinkedIn user, we’ve got a great competition for you!
We’re asking people to share one (or more) LinkedIn update which mentions the hashtag #MSPPodcastCrossver with their followers to be in with a chance of winning $1,000!
The winner of the competition will be chosen at random on 30 September, so get sharing now!
Who’s Taking Part in the Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover?I’m thrilled to be joining some of the best MSP/tech podcasters from around the world for this event.
Each hosts a popular show where they share their own unique knowledge and insights with their audiences.
I’m an avid listener of all of these shows (and I’ve been a guest on one or two!) so I know you’ll get a lot from them too.
Paul Green: Paul is the founder of MSP Marketing Edge, which helps managed services providers market themselves better. Paul’s Podcast show is The MSP Marketing Podcast.Todd Kane: Todd helps companies to create world-class IT Operations teams over at Evolved Management. Todd is the host of the Evolved Radio Podcast Podcast.Ian Luckett: Ian is the host of the IT Experts Podcast podcast, and the founder of a business with the same name. IT Experts helps MSPs to build a profitable business.Adam Walter: Adam hosts the Humanize IT Podcast. His company, Humanize IT, is a communication platform which aims to bring MSPs and clients together.Praveen Ramesh: Praveen is the Product Marketing Manager at Superops.ai. The team at SuperOps host the SuperPod Podcast.Top TubbTalk EpisodesWith so much of a back catalogue of interviews to choose from, we wanted any new listeners to TubbTalk to have a warm introduction!
So, the team and I have chosen three shows are among the most popular interviews in the history of TubbTalk and released excerpts from those interviews as special Crossover Bonusodes!
Our three Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover bonuses are:-
TubbTalk Episode 50: David Allen – Mindfulness and His GTD StyleDavid Allen is the creator of the Getting Things Done (GTD) Methodology. This interview was a significant one for me, because I’m a GTD user myself. I wanted a special guest for this milestone show, and I was delighted when David agreed to take part.
In this snippet, David explains how GTD helps with mindfulness, and how he implements the methodology in his own business and life. You can find the full interview here.
TubbTalk Episode 65: Chris Brogan – Being Kind to YourselfMental health and wellbeing is a cause that’s very close to my heart, and I’m a big advocate for MSP business owners to be more aware of their own mental wellbeing and those of their staff. Chris is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and consultant.
He speaks openly and honestly about his own mental health and what we can all do to support each other. This is my most-downloaded episode to date.
In this snippet, Chris talks about how business owners can be kind to themselves and how to handle a depressive episode. Listen to our entire chat here.
TubbTalk Episode 100: Maggie Philbin – Encouraging Young People into TechEpisode 100 was part of a whole podcast season on women in IT. I wanted a really special guest for another milestone show, so I got in touch with Maggie’s team to see if she’d like to take part. Maggie is an OBE, the former presenter of the wildly popular Tomorrow’s World TV show, which looked at the future of technology and science, and she’s the founder of TeenTech.
Find my full conversation with Maggie here. She also answers questions from my audience!
ConclusionWe hope that The Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover exposes you to some new and exciting sources of content that can help you grow your IT business!
Remember to get involved on LinkedIn using the hashtag #MSPPodcastCrossver to be in with a chance of winning $1000! The competition closes at the end of September 2022.
The post The Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover appeared first on Richard Tubb.
September 7, 2022
Considering the Challenges and Opportunities of Hybrid Working for MSPs
Hybrid working has become a popular way of working since the pandemic, but what is hybrid working for
MSPs?
The pandemic forced the world to change the way it would work for a lot of industries. With robust cloud solutions already in place, and virtual workspaces within our grasp, a vast amount of office-based workers were able to work from home.
Necessity and circumstance forced a change in practice for many companies, which drove a need for more of us to take up remote working.
Since the effects of the pandemic began to decline, some have returned to a normal working pattern again.
However, after having proved that working from home is not only possible, but in many cases, preferred, both employers and employees are looking to capitalise on the benefits of a hybrid working model. And they expect more from their IT providers. They need to be able to deliver technology that meets their remote needs.
The Office of National Statistics on Business and Individual Attitudes for the Future of Homeworking in the UK (April 2021), reported that:
Of working adults currently homeworking, 85% wanted to use a “hybrid” approach of both home and office working in futureWhen asked about homeworking, working adults stated work-life balance was the greatest positive, while challenges of collaboration were the greatest negativeYou can view the report in full here.
When it comes to hybrid working models there is no one-size-fits-all.
According to Opensourcedworkplace.com, the five most common approaches are:
At-Will and Remote-First – Allowing employees to prioritise working remotelyOffice-First – Similar to the above, except more office-centricSplit-Week – Days are assigned as office-based or remote according to a scheduleWeek-By-Week – Assign weeks when certain employees need to be in the officeDesignated Teams Hybrid – Assign which teams work from the office and which at homeThe first two of these are Work Environment models, and they allow employers to choose whether they want their staff to be more present in a central office, or not.
The third and fourth in the list above are Scheduling models, and involving planning who will be in the office, and when. This allows employers to plan a constant presence in the office, and manage the numbers of staff on site.
The final option is an Employee Division model, where remote working may be allowed by their function or department. Certain functions may be more suited to remote working than others.
There are pros and cons with each of these models, and it may be that a different model altogether is preferred for your business or your clients.
As a business, once you have decided on the right hybrid model, you should implement the necessary changes to enable this style of working.
You have a number of considerations to take into account; at the very least, you need to consider:
Cloud solutions and team management software: A secure cloud solution, with the applications, storage and security teams need to do their job effectively, as well as a reliable communications and workload management tool is essential.
Remote workers have the hardware they need: A laptop, a phone and a broadband connection, as well as access to all the areas they need to access. An effective hybrid onboarding programme is vital to removing any barriers a remote worker may have.
Virtual and Onsite Collaborative Workspaces: They must have adequate tools to ensure remote live interactions are as inclusive as face-to-face interactions.
In addition, you’ll need to think about an appropriate cybersecurity protocols to keep your data and assets safe.
For further information on making remote working a success, Charlotte Trueman of ComputerWorld wrote a great article on the subject in the middle of the pandemic, and it’s still a relevant read. You can find the link below.
Other Considerations for EmployersCollaboration solution company Avocor wrote an interesting blog about successful hybrid working environments.
They address a number of points employers should consider. Here are some of the highlights:
The Impact on StaffAside from the technological needs, employers need to consider how to manage the impact on staff.
Hybrid working can be very unsettling for workers who have always had set hours and commute. Flexible working, sometimes means flexible for the team, but not necessarily the individual.
Flexibility, ManagedThe intention is not to put added pressure on staff, but instead understand their needs better. For example, parents who need to do the school run twice a day may benefit from having this time out with the intention of working an extra hour after the kids have gone to bed.
Some people are night owls, and work better without the distractions of the day. While others might like to have an extended lunch break to get in a workout at the gym, and then work through until the evening. These arrangements need to be managed with some flexibility from all; employers and employees.
Inclusion and ConnectionAnother consideration for employers is to combat alienation and other mental health concerns. It’s important to connect with your colleagues and have one-to-ones with your peers and your manager.
[image error]
There are many benefits to a hybrid working model, but here are the most common:
Employees can keep their own schedule – If your virtual office is in the cloud, you can work at any time that suits you.
If you are a unpaid carer or if you have a school run to do, you can work around those demands. If you’re a night owl, you can work through the night and have a lie in in the morning.
Fewer overheads – With fewer people needing to be in the office at any one time, not so much space is required. Office premises can be downsized, meaning less spent on utilities as well.
Sustainability – Work from anywhere means a lower carbon footprint with fewer commutes in the working week.
Reduce exposure to illness – Fewer people in the office means you’re less likely to spread diseases like cold and flu to your colleagues.
Hire anywhere in the world – You’re not confined to hiring people who can commute to your office if you have a virtual office set up.
The Harvard Business Review described the challenges of Hybrid Working as the 5 Cs, which are:
CommunicationThe tools of communication (hardware, apps, telephony, etc.) and the practices of communication (conducting meetings, sharing ideas and discussing timescales for projects). Both of these need to be in place and adequate for the needs of the business.
CoordinationNot being in the same physical space as people you work with has its own limitations. For example, if you’re remote, you miss out on the small conversations and minor decisions that happen every day with your colleagues in the office. The challenge here is to avoid those fault lines where things are missed, which can create a lag in workflow between you and your colleagues.
ConnectionProfessional networks and mentoring relationships are important for advancing the workplace. And it builds the stable growth of a business and the career of an individual. Hybrid working risks a divide between those who are perceived as central to the organisation or team, and those who feel outside of it, and more peripheral.
When people do not feel as valued as they should, they tend to look for employment elsewhere. And if they’re freelance, will put more time into other clients, or indeed, focus on their own business above their client’s business.
CreativityCollective creativity suffers when you don’t share a working environment. Having meetings over Zoom and confining that brainstorming time to short intervals is not the same as having that ability to fluidly exchange in a discussion in the office. Individual creativity is better in the early stages, because you have fewer distractions.
However, you only have capacity for a few ideas before they start to dry up. Having some social interactions and spontaneous conversations with colleagues can generate new ideas, and even a change of environment – a different window to look out of, different lighting in the room, etc – can be a catalyst to creativity.
CultureFostering a working culture where everyone respects the company direction and each other, is a massive challenge for distributed teams. Regular meetings and opportunities to socialise can mitigate this problem.
Clear direction and a strong cultural identity can entice new talent to businesses that rely on their distinctive feel. However, maintaining that culture is difficult when there is a high turnover of staff, and new staff rarely get to meet in person.
While a lot of us are feeling the pinch of increased supplier costs, we are also feeling the bite of recruitment, staff retention and skill shortages.
It’s more important than ever to hold on to our best staff, and make our businesses attractive to new employees. While we enjoy some growth in the MSP sector, we have to have the skills on board to scale our operations.
Alongside competitive pay, benefits and development opportunities, flexible working conditions are an attractive thing to offer potential hires. However, this is not enough to draw all candidates to a hybrid role.
In order to stand out in a crowded market, you have to make potential employees feel valued. Advertise a comprehensive support structure with a healthy company culture for all. This should be underpinned with regular face-to-face meetings and social gatherings to encourage good relations within the team or department.
As well as new hires, we need to retain the good staff we already have, and help them feel valued. This can be difficult to achieve in remote teams, so regular meetings, promoting opportunities to gain new skills and celebrating wins has become more important than ever.
If we look at the chart below, we can see the top three search factors pre-lockdown and after lockdown. It shows that the ability to work remotely and work flexible hours were high priorities, after salary considerations:
There are some great opportunities for Managed Service Providers as SMBs move toward hybrid working. Here are just a few:
Cybersecurity – When working from anywhere, a business wants its data and assets protected, and training for staff is also an option.
Remote Collaboration Tools – From connectivity to productivity. Shared workspaces, communication tools and calendars are essential. Dashboards and team-work software a bonus.
Cloud Services – Software-as-a-service, Kubernetes containers, and many, many more options.
Managed Networking and 24/7 Support – A fully-monitored network, using RMM tools, backed by a round-the-clock remote service desk.
Your Expert Advice – The value you bring as an experienced MSP in bringing these solutions together. This expertise is worth so much to SMBs realising their digital transformation goals.
Hybrid working is not going away any time soon. Employers and workers need to adapt to a changing work climate where hires can come from all over the world. Remote workers are often people who want a better work/life balance.
Many IT businesses are already prepared for working remotely, whether that’s using cloud technology or remote network monitoring. While other businesses are using mobile apps to carry out their basic functions, like scheduling, work-sharing and, of course, communication.
The benefits of hybrid working far outweigh the challenges. In the last two years our offices have had to remain closed or held fewer numbers through the pandemic. We’ve had to put our trust in the people that work for us to keep our businesses running, while they continued to work from home.
We have the tools to make managing our lives around our work much easier, but with this great power comes the great responsibility. In this case, the responsibility of looking after our company culture and our staff, which will add greater longevity to our business.
For MSPs, growth has come from a need for many SMBs to accelerate their digital transformation plans. To make working remotely and collaboratively easier, while also remaining secure across the wider network.
[image error]
Do you have any insights on a hybrid working model that has worked for you? Or have you helped transform a client’s business to incorporate more remote systems? We would love to hear about it in the comments.
The post Considering the Challenges and Opportunities of Hybrid Working for MSPs appeared first on Richard Tubb.
August 31, 2022
Tubbservatory Round-Up #8 – August 2022
Each week Richard throws a spotlight on five resources Managed Service Provider (MSPs) business owners should take note of in the IT industry. The Tubbservatory is a weekly video broadcast featuring useful articles, podcasts and events that bring value to IT business owners.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #8 – August 2022 is a collection of all of the Tubbservatory broadcasts made in the month of August. It’s edited together for you to watch at your convenience. The items are summarised below, with links to the resources mentioned in the video.
This month’s topics include: Cybersecurity, business partnerships, sector investment and getting referrals.
In this fascinating article for Computerworld Charlotte Trueman reports that BT has announced that it’s expanding its digital workforce by an additional 2,800 employees over the next two years, increasing their headcount to a total of 6,400 between the UK and India.
Part of these new hires will come from a diverse range of entry-level talent. By partnering with organisations such as Code First: Girls and 10,000 Black Interns, they will focus on apprentices, graduates, women returners and those looking to change careers.
The roles will span the areas of:
Product managementSoftware and cloud engineeringDigital designAI and machine learningAgile delivery#2 Breaking the Glass Ceiling – What it’s Like for a Woman in TechNow we all want to strive for an industry that celebrates and promotes diversity.
In this interview for SuperOps’ Superpod series, Tracy Pound, Chair of the Board of Directors for CompTIA and MD of Maximity talks about why the MSP and IT industries need more women founders and employees.
She also shares her thoughts on starting and scaling an MSP business, the opportunities in cybersecurity and the power of networking.
#3 Why a Zero Trust Approach Isn’t ‘Too Paranoid’Is a Zero-Trust approach to cybersecurity ‘Too Paranoid’?
Howard M. Cohen from ModernMSP takes this common preconception and defends the case for anticipating the worst from cyber criminals.
Where CIOs once trusted anyone who had access past the ‘perimeter fence’, Zero-Trust robustly challenges transactions inside the firewall too.
This new way of managing security does not discriminate, and offers a lot more piece of mind throughout your business.
#4 Four Timely Trends in Low-Voltage CablingLow-voltage cabling may not be a glamorous topic, but it’s one of the most essential types of work, field engineers have to do.
Field Nation’s Wael Mohammed explores the four trends in today’s low-voltage cabling market.
From the rising cost of cabling materials to the increased need for bandwidth.
This is something you should definitely read if your MSP provides cabling services to your clients.
#5 The Sixth Annual Physical Cyber Convergence Forum Comes to Phoenix, ArizonaThe sixth annual physical cyber convergence forum took place in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday the 18th August.
The event also included a pre-conference data centre workshop, which took place the day before.
Lots of great speakers were at the event. Among them were:
Lester Godsey, CISO of Maricopa CountyJoshua Liberman, President of Net Sciences Inc.
MSPs are great at selling security solutions, but when you’re so busy safeguarding others, you may inadvertently overlook your own defences.
For example in 2021, 28% of MSPs were damaged by a supply chain attack, and cyberattacks against MSPs increased by 67%
Partners such as Pax8 can simplify the process of purchasing security solutions.
Cybersecurity expert Mostyn Thomas shares his view in the video.
#2 10 Things You May Have Missed at CompTIA’s Channelcon 2022After a three-year absence, CompTIA’s ChannelCon conference was once again a live event – A much-anticipated return to in-person meetings, sessions and networking time.
More than 1,000 CompTIA members attended over 30 sessions and visited more than 150 booths in the Technology Vendor Fair in downtown Chicago.
This event also celebrated CompTIA’s presence across the globe with communities around the world with Benelux, UK&I & Australia/New Zealand all taking part in the celebrations and hosting meetings.
If you couldn’t attend this year, or even if you did, this article gives us 10 highlights from the event.
#3 Gozynta – An Data Integration Tool That Works for YouHere is a new tool we’ve come across this week!
Gozynta connects your systems together to make sure you enter your data once, and it “goes into” all the systems that it should.
Unnecessary data entry often leads to mistakes, which leads to issues in customer service and finance – so if you’re using a tool such as ConnectWise Manage or QuickBooks Online, then this is a tool that should pay for itself in no time at all.
Gozynta.. Goes.. into.. Get it?
#4 Cybersecurity, Recruitment, and Growth: Advice from 3 Managed Service ProvidersHow are other Managed Service Providers tackling Cybersecurity, Recruitment, and Growth?
James Steel, MSP Community Champion from Linode recently interviewed three well-established MSPs talking about the challenges they face around these at the most recent CompTIA Community meeting.
Missed the event? Don’t worry, James has complied all the top tips for you to read, including:
If you want to see how others are facing up to similar challenges, you should definitely check out James’ report.
Also, check out our take on the panel James hosted, here.
Are you a motorsport fan? Then this one is for you!
Daniel Welling from Welling MSP is hosting an event where MSPs and motorsports collide! Happening on Fri, 7 October 2022 this is a unique opportunity exclusively for MSPs and partner-approved guests to learn, network and have some fun at the same time!
The day will consist of educational partner sessions, garage & car tours, an interview and Q&A with driver Tom Ingram, networking opportunities and more.
Plus there’s a chance to WIN one of 6 x Pairs of Saturday Qualifying EXCELR8 team VIP hospitality Passes.
[image error]
What is a chain-free backup? And is it something you need to manage your IT environments?
That’s the question Doron Ben Cohen of Atera asks, as he goes on to explain the benefits of a chain-free backup solution.
Where full backups are the most secure in a chain-based system, they can be expensive due to the amount of space they need.
Using the chain-free method, the data is stored in virtualized blocks, meaning a lot less storage space is required and the blocks are much easier to isolate if any corruption occurs.
#2 Karl Palachuk’s Five Hot Tips to Get Great ReferralsOne of the best ways to market yourself to other people is through a ringing endorsement from someone you’ve provided excellent service to previously.
In his latest video, MSP legend, Karl Palachuk, explains that ‘just asking for referrals’ is not the way to go, and instead presents five tips on how to get a review that accurately presents what you do and how you deliver it.
Because you don’t want people to hire you for the wrong reasons.
#3 From Promise to Profit: How MSPs Can Make Money in AI and IoTWith Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things amongst the biggest opportunities in IT today, CompTIA’s Khali Henderson and Greg Plum present this great YouTube series: From Promise to Profit.
Here they explore popular use cases for both technologies, with guest experts’ guidance in how to implement them into an MSP business model.
These videos are well worth a look if smart solutions like these are a niche you’re looking to break into for your MSP.
#4 Don’t Turn Your Vacation into a Vacation from Cybersecurity
With summer in full swing, we need to be mindful that while we’re taking a break from it all, we shouldn’t be letting our guard down for cyber criminals.
In this article for Barracuda MSP‘s SmarterMSP, Kevin Williams highlights some important do’s and don’ts including;
Avoiding airport wi-fi hotspotsUsing privacy screens in public areas, and Setting up temporary travel accounts#5 Ex-Youth Footballers Kick-Start Cyber CareersWith as few as 0.5% of aspiring young footballers ever making it as professional players, one sports consultancy spotted an opportunity to help train and develop those that don’t make the cut, for a career in cybersecurity, which they called Cyber Stars.
Phoenix, Sport and Media Group enlisted a number of firms to help, including Hack The Box, Surecloud and BluescreenIT.
To help deliver a scheme that goes beyond cyber certification, and helps them take their first steps into the world of cybersecurity.
The inaugural class graduated last month in a ceremony hosted by Liverpool Football Club.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #8: August – Week 4#1 CompTIA Partner Experience Trends 2022CompTIA’s latest research study on partner experience trends for 2022 was shared at their latest communities around the world event this month.
We heard that in the last two years, half of channel firms have dropped a vendor due to poor partner experience (PX) practices. But what are the priorities for MSPs of a partner relationship?
Training was a big key takeaway from the study with partners ranking training high on the list of items they value in vendor relationships. Not only are partners looking to vendors and distributors for help with technical training but also the fundamentals of business operations, financials, sales, and marketing.
Read the full research report to see how other areas of partner experience rank.
#2 Uptime Solutions Partnership Cheat SheetTalking of partners and partner relationships, Uptime Solutions explain “a trusted partner would be one that attaches mutual respect, accountability, and success to a relationship”.
They have put together this cheat sheet to help you work out whether your partnerships truly are, partnerships.
Are they helping to steady the ship? Are the communication lines open, What does onboarding process look like?
#3 Growing MFA Use Spurs ‘Pass-The-Cookie’ AttacksThe exploitation of stolen session cookies by cyber criminals is once again back on the agenda, thanks to the growing popularity of multifactor authentication tools, reports Alex Scroxton, Security Editor at Computer Weekly.
The approach of using stolen session cookies to bypass multifactor authentication (MFA) protections and gain access to key systems has increased massively in recent months, according to intelligence published by Sophos with criminals using a more highly targeted and precise approach to cookie stealing than seen previously.
#4 3 Clear Steps to Enhance Your MSP Cybersecurity Offerings in 2022With new threats everyday, as a technology partner, you’re under increasing pressure to enhance your cybersecurity services.
You need to stay ahead of the curve and protect your clients from ever-increasing cyber threats.
Zomentum have put together 3 steps to follow to quickly improve and effectively enhance your cybersecurity offerings, putting you in a better position to meet your clients’ needs in the coming year.
#5 Millionarie Mastermind Event Comes to Omaha on September 29th and 30thOn September 29 & 30, CEO of Kernan Consulting, James Kernan is hosting an action-packed Millionaire Mastermind Event. This event will be happening LIVE in Omaha but there are limited seats available virtually!
This business conference is two days of content delivered by industry experts. With content on Leadership and Success, Sales and Marketing, Financial, Solution Selling, Industry Best Practices and Trends, and much more!
This is a great chance to work ON your business and not IN it!
So, that’s all from the Tubbservatory Round-Up #8 – August 2022!
There is often so much to catch up on, we don’t always see the important things. Have you recently discovered a useful tool or resource that Richard might be interested in?
If you have, then please let us know in the comments.
The post Tubbservatory Round-Up #8 – August 2022 appeared first on Richard Tubb.
August 15, 2022
Leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Improve Your MSP Growth Prospects
LinkedIn can be a complex environment to navigate, and therefore it’s difficult to know if you’re using it to its full potential.
Aside from the basic version, there are some useful tools that are available in LinkedIn Sales Navigator, LinkedIn’s advanced offering.
In this recent webinar, Industry experts Shannon Murphy and Derek Marin help guide us in using Sales Navigator more effectively to the get the most out of how LinkedIn connects people together. And, how we can use these connections to make a prospect list that we can market our products to.
Some Terminology DefinitionsIn this article there are some terms that we need to clarify before we dive deeply into Sales Navigator:
Clients – these are people who know you in the real worldAccounts – the companies listed on LinkedInClient leads – people connected to your clients that you may want to connect withProspects – these are the filtered leads that meet the criteria you’re looking for
Hosted by Zomentum, This webinar is led by:
Shannon Murphy, Chief Marketer for ZomentumDerek Marin, Founder of Simple SellingAnd is split into two parts:
Part 1: Connecting With ClientsPart 2: Building a Prospect ListWatch the Replay of the Webinar Below
How Sales Navigator Differs from LinkedIn BasicThe main difference between LinkedIn basic and Sales Navigator is that the access to the LinkedIn network is unlimited, and there are a number of features that are configurable to help you to tag, filter and set alerts.
The purpose of this webinar is to show you some of these advanced features native to Sales Navigator and help you to use them in ways that will benefit you much more than the basic functions available to you in the basic version of LinkedIn.
See the feature comparison below for more details.
Part 1: Connecting With Clients
Using Sales Navigator to grow your leads and prospects begins with finding suitable clients to connect to. You might already be connected to some of your clients already, in which case you can skip to Part 2.
Creating Client ListsThe first thing to do before you set yourself up in Sales Navigator is to compile a spreadsheet with your clients’ basic information. This will help you to set up the lists in Sales Navigator.
You need to build two lists in Sales Navigator:
A Client list, which is a list of individuals on LinkedIn you’re already connected toA Client Accounts list, which is a list of the companies your clients work forThen, you’ll have to do some work on populating those lists:
Visit their websites to get their LinkedIn company page detailsView in Navigator and save the clients to their respective client listsUse Lead Alerts to make networking depositsNetworking Deposits to Build Up Good KarmaWith Sales Navigator now showing you when one of your clients post on LinkedIn, you can see what they post and like or comment on. This helps them to gain a wider number of impressions and achieve their networking goals. By engaging with their post in a positive way, you’re letting your lead know that you are supporting them when they receive a notification that you’ve liked or shared it.
This is a slow process, and it’s about providing value to your leads and their audience.
Send a Connect RequestWhen you’re ready to connect, the lead that you’re pursuing will be much more likely to engage with you, because you’ve engaged with their posts in a positive way.
When they accept your connection invitation, you’ll be able to send them unlimited messages and you’ll be able to see what connections they have that may become leads for you. In other words, you are able to widen your network now that they’re a connection.
Now you have some connections that you’ve built up, it’s time to build a prospect list.
This is another Leads List that you build up in Sales Navigator, and this may be one of a number of prospect lists based on different criteria.
Using Advanced Lead FiltersLead filters are a great way to split your leads into different areas of interest. If you are based in only one or a couple of specific geographical locations, then you’re more than likely going to want to filter leads by geography. Or if you focus your service to a specific niche, then you can filter by that as well.
Connections is another useful filter. If you filter by the second degree, you’ll filter out the connections you already have at the first degree, and any third degree connections that may not be relevant.
Isolating Mutual ConnectionsNow that you’ve isolated the marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) you want to connect with, you can see some key information on how they’ve interacted on LinkedIn.
Sales Navigator shows you:
Who in your list have changed jobs within the last 90 daysWho posted on LinkedIn in the past 30 daysWho have shared experiences with youPeople who have changed jobs within the last 90 days are more likely to want to interact and make an impact in their new role.
When you select a Lead in your list, it will show a summary of their profile information. Shared connections will show up here too, and it’s with these shared connections that you find an opportunity.
Emailing a Client to Ask for An IntroductionIf you can, you should email your connection and ask for an introduction. You should ask for an introduction via email, and not directly through LinkedIn. Ask if they know of anyone who might be interested in some content you’ve produced or a workshop you’re carrying out. Offer to provide them with an email template to send if it helps, and explain that it’s okay if they do not wish to do it.
Remember that they’re likely to be busy business owners themselves, so taking the effort out of it for them will be much appreciated. However, they might also be likely to help make a referral for you, if you’ might return the favour it future.
Do remember to personalise your introduction request email. Shannon Murphy said: “If you write that copy yourself, it’s going to make sure that you’re not just leaving it to somebody else to represent you and your business and maybe misrepresent you.”
Whether an introduction is made or not, you should still approach your prospect at this stage.
[image error]
The advantages of LinkedIn Sales Navigator are that you can build lists of accounts and clients. Then you can set up alerts for these client leads to see when they interact on LinkedIn. The filters ensure you focus on the most relevant prospects.
Once your build your client lists, Sales Navigator keeps tabs on people very well.
Some of your potential leads will have LinkedIn accounts but rarely use them.
However it’s fair lyeasy to filter these out of your prospect lists, something you have to track manually with LinkedIn basic.
Do you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator? We would love to hear about your experiences with it in the comments.
The post Leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Improve Your MSP Growth Prospects appeared first on Richard Tubb.
