Brian Sherman Posts

Whether 2013 brought you record-setting success or presented significant challenges to your business, or ended up somewhere in between, it’s time to reflect on past results and kick off the strategy for the next twelve months. Most IT companies have probably already assessed the past year’s outcomes and made some adjustments to their operations and business practices. But just because January 1 has already come and gone, it doesn’t mean every change companies need to make to be ...

IT industry entrepreneurs can understand their clients’ business challenges better than their own and typically work faster to resolve any emergency or major concern – as long as they get paid. Of course, that’s common regardless of the industry or geographic region solution providers operate in. Many business owners follow the philosophy that 100 percent of their attention must be focused on their customers and can fail to set aside time to properly plan for future growth and ...

Of all the solution providers I have had the pleasure of speaking with over many years in the IT channel; relatively few have ever claimed to specialize in one specific vertical market. Even those considered retail VARs often build additional practices focused on hospitality or other complementary industries. After all, diversification is a great hedge for any business, allowing them to shift resources when economic conditions or other challenges affect one particular market harder than other bu ...

Many like to consider Canada and the U.S. as a single entity when it comes to economics and trade, as well as a number of other lifestyle and business considerations. After all, the two countries share similar lineages and inhabit the same continent. Of course, those who have spent time in Canada understand that it has its own strong political and economic identity, not to mention distinct provinces and territories, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities. It’s a beautiful co ...

Over the past few years, hackers and other cyber-miscreants have managed to create a never-ending list of ways to attack both private and commercial networks and computer infrastructure. Their activities not only slow down systems and disrupt critical operations, but often lead to more serious crimes such as identity theft and corporate espionage. By all indications, the threats are multiplying and becoming much more difficult to neutralize or remove. Of course, those unknowns create more opport ...

With many managed services providers admitting that their technology skills are far deeper than their business acumen, the processes required to create those critical organizational development plans may be quite unfamiliar. The talents essential to build and sustain these IT companies can be quite diverse, so MSPs either have to undergo training to acquire those capabilities or hire new employees with those specific proficiencies. Regardless of the method they adopt, those consistent investment ...

Building a successful IT services business isn’t easy. But perhaps it shouldn’t be or everyone would be doing it should it, further commoditizing the market and reducing revenue opportunities. Some of the most skilled technology professionals have seen the organizations they worked so hard to get off the ground fail after just a few months (or, if they’re lucky, a few years). The root cause for those misfortunes is rarely traced back to a lack of IT capabilities, but more often ...

Time and personnel limitations frequently dictate a company’s priorities. That creates a challenge for any solution provider attempting to grow a successful IT services organization. Those shortages not only impede a company’s operations and make it more difficult to focus on their customers’ needs, but they also hinder the strategies and goals outlined in their long-term business plan. With IT channel organizations, that struggle is repeated all too often, which may help expl ...

When virtually everyone claims to sell and support similar services in specific industries, how can businesses set themselves apart from the crowd? Differentiation can be difficult, often requiring significant investments to tailor product offerings and ramp up successful marketing campaigns. That can be a risky venture for any small business, especially where commoditization is already negatively affecting profit margins. While the low price method is one way to differentiate a company’s ...

Just as it is in the rest of society, the IT channel has its own bell curve representing a breadth of personalities and business innovations. At one end are the early adopters; those who jump at every opportunity to experiment with the latest technologies and processes in their businesses, to help their customers, or both. Whether their interest for innovation comes from client necessity or their own curiosity, their cutting edge capabilities become a factor of differentiation that gives them a ...