Brian Sherman Posts

The biggest obstacle those building new businesses or practices face is not their creation and launch. No, the most daunting issue new business owners struggle with is how to manage and perfect their back office operations. Upfront costs and planned expenses are much easier to project on paper than when the doors are open and the organization is in full swing.That’s especially true in a managed services business. Few IT professionals have the financial and general management training or experien ...

In today’s economic environment, IT organizations have to continually reassess the way they do business, making necessary changes to best serve their clients and stay ahead of their rivals. With the rapid advances in technology and delivery systems, the challenges here are escalating more quickly than the opportunities they bring, making staffing service desks and properly training employees a particularly difficult task.Can an IT services company afford to run its operations the same way today ...

On the Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as Cyber Monday, online retailers offer deep discounts to attract customers. The number of online transactions completed today may not top the brick-and-mortar retail sales of Black Friday, but that gap continues to close with each passing year. A growing number of consumers are choosing the Internet over the annual trek to the mall, preferring the comfort of shopping from their own home or office over the hustle and bustle of the mall and other store ...

According to some industry experts, cloud computing is both the biggest threat and largest opportunity facing the IT channel. Though that prediction may be confusing, there is a lot of truth in it, and it should sound an alarm for every single solution provider. The debate on the pros and cons of cloud services has been raging for quite some time, but few dispute that the delivery model is here to stay and everyone in the industry will have to learn to adapt. Each company needs to understand clo ...

Those who can walk the walk typically close more sales than those who can only talk the talk – a point that tends to get lost in the shuffle of a growing business. If an organization can’t deliver on the promises it makes to its customers and prospects, its chances for long-term success are greatly diminished.No ethical entrepreneur opens a business without a desire to provide high-quality products or services to his or her customers. Best intentions and goals rarely change over time, but each o ...

It’s a challenge to build a successful company into a viable long-term entity. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 50 percent of small businesses fail in their first five years, while two-thirds of organizations close their doors before celebrating a ten-year anniversary. The reasons are numerous; from cash flow issues or the departure of a key employee to planned obsolescence and mergers.These challenges are felt by IT services businesses, especially given the complex ...

You don’t need to hold an MBA or be a CPA to run an IT channel organization, though either probably helps. Few solution providers have a formal education in business, human resources or finance, yet many manage dozens – perhaps even hundreds or thousands – of highly skilled employees. Acquiring office skills and insight isn’t easy for many tech-oriented individuals, just as gaining computer and network technology expertise would likely be no simple task for most executives.Not to underestimate a ...

Like it or not, today’s business is driven by the world economy. World markets and international manufacturing have a profound effect on literally everything we buy and sell, and that interconnect is sure to grow in the future, as companies and countries leverage their combined resources. There are as typically more similarities than differences in the organizational and technology issues facing businesses in each region, with the legislation and culture the biggest variables.The IT channel is k ...

Have you been in the market for a new vehicle lately or just checked out the latest cars on display at the dealership? If so, you likely saw vehicles that incorporate some cutting edge communications systems—including General Motors’ OnStar, Ford’s SYNC and Hyundai’s BlueLink. While these packages are tailored to the everyday needs of the average driver, tying in apps and voice control options to improve safety and convenience, they also increase productivity for mobile workers.These computer-dr ...

In a managed services business, change is not only inevitable; it’s a necessity. The true value of an MSP is an almost telepathic view into your clients’ business operations; spotting and addressing potential risks and performance issues before they cause a disruption. Of course, those clairvoyant abilities are fueled by innovation and continual improvement, employing the latest technologies and processes to ensure that each client system is secure and robust.The latest technology news from the ...