I love this post. I agree with and have to quote Arlin, “While we never fail to focus enough on business, we can fail miserably to focus enough on life”. One of the questions on the partner application that I give to coaching prospects is, “when was the last time you took a vacation and did you bring your laptop with you?” It is very important to take time for yourself or your family. Starting a business is easy, but running a business successfully is hard work.

You mentioned peer groups and trade shows. While this is a great place for me to plug my event in March, I am not going there. I wanted to say to the people who are reading this, when you are involved with a peer group or at a trade show, this is your time to learn from others who have been there done that. Ask questions of your vendors. Talk to new vendors. The vendors out there are eager to help you in your business because ultimately, it will help theirs. There are a lot of successful MSPs out there who are willing to help the new guy.

I am with Gerard on this one; I also believe that we will see growth in the channel, but only the strong will survive and grow. I have been speaking to an MSP who has been successful in the past, but going into 2010, they don’t know what is going to happen in their business. They are thinking about closing shop and getting a job. I believe that 2010 will change everything in this channel and a lot in the business that we are in as MSPs.

Those of you, who are reading this post, hang in there. There will be a lot of opportunities for you in 2010. The points that Joe brings up here like getting back to basics, understanding your customer, create jobs are all good points that you really need to take to heart in the coming year.

JP, thanks for posting this and I wish you, your family and everyone in MSP Mentorland a happy, healthy and safe holiday.

All the best in success,

Stuart “Coach Stu” Selbst

I don’t agree with the growth in the Channel observation, the growth will come from those IT providers who shift there focus to understanding their business, networking where it matters and going the extra mile to make a better name for themselves in their own business communities.

Am I beating a dead horse here? Perhaps!

It is great to have a mountain of business cards where the postal code starts with a “T” (Alberta). I agree with Gerard on using the phone, sending thank you notes…turn off the computer and get out from behind the Blackberry and laptop…people do business with people, not computers.

Stuart Crawford
Calgary, AB
http://www.bulletproofIT.ca

For those who missed the life-work conversation check out this chatter.

Gerard@2: Keep us posted as you size up the MSPSN strategy for Q1.
-jp

Bang on! It seems I must have written your post…or at least I had the same thoughts (Rule# 7). I don’t think you can stress the “Understand your customer” point enough. That level of engagement, especially face-to-face, will lead to long-term and mutually beneficial relationships — and most importantly to “TRUST”. In this age of technology, let’s not forget to take the time to engage directly, use the telephone and write personal notes.

To Arlin’s point, I have been fortunate enough to have the time in the past few months to talk with, and focus on those people who are important to me, and the results have been fantastic! Thanks for the reminder Arlin!

I believe 2010 will be a growth year for the channel and in some areas it will be downright explosive. As I work with Amy to take over the helm at MSPSN, our focus will be on working with our partners to gain more insight into their business objectives and ensure all parties are well served.

Please keep up the good work in 2010 and keep us engaged with your thoughtful dialogue. Happy Christmas and all the best in 2010!

Gerard

Great thoughts here. Predictions really don’t mean much – but some sage advice like you have provided is like gold. I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts.

We all need to really get back to the basics of serving customers and remembering that in the SMB space, profitability happens based on relationships and not transactions. It is the value of a customer over time that will keep the banker away from our doorstep. The cloud is coming, but we need to stay focused on the bread and butter of MSP and serving clients well for the short term.

We also need to realize the power of relationships in other areas too. Peers can be a fantastic way to gain ideas that can really help us tweak our businesses. Relationships with vendors can avail us to their programs and marketing and field resources – things we typically don’t even know about if we are not connected. And building relationships with distributors opens a door to many resources that again many partners completely miss.

Your closing comments strike a cord with me. While we never fail to focus enough on business, we can fail miserably to focus enough on life. We need to reset our priorities in 2010 and be sure we don’t miss another year of relationships with those in our patch – our spouse, kids, parents, families – and so many others that we claim to be friends with. While being a FBF is good, it will never replace sitting down over a cup or coffee or sharing a good movie. We need to get back to the basics of life – and talk face to face with those we love. Vacations are a great way to make that happen.

Thanks for you thoughts. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Arlin