MSPmentor

In the small business I own, I’ve noticed an ebb and flow through the years — periods when I am really “on it” and other times when I am either coasting or not as engaged as I need to be. I bet that managed service providers or anyone with a small business goes through the same cycles. Maybe if you read this you’ll snap out of a down cycle and get back on your game. So here goes: 6 Things Small Business Owners Do To Undermine Their Own Success.

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Last week I spoke at a conference called Re-Branding You, sponsored by NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and organized beautifully by P&V Enterprises and Events by Ny. The conference was aimed at people who are looking to change careers or positions as the economy shifts. There isn’t necessarily a managed services “hook” below. But there is a central lesson for all of us as we mull our career directions.

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I have a theory about startups (companies forming during this recession) that hasn’t been tested yet, so I’ve been reaching out to my network for input — on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, lots of emails, a few chats over coffee, and now here.

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The Times reports that the growing armies of the unemployed are sick and tired of sending out resumes and are starting their own businesses in droves. One laid-off biologist is making–and taking orders for, thank you very much– $25,000 jelly fish tanks. An entrepreneurship professor at the University of San Francisco coined this phenomenon “forced entrepreneurship.” It’s what you do when you can’t find a job and you have to pay the bills. Plenty of former IT administrators, for instance, could become IT consultants and managed service providers.

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Barry, one of my coaching clients, is a financial advisor in California. He recently told me a story about a certified public accountant (CPA) who fails to connect emotionally with her clients. Stick with me, because the story definitely has implications for managed service providers (MSPs) that are striving to retain customers.

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I recently spoke with a B2B publishing expert. Her predicament is similar to the challenge facing some VARs and solutions providers: She knows her industry cold, as well as the suppliers and the entire value chain. But she asks a good question: so what? Are the skills relevant to the future economy? Let’s be conservative and say no. But her knowledge can be turned into something very valuable. If I were coaching this person, I’d ask her to consider these suggestions:

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Recently, I was updating my contact database and asked my newsletter recipients to answer a question along with giving me their mailing info. The question was, “What is the biggest challenge you faced when making (or thinking about) the transition from being an executive to being an entrepreneur?”

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In 25+ years in corporate management (and those years are blissfully behind me), I witnessed a lot of behavior that was destructive of employee morale, as well as actions that built up morale. Here are some pointers that will help you motivate your people, whether you are in a large or small business.

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If you’re wondering who’s going to do well in this economy, look no further than companies that sell franchises. In a very insightful article on MSNBC.com, Mark Siebert notes that the increase in the unemployment rate of 1.4 percentage points over last year adds 2.2 million people to the jobless pool. And “every 0.1 percent increase in the unemployment rate adds another 150,000 prospective franchise buyers to the marketplace.” Add to those who are being pushed overboard the folks who are going to jump before they are pushed–Siebert calls them the “near layoffs”–and the pool grows larger still.

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I was introduced to B2Bcfo.com’s Keith Simmons (pictured) by my CPA. I don’t often get together for a cup of coffee with a stranger, but because my accountant is someone I really trust, I decided to do it. We had no particular agenda except to see if there might be some common interests, and indeed there were. Keith is a partner in a fascinating business that helps small firms have access to expert chief financial officers on a temporary basis. His focus is Long Island and the New York metro area, but his company has partners nationwide.

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