Peer Power Blog

As we move into the final month of 2012, I wanted to challenge you with some thoughts around growth. There are a lot of misconceptions around growth in general. For the most part, growth is a good thing, as long as it is planned, controlled and done well. But growth can also lead to collapse and disaster if not done well. That is most true when the supporting structure and team is not prepared for growth. When the fundamentals of an organization, or the people who are to step up and lead it are not prepared – well growth can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. You have to make the right investments in getting the company focused on the right things, and invest in the skillset of the ... Continue reading

I'm sure everyone has heard Jeff Foxworthy's famous line: "you might be a redneck".  He has created a business talking about things that define those who fall into that camp.  As I've listened to speakers on leadership this past year, I've been collecting a series of things that have been shared around what separates those who lead from those who can't, won't or don't.  I hope you enjoy the list, but more importantly, you seriously ask yourself the question "Am I really a leader"?  There are a lot of people who believe they are leaders, but fail one of the two litmus tests: - Is anyone following?  Leaders have followers! - Who have you invested into in order ... Continue reading

Hurricane Sandy is starting to wind down and while there has been much damage, it seems most of the HTG members on the east coast have been spared for the most part.  I sent out personal emails to our affected members, and received responses from over 40 of them yesterday.  The good news is that while there are definitely some challenges with power and water and other inconveniences, overall the companies seem to be on their way to recovery.  The feedback was positive and spirits were generally very good.  A few were closed due to lack of power, or in some cases no phone service or Internet access.  But in general it appears our members were spared to a large degree,... Continue reading

This guest blog provided by Lori Berry from our HTG sponsor Great America Leasing. Managed Services has evolved from being a buzz word to a very real, high growth industry. No one can say for sure when managed services became popular, but it has been around in one form or another for a very long time. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) have mastered selling a payment whether it is per node, per device or per user, but most are forgetting a very large piece of the puzzle, the hardware.   The cloud is also growing rapidly. Some even say that because of the cloud, hardware is going away altogether. I can't help but think about the multiple user devices each of us have and the extensive ... Continue reading

Over the past six months or so, I have performed a dozen SWOT visits to HTG member companies as part of our HLG consulting relationships.  These have been all across the US and outside the borders in Australia. There are a number of common themes that raise their heads. I’ll share some of the key learning’s that you should consider evaluating in your own company. The truth is that most of these areas are not difficult. It just takes focus and effort. Make them a goal to accomplish as you set your quarterly goals. But working on these areas can make a significant difference in your company. The bottleneck is at the top. I’ll start by being blunt and honest. The barrier to growth for m... Continue reading