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

In case you missed it, our friends at ConnectWise are up to doing some more good for the IT community.  ConnectWise brings you FUSE, a free webinar series presented by IT professionals, for IT professionals. The webinars fuse IT experts with key business topics to give you information you need for your IT business to thrive.  These information packed webinars are not limited to ConnectWise partners and HTG members.  Anyone can attend.  Feel free to share with anyone you think may be interested in listening. On June 19th, HTG members including Eric Dosal, Jamison West and Jeff Wood will join me to discuss ten things that have popped up along the path of entrepreneurship.  These are the tried... Continue reading

At our recent HTGALL Q4 meetings in Orlando we announced the return of HTG Online.  This program existed from 2006 – 2008 as an option for smaller VARs and MSPs to participate in an HTG like experience without the cost of quarterly travel.  We understand that for a small company, not only is the blocker to participation the out of pocket dollars, it is also the lost billing opportunities because you are out of the field.  During our previous HTG Online program, Microsoft had underwritten a significant portion of the cost.  When the economy tanked that year, they completely cut off funding and we ended the program after two years. I personally have always had a heart for the small guy.  In f... Continue reading

This is the seventh blog post regarding the 10 Things I Accidentally Learned on the Path to Growth. There is little question that many folks in our industry seem to feel that the vendors are the enemy. Why - I am not exactly sure. But I can tell you without question that an attitude like that is 180 degrees the wrong way. Not only are vendors necessary and important - if you really want to grow - they are one of the most important factors I have seen and experienced.So before you tune me out - listen a bit. Unless you are some super giant company - you do not have everything you need in order to serve your clients. Even Microsoft and HP use vendors - lots of them - to bring together things n... Continue reading