and I was good at it . So , while IT was still in the embryonic stage , I opened up my doors in a radio station I was working with , and they became my first client . I was lucky enough to have friends in the club business who had many talents , and that ’ s when I learned one of my biggest lessons as a business owner : delegate , delegate , delegate .
Any task that someone else can do or that you can automate — get it off your plate . As the owner of a small business , your goal is to have nothing to do . A lot of that I had to learn at the beginning because I was starting to flunk pretty quickly . I was starting to do it all myself , but I learned that I couldn ’ t do that and expect success . If you ’ re out in the ocean and you have a long swim , you want to do that with someone . It ’ s difficult to drown when there ’ s someone else there .
What Would You Say Has Been The Single Secret To Your Success In The Past Year ?
I ’ ve been using Kaseya for years , and Kaseya has purchased all of these really beneficial products that have made our processes easier . There ’ s one vendor . There ’ s one support . It all integrates together , and you can see it in one place . It ’ s a unified platform . It makes it easier to purchase products , sell products , and automate because you ’ re using fewer platforms . When you have a backup program from one company , a password holder from another company , and a scheduler from yet another company , you ’ re opening new platforms all at once , and that ’ s without opening a client ’ s machine ! You want to be able to unify yourself .
In addition , I have found marketing can benefit charity ; it ’ s not just networking on computers . We network people together , and when I ’ m integrating myself in the community , I ’ m networking with those opportunities . Charitable gifting is awesome because it really does help . It feels good , and then those philanthropists support you .
I ’ m just shy of 50 years old , and I boxed for charity this year ! My friend and I raised $ 65,000 . ( If you want to see me train and box , you can even check out my film on YouTube by searching for Sandwire . " Rocky " fans are going to love it .)
What Was The Biggest Challenge You Had To Overcome This Past Year Related To Your Growth Or As A Result Of That Growth ?
Understanding our workflow and actually utilizing our platforms have been key . For example , if you have to deliver a computer or a network , you shouldn ’ t start that planning process at the beginning . Work backward . That way , you can work your way through the entire workflow and what needs to happen to get you to each point .
That took a long , long , long time for me to understand . As things change , you really need to re-onboard yourself . At Sandwire , we had someone go through our different platforms from the beginning , learn our process , and comb through the platforms again . Then they had the perspective of our process with a fresh set of eyes .
Who Would You Say Is The Most Impactful Business Leader Or Thought-Leader , Whose Techniques Or Leadership Style You Try To Emulate Or Are Influenced By ? Why ?
Rob Basso with Associated HCM is a local guy and someone I look up to . Rob has been really successful in business , and it ’ s because he understands how it all fits together . He doesn ’ t just understand sales ; he gets how sales influence workflow and how that influences the company dynamic . Even though he ’ s in administration , he understands that there ’ s a customer service piece that is vital to success .
I ’ ve known Rob for a while , and he ’ s a fixture of our community . When we attend these roundtable events , he freely offers this information , understanding that success breeds success . Because of his expertise , Rob has been featured on MSNBC and in Fortune . He ’ s even written a book called “ The Everyday Entrepreneur .”
I would recommend his advice to anyone . His expertise is valuable , and it ’ s worth learning more about .
What Book Would You Recommend That Other MSPs Trying To Grow Their Business Should Read ?
I read a lot of books , but the most intense realization I ’ ve had came from “ Leadership and Self-Deception : Getting Out of the Box ” by The Arbinger Institute . I never knew I was standing in such a large box . I couldn ’ t even see past the flaps ! I was like Nine Inch Nails — I was down in it !
This book is unlike any business book you ’ ve ever read . It tells a story about a CEO who wants an employee to come to a meeting , and you don ’ t know what it ’ s about . As you read it , you learn about how you ’ re deceiving yourself and the people you work with . It leads you through a maze and teaches you how to get out of the box . Hint : The ladder to get you out of your box is all your people .
By the end of it , I realized that I was not the leader I thought I was , and I had many revelations . I saw that it was easy to see the flaws in people , but you also have to understand that they have good characteristics too . It keeps you from surrounding yourself with people who have the capacity to cause major problems . You take a deep look inside yourself to discover the type of person you are and how to look at yourself as a better person . You need to take a long look in the mirror and make those changes . “ Leadership and Self-Deception ” helps you get there .
In Closing , Are There Any Words Of Wisdom That You Would Give To Other MSPs Looking To Grow Or Build A Successful Exit For Their Business ?
It ’ s interesting because it all comes from the same place . If you want a successful exit , you have to be in order . If you want to be successful , you have to be in order .
Employees and employers have expectations for each other , and those have to be honored . It ’ s also not just about a client ’ s expectation of us ; it ’ s about my expectations of a client . You have to have a clear understanding of each other too .
As an MSP , we interface with every person in our clients ’ organizations , which means our responsibility is to make sure our clients ’ employees are productive all day . We know more about their employees in some cases than they do ! So , when I pitch myself to a potential client , I make sure they understand that I don ’ t take this lightly . We ’ re the psychologists and the technologists of their company . We sit on the management team of every clients ’ company , and you need to set that expectation from the start . n
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