We've all been there – that moment when you look at your service desk queue and feel a wave of dread wash over you. The endless stream of tickets, the constant pressure to do more with less. It can feel like you're drowning in a sea of requests.

But what if I told you there's a better way?...

In today's business landscape, a key factor that distinguishes successful companies from those that merely survive is culture. It’s the foundation of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape the environment in which people work, and it ultimately determines the trajectory of an...

Let's face it, being an IT technician can sometimes feel like you're trapped in a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. The tickets pile up, the phone rings off the hook, and just when you think you're making progress, another urgent issue pops up. It's stressful, it's exhausting, and it can leave...

I’ve spent a lifetime immersed in the service industry, from the trenches of service to the executive suites. And what I’ve learned is this: too many businesses are driving aimlessly.

I started my working life as a paperboy, a humble beginning that instilled in me a deep-rooted...

Many years ago, I wrote an article entitled Take Time In Your Life For Inspiration. In it, I make what is now my personal statement: I believe that everyone is capable of both being inspired and inspiring others. A most valuable trait is the ability to take time in your life to recognize when you...

I usually blog about things that are directly related to running your business, but I do have things related to exercise, relaxation, motivation, and just good old inspiration I'd like to share from time to time. Well, it's that time. :)

I make it a point to eat right and exercise regularly to...

If you're a small business, including sole proprietors, there is a bit of global information that you may not realize is actually very important to your business - it's the US Stock Market. Now, if you're in China, Japan, India or the UK and you only do business inside your own country, you...

The Challenge

I do believe that any business needs a way to benchmark its overall maturity and I do not believe it is necessary for it to be relative to any other business. Of course if the measuring system you select can in fact help gauge your maturity relative to other businesses, especially...

When it comes to the execution on the strategy you've laid out for your business, the old methods are sorely lacking in many ways. Much like the waterfall method of project management brought about the advent of agile project management, it's time for a paradigm shift for business strategy...

Background

By now, most everyone knows that last week (just ahead of the World Wide Partner Conference), Microsoft announced the end of life for their Small Business Server product line. And last year, Microsoft announced the demise of the Small Business Specialist Certification.  In near...

The SMB managed services industry has a tool that is not just creeping into the industry, but more and more it is being demanded by the industry. If you are an MSP, you are likely seeing the buzzwords of ITIL being thrown around in marketing material product spec sheets. What is both interesting...