Nothing Happens by Itself
Copyright © 2020 Karl W. Palachuk
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The calendar begins to take shape ... |
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Just in case you missed the blog post . . . ASCII sent me a press release last week with their plans for events in 2021. As I begin to start talking about my own Roadshow, I know we're all aware that plans need to be flexible as the status of the pandemic changes.
But it's really nice to have some things on the calendar!
If you know of any in-person events during 2021, please send me the information or a link.
Thank you.
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A Busy Busy Busy Week!
Okay. Last week was your slow intro to 2021. Now it's time to get to work! Here's what we have lined up for the week:
- Tuesday (tomorrow) - 9AM Pacific - Lori Hardtke's poplar class Powerhouse of One: Be a Super Successful Sole Proprietor kicks off at Great Little Seminar. Longer description below. More info here.
- Tuesday - 11AM Pacific - Webinar with Rayanne Buchianico and Rich Freeman (from ChannelPro) on PPP 2021 Update. Find out what you need to know about "Round Two" as well as dealing with taxes from round one for 2020 and 2021. More Info here.
- Wednesday at 9AM Pacific is my 12th annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT. I give my update on 2020 (and my predictions) as well as a look ahead to what we can expect in 2021. Register Here.
- Thursday - 11AM Pacific - Webinar with Acronis: Stop Buying Tools that Kill Your Productivity. With Amy Luby. A great look at improving your security profile and profit at the same time. Register Here.
All of these events will be recorded. So if your week is busy, you can register in advance and then you'll be sure to have the link for the recording.
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As I look at that list of events (plus the regularly scheduled Thursday meeting inside the Small Biz Thoughts Community), I realize that it's a pretty good sample of what you can expect in the year ahead.
We will have many challenges as small businesses. But we also have many opportunities. Security will play a central role. And, as always, your knowledge and strategy will drive you forward.
On top of all that, I am a firm believer that our industry is stronger when we work together, keep each other informed, help each other, and work toward the same goals of helping clients to be more successful through the best use of technology.
I certainly don't claim to have a perfect view of the future. But one of my core beliefs is that you get better at whatever you put your attention on. In this case, focusing on the future of your business is a great way to improve the future of your business.
Please join us for all of these events.
I hope take off running and make great progress together in 2021!
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How was your "conference experience" in 2020?
Amy Babinchak from Third Tier has posted a survey, asking how you liked (or disliked) several elements of the online events you attended last year.
Thank you.
;-)
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An Optimistic Announcement . . .
The SMB Roadshow 2021 is a GO for take-off
A couple years ago, I decided to rotate my events in a three year cycle. So, in 2020 we held our SMB Online Conference. It was very successful, packed with great information, and very well attended.
That event was always intended to be virtual. So we were not really affected by the pandemic - except that everyone else decided to make their events virtual as well.
In 2021 and 2022, we are hitting the road with a series of live (in-person) events. We'll kick off with events in Canada and the UK. Plus a few additional cities in the US and perhaps Australia.
YES, the Canadian events scheduled for May might be moved due to international health considerations. We will know well in advance if changes need to be made. If so, we will move to September, when I get back from the UK.
Stay tuned.
And remember: Small Biz Thoughts Community members receive huge discounts.
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That's the news for now. Have a great week.
-- Karl W. Palachuk
:-)
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Join Us Live (though no in person)
PLEASE join me on the Acronis webinar with Amy Luby. Amy is one of the true founders of the Managed Services business model. We're going to be talking about how you sell cybersecurity in the 2021 and beyond.
You can't afford to be casual about security. And that includes the sales process. You can't promise things you won't deliver. So, it's a one-two punch: You need to sell the right way; then you need to deliver what you sold.
Join us free! Sign up today. Thanks.
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Our MOST Popular Class
Returns in January
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Powerhouse of One:
Be a Super Successful Sole Proprietor
I used to have the most popular class.
Then Lori introduced this class and it exploded
(in a good way)!
5W18
Taught By: Lori Hardtke, Community Leader and Coach
- All classes start a 9:00 AM Pacific
You're guaranteed to learn something that will make or save you the price of admission!
You hear it all the time, you need to work "on" your business not "in" your business. You need to hire staff and delegate in order to grow. But what if you could grow your business to $300K or more without any additional full-time staff on your payroll?
Tired of sitting in traffic to make that meeting across town and filling up at the pump every few days? What if you could master running your MSP practice remotely nearly 100% of the time?
Ever dream of having no monthly A/R and no debt?
Then this class is for you!
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"The class Lori did was simply awesome.
I learned so much.
She is what I want to be when I grow up!"
- David Streit, Stephill Associates, LLC
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Here's what you will learn:
- How to pick the right vendors to do a lot of the heavy lifting
- How to position your micro MSP practice to prospects and clients as though you have an army of employees behind you!
- How to sell additional technology services that are pure profit
- How to land new MSP contracts without leaving your office!
- Tactics on raising rates and going after low hanging fruit
- Ideas on how to package and price your MSP offering
- How to streamline your sales process
- Technical Business Review checklist
- Finances - the bottom line
- How to Live Your Business Dream
- …And more tips-n-tricks to help you be different and think different!
. . . and More!
The Modules:
- Week 1 - Vendors/Affiliations/Peer Groups
- Week 2 - Selling Services That Are Pure Profit
- Week 3 - Sales Process for Website/VoIP/Cloud Desktops
- Week 4 - Plans, Pricing & White Glove Services
- Week 5 - Finances
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Only $299 per student
Delivered by Lori Hardtke, MSP and Peer Advisor. Lori has been an MSP (managed service provider) for many years and runs a two-state business with no employees.
Includes five weeks of webinar classes with related handouts, assignments, and "office hours" with the instructor.
This course is intended for business owners and managers. It is particularly useful for the Service Manager or Operations Manager.
A Few Details . . .
- Each course will be five one-hour Zoom webinars
- There will be handouts and "homework" assignments
- Class webinars will be recorded and made available to paid attendees only.
- All calls start at 9:00 AM Pacific Time
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All the Resources That Are Fit to Print |
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Recent Blog Posts, Podcasts, and Videos |
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Small Biz Thoughts Blog:
Relax Focus Succeed:
SMB Community Podcast - New episodes drop every Thursday
The Killing IT Podcast - New episodes drop every Tuesday
The Cheeky Sales Coach Podcast / Video - New episodes drop every Wednesday
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Selected Recent Videos and Webinars:
Note: We started auto-posting the podcasts to YouTube. Those are not listed here as YouTube Videos since they're listed under the podcasts above.
A quick guide to my Playlists:
- Total: More than 700 videos on the Small Biz Thoughts channel
- 270+ SOP videos
Plus . . .
- Training, Courses, Seminars on Managed Services
- Product Reviews
- and more
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Small Biz Thoughts Community News
SmallBizThoughts.org
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A Successful 2021 Continues . . . |
The first big SBT Roundtable was well received. Larry Mandelberg received several "thank you" emails.
This week, we continue our have regular Thursday Zoom calls. We started the weekly calls last March in response to the lock-down, but they have become very popular. So we shall continue for 2021.
The next Roundtable features Jay McBain on February 4th. The link is at the top of your Community dashboard.
Our regular monthly meeting is "Third Thursday," January 21st.
Join us and feel free to ask questions!
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If you haven't seen the January News video yet, please check it out.
As always, our goal is to help you to be as successful as possible!
We are working on some amazing new members-only sales resources in January. Stay tuned!
If you need something, please post a question in a forum or email Kara (your Community Manager) or me.
:-)
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Power Alternative for Canon M6 Mark II
I have been using my Canon M6 camera for videos. It has great quality, but is far from optimal. The biggest problem is that the camera burns through batteries like crazy in video mode.
The camera was designed to take a battery replacement that plugs into a permanent power source. Unfortunately, I could not find such an adapter made by Canon. They make them for other models, but not this one.
So I bought a generic version that was well reviewed.
In case you're looking for a similar solution, you can it here:
:-)
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What's Here?
This calendar lists two kinds of things: LIVE in-person events from any organization that focuses on the SMB consulting community; and MY events, whether live, webinar, etc.
If you have live events on your calendar that may be useful to others in the SMB Community, please let us know. We'd be happy to list them.
Of course: Everything here is subject to change based on Covid. Click the links for the latest details. Please send updates so we can post them.
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January
PPP Round Two Update with Rayanne Buchianico
January 12, 2021
11:00 AM Pacific / Noon Eastern
Join Us Online !
Karl's 12th Annual State of the Nation Address for SMB IT
"That Was the Year That Was"
January 13, 2021
9:00 AM Pacific / Noon Eastern
Join me Online !
Webinar sponsored by Acronis:
Stop Buying Tools that Will Kill Your Productivity
by Karl W. Palachuk
January 14, 2021
11 AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern
Register Now - Free:
Join me Online !
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February
Info coming soon!
If you know of in-person events we should list, please let us know.
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March
XChange +
March 7-9 / Live + Virtual event
Orlando, FL
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April
Info coming soon!
If you know of in-person events we should list, please let us know.
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May
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
May 6, 2021
Chicago, Il
SMB Roadshow - Vancouver
May 11th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
Join me Live!
SMB Roadshow - Toronto
May 13th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
Join me Live!
SMB Roadshow - Montreal
May 18th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
Join me Live!
ASCII Success Summit
May 19 & 20
Bethesda, MD
SMB Roadshow - Providence, RI
May 20th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
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June
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
June 9, 2021
Houston, Tx
ASCII Success Summit
June 16 & 17
Cincinnati, OH
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July
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
July 8, 2021
Raleigh, NC
ASCII Success Summit
July 21 & 22
Chicago, IL
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August
SMB Roadshow - Manchester, UK
August 10th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
SMB Roadshow - Cardiff, UK
August 12th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
SMB Roadshow - London, UK
August 17th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
ASCII Success Summit
August 18 & 19
Raleigh, NC
SMB Roadshow - Amsterdam, NE
August 19th
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
SMB Roadshow - Berlin, Germany
August 21st
Tentative . . . but count on it!
More info: https://www.smbroadshow.com
Join me Live!
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September
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
Sept 2, 2021
Boston, MA
ITBOG (Business Owners Group) Cruise Conference
Sept. 3-6
Departs Miami
ASCII Success Summit
September 22 & 23
NY / NJ area
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October
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
Oct 6, 2021
Atlanta, GA
ASCII Success Summit
October 27 & 28
Orlando, FL
I'm hoping there's a trip to the Gold Coast in my future. Stay tuned.
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November
ASCII Success Summit
November 3 & 4
Houston, TX
ChannelPro SMB Forum - Hybrid Event
Nov 4, 2021
Los Angeles, CA
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December
ASCII Success Summit
Orange County, CA - December 8 & 9
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If you know of in-person events we should list, please let us know.
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Note: If you know of any in-person event for SMB Consultants, please send info to karlp@greatlittlebook.com. |
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Small Biz Thoughts is a subsidiary of Great Little Book Publishing Co., Inc. |
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