We totally get it, which is why we are going to take a step back and let our customers (your peers) do the talking. We asked them what they would say to a fellow MSP who is considering IT Glue. Here’s what they had to say:.

Why IT Glue? 

To begin with, let’s look at the reasons why you should opt for IT Glue.

Demetrius Rouse of MRE Consulting in Houston says “I have used other documentation applications and this by far is the best. It’s a tool, not just a documentation app. If you are looking to organize and improve your service delivery, this tool is crucial.”

For Jeff Lord of Circle Computer Resources in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it was the net value gain that stood out. He stated, “It’s a no-brainer. The net value gain is far beyond any cost concerns. This is an investment in the most critical part of your service delivery functions, and it delivers!” Focus IT Healthcare’s Paul Cansdale too found it to be a worthy investment. He said, “It is worth the time and money you invest into it. We now have all our systems linked in from RMM, PSA, O365, Unifi, etc.”

For Michael Kanet of ITernal Networks, the level of automation impressed him the most. He stated that “There are many IT Documentation platforms that look pretty and have integrations with other systems, but none of them offer the level of documentation automation that IT Glue has.”

Jeff Chang of Chicago Microsystems views IT Glue as one of the best investments he has made because it makes information easily accessible. He believes that “If you are managing techs, you need a place to centralize information and do so in a secure manner (not Excel files).” IT Glue’s security features are often cited as best-in-class, and that’s what Alex Beilby of Just Fix IT emphasized. He said, “Not all portals are the same and we found IT Glue’s security and reliability was well-architected and tailored to the modern MSP.”

What can IT Glue do for you? 

Moving on from the value it brings to the table, let’s look at the impact IT Glue has had on businesses. Bristol-based SpiderGroup’s Bryan Parsons observed that IT Glue enabled them to scale faster. He noted that “All our Techs love it, and it’s made it so much easier to manage customers and to scale. The integrations really help to pull all the client information into one place.”

Many leaders noted that it made new tech onboarding much more effortless. John McNichols of Indianapolis-based Priority Communications felt that “[With IT Glue] Good techs can focus on the challenging issues and other less experienced techs can be more productive sooner.” Rouse Consulting Group’s Eric Van Speybroeck echoed the same and highlighted that this puts the clients at ease because “When any ticket is submitted, any engineer can take it and have the full understanding of anyone else that has supported them previously.”

The increase in productivity was also a common thread in the responses. Stephen Burns, from Moline, IL-based Virtual IT Group, stated that if you invest the time in setting up IT Glue properly, it can “give you the biggest productivity increase for your team.” Jason Johnson of Johnson Business Technology Solutions in Nashville found that “It decreases our ticket time by having everything available to assist our customers.”

Bryan Parsons noted that IT Glue was also a revenue generator because “no longer do we miss license and hardware renewals as we are automatically reminded.”

Wrapping up 

Almost everyone we spoke to said that IT Glue would be a great asset to your MSP. However, you need to make sure you implement it correctly, reward your techs for using it and aim to build a documentation culture.

We will leave you with this quote from Jacob Puckett of United Systems & Software who said, “It’s a no-brainer — the value IT Glue provides is huge. It’s secure, intuitive and inexpensive peace of mind.”

13,000 partners in 70+ countries use IT Glue, if you want to learn more about why industries love IT Glue, take a look at our case studies.

View IT Glue’s Case Studies

The post Considering Getting IT Glue? Here’s What Your Peers Have to Say. appeared first on IT Glue.

Last week, we highlighted the major challenges that MSPs are expected to face in 2021. In this edition, our panel will share their thoughts on what MSPs can do to mitigate the impact of an extended, pandemic-driven economy. We know that vaccines are arriving, but the rollout of hundreds of millions of vaccines is going to take time, which means the pandemic is still going to be a major economic influencer throughout 2021.

A key theme that emerged throughout the panel was that, under the current circumstances, MSPs must revise their go-to-market strategy. Gary Pica from TruMethods pointed out that “Over the past 11 years, most industries were growing, so MSPs could take a shotgun approach. In the pandemic economy, you need to be more thoughtful in your go-to-market strategy. Which industries will thrive in the new economy and which companies need to react to security threats and compliance requirements? MSPs need to evaluate changing needs to address and capitalize on the appropriate opportunities.”

Kaseya’s CEO, Fred Voccola, added that a strong go-to-market strategy is critical in this new, uncertain reality because “MSPs need to be able to sell their value proposition to new and existing customers and clearly articulate the value of what they provide to stand out from the competition.”

Almost all the panelists agreed that MSPs need to double down on their financial understanding and put more effort into cost cutting. MSP Expert, Erick Simpson, suggested that MSPs should “renegotiate more favorable terms with their vendors and distributors and increase their service delivery efficiencies to maximize profitability for services they are currently contracted to provide their customers.”

James Ratcliff from Ratcliff IT echoed the same sentiments and advised MSPs to maintain tight credit control and keep receivables down. He also added that MSPs should update their business plan and work out what the reasonable best, middle and worst cases might look like financially.

Another point that our experts stressed on was improvements in service delivery and customer experience. Nigel Moore from The Tech Tribe believes that MSPs should aim to improve on both fronts, even at the expense of high margins. He adds, “Do whatever you can to make their business better. The good will will come back in spades during the next upswing.”

As for how to improve service delivery, most experts suggested that MSPs should prioritize automation in the service delivery framework and refine their technology stack. MSP growth expert, Richard Tubb, believes that MSPs should aim to become the business their clients want to be. He elaborated further. “This means showing your clients how to use efficient, modern technologies (for instance, electronic signatures to replace paper chains and cloud services to replace clunky on-site services) and leading by example. Your clients look to you as their guide on what an efficient, modern business can be. Show them how they can gain a competitive advantage.”

Apart from these points, our experts also reiterated the need to keep calm. They felt that you should not get carried away by the doom and gloom surrounding the economy and pandemic. Instead, you should focus on helping your employees and your customers.

This was summed up well by Mark Copeman, the author of Helpdesk Habits and MSP Secrets Revealed. He said “Of course, some horrific things are going on in the economy and the world at large. The chances are that you can only affect your immediate vicinity, so put your efforts into focusing on that. Worry about the things you have control over.”

In next week’s edition, our focus will be on what MSPs need to know to win in 2021. In the meantime, we invite you to check out our 2021 MSP Outlook e-book.

Download the 2021 MSP Industry Outlook Report now

The post MSP Influencers #5: How to Mitigate the Impact of the Pandemic appeared first on IT Glue.

Almost everyone on the panel agreed that keeping team productivity and morale up will be a major challenge. Kaseya‘s CEO, Fred Voccola, notes that “technicians will be pushed to their limits due to pricing pressures,” adding that “MSPs need to take a close look at their technology stack. Rather than focusing on having the coolest technology, MSPs need to invest in tech that is deeply integrated and drives greater efficiencies for their staff.”

James Ratcliff from Ratcliff IT echoed the same and emphasized that there should be a conscious effort to “build trust” within the team. Nigel Moore from Tech Tribe pointed out that “you’ll need to dig internally to create the energy to keep both you and your team focused and moving forward to take advantage of all the enormous opportunities that will be out there.”

MSP growth expert Richard Tubb feels that in order to be successful in 2021, you have to go beyond expectations and recognize the client’s real pain points. He goes on to explain further, “I’m talking about MSPs helping their clients digitally transform their businesses through system and process efficiency advice, offering their clients add-ons for effective working from home, and importantly, realizing that any business is a human business.” Mark Copeman, the author of Helpdesk Habits and MSP Secrets Revealed, also reiterated the same. He noted that “people will never stop buying from people, and the world craves authenticity right now.”

Nadir Merchant, the General Manager of IT Glue, felt that the uncertainty surrounding the economy will cause some significant worries. He notes that “not knowing what the economy is going to look like next year will cause many MSPs and their clients to want to sit back and ‘wait-and-see’. The business that overcomes this and finds a way to continue to grow will emerge as new leaders when the economy fully opens.”

MSP expert Erick Simpson believes that businesses will have to increase their security and cloud offerings and capabilities because “customers have been pushed to increase their security posture and accelerate the adoption of more cloud services as a requirement to support their remote workforces.”

Overall, these responses tell us that if you can keep your team focused and adapt and align with where the industry and business is moving, you will succeed.

Next week, we’ll give you the lowdown on what MSPs can do to mitigate the impact of an extended, pandemic-driven economy.

Until then, we invite you to take a look at the 2020 Global MSP Benchmark Report, which compared pre-and post-COVID perceptions of the MSP industry.

Download IT Glue’s Global MSP Benchmark Checklist

The post MSP Influencers #4 – The Biggest Challenges of 2021 appeared first on IT Glue.

A lot of our influencers pointed to strategic initiatives, rather the new products or services. Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola points out that “MSPs that develop solid sales and marketing channels will be poised to grow their business and acquire new customers faster than their competition,” citing in particular the opportunities to attract new business in the SMB sector, augmenting or replacing internal IT teams. This view is echoed by MSP sales and marketing expert Erick Simpson when he says that “the most successful MSPs in 2021 will be those that out-market and outsell their competition.”

For Paul Dippell of Service Leadership, this means focusing on getting cash flow positive, and plowing that money into growth. “In past recessions, the solution providers who got hurt the least (i.e. lost the fewest employees and accelerated the fastest) were, ironically, those who cut costs deepest and soonest and got to a positive bottom line (or never went negative to begin with) and then spent more of that positive cash flow on marketing and sales.

Mark Copeman, author of Helpdesk Habits and MSP Secrets Revealed, points out that the current environment presents a fantastic opportunity to “look closely at how you present yourself to the outside world. Get critical with your website. Ask others to be super honest. Hire a mystery shopper. Is it fit for purpose, or has it languished for a year or longer without an update?”

In terms of service and revenue opportunities, Gary Pica of TruMethods predicts that security and vCIO services will be standouts for MSPs in 2021. “All business leaders have changed their business plans because of the pandemic and technology needs to support those changes. This is an opportunity to make the vCIO relationship more valuable.”

Todd Kane of Evolved Management points to opportunities in cloud-based workloads, and James Ratcliff reminds us of the opportunities in M&A activity.

Rex Frank from Sea-Level Operations makes an interesting observation here that there are also in the tax impacts of forgiven PPP loans, so it might be a good idea to check with your accountant, because in most countries there are forms of relief for small businesses hit by COVID.

What these responses tell us is that opportunities abound in 2021, but of course there’s also the threats, something we’ll talk about next week. Until then, we invite you to take a look at the 2020 Global MSP Benchmark Report, which compared pre- and post-COVID perceptions of the MSP industry.

Download IT Glue’s Global MSP Benchmark Checklist

The post MSP Influencers #3 – The Biggest Opportunities of 2021 appeared first on IT Glue.

For the majority, the most significant change they observed over the last 10 months was the forced/mass adoption of remote work and cloud. MSP expert Erick Simpson notes that “The pandemic really accelerated the move to the cloud, hardened security and increased remote workforce mobilization for businesses across all markets in a way that simply could not have occurred otherwise in such a compressed timeframe.”

This is good news according to IT growth expert Richard Tubb. He believes that “with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a work-from-home setup for nearly all small and medium-sized businesses, the role of an MSP is growing beyond being the ‘IT guys’ into a true, trusted advisor to SMBs in the same way they view their accountant or solicitor.”

Another key change that many of our panelists identified is the increase in competition. Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola points out that “even though SMBs are spending more on technology, there’s more competition out there for every IT dollar. During tough economic times, businesses need to maximize the value out of every dollar they spend, so they’re driving a harder bargain. As a result, there’s a lot more pressure being put on the MSP by their client to deliver better services and to deliver them at a better price.”

Our experts noted that this ‘heightened competition’ has led to the polarization of the MSP market. Mark Copeman, the author of MSP Secrets Revealed, pointed out that “so many MSPs are thriving – they’ve never been busier. Other businesses, particularly those who’ve focused on declining sectors, are struggling.” Gary Pica from TruMethods believes that the reason behind this polarization is because “top MSPs are mitigating risks and uncovering new opportunities. They are already growing again while less mature providers feel stuck.”

Things have changed on the growth front as well. Paul Dippell of Service Leadership pointed out that “MSPs are reporting winning deals from larger prospects shrinking their IT departments, “orphaned” customers whose previous MSPs became too financially weak to perform and prospects with significant security breaches.”

Erick Simpson opines that these new opportunities are opening up because “IT leaders have realized their internal teams were ill-equipped to respond to the new ‘work-from-home’ mandates and lacked the ability to rapidly pivot to support their workforces that now had to operate remotely.”

On the whole, our panelists agree that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the MSP marketplace. It has widened the gap between the top performers and the strugglers. On the other hand, more small businesses are looking to MSPs to help them with remote work provisioning, end-user support and new security threats emerging due to the shift to cloud infrastructure and remote work setup.

Next week, we’ll give you a lowdown on the biggest opportunities and challenges facing MSPs in 2021. If you are looking to set your business up for a quick start to the year, you should definitely keep an eye out for that one.

Need help with clients who are switching to a remote work setup? Download our handy COVID Checklist to ensure that you don’t miss out on anything when setting up your MSP and your clients for remote work.

Download The Checklist Here

The post MSP Influencers: How the Pandemic Has Affected the MSP Marketplace appeared first on IT Glue.

How did you end up in your position here?

I have a background in sales and leadership, along with experience in management and training, but I was really just looking for a change from the retail industry. I ended up finding a position as a Sales Manager at IT Glue on LinkedIn, and after applying met some of the team and really enjoyed the environment here. Fun fact: the group of people from my initial hiring class are also all still here, which is pretty cool.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

First and foremost, the people. I think the people here really make it. And along with that, it’s the fact that I’m constantly learning, not only through the platform but also from everyone here. There’s so much collaboration that takes place between teams, and so much growth.

What are you most proud of?

Definitely learning a completely new industry. During my interview, I actually pronounced S-a-a-S, instead of SaaS. Along with that, really leading the team to success, and helping the team build their own sales style. Also opening people up to the fact that not all salespeople are bad, especially when you’re working to provide prospects with a platform that will really help.

What challenges have you faced along the way?

There’s been a huge learning curve coming from retail to then a SaaS platform. It’s a niche market, and I really had to learn about who these MSPs are, and how our platform actually helps them. The team is incredibly collaborative.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I actually grew up as an avid basketball player. I was a pretty decent point guard until the end of high school when I realized I would never be taller than 5’1” and I had to say goodbye to my NBA dreams.

What inspires you?

People! Everyone is so different, and you can truly learn something from any kind of interaction, whether it’s good or bad. When it comes to sales, the best part is that even when the interaction isn’t great it’s still inspiring because you’re going to learn from it.

Who are you outside of work?

Despite my very extroverted position here, I’m a little bit of an introvert outside of work. I’m a huge bookworm, and very active, whether that’s being at the gym, cross-fit, hiking, and so on. And aside from spending a lot of time with family and friends, I really enjoy having my own mental space.

What advice would you give to colleagues?

Challenge yourself. The situations that are the most uncomfortable for you are the exact ones that are going to provide the most growth. So choose those.

Interested in joining the #GlueCrew? Check out our current openings here.

Find your opportunity today!

IT Glue is a proven, best practices-driven IT documentation platform packed with features designed to help you maximize the efficiency, transparency and consistency of your team. With so much of your business productivity lost each day in search of vital information, let IT Glue secure this information and start Freeing Minds.

The post #GlueCrew Stories: Amanda Luong appeared first on IT Glue.

How did you end up in your position as Team Lead Partner Success – EMEA?

Back in 2015, I was working as a Service Desk Manager for an MSP where I actually rolled out IT Glue. At the time, we didn’t have half the amount of features we do now, and IT Glue’s CEO Chris Day did my onboarding!

A mutual friend of mine and IT Glue’s contacted me to tell me there was an exciting opportunity for a Partner Success Manager role in IT Glue EMEA. As soon as I found out more about the role, I already knew it would be a perfect fit. One year later, and with our EMEA team rapidly growing, I was promoted to Team Lead Partner Success EMEA.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

I think as a company we have a really good culture. Even though our HQ is in Canada, we very much feel like a part of the team.

I really enjoy working for our Partner Success Team. I think we work really well together; everyone comes from different backgrounds and everyone has their own strengths. I enjoy going through onboarding with our Partners, especially since each onboarding is different. It’s great to see them excited about using the platform, and the moment when they realize how powerful a tool it will be for them.

I also, in a more general sense, really enjoy my role, and it’s exciting to see our company grow at such a rapid rate. From using IT Glue at an MSP back in 2015, and now seeing how far it’s come to date, is very impressive.

What are you most proud of in your position here?

I had never presented on stage, or even hosted a webinar before joining IT Glue. When presented with the challenge, I was super nervous and struggled with confidence, but I did it anyway and it gave me the confidence to do more and more.

What challenges have you faced along the way?

Working in IT support for a number of years, most of the time I would be fixing an issue, following it through to the resolution, and providing customers exact timelines of when the issue will likely be fixed. However, working in software support is very different, and it usually requires multiple people getting involved before something gets resolved.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I originally wanted to be a pilot when I left school. I actually used to do flying lessons in my spare time. However, science wasn’t my strongest subject and as it turned out, I was much better at IT!

Who are you outside of work?

I always have to be doing something! I spend a lot of my time socializing with my family and friends. I really enjoy interior design as well, so I’m always finding things to work on in my house. I also have a bit of an obsession with cats, oh, and I love shopping of course.

What inspires you?

Positive people, those who always find a positive in a negative, and those who always want to challenge themselves to achieve their goals.

What advice would you give to colleagues on their own journey?

Take on every challenge that’s thrown at you, and it’s good to get out of your comfort zone!

Interesting in joining the #GlueCrew? Check out our current openings today!

Find your opportunity today!

The post #GlueCrew Stories: Melissa Saar appeared first on IT Glue.

How did you end up in your position here at IT Glue?

After spending 4 years studying Animal Biology in school I decided I wanted a complete change of pace. I figured if I was going to choose a different career path, it might as well be something drastic. I always liked computers, so I ended up doing a 3-month intensive coding bootcamp. When I finished that, I spent some time in Europe for about 2 months.

It wasn’t until I got back, and needed a job, that I heard about IT Glue through a friend. I didn’t quite have enough experience at the time for the job I originally applied for, but Nadir Merchant, our VP, Engineering, really took me under his wing to help teach me. I officially changed over my role from QA Analyst to Developer in May.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

I enjoy the challenges that the job brings, and that every time I hit a roadblock I’ve got a team of people willing to help. It’s not always easy to find a job like this, and so I consider it quite precious. I have amazing guidance here, and it’s lead to great growth. You don’t find that in every place. We also have an amazing team of developers.

What are you most proud of in regards to your position or the company as a whole?

Our product, and the product knowledge I’ve built. I talk to friends who struggle to have faith in their product – and that faith can be difficult to find. But we have amazing software, and it’s great to be able to say that and say, “you should be using this.”

What challenges have you faced along the way?

It’s my first tech job, so I had a really steep learning curve. Bootcamp itself was only 3 months and was just the bare minimum, so when I got here I had a lot to learn. Everyone’s made it really easy though.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I have a Bachelor’s in Animal Biology, so originally the plan was to be a vet. After 4 years of school, I decided it wasn’t for me, in other words, that I couldn’t do school anymore. When I was in school though, I had a really strong passion for dissection. UBC has connections to a slaughterhouse, so the specimens we received for dissection were always really fresh. In school a lot of us felt this way, but it’s not something you can tell everyone outside of that.

What inspires you?

My parents. I’m a 1st generation immigrant; I moved here from Taiwan when I was 10. My parents wanted a better future for me, and my dad says it was the best decision he’s made. He’s always giving me advice, unwanted or not, and I believe he has such a truly inspirational story.

What are you most excited for at GlueCon?

I’ve heard through the grapevine that our partners like us, and that they share that a lot at events. But I’d really like to talk to partners first hand about what it is that they really love. I want to see this for myself, and really connect with our partners.

Who are you outside of work?

For about the past year I’ve really built my life around playing ultimate frisbee. The season’s on a break right now, and I don’t really know what to do with my life until it starts back up. In general I’m pretty active, I tend to get restless if I’m not moving.

What advice would you give to colleagues?

Don’t sell yourself short. Sometimes it’s hard not to be a little desperate for a job, when you come out of boot camp or school, but don’t just settle for the first thing that comes your way. When you do, you can often end up feeling stuck. There are a lot of companies out there who will actually recognize your value, you’ve just got to believe in yourself, and sell yourself.

Interested in joining the #GlueCrew? Take a look at our current job openings.

Find your opportunity today!

The post #GlueCrew Stories: Lisa Hsu appeared first on IT Glue.

It’s actually a bit of a funny story. The same day I applied for the job here at IT Glue, a friend from Fully Managed reached out to tell me about that same position. They ended up referring me, and I got a call later that day.

At the time, the Partner Success team was growing quite a bit, along with the rest of the company. I mostly always pictured myself in this line of work, and still do. So it just feels like I’m in my natural habitat here.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

I joined the company when it was in startup and rapid growth mode. We were literally stealing snacks from Fully Managed at that point. But I saw the need for the platform, and I believed in it. Since then, it’s been awesome to watch the team and the company grow. I’ve been given a lot of freedom and trust to help shape the department, and I enjoy taking on that responsibility.

What are you most proud of in your position here?

The quality of experience that we provide, and partners receive, is of a pretty high standard. I think we’ve done a really good job at keeping our core values with everything we do. There’s also been a lot of growth over the past several years, and I’m really proud of the team that Tom, our Director of Partner Success, has built.

What challenges have you faced along the way?

A lot. And there’s still challenges all the time. Learning to lead team members and manage partner expectations with so much going on all at once, is always a challenge. But we began in a startup environment and we’ve gotten this far, so these challenges are how we learn, and will continue to do so.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

If I wasn’t in tech, I probably would have been a chef or a lawyer, which are all pretty different.

Who are you outside of work?

I’m super social! I’m also definitely a family guy, but my family lives in Muscat. Music is a huge part of who I am, and so I tend to go to a lot of different festivals and concerts. Oh, and I’m also addicted to swimming. I have to swim every week, several times.

What inspires you?

A ton of things! I really enjoy finding new and creative ways to improve things. That’s something I really appreciate about people, too. I also have a lot of personal goals that I keep, and always aspire to meet.

What advice would you give to colleagues on their own journey?

For anyone here at IT Glue, demonstrate our core values. If you really work to live those out, it can only bring good in your job and time here.

Interested in joining the #GlueCrew? Take a look at our current openings:

Find your opportunity today!

IT Glue is a proven, best practices-driven IT documentation platform packed with features designed to help you maximize the efficiency, transparency and consistency of your team. With so much of your business productivity lost each day in search of vital information, let IT Glue secure this information and start Freeing Minds.

The post #GlueCrew Stories: Debaloke Roy appeared first on IT Glue.

Let’s get started. Introducing Allison Hicks, our VP, People & Culture:

How did you end up in HR?

I never thought that I would end up in a people and culture-centric role. I thought I would write, or there was a time when I thought I wanted to be a teacher. I was very fortunate, in that I ended up in a career that I really love, but it wasn’t my first choice, and I really had my sights set initially on something else. I never realized that a role like this could have such an impact on an organization.

I used to work in a call centre as a Team Lead. I was also in the process of pursuing an education in broadcast journalism, but after many meetings with my HR director, I decided to shift my studies and learn more about HR.

What have you enjoyed most about working at IT Glue?

Watching the company grow from its infancy to now, where we have different teams with different subcultures has been great. I’ve been here long enough to see people grow and rise within their teams inside the organization.

What are you most proud of?

Working for an organization that has a product that solves a problem has been so huge for me. I get to say that I know that our product is really cool. It can do so much more than track assets or store passwords; it can transform a business.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I still get nervous when I have to interview people, no matter how long I’ve been in an HR role. I get this way because I want to provide a good candidate experience and ensure that I’m portraying the company in the best light possible. But I can be quite shy – really!

If you’re looking for an opportunity to join the #GlueCrew, we’d love to hear from you! Take a look at our current job openings:

Find your opportunity today!

IT Glue is a proven, best practices-driven IT documentation platform packed with features designed to help you maximize the efficiency, transparency and consistency of your team. With so much of your business productivity lost each day in search of vital information, let IT Glue secure this information and start Freeing Minds.

The post #GlueCrew Stories: Allison Hicks appeared first on IT Glue.