Tubbservatory Round-Up #16 – April 2023

Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSP

 

Each week, Richard throws a spotlight on five resources Managed Service Provider (MSP) business owners should take note of in the IT industry. The Tubbservatory is a weekly video broadcast featuring useful articles, podcasts, and events that bring value to IT business owners. Tubbservatory Round-Up #16 – April 2023 is a recap of all of the Tubbservatory episodes made during April.

And, it’s all edited together for you to watch at your convenience. The items are summarised below, with links to the resources mentioned in the video at the end of this article.

This month’s topics include Cybersecurity, Automation, Integration, Email Security, Marketing, and Building a Personal Brand.

Tubbservatory: The April 2023 Round-Up Video

Tubbservatory Round-Up #16: April – Week 1

 

#1 Mastering the Top 5 Microsoft 365 Security Scenarios 

In a recent poll, 90% of MSPs cited Microsoft 365 security as the biggest untapped opportunity for growth in 2023. Therefore, a webinar that caught my eye was Mastering the Top 5 Microsoft 365 Security Scenarios from SkyKick.

It took place on Wed 12th April, run as a workshop-style webinar for MSPs to understand how to deliver M365 security scenarios confidently and effectively.

#2 Barracuda MSP 2023 Email Security Trends

And talking of email, email remains a top target for cybercriminals. So the 2023 email security trends report by Barracuda MSP in conjunction with analysts Vanson Bourne, provides MSPs with some great intel.

The report features insights into the latest email attack trends and impact, the cost of an email security breach and the role advanced email security.

Definitely a download of interest to MSPs!

#3 It’s A Numbers Game by the MSP Finance Team

A podcast that caught my ear this week is “It’s a Numbers Game” by MSP experts Daniel Welling and Adam Morris.

In this podcast series, MSP business owners will learn the fundamental steps, the tips and tricks, the dos and don’ts to achieve MSP financial growth.

#4 Revenue Stack: The 4 Tools Every MSP Needs to Manage Their Pipeline

And talking of money, MSP expert Ben Spector has written a great article about the Revenue Stack: The 4 Tools Every MSP Needs to Manage Their Pipeline. Spector describes how MSPs should focus on a Marketing CRM, Sales CRM, PSA and Accounting package.

#5 ManageEngine UserConf 2023

And finally, the ManageEngine UserConf 2023 takes place in Chicago, IL on May 9th-10th, and Toronto, Canada on May 17th-18th 2023.

If you believe in delivering a consistent employee experience without compromising on security, then this is a conference you should not miss. Attendees can learn everything about the new era of digital transformation. 

 

Tubbservatory Round-Up #16: April – Week 2

 

#1 Pax8 Academy

The Pax8 Academy provides MSPs with an extensive library of free, on-demand content and paid instructor-led courses.

If you’re not already a Pax8 partner, then this new Academy adds so much value that it makes it a no-brainer to choose Pax8 to work with.

#2 MSP Success – Habits to Stand Out From the Competition

What habits are IT Solution Providers and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) using to stand above their competitors? I offer some advice in a guest article I’ve written for Domotz. For instance, does your MSP business use Engineering Floorwalks?

Read more in this article.

#3 Generate More Leads, The Power of Portability, Maximizing Your Cloud Spend, and More…

If you’re not already following the amazing James Steel of Linode with his MSP videos, then you’re missing out! In his latest video, Steel shares insights on how to generate more leads, the power of portability, maximising your cloud spend and much more.

Steel’s YouTube is definitely a channel for MSPs to subscribe to!

#4 Invoice Management for Managed Service Providers: A Complete Guide – Zomentum

Now, managing billing is a challenge for any MSP business, so this valuable eBook may help.

Invoice Management for Managed Service Providers: A Complete Guide is a free eBook from Zomentum and covers:

• The three critical steps to manage invoices
• Scaling your invoice management process, and
• Leveraging automation for invoice processing

The best bit? This eBook is being made available by Zomentum completely free of charge.

#5 The Security Event For The European IT Channel

And finally, a huge upcoming cybersecurity event for MSPs is Channel Sec in London on 18th May 2023.

The event will cover all aspects of security across the IT and comms sectors including the emergence of managed security services embracing on-premises, cloud and hybrid solutions, zero-trust architecture, sustainability, skills shortages, recruitment, and development.

Speakers include Graham Cluley, Will Greenwood MBE and Senior Director of Security at Pax8, Mostyn Thomas.

I’ll be attending, so I hope to see you there!

Tubbservatory Round-Up #16: April – Week 3

 

#1 Acronis #CyberFit Academy

We start with shining a light on a hidden gem for MSPs who are using Acronis solutions to protect their clients.

The Acronis #CyberFit Academy is on-demand training for MSPs, with foundation courses offering a quick introduction to Acronis products. Associate courses provide a deep dive into specific product features, and Professional courses are designed to provide expert-level instruction for specialists.

All the CyberFit Academy courses are offered through on-demand and live, instructor-led webinars.

Acronis reports that partners who have taken this training spend 30% less time on support and earn 103% more revenue.

I often talk about one of the fundamental tenets of Managed Services being to lower your cost of support, so if you’re using Acronis solutions, the CyberFit Academy is a no-brainer for your MSP business.

#2 The 3 Phases of Effectively Onboarding a New MSP Client

An article that caught my eye is ‘The Three Phases of effectively onboarding a new MSP client’ by MSP legend, Joshua Liberman in a guest post for SuperOps.

Liberman runs a successful MSP based in New Mexico, and his security-first approach to onboarding is something MSPs can learn from.

#3 Managing Client Subscriptions is Now a Breeze!

And talking of SuperOps, did you know that SuperOps offers integration with Pax8 for managing client subscriptions?

Thanks to the integration, all your subscriptions are imported into your PSA, which means that all your MSP offerings are brought together in one place.

In short, you can integrate SuperOps with Pax8 to drive your subscription management on autopilot.

#4 Quitting Has A Bad Name

Quitting has a bad name, so writes MSP legend Karl Palachuk in his latest Relax, Focus, Succeed article.

The process of trimming – quitting something important – is rarely easy. It can be almost heartbreaking. But it’s a necessary part of growth, writes Palachuk.

#5 Kaseya Connect Global 2023

And finally, many of the top names in Managed Services will be headed to Las Vegas for Kaseya Connect Global from April 24th-27th 2023.

With over 100 sessions to attend, networking and celebrity keynotes, the event promises to be a huge one for MSPs.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #16: April – Week 4

 

#1 Augmentt Free Community Tools

MSPs, if you ever find yourself having to deal with old-fashioned email alerts, then this free community tool from Augmentt is for you!

Augmentt’s Email Alerting & Notification Console helps you centrally monitor and escalate email-based alerts. You can monitor, categorise and escalate actionable email-based alerts and notifications from your critical applications and systems.

And did I mention the tool is free?

#2 Struggle to Build Your Personal Brand?

Bradley Munday and Jason Kemsley of Uptime Solutions hosted me to talk about personal branding for entrepreneurs, and the results were eye-opening.

For instance, you may have a personal brand already and not even know it!

If you’re an entrepreneur, then I’d highly recommend you watch this video for some valuable insights.

#3 MSP Initiative – MSP Community Minds

A new MSP community that caught my eye is MSP Community Minds, part of the MSP Initiative.

The Community Minds series aims to bring in experts in:

• Leadership
• Finance
• Operations
• Human Resources
• Sales and Marketing

to provide hands-on sessions in each discipline of business operations. 

Those that attend will be provided education providing them actionable steps to implement and improve their business – both live and when they return to their daily jobs.

#4 Lifecycle Insights

A platform that I’ve heard a lot of MSPs talking about recently is Lifecycle Insights.

Insights offer to help MSPs with delivering real (not complex) QBRs, really fast, consolidate warranty look-ups, asset lifecycle management, and vCIO reporting tools all in one, and link risk assessments and assets to build projects, roadmaps, and budget forecasts.

Lifecycle Insights appears to be a powerful tool that many progressive MSPs are speaking highly of.

#5 N-Able Hosts Empower Prague 2023

And finally, May 9th-11th sees Empower 2023 in Prague, in the Czech Republic.

Hosted by N-Able, Empower 2023 is set to be an intimate, hands-on, multi-day event attended by N-Able partners, industry leaders, and exciting guests.

Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up

From Week 1

1. Mastering the Top 5 Microsoft 365 Security Scenarios 
2. Barracuda MSP 2023 email security trends
3. It’s A Numbers Game By The MSP Finance Team
4. Revenue Stack: The 4 Tools Every MSP Needs to Manage Their Pipeline
5. ManageEngine UserConf 2023

Mentioned in Week 2

1. Pax8 Academy
2. MSP Success – Habits to stand out from the competition MSP Success – Habits to stand out from the competition
3. Generate More Leads, The Power of Portability, Maximizing Your Cloud Spend and More…
4. Invoice Management for Managed Service Providers: A Complete Guide | Zomentum
5. The Security Event For The European IT Channel

Week 3

1. Acronis #CyberFit Academy
2. The 3 phases of effectively onboarding a new MSP client
3. Managing client subscriptions is now a breeze!
4. Quitting Has A Bad Name
5. Kaseya Connect Global 2023

And Week 4

1. Augmentt Free Community Tools
2. Want to build your personal brand but find doing so a challenge?
3. MSP Initiative – MSP Community Minds
4. Lifecycle Insights
5. N-Able Hosts Empower Prague 2023

How You Can Help

That’s all from the Tubbservatory Round-Up #16!

Are there any particularly valuable tools or resources that you’ve discovered recently?

We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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