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At the recent IT Nation Connect 2024 event – I spotted a rarity – a young MSP. Tye Fowler is a real go-getter from Tampa, FL and he proactively walked up to me after a keynote as he saw my legacy Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 golf shirt and thought I worked for Microsoft LOL. We bumped into each other a few times and I invited him to the ProofPoint reception that early evening before he hopped on a flight to Atlanta.

Let’s GOOOO!

Harry Brelsford, wrapping up his podcast cycle from the IT Nation 2024 event in Orlando, interviews Tye Fowler, an MSP partner from Tampa, Florida. Tye's company, SGD Communications, started in 2003 and specializes in low-voltage services and network infrastructure. This is Tye's first IT Nation Connect conference, having previously attended IT Nation Secure. He appreciated the creativity and the opportunity to meet people from around the globe. Harry plans to feature Tye in his podcast and emphasizes the importance of young talent like Tye in the aging IT industry. They discuss future ConnectWise events, and Harry wishes Tye safe travels to Atlanta.

Peter Kujawa, VP for Service Leadership at ConnectWise, discussed the latest data on MSPs and VARs, highlighting that organic revenue growth for MSPs has slowed to 10.8% from a peak of 25% post-COVID. Despite this, profitability has improved to 13% due to better gross margins. Kujawa emphasized the importance of MSPs not panicking and continuing to invest in sales and marketing. He also noted the influx of private equity into the MSP space, offering MSP owners more options for selling their businesses. Kujawa advised MSP owners to engage with multiple buyers and plan well in advance for a successful sale.

ConnectWise Service Leadership and Branding Decisions

In the final analysis, it’s about personal preferences and I look forward to your feedback as an SMB Nation member. When it comes to urban vs rural lifestyle and business models, both answers are right.

At a high-level – my AI-based Google research returned to following “ urban areas being more populated and having more amenities, while rural areas offer more privacy and lower costs of living:”  True that!

Rural

My experience has been that many rural MSPs run lifestyle businesses. Nothing like going fishing on Fridays with (perhaps with a client).It tends to be more relaxing than urban living.

Dramatic improvements in remote work/support

I have an interesting industry observation I’d like to share with you. Why is that the most successful MSPs in our space attend the fewest events? Conversely, less successful MSPs attend too many events. Let me assert my argument.

Successful MSPs

I won’t name names but here we go.

Mid-west MSP: This gentleman goes back to the start of SBS. We met on the partner advisory council in 1998. We were all young and dumb but several elevated in our community. He used to attend the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) (which then became Inspire) as his annual event.

The amazing sweepstakes contest has launched. Let's cut to the chase! 

Here is the basic story and you can click through (at the bottomw to join the sweepstakes. 

Are you a Managed Service Provider (MSP) with a passion for driving technology transformation? Here’s your chance to make a significant impact on a local small or medium-sized business (SMB) in your area while boosting your own capabilities!

Acer is excited to announce the Technology Transformation Sweepstakes, running from September 18, 2024, to November 19, 2024. The winning MSP will receive cutting-edge Acer equipment and a $5,000 cash prize to help a deserving SMB take their technology to the next level. This is not just a contest—it’s an opportunity to showcase your skills, support your community, and grow your business.

Let’s keep is simple. Our popular one-day workshop, MSP Rescue, is coming to the Microsoft office/event center in Irvine just in time for back to school. This is a professional one-day “continuing education” gathering for MSPs, channel partners, resellers and VARs etc. Our popular format is all panels (no PowerPoint slides).

Harry Brelsford and Caroline Goles discussed their plans for beyond 2024, focusing on growth strategies and marketplace expansion. Caroline highlighted the addition of 20 plus new vendors, expanded categories, and marketplace enhancements to help partners grow. Harry inquired about entering the crowded hardware distribution field, while Caroline emphasized Europe expansion and marketplace mode for 2024. Both stressed the importance of AI capabilities, lifecycle management, and connecting vendors with MSPs to grow their SMB footprint.