Channel Strong Week 2 Recap: Connecting with Texas MSPs

Well Texas, it’s been a great week! You’ve been hit hard by the pandemic, but your goodwill is evident as you help your neighbors, help your friends, and help your small business clients. 

As the Channel Strong Positive Vibes Tour wrapped up its second week, the sense of community and excitement we saw was nothing short of amazing. Before the bus gets too far away from a wi-fi signal, I wanted to share some of the best conversations I had during our stops in the great cities of Houston, San Antonio, and Ft. Forth. 

It’s striking to me how resilient our MSP channel really is. In reflecting on our conversations in each city, I am constantly reminded of how positive, helpful, resilient, and creative our channel friends really are. Everyone’s primary focus is helping: helping their employees, helping their clients, and remembering how important family and friends really are. I have heard over and over from our channel friends that the time spent with family during the lockdown these last few months has been good and the forced slowdown has given us all an opportunity to connect at home too. 

Matt Lee from Iconic IT predicts a bright future for MSPs. “Only 40% of SMBs have ever talked to an MSP. There’s massive opportunity out there. We just have to spread the word about our services!” Iconic is putting this work into practice, growing via an M&A strategy to five states and looking to continue. 

Taking a different approach, Texas Systems Group, a large MSP with a nationwide footprint has been working with other MSPs who have complementary skill sets to co-sell solutions into their client accounts. What they’ve found is that those local MSP partners with complementary skill sets will respond in kind with opportunities where TXSG can help them deliver more to their client base as well. It’s a great, synergistic approach and it’s working well for them! 

In an example of MSPs in Texas going above and beyond for their clients, Wade DeVore of Netvision Consulting, Inc. actually opened up his office for one of his clients to use while he regroups. The client, an events company that went from 25 employees to one, has been devastated by the pandemic. That business owner had to get out of his own office space and Wade selflessly gave him space in his office and use of his phone system and network/internet while he figures out what he’s going to do next. 

As a former MSP entrepreneur, myself, the best part of running a service business is being able to help other small businesses grow. We stick together. We support each other. And when times are tough, we help each other out. Just like we do in the channel. 

What I love most about this Channel Strong tour is that I am reminded every day how many friends I’ve made over the years, how strong we all are, and how we help each other out when times are tough. I’ve made some great friends over the years and it’s been wonderful to get out and see them face to face. Thank you, Texas for reminding us again how strong we are when we stick together.