SMB Community Podcast

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy delve into best practices for conducting employee reviews, emphasizing regular feedback and separating reviews from raises. The hosts also cover recent cybersecurity news, highlighting a ransomware attack on Ingram Micro and the ongoing saga with TikTok's ownership changes and cybersecurity compliance. 

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Chapter Markers:

00:00 Introduction

00:32 4th of J...

Overview:

In this week's episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James discuss the value of peer groups for MSP business owners, emphasizing their role in solving operational challenges. They highlight how different peer groups focus on various aspects like sales, marketing, and technical support. The duo also covers recent news including the Iranian-Israeli cyber conflict's implications for MSPs, Nvidia's stock perform...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy have a jam-packed agenda. They start off discussing the ongoing heatwave affecting various parts of the country before diving into critical cybersecurity concerns related to the U.S.'s recent conflict with Iran. They emphasize the importance of securing critical infrastructure against potential cyberattacks. They then tackle the challenge of attracting and ...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy are back to delve into a series of key topics for IT professionals and managed service providers (MSPs). They discuss the recent CloudFlare outage and its relatively minimal impact on businesses, emphasizing the importance of adaptability. The episode's main focus is on how MSPs can stand out and provide value in a competitive and commoditized market by emp...

Overview:

 In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss various topics relevant to the IT and MSP community. The hosts delve into a listener's question on the advisability of borrowing money for business growth, discussing potential pitfalls and safer investment strategies, particularly in mergers and acquisitions. The episode also covers significant industry news, such as the surprising appointment of ...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James discuss how to retain key employees during company acquisitions, sharing real-life experiences and effective strategies such as retention bonuses and clear role definitions. They also delve into the benefits of a four-day workweek, the importance of NFR programs for software vendors, and advancements in AI for ad generation and management. Additional topics...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss their Memorial Day experiences before diving into a deep discussion about the future of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and the impact of AI on the industry. They examine predictions for 2026, including the staggering forecast that 75% of MSP services will be delivered by AI within the next few years. They emphasize the importance for MSPs to innov...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss the viability of selling small MSP practices, emphasize the growing market for small MSP sales, and suggest dual strategies for business growth through acquisitions and marketing. The conversation covers Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's step down and the impact of AI on the job market. They also highlight updates in Microsoft Windows 11 and n...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan interviews industry guru Rich Freeman of Channelholic. Rich discusses his background in covering the SMB channel and managed services, along with his insights on current industry trends. They delve into the impacts of supply chain uncertainties, AI adoption and its implications for MSPs, and the trend of larger MSPs acquiring smaller ones. Rich shares data on...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy & James dive into the concept of a four-day work week for IT professionals. They explore the pros and cons, including staggering staff schedules and focusing on productivity. The hosts also discuss how the current economic climate might impact tech spending and business operations. Additionally, Amy and James share their top recommended business and personal growth b...

Overview:

Join hosts Amy and James in this episode of the SMB Community Podcast as they delve into the best practices for selling your Managed Service Provider (MSP) business. Learn about the emotional and financial facets of selling an MSP, the importance of having a clear exit strategy, and ensuring a good fit with potential buyers. The hosts also discuss the recent technical issues with Zoom and Spotify and provide insights into...

Overview:

In this week's episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy are back to discuss various aspects of running a successful MSP. They start by diving into the MSP question of the week about creating an org charts for small teams. Both hosts emphasize the importance of delineating responsibilities and using the EOS accountability chart for better team structure. They also talk about the challenges and opportunitie...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James are back! The main topic revolves around the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and its benefits for small to mid-sized MSPs, particularly those with five or more employees. James shares his expertise and insights into how EOS can improve business structure, accountability, and goal setting. The conversation also touches on industry news, including a ne...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy are back to discuss a range of topics relevant to IT professionals. They start with a question about leadership for entry-level tech employees, emphasizing that leadership can be demonstrated at any level. The conversation then shifts to cybersecurity, highlighting an insurance industry report that identifies firewalls, VPNs, and RDP as common entry points ...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James discuss a variety of news and trends that affect the MSP community. Key topics include Google's acquisition of cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion, the impact of tariffs on tech prices, and how MSPs can use this information to their advantage. They also delve into Gartner's study on the overuse of cybersecurity tools and its implications for SMBs. In the...

Overview:

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan from Kernan Consulting interviews Zulfiya Forsythe, CEO and founder of Omadli Group, about the transformative power of AI in the workplace. Forsythe shares her unique journey from accounting to tech, highlighting the development of data analytics and AI solutions that help businesses streamline administrative tasks and gain actionable insights. The discussion...

Overview: 

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, James Kernan interviews MJ Shoer of GTIA, formerly known as CompTIA. MJ shares his extensive background in the IT industry, having transitioned from an MSP owner to a key figure at CompTIA and now GTIA. They discuss the reasons behind the rebranding to GTIA and the organization's continued focus on member benefits, global expansion, and impactful phi...

Overview: 

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy Babinchak and James Kernan dive into how IT professionals can leverage the end-of-life schedules of Microsoft Windows 10 to generate new business. This week, they emphasize the importance of planning and maintaining a regular upgrade schedule for client systems to avoid issues and ensure security.

The conversation also touches ...

In this Thursday episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak discuss recent events and trends in the IT and business world. Amy details her recent speaking engagement at the M365 Community Days event, highlighting the importance for MSPs to network with internal IT professionals. The hosts dig into the question of whether MSPs are finding success with offshore resources versus local hirin...