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Smaller IT resellers support and service one of the largest and most diverse sections of the business world, namely small and medium sized businesses. The client base encompasses micro businesses - for whom IT is simply a means to an end - all the way up to companies that retain their own in-house IT person or even a team of support staff. From the coffee shop that needs the till to be always on and protected from viruses to the school with a remit to keep children protected while using the Internet as an education tool all the way up to the local branch of a major bank that needs to stay connected to HQ client service needs vary tremendously. Some will have an irregular “break and fix” style relationship with a local high street IT store while others are happy to have a managed services relationship with a chosen partner.
Having a “break-fix” services business model is naturally something of a roller coaster ride. Revenues are unpredictable and margins are slim. But the latest cloud-based management tools offer smaller IT services companies the opportunity to break out of the rut and transition to a managed services model that promises regular, predictable income and an opportunity to steady the ship. Those who have made the switch report that providing a managed service makes it easier to provide a high level of service, opens up other sales opportunities, and makes them look more professional to their customer base.
For a partner to change how they deliver IT services requires planning and a degree of vendor help – we call the latter enablement services. An enablement program is designed to help a service provider generate profitable, recurring revenue streams without the pain or complication of completely transforming their IT support business. The process brings to the table all of the required tools and resources needed to help them take the guess work out of building, pricing and selling managed services. Rather than take an ad hoc approach to this, we have learned that a structured program of partner engagement saves time, mistakes and ultimately gives them the desired outcome in the most efficient way. We have built the structure for this around four fundamental steps.