Citrix teams up with HP & Microsoft for Frontline Partnership

This announcement from Citrix showed up earlier today…

Frontline Partnership (FLP) is an alliance between HP and Microsoft with a membership of 14,000 SMB resellers. Citrix, HP and Microsoft have come together to offer Remote Access Solutions, a campaign offering for FLP partners. Remote Access Solutions is a bundled product solution, with extensive marketing campaign tools available through the FLP web portal. If you are interested in joining the FLP program and taking part in this campaign, visit www.hpmspartnermarketing.com.

There are some great marketing resources available, so if you are not already a Frontline Partner, use the above URL to sign up today.

Brad

How to ensure profitability in 2009

The SBSC panel for Canada had an interesting discussion last week about utilization and how to make sure you’re billable resources are profitable. For service driven companies, this is the numero uno consideration for driving up profitability. I’ve written an article that will be published later this week on the SBSC Canada blog site. Satish Kanwar does a great job keeping us all up to date, and I’m glad I can (finally) have something worthwhile to contribute. Watch the link below for more info:

http://blogs.msdn.com/cdnsbsc/ 

It’s already time to start planning for 2009, so the article may help you to make needed adjustments now. For those of us who get this right, we will not only survive, but thrive during the next couple of years when others may struggle and fail. Look for the info, and as always, jump in with your comments, especially if you don’t agree.

Make it a great day in your neighborhood.

Are you a peer?

Last week was another busy week of meeting with my peers in HTG. You can learn more about the HTG peer groups at www.htgmembers.com .

I was among 12 companies who flew key members of their businesses out to Nashville, TN. Besides the fact that Nashville is probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to, and the fact that Advanced Network Solutions has one of the coolest offices I’ve ever been to … yes, besides that, the real value was the sharing and learning that occurred there. As we each dove into our businesses, including in depth financial reporting, the other 11 companies acted as our board of directors, questioning us on the decisions we made over the last quarter and asking the tough questions. Each business had their turn on the hot seat, and let me tell you at times it was hot! But the value provided there was something that few, if any of us, could ever get anywhere else.

Often as small business owners we may often feel ”I’m the boss, and I don’t need to be accountable to anyone”. If that’s really the case, how do you know that your decisions are sound? If nothing else, you are the leader of your business, and thus accountable for the success of that business and all of the lives that it touches. Too many of us run a business that barely survives, rarely one that thrives.

Who makes you accountable? If you want your business to thrive, join a peer group, and you’ll soon find that you will become the most accountable person in your company. Don’t delay!