The NOT an MSP Show

Join Pete, Scott, Richard and Andrew for the final show of 2022.

Show Notes

Wow, can you believe it! We'll take a look back at the highlights and takeaways of 2022. AND, we'll put on our prognosticator's hat and predict the top trends, habits and outcomes we think will shake out in 2023.

🔥 Subscribe to the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDclJZPTxEgGw6DHXff0HqA?sub_confirmation=1

Richard's Stuff:

✅ Richards Weekly MSP Insights: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/nl

✅ Richard's Blog: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/blog/

✅ Richard's Podcast: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcast/

Pete's Stuff:

✅ Coaching & Mentoring: https://notabusinesscoach.com/

✅ Personal Youtube: https://youtube.com/petematheson

✅ Not a Business Coach Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/notabusinessc...

Scott's Stuff:

✅ Cloud Nexus: https://cloudnexus.co.uk

✅ Youtube: https://YouTube.com/cloudnexus

✅ LinkedIn: https://LinkedIn.com/in/scottriley76

Andrew's Stuff:

✅ Coaching & Mentoring: https://www.orangenomad.com/

✅ Orange Nomad Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/OrangeNomad

✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmoonorangenomad/

What is The NOT an MSP Show?

Running an MSP or IT Service Provider is incredibly hard 😖

(yet also VERY rewarding at the same time 😁)

Join Pete, Scott, Richard, and Andrew for this light-hearted, entertaining show full of lessons, mistakes, stories, & craziness from the trenches of running and selling our own MSPs.

Each week, we'll dig into the latest MSP news of the week and we'll then deep dive into a HOT topic that's super relevant to the MSP space.

(including Marketing, Sales, Pricing, Packaging, People, Service Delivery, Mindset, and more).

Andrew Moon: Welcome to the
final, the final countdown.

Let me get Pete assigned here, so
maybe we can get his camera to show up.

Right now he's in witness
protection, as it seems here, so

Richard Tubb: Looks brilliant.

Just

Pete Matheson: didn't do it, governor.

Andrew Moon: Uh, we were, we were joking.

Pre-show that you, we
lost you in the metaverse.

So, uh, anyway,

Pete Matheson: lost.

Andrew Moon: it's like I could see the
background light, but you know, of your

monitor behind you, but no front light.

Richard Tubb: Have you

Pete Matheson: Yeah, it's.

Richard Tubb: as well?

Andrew Moon: That's why
I said he's gonna go.

Pete Matheson: still last name,

Andrew Moon: He's gonna go and
witness protection this morning

and you know, hey, there we go.

Now he's frozen

Pete Matheson: Oh

Andrew Moon: and now he's, he's.

We have all kinds of fun today, so,

Pete Matheson: We'll get there.

You guys carry on.

I'll figure this thing out.

Technical problems.

Andrew Moon: we can hear
you, so you can contribute.

So those of the, uh, folks listening
on the podcast will get it.

So, um, but yeah, it looks like
we are, uh, looks like LinkedIn's

having a problem with comments today.

So I see YouTube comments, so I'm gonna
have to tilt my head full sideways.

So if you're joining us over
on LinkedIn land, say what?

If you're joining us on YouTube,
say hello in the chat, uh,

ask any questions, fire away.

So, but yes, welcome to, this is gonna be
the last of the not an MSP show for 2022.

Can you believe that?

Two weeks left in the year.

That's crazy.

Crazy.

Anyway, so yeah, this will be our,
we're gonna go out with a bang today.

Uh, and just talk about some of
the things reflecting back on this.

Uh, and then we're also gonna do some
prognosticating as to what we think might,

might appear on the scene, uh, in 2023.

So, uh, we got westway it
joining us in the afternoon.

Let me move comments around
here, make those a little bigger.

Westway it, we appreciate you
hanging out with us today.

Excellent.

So, Let's go ahead and talk
about one kind of highlights.

I figured what we could do is just kind
of go around the horn and if there's one

thing that stood out to each of us this
year, maybe it was an accomplishment,

doesn't matter what it is, just kind of
what was our favorite thing of, of 2022.

We'll do rock paper, scissors.

Pete Matheson: I win

Richard Tubb: Darkness piece, everything.

Andrew Moon: Ah, good.

Well, since you're into the
darkness, Pete, you can go first.

Pete Matheson: Oh God.

Um, sorry, what were we talking about?

I'm just still, still trying
to figure out my, uh, my

Andrew Moon: what was, what was
the highlight from 2022 for you?

Whether personal business,
just anything in general.

Richard Tubb: You're talking to a man
pitched in darkness about highlights.

Is this like we're really
rubbing you in at this point?

So, yeah.

Andrew Moon: Ain't nobody got

Pete Matheson: highlights for, oh,
so many in Sophie at the same time.

Um, highlights for me, I think.

Have just been obviously meet, starting
to meet a lot of people again, now

the world's started to open up, um,
actually kind of getting out there.

I love the tech tribe, uh, meetings.

I'm ju I'm about to dash off to
one here in the, the South coast,

um, this afternoon as well.

But yeah, just, just being able to
get back out there and actually meet

people and, and do some real work.

I'm doing like air quotes, but,
uh, real work with real people.

, it's, it's been good.

And from.

Personal kind of objective for me.

I've obviously been doing
like little bits of coaching.

I launched my video marketing course.

I'm, I'm glad I got that going.

We're gonna do another one in
January, hopefully, uh, which will,

which will be really, really good.

And I'm just, I'm, I'm glad
I've survived another year.

, that's probably it.

Andrew Moon: Yeah.

Yeah.

Amen to that.

What about,

Pete Matheson: think, I think every,
anytime anyone's asked me like what my

growth or aspirations and those kind
of things, it's not been, I've not

been looking to grow or do anything
like magical and achieve things.

I just wanna sustain
what I've currently got.

Uh, and you know, certainly
from like, again, personal,

personal goals and objectives, I
managed to sustain it for a year.

So, uh, yeah, 1, 1, 1 year
further, it's, it's all good.

Andrew Moon: Good.

What about you, Richard?

Richard Tubb: Um, I think to echo
what Pete said, it was brilliant

to fully get back out there.

Now, I can remember being on
the road at the end of 2021.

You know, I did some speaking
at the Aron Summit in Shaha

and in Switzerland and went to
Amsterdam, but the world was still.

Not fully open.

Uh, and so this year it's been
really good to get out on the road.

I'm super, super proud of what we've
achieved with the, as Pete said

about the tech tribe, local groups.

You know, that's something I was,
uh, uh, very much involved in.

And we've, uh, here in the uk we've
got those tech tribe, local meetups

there, sprawling all over the place.

Now we've got thess.

And, uh, you know, the Northeast,
Edinburgh, AB Aberdeen all over.

So even though, like from a personal
perspective, I've stepped down from,

uh, the Teri business now, uh, to
concentrate more on my own business.

I'm really proud of what we've,
what we've achieved there.

And I think that's gonna gonna go on.

And, you know, Nigel and I, when
we, we first got together, we spoke

about what a, uh, profound impact.

Local peer groups had on my MSP
business and his MSP business when we

first started out in this industry.

And that, I think that was something
that's really missing or was missing.

Uh, so the tech tribe, local
group's getting up and running and

just allowing a new generation of
MSPs to realize that you can work

alongside your so-called competitors.

And this industry is absolutely
unique in the business world.

I think in the, you know, managed
service providers want to help one.

And we've talked so many times on
this show about like a, a rising

tide lifting all, lifting all boats.

And for me, that's what
the tech tribe's all about.

The TE tribe, local groups are
absolutely flourishing and uh, you

know, fingers crossed that, um, we'll
see more of them in the us, Europe,

Australia and, and so on and so forth.

Cuz uh, that's been a real highlight
for me seeing those groups grow, getting

out there and seeing people again.

And, and to follow up on that,
it's gonna sound a bit weird, but,

uh, like Pete, um, for my 2023.

I'm actually pulling back a little bit.

I'm gonna spend less time on the road.

Um, so it's been lovely to get out there
and meet people in 2022, but 2023, I

wanna be at home a little bit more.

I've got a number of books that
I wanna put, uh, that I, that I

wanna put the finishing touches to
and get, uh, released out there.

So, uh, it's gonna be about
consolidating for me in 2023.

Andrew Moon: Awesome.

Yeah, I agree with you.

The tech tribe, Nigel, will be
making his presence known over the.

Next week from what I hear.

So yeah, lots to look forward
to for the tribe, uh, next week.

All right, Scott, you're up buddy.

Scott Riley: um, I mean,
so much good stuff.

I mean, this year we, uh, we officially
became award-winning Cloud Nexus.

I'll just drop that in there because we,
we won an award and, and not, not even

one of those ones that you pay for a table
and you win an award, like a real one.

there we go.

Raise the roof.

Um, but yeah, you know, comp tier
were kind enough to, uh, award us with

their, you know, UK solution provider
accolade, which was, was really nice,

you know, for us, uh, to, to, to, uh,
achieve and I'm so proud of, of the team.

Um, I think it's been a year for us
to really kind of find our feet and

find who we are and, and, you know,
really kind of established more of our

identity, which has been really nice.

So we've had.

Like our, our marketing,
again, moving to another level.

Uh, we brought in Claudio, so we have
our mascots and he's, you know, making

an appearance in such a big way across
like our media, our welcome boxes.

We have welcome boxes or as you
know, we call them like shock and all

packages, I think as in the tribe.

Um, really establishing those things when
we work with new partners or new clients.

And so it's just been a
year of really just, I, I.

You know, that first two years we were
kind of finding what it, what it is

we wanted to do and what we wanted to,
to specialize in and trying a lot of

different things and I, I think just
really figuring out where we wanted to be.

And this year I think we just,
just about nailed it to go.

I think we get it.

I think we know what we're good at.

I think we know what
we're passionate about.

I think we know where we want to say
no to things and I think we know what

we want to do for next year and where
we really wanna focus and hone in on.

Um, and it's just been such a
great, uh, a great year for us

to actually figure all that out.

You know, it's taken a bit of time.

Um, and I think we've,
we've learned some lessons.

We've been bitten in the bum,
uh, a few times, , and I think

there's nothing like the pain of
making mistakes to help you learn.

Um, it's, it, you know, it's,
it's not all sunshine and flowers.

That's, that's definitely
not the case now.

I wouldn't ever think
we went through 2022.

I'm like, oh man, this was easy.

Woo.

It's, it's been a challenge, you know,
even for me personally, from a, you

know, a mental health perspective,
it's been very challenging at times.

So sometimes, you know, and, and, and
you know I, I'll say this cuz I imagine

there's people who listen to the podcast
or who are, you know, were on live will

see that, you see the public face of, um,
everyone's social media and their LinkedIn

and you see them on stage and it's all big
waves and smiles and ah, it's all happy.

But then like in the, in the
back room, it was like, Crap.

Look, you know, these guys
haven't paid their bills.

These guys haven't paid on time yet.

We have bills going out.

Like the, um, you know, the
insurance is due, the taxes due.

We have all these big outgoings,
and you're like, oh, I've gotta

go and chase to get the cash
in the bank to get that out.

And, you know, the stress of not making
payroll, all of those things still happen,

um, not month to month, but, but they
do happen right throughout the year and.

You know, I, again, just encourage anyone
because I, I, you know, I speak to, to

other MSPs and they're like, oh man,
it's always going so great for you guys.

And I'm really pleased to like, yeah,
that's, that's the public perception of,

of what, you know, what we put out there.

But, you know, it, behind the scenes,
there's still a lot of, you know,

paddling under the water and the, the
graceful swan and all those analogies.

Um, you know, there's still
a lot of that that happened.

So was I look back on.

2022.

And I think, yeah, there's a load of
stuff that we've done really well, but

there's still lessons to learn for how
to do things for next year as well.

Um, you know, and, and it, we've
talked about it I think many times

on this show about getting paid on
time, getting paid in advance, you

know, those, those kind of things that
help de-stress some of those areas.

But also just really.

Nicheing down.

What is it we're good at?

What do we want to be famous for?

What do we invest our time and our
effort, you know, in learning and, and

how do we do that better next year?

That, that's, that's what I've
taken away from this year.

It's been a really good year.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, I agree with you guys.

That was, it was kind of a highlight
for me too, was getting back at the

first conference I've been to pre Covid.

Um, I went to people of video
up in Albany, New York, met some

incredible creators, uh, which
was a blessing to me because I, I

liked it cuz it was a small event.

Uh, I think there was less
than a hundred people there.

you know, I got to meet, you know, Tim
Schmoyer, um, you know, lots of great,

great folks that I've been following
and, and creating with, and that's

what I'm looking forward to in 2023, is
doing more collaborations with some of

the people I got to meet in real life.

Um, but it was funny because it's, we,
we have that belief that, you know, our

online friends can't be real friends.

Um, And it's, it was interesting to meet
in, in real life with the people that,

that we watch and how real they are.

They've got the same
struggles as, as we do.

And I think that, that, that's what
it really, what it enlightened me on

was just, uh, exactly what you guys
have talked about, which I have seen

across, uh, a lot of spaces, not just
in the IT space, in the creator space.

A lot of people, Wanting to do
less or just, you know, really

honing down on specific things.

I think we've all kind of tr
still trying to figure out this

post covid world we live in.

Um, and I think, you know, that's
been the challenges, figuring out wh

where do we want to spend our time?

Who do we want actually want to help?

What do we enjoy doing?

Uh, so for me, that's what I'm
looking forward to in 2020.

Um, yeah, I'm gonna be working
with, with Doc Rock in, in January.

Uh, so I'm, I'm just, there's, uh,
tons of, tons of things that, that I

want to do in, in 2023 to just kind
of push myself a little bit further

while at the same time doing less.

Um, yeah, it's, it's been
a learning year for me.

A first time childless
in, you know, 18 years.

Uh, my son left home this
year, and so a empty nester.

So that's kind of a weird feeling.

Um, my wife and I have just been kind
of last four months since he moved out.

It's just, it's weird not to
have somebody to look after

So, but, but anyway, um, so yeah,
I, I hear I've been hearing that,

uh, quite a bit, and I, and I've.

, the stress levels in the IT space are
kind of at a, at an all time high.

Um, I've, I personally have helped over
a dozen IT companies transition out.

Um, just cuz people wanna do something a
little bit different is the, it, it's the

common theme that I, I'm hearing is this
is not the same industry as it was when I.

You know, 10 or 15 years ago.

Um, so I think a lot of people are
reaching that crescendo of, okay, post

pandemic, is this something I really see
myself doing in the next 3, 4, 5 years?

Uh, so I'm seeing a lot
of people say no to that.

So, uh, Lee Wood joining us from
Facebook land, uh, welcome Lee.

So, so let's do some
prognosticating and some you.

Uh, magic Eight Ball, uh, on 2023.

Uh, we talked a little bit about
what our plans, uh, are to a, a light

extent, um, uh, for 2023, but, uh, what
did we think about the IT industry?

Just, just the world in general?

Anybody want to go first for, you know,
just what their predictions are for 2020?

Richard Tubb: Plenty of predictions.

Before we jump into that, I want to
pick up on a thread that Pete mentioned,

and I know Scott Will will probably
agree with and something you mentioned.

Andrew, we talked about
2022 being the reemergence.

S P events and, you know, I went to IT
Nation and the comp tier events and,

uh, the Asynchronist Summit and there
was, you know, fairly full houses there.

So I think people have overcome that,
you know, that that covid, um, uh,

reluctance, uh, to get out there
and see, uh, one another again, what

I would say for 2023, and this is
sort of a, a prediction, but also an

encouragement to the MSP industry is.

While you get a lot of value from going
to IT, conferences, MSP events, and you

know, my business was grown off the back
of, uh, learning from people at those

type of events and, and getting out there,
there is so much value to be found for

MSPs by going to non-IT events, marketing
events, you know, video conferences.

I know Pete, you, you flew
across, was it Los Angeles?

Uh, you flew across to.

Scott, you know, I met up with,
uh, Kayleigh from your, uh,

team at, uh, at, uh, a marketing
event up here in Newcastle.

Andrew, you were talking about getting
out there to like video events.

I've been along to marketed live and,
uh, uh, atomic Con other events here now.

For anybody listening or watching
to this and like, I've got no

idea what those events are.

, this is where the value is to be
found because there are hardly

any MSPs going to these events.

And yet, what's the number one thing
that people in the MSP industry say

they haven't got the experience to
do or can't find their time to do?

It's marketing.

So I'd encourage everybody listening,
you know, to have a look and see

what are the events that are going on
outside your normal sphere of comfort.

What are the non IT events
that are going on out there?

Because there is so much we can
learn, not only as an industry, but as

individuals by observing how people in
other industries go about their business.

And the marketing industry is a brilliant.

Pete will tell you, and Scott will tell
you, having gone to these events and uh,

Andrew as well, you know, there is some
really, really smart people out there

and we can learn from them and bring
that knowledge into the IT industry and,

and get a leap ahead of our competitors.

So I've been to a number of
marketing conferences this

year, learnt so much myself.

Uh, and I can count on one hand
the number of IT businesses

or even technology businesses.

That I've bumped into while I've been
there, and it's gonna be no surprise

to anybody you know, uh, Scott and
Cloud Nexus, were at the events.

There's one or two other really
cutting edge, uh, MSPs in the uk.

We're at these events, but.

Nobody else was there, and yet all
the MSPs go to the same marketing.

Sorry, all, all the MSPs go to the
same IT conferences, speak to the

same vendors, see the same faces.

That's great.

I'm all for the MSP community as a whole,
you know, a massive advocate for it.

But there's so much to be learned
by going outside and going to other

industry events, other conferences.

So, you know, it's, uh, not really
prognostication here, Andrew, but that's

a prediction that the top MSPs will
start looking outside of the industry

for, for inspiration and advice.

And it's also an encouragement to anybody
listening to this get out there and go

up, go to a few other marketing events.

I hope to see.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Robert Gibbons is joining us, longtime
supporter of all of our stuff.

We appreciate Robert joining.

Yeah, hi his throwdown for, there's plenty
of opportunities for MSPs in 2023, so

definitely, uh, agree with him there.

Um, but Lee said, yeah, great
events are great for spreading

covid amongst each other.

Richard Tubb: I was to say,
so I spent time with Lee over

in, um, Orlando for IT Nation.

And he was, he was coughing and
splintering, uh, and things, and

we just thought he got a cold.

It got covid and poor bloke,
so I'm really glad you're home.

Uh, Lee had to stay in the
USA for a few days after that.

I mean, it wasn't the worst thing
in the world, I should say, for Lee,

because I know the apartment that he
stayed in was beyond luxurious on that.

So, and the Americans do
food deliveries and grocery

deliveries really, really well.

So don't feel too sorry for him.

But yeah, it's uh, that's a tough one.

We've all gotta put up with Covid.

Andrew Moon: he said he was

Scott Riley: you were just telling us.

I was gonna say, you were just telling
us that you just had Covid, so you're

telling me you met Lee in Florida?

He had Covid and then, oh, just
the other week you had Covid too.

Richard Tubb: many people came away.

Lee.

Oh, I know.

He's Microsoft's favorite partner in
the uk, but he's also a super spreader

and he almost decimated the entire s p
industry in like two or three days there.

So thank God we're all

Scott Riley: feel like that
that was intentional, right?

He's like, I'm just taking
out the competition.

Richard Tubb: eliminate the competition
while he sits in his pen's house.

Yeah.

Scott Riley: Yeah, it's q4.

I need to eliminate the
competition, get some deals in.

Richard Tubb: No, we're glad you're all.

Andrew Moon: Uh, Jason Carlton joining us.

We appreciate having you on, on today.

He said, yeah, we're
shocking at marketing.

Um, so let's kind of spin off on that
because I've, I've seen it and, and heard

and participated in a few discussions
around that, um, in the last couple weeks.

And, and I think that this was, you
know, Robert definitely attributed that

as well, Richard, to attending events
outside the industry to get inspiration.

What are some progno, where do you
guys think that that needs to change?

Where, where do, what do you think
that the MSP sales and marketing

process needs to shift to?

Because I think we've, we've seen the
tried Haggard way of doing things for so.

and every time I turn around
there's a new company offering

MSP marketing, uh, to MSPs.

Like there was three that just popped
up this week I'd never heard of.

Uh, but it's the same kind of cookie
cutter messaging and sales process.

So if you guys had a stab, even if we're
dead wrong, where do you guys think the

MSP sales and marketing process needs

Pete Matheson: Darren mentioned the word

Richard Tubb: jump in on this.

Pete Matheson: AI feels horrible
to say that, but I, I feel.

AI and particularly the new, obviously
the chat bot that's obviously come

out in the last week or so, it,
everyone's gonna start using that.

You, you can write blog posts in seconds
with, with that kind of chat AI bot.

So I, I wonder if people are just
gonna use that as an opportunity to,

rather than use like generic marketing
services and outsourcing marketing,

so to speak, that they'll just.

Scott Riley: Hmm.

Pete Matheson: Throw an idea into the
chatbot, copy and paste it on the website.

Not probably pay much attention to reading
what it says maybe, and just throwing it

up on online just to see how it works.

Um, there was an interesting one by
Marcus Brownie, MKB HD put a, a, um,

video out about the, uh, the chatbot and
said that it always gets something wrong.

So even when you're doing like spec
comparisons, it would pick like a last

year speck to compare against this
year speck and get it slightly wrong.

So it makes me think if it's
doing that to like a very.

You know, there's definitely stuff
out there online that, that tells the,

tells the truth that, um, I'm sure it's
gonna make plenty of mistakes on MSPs

type content as well, but it's, it's
very easy to come up with like title

ideas, inspiration, content, checklist.

I mean, you can tell the, tell the thing
to tell you how to build a pc and there's

give you a step-by-step guide for how
to build it, which components to use.

So there's definitely something
coming down, down the line with.

With ai, what format it, you
know, what, what will it final,

what will its final form be?

I don't really know.

Um, it's probably in this more fun
phase of everyone's just posting about

it online and sharing pictures of
themselves drawn by AI and things at the

moment, which is, um, uh, interesting
to see how that's gonna, it is good.

Has anyone read the terms of conditions?

Are they gonna own your face now
for the rest of the eternity?

In those , those AI image
things, uh, just does make

Andrew Moon: We're gonna go off on
a tangent on that one in a minute.

Pete Matheson: something
to do with it as well.

Andrew Moon: yeah.

Um, Richard, I know you've probably got

Pete Matheson: think fundamentally just
off the back of that, the, you know, the

generic services are good and everyone
kind tries to find like, you know,

blog blogging templates and I know that
there's, you know, tech tribe's obviously

got some, Paul Green's, got some.

Um, but we all know that still generic
content is bad really cuz it's just like

repurposed content on multiple platforms.

However, the AI stuff, like there's
some other websites that will still be

able to write a whole blog post for.

Um, they are getting better.

Like every single day
they're getting better.

So I think it will get to a stage where
we can just load some ideas into it.

It'll spit out a blog post and
we can write our very uniquely

written not plagiarized content.

Um, for our M S P, maybe it'll come
to the stage where we can just write a

newsletter, like it will, can plum in.

Give me a newsletter
for March, 2023, please.

And it'll just give you a, here
you go, here's a newsletter.

That'll be very interesting to
see if we can get to that stage.

Uh, maybe someone will build.

Richard Tubb: But the, the last
thing the world needs is like

average content out there, isn't it?

? I mean, we're all drowning in content.

Uh, I mean, thank you for everybody
who's joining us live for this because

we know, you know, we are not competing.

Against other MSP shows via your eyeballs.

Here we are competing against everything
at in the world because there's

so many demands on your attention.

So, to your point, Pete, you know about
chat, g p t and, and things like that.

You know, I, I've got an, uh, an article
going out this week, uh, on observatory

about how people are using chat B G P T
to write their children's bedtime stories.

. It's like, oh my God, people,
if we can't take the time, To

do a bedtime story for our kids.

Like, uh, things, things
have got really skewed here.

And so my point about using AI for, for
creating blog posts and, and things of

that nature is, yeah, it's gonna be there,
but it's just gonna be more content.

And I think the content and, and
for me, you know, a, a, a prediction

and I don't think, you know,
nobody's gonna disagree with this.

The MSPs who are gonna stand head and
shoulders above just the noise out

there are the ones who are putting
their own personality into it.

And the best way of doing.

Is video.

, you know, uh, you've, you've got, uh,
people on the call here who are absolutely

killing it with video and me and, you
know, but it, the whole point is just

getting yourself in front of camera,
letting people see that your p your

personality, sharing your knowledge with
them, and, and it just really, it worked.

And I know how scary it is to get in
front of the camera, but I was chatting

to somebody a little bit earlier from a,
from a vendor, uh, and we were talking

about the very first time we got in front
of the camera and how we were stumbled

and splattering and all the rest of it.

But you do it and you do it, and you
do it, and then you get good at it.

or you know, and you just put
your personality over there and it

really stands out from the crowd.

So I know we've got AI with, you know,
deep fakes and all these sort of things

just around the corner, but until somebody
can actually replicate you, a computer

can replicate you talking to camera from
your heart and from your head to talking

about what you know, you know, I think,
you know, there's, uh, gonna be a big

place for video marketing or, or indeed
just video personalities going forward.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

And, and I think, you know, that's one
of the things that we as an industry

in the msp, we're all introverts.

I mean, if, I think if we go
around the room right here,

we're all introverts at heart.

Um, and.

, but yet we do this and it does get easier
with the reps just like going to the gym.

Um, but one of the people that I
met this year was Roberto Blake.

And I know Pete probably
knows Roberto's work.

You wanna talk about an
in, uh, a real introvert?

Uh, you know, this is somebody with a half
million followers, excuse me one minute.

You know, half a million subs
on YouTube, but he's one of the

most humble, introverted person.

That I've met.

Um, and then just, you know, you
see him on stage, but then you

talk to, he's the same person.

Um, so I think, you know, just
getting out of that, that fear

of turning the video camera on.

Um, but I agree with you.

Richard Tubb: And it, and it doesn't
have to be what we are doing now, just

to, you know, doing a piece to camera.

It doesn't have to be a solo endeavor.

So, Robert Gibbons, um, uh, who's,
uh, joining us today in the chat.

I featured Shauna Light some Robert's
work earlier because he interviews

industry experts and so he's on the
camera, uh, and he's interviewing,

so he interviewed, say, Robert B of
Capable, who were a fantastic solution

for, uh, GDPR in a box really for MSPs.

And, and you know what, at the end of the
video, and that video's gonna be useful

to, to Robert Gibbons, uh, clients.

It's gonna be of interest to
suppliers, all sorts of things there.

So there's no downside.

But Robert was speaking to Robert and
uh, he gets the shine off it as well.

So if people are like, oh, we need
some help with GDPR or whatever it

might be, they're gonna remember
Robert's video and they're gonna

say, then they're not gonna say, Hey
Robert, you are the expert in gdpr.

Can you help us?

But they're gonna know that he knows.

Somebody within his network
who's the expert and go to him.

So another way of doing video is,
you know, putting yourself in there

with experts and all of us, everybody
watching this, everybody listening to

this, you know, experts in your local
business community who you could sit

down and do, uh, a short interview with,
uh, or, or get even, you know, a short

video where you get top tips off them.

So that's another way to do it if you
are, uh, a little bit more nervous

about being the only person on.

Andrew Moon: Yeah.

And I know that was one of
the ideas that I swiped from

a friend of mine, Seth Fowler.

She did that.

Um, you know, her company was
Rochester, it, which became iconic,

which I forget who bought them, but I
got that idea from her a decade ago.

She was doing that and it was great
because like those, she would go out

and interview somebody and then some of
that stuff would get picked up on the.

And, you know, she benefited and it
was not necessarily around technology.

She would just interview business
leaders in her community.

Uh, I think she even set up a
web, rochester rock stars.com or,

um, and that's where she would
just feature all of those videos.

Uh, but it was great.

It was a great way to know her.

It was a great way to, for her
to feature businesses, whether

they're her clients or not.

So yeah, steal that idea.

That's a, that is a great idea, Richard.

Um,

Pete Matheson: to, just to throw.

As well.

Cause this came through, I dunno if,
if you people run YouTube channels,

they would've got their like year end
review, um, email come through this week.

And it fascinated me that, I dunno if
you can see that very well, but the,

Andrew Moon: Let me zoom in,

Pete Matheson: watched livestream, I dunno
if you can make it, make it full screen.

The most watched livestream on my channel,
um, considering I've not livestream on

my channel this year at all, was one
that I was uploaded about four years ago.

Um, which was a how to complete the
Cyber essentials basic questionnaire.

And it had 507 views this year,
so that's 507 people that have

watched a four year old video.

That's not no longer correct because
it's now out of date about how to fill

in their cyber essentials questionnaire.

Now, this is the kind of thing that,
uh, I always think any, if you are

like a cybersecurity professional
or expert or advisor, just make that

like live stream or shoot, shoot the
video of you just sitting down and

going, question number one is this,
this is how you answer that question.

This is, you know, the things
that might cause you to give it

one answer over another answer.

Just basically run through
the entire questionnaire.

Yes, it might take you an.

But 500 people have watched me, um,
actually interview someone else and get

someone else to tell me how to fill it
out, uh, for an hour on a livestream

that I didn't even shoot this year.

So just things like that from a content
perspective can work really well.

And it shows there's demand for it and
the fact they're watching a four-year-old

version means that people need to
make the new version and upload it.

So there's better things to watch.

You shouldn't be watching
my four year old version.

You should be watching someone else's.

Much better version of
the right questionnaire.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, for sure.

But yeah, it's, it's, it'll be
interesting to see where marketing goes.

Um, uh, Jason Carlton said
it's, it's pitching content

with a non-tech geek talk.

Um, and I, I just, I
agree with you, Richard.

That's, you know, I think that's
one of the, Where your video

presence has taken off, Pete is,
is your personality, is there.

Um, and then just, just getting, getting
the reps in there, you know, people come

back for that personality and it's allowed
you to, to, to branch into other things.

You know, we see, you know, since you're
out of it, what you're doing now, de spawn

a completely different world for you.

Uh, and I think that that is the
fascinating thing with what we see.

There may be something that you wanna
do on the side or something that you

want to do in place of what you're doing
right now, but start with what you know.

Um, and that's where you did, you started
with what you know, what you knew with

your IT business, and then when you sold
it, you're doing something different.

Completely different, but yet the same.

Um, but again, it's just
people connect with people.

So any

Pete Matheson: I wanna put, I'll throw
something else out there cause we're

talking about future, um, you know,
what future predictions for next year.

Um, off the back of what you said,
Andrew, where you've helped, you know,

a dozen people also, um, basically get
outta their businesses and exit them

this year and move on to other things.

I think we're gonna see a lot more of
the same other similar thing next year.

Um, you know, obviously we're, we are
all seeing acquisitions and the big

vendors being swallowed up by other
vendors and those kind of things.

But I think from a, um, I, I think
certainly next year is the only real,

real year I've come around to and gone.

Okay, what's coming next year?

Because we know something
not good's gonna happen.

Like we've had so many years of it
nowadays where it's been, you know,

covid, we've had the war, we've had
the energy crisis, we've had something

every single year has come up against
and now it's just what's next?

Like what battle are we gonna
have to fight next year for

something that doesn't exist today?

So what?

Something's gonna come outta the
woodwork and us have to fight against it.

That makes it really, really
difficult for us as business

owners to run our businesses.

And so, because that kind of thing
and that kind of mentality is around.

I see a lot of people or, or I
foresee a lot of people just thinking,

okay, now is the time to get out.

There's too much stress and hassle
with running a business nowadays.

Let's just sell up, get the best price
we can get for our business and move on.

So I think that's definitely
gonna be coming down the line.

Um, you know, not, not
really down the line.

It's probably still happening now, but
just really a reminder for the, even

if you aren't thinking of selling or
aren't there yet, Keep that in mind

with your business today of like how you
are structuring it, you know, keeping

an eye on your EBITDA and tracking
your profit and your costs and all

those things, so, If the day cut does
come where you kind of wake up and go,

ah, today's the day we're gonna sell.

You are fully prepared already.

You know, something that I really, really
did not do is I was not prepared to sell.

I was still of the mind that I'm gonna do
this until I'm old and retired, and then

all of a sudden it became very quick and
apparent that I'm, you know, today's the

day I just wanna sell the business today.

And I didn't do all the stuff that I tell
all my clients that they should be doing.

Um, but had I have done, I
would've been much more prepared,

would've probably got a much better
price out the situation as well.

Prepared my staff, prepared everyone else
around me a bit better rather than just

kind of having it off, you know, off a
bit of, a bit of, bit of, bit of a whim.

But I think just knowing that
even if you have no plans to sell

whatsoever, put those plans in PR
in place and track them as well.

So you're making like a no
spill improvement to like your

EBITDA every single month.

You're tracking your profit, tracking
your costs, and doing all these things.

Um, yeah.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, definitely.

See that Mark Hancock joining us from,
from LinkedIn, he said zombie apocalypse.

Richard Tubb: It's
gonna be Alien Invasion.

It's gonna be Alien Invasion.

I'm, I'm putting it out there right now.

So,

Andrew Moon: Yeah.

Crazy

Richard Tubb: already know from
watching that documentary Independence

Pete Matheson: So,

Andrew Moon: There you

Richard Tubb: we already know from
watching Independence Day that the aliens

use ip, um, cuz you can infect them with
viruses, their ship and stuff and that,

and I think that was a documentary.

So it's the next big thing.

Yeah.

Andrew Moon: Yeah.

90 Lee said in the nineties were amazing.

We had to, we only had to worry
about the ozone layer back then.

So so I, I, I would kind of

Pete Matheson: scary, right?

Because like,

Andrew Moon: go ahead Pete.

Pete Matheson: oh, sorry.

Go on, Andrew.

I was gonna say, I was gonna say very
quickly, it's scary though because

all, every, every time I listen to
news every morning, it's like, you

know, inflation's at a 40 year high,
and it's like, that's older than me.

Like, we've never literally lived
through this time where inflation

has been as high as it is.

So basically nobody knows what's
gonna happen because it's never

happened before in our lifetime,
um, certainly in my lifetime.

So it's, it's quite, quite scary.

Andrew Moon: Speak for yourself.

Richard Tubb: So there, there's
a tip I would give, and again,

this is not prognostication,
but again, some advice for 2023.

We've, we've alluded to the
mental health, uh, thing.

We've alluded to stress levels going up.

We've alluded to the fact that the
world is a scarier place than ever.

Don't watch the news, don't spend time
absorbing that type of information

because, you know, we all understand
the way the MSP industry works.

The, the, the news industry works of
scaring the wits out of us and then

keeping us coming back for more.

So, you know, one of the things I
would say, uh, from a mental health

perspective is, , you know, I turn
the radio off when the news comes on.

Um, I, uh, don't watch the news.

I don't read newspapers, don't
go to, uh, news websites.

And it's not because I'm trying
to put, you know, be ignorant

of what's going on in the world,
cuz of course it's important.

But if you go to any of these,
these news sites, you will literally

think this sky's falling in.

You know, because they are saying, you
know, breaking news inflation at this.

What does that mean
right here and right now?

Because as MSP owners, we need to do what
we do and we need to do it really well,

and we need to do that consistently.

So back to Pete's point about, you
know, people getting out of their

businesses and being prepared for it.

The best thing that you can do, even if
you are not considering selling your s

p, is getting information out of your
head, getting it down into documentation,

building systems and processes.

Get yourself as I quoted, uh, Scott in
my, um, m MSP insights email this week.

Scott, you famously say, I'm trying
to make myself, uh, pointless

within my own business and, and
useless, useless, pointless.

Sorry, I, I said you were
pointless, not useless.

How dare I get it wrong?

Um, but the point, you know, joking aside,
the point is you, everybody, every Ms.

P owner needs to get to the stage
where the business can run without.

and sometimes it will be through
necessity, you know, covid and illness,

other things that we've talked about.

And sometimes it'll be, because, you
know, you've reached that point, as

Pete said, where one day you get up
and go, I don't wanna do this anymore.

Uh, and that's what happened to me.

That's what's happened in Pete's,
uh, you know, business as well.

You just want to, you, you get out
of it and you can do that a lot

easier if you are not cont carrying
that information in your head.

And it's down in systems and
processes and documentation.

Andrew Moon: Yeah, and I think, you
know, the first thing that I see.

When I work with folks is it's a
level of self-confidence and kind of

embarrassment when that people have,
and it's kind of weird when they, when

they are contemplating getting out,
it's because they feel it's some failure

of them as a person, as a business
owner, you know, I couldn't see this.

And, and it's really not when, you
know, that's the hardest part that

I have with people is convincing
them that that's not the case.

Your business is not you, your
business is, does not, shouldn't

make up your self worth.

They're two different things.

Your business is a product, uh,
and that's separate from you.

So allowing them to make that transition.

So if you're listening to this and
you're contemplating that, that's

the hardest thing to get over.

There is no failure in in getting out.

To me that's, that makes
the most logical sense.

There's so many other things that
we can do, uh, with that knowledge

that we have as an IT business owner.

And I'll be honest, I've run a lot
of businesses since eight years old.

The being an MS.

P was by far the hardest
thing I've ever done.

That is the hardest
business I've ever run.

And I've started stuff from
ground up doing construction.

You know, my, I have a car back.

So, you know, doing building
construction to hiring people,

to grand openings, all of that.

Like, I've done multiple things
and by far the IT industry was

the hardest thing to manage.

Like, it is so much easier to
manage any other business than that.

So I don't, it is not failure.

Uh, so if you're thinking that you're
feeling that and you're, you've

been contemplating that for a while.

I think you just tossed that
aside and, you know, do, do what's

necessary for you, not anybody else.

Uh, and I think that that's, that's where
we as especially again, that introverted

M s P space, that we're so attached to
our businesses that we feel that we are

a complete failure if we want to get out.

Um, so, uh,

Pete Matheson: Uh, I think
from like, Sorry, Scott.

Scott Riley: I I was gonna say, I was just
gonna back your point, which is it when,

when people get to that space, The thought
of then trying to sell the business is

even harder because they're not prepared.

So they've, they've, you know, they've
reached that crisis once anyhow.

This, oh, this isn't for me.

I can't deal with this and I can't
cope with this and I need to get out.

Oh, but getting out looks like an
absolute nightmare and I dunno where

to start and I dunno how to begin.

And I think, you know, hindsight's
a lovely thing, but if, if you.

You know, consistently plan in mind
with either, to my point I'd, I'd,

I'd always like to try and make
myself useless in the business.

What does that mean?

It means that I, you know, I, I
systemize, I automate, I delegate.

I make sure that I can
step back from operations.

because again, those those player manager
roles, they're not taking the weekends.

They're not spending time with the family,
they're not booking in the holidays.

The more that you can back away and do
the stuff that you're really passionate

about and really enjoying, that might
be spending time with the clients or

spending time at the sales end, but
making yourself so that operationally

the business runs the easier it is.

And like Pete says, tracking the
right numbers, tracking the ebit,

making sure that that all stacks up.

Analyzing the costs and
making sure that it's ready.

And it's always in a place
where I could consider an exit.

I might not be thinking about it
at all, but getting everything in

shape and getting everything in line.

And do you know what the best thing that
might happen is that you get the business

in such a state that it is really, um,
You know, it's, it's making great margin.

Your, your EBIT numbers look great.

Your customer retention
stats are fantastic.

You have customers in long-term contracts,
you have a great product portfolio.

It's actually really valuable, but
you don't do anything anymore because

you've stepped back so much, and so it's
generating money and it's paying you.

You might choose not to sell because
you could have your time to go and

do something else and have this
business that runs here that pays

you for something, but, At some
stage, you might just say, Hey, no.

Now it is time to sell that business
because I've, I've found a passion in

something else, and I don't want the
distraction of even just the little bit

of, of leftover running of this business.

But it all starts by you getting
ready and thinking at some

point, this is gonna happen.

This isn't my lifelong business.

I don't wanna do this in 20, 30 years.

I don't wanna do this in 10 years.

You know, you've gotta be thinking
when, not when it's gonna happen,

but just getting everything ready.

Start now.

Start that point.

If you're not even getting
those numbers in play.

If you look at your finance system
or your ConnectWise and you're not

tracking cost of sale against every
single item so that you can pull out

all your different service items and
pull out a multiple and an enterprise

value, start doing that because
it'll really open your eyes to sync.

What do I need to focus on?

What, what services do we need to improve?

Do we need to get customers
in longer contracts?

Do we need to sell more
high margin, um, services?

Do I need to cut costs?

In some areas, it'll just get
you focusing on running a really

lean operation with great margins
and good customer stickiness.

There is a saleable asset, and
so the sooner you start that, the

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