Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSP
This month’s topics include MSP hires, Carbon Emissions, AI, Events, Answering Service, Cybersecurity, Inbox, Podcasts, Pen-Testing.
Tubbservatory: The July 2024 Round-Up Video
Tubbservatory Round-Up #31: July – Week 1
#1 The Evolving Landscape of the MSP Business Report 2024
We kick this week off with The Evolving Landscape of the MSP Business Report 2024.
In this annual report, commissioned by Barracuda MSP, over 700 MSP decision-makers from around the world were surveyed, with some interesting insights.
For instance, 97% of the MSPs surveyed expect to increase their service portfolio with around six new services on average in 2024, with a heavy focus on security.
This report is a free download, and I’d highly recommend it to all MSPs.
#2 Avoiding Bad Hires: 6 Top Tips for Awesome MSPs & Inhouse Tech Teams
An article that caught my eye was “Avoiding Bad Hires: 6 Top Tips for Awesome MSPs & Inhouse Tech Teams” from Jane Matthews of Wildcat Careers.
Matthews gives her expert in-depth advice on making good MSP hires, including comprehensive screening techniques.
If you’re an MSP employer, then this is a superb article to read.
#3 How 25 UK Resellers and MSPs Are Addressing Their Carbon Emissions
The IT industry takes a heavy toll on the environment, so I was pleased to see this article on How 25 UK resellers and MSPs are Addressing Their Carbon Emissions.
Taken from the ‘Channel Race to Zero’ report by Doug Woodburn of IT Channel Oxygen. So, this article should give MSPs ideas on how to improve their environmental impact.
#4 Nothing Happens by Itself – Even With AI
Nothing Happens by Itself – Even with AI, says MSP legend Karl Palachuk in his latest video.
AI is a tool (or is built into tools). But you need to learn to use your tools, says Palachuk. And he offers some thoughts on the best and worst practices with AI in business today.
#5 SuperOps SuperSummit Virtual 2024: Navigating Tomorrow
The biggest Managed Service event of the summer takes place on July 17th 2024, as the SuperSummit Virtual hits the airwaves!
Organised by SuperOps, this year’s SuperSummit virtual embraces the theme Navigating Tomorrow: Crafting the The Future-Ready MSP.
There are two tracks for attendees — one for MSP owners, and one for technicians.
Speakers include Rob Rae and Rex Frank of Pax8, Arvind Parthiban and Juan Fernandez of SuperOps, Tracie Orisko of Huntress, plus Erick Simpson, Paul Green, Ian Luckett, Amy Luby, myself and many others.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #31: July – Week 2
#1 Support Clients 24/7 With an MSP Answering Service
Telephone interruptions are a necessary part of any MSP’s life, but they can be a bane to productivity.
So, MSP-friendly call answering service AnswerConnect really caught my eye as a potential solution for MSPs looking to grow their business.
Unlike most call-answering services, AnswerConnect integrates with the top Professional Service Automation (PSA) and Helpdesk tools, and they really understand the MSP market.
AnswerConnect also offers out-of-hours call answering, and custom forwarding and relay rules for tickets.
If you’re looking to reduce those telephone interruptions and regain your MSP’s productivity, this solution could be the answer.
#2 The Checklist Manifesto: How MSPs Can Get Things Right
A book I’d highly recommend to MSPs is The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
In my opinion, checklists are the superpower of any IT business, and in this book, Gawande explains how checklists can be used to deliver consistently superior service for any organisation.
#3 Manifest.ly
Talking of process, if you’re looking for a simple, but really powerful tool to manage your checklists, then we highly recommend Manifestly – A Checklist App for Teams.
Manifest.ly is an app that allows you to create checklist templates to help you effectively manage recurring tasks within a team.
We’ve used Manifestly internally within Team Tubb for many years now, and it’s simple to use, but with powerful features.
#4 Interview From Tampa at the SuperOps Super Summit – Arvind Parthiban
A video that caught my eye was the IT Business Podcast, with host Marvin Bee catching up with SuperOps CEO, Arvind Parthiban.
Parthiban talks about how SuperOps have created a buzz — no pun intended, Marvin — simply by focusing on MSP education and networking, rather than sales pitches.
If you want an insight into why SuperOps are taking the MSP world by storm, then Marvin does a superb job with this video podcast interview.
#5 Helping You Take Your MSP to the Next Level
The rumours are true! The Tech Tribe are running their first conference for MSPs!
The illustrious leader of The Tech Tribe, Nigel Moore, announced that ScaleCon 2024 will be taking place between October 2nd-4th at The Linq in Las Vegas, Nevada, in conjunction with the team at MSP Camp.
Tickets will be on-sale soon, and this event is expected to sell out extremely quickly, so if you’re not already a Tech Tribe member, now is the time to join up. To give you a nudge, use the link on-screen for a 49% discount on your first month’s membership.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #31: July – Week 3
#1 UptimeLIVE: Innovation, Reliability and Scalability for MSPs
We kick off this week with huge event news, and as MSPs know all too well, many IT conferences can be… less than thrilling.
Well, with the MSP event in need of a new high bar for quality, Jason Kemsley and Bradley Munday of Uptime have announced Uptime Live for September 17th 2024 in London.
Uptime Live promises to set a new standard as a business strategy event for MSPs, with zero vendor pitches, and highly valuable sessions.
In addition, Uptime Live will feature top notch speakers from outside the MSP industry, and a focus on business growth.
Uptime Live promises to be an event not to be missed. I’ll be going, and I hope to see you in London on Sept 17th!
#2 Stop Mac Hacks in Their Tracks
How can MSPs stop Mac hacks in their tracks?
Well, with cybersecurity specialists Huntress recently announcing their macOS endpoint solution for MSPs, Huntress’s Stuart Ashenbrenner and Wes Hutcherson give MSPs some great practical strategies to combat the growing macOS threats and stop hackers in their tracks in this video.
With the lightning-fast speed of modern-day macOS-specific threats and the hackers behind them, this is a video every MSP should watch.
#3 Beeper – All Your Chats In One App
Now, we’re all overwhelmed with multiple inboxes for messages, right?
Well, an app I’ve found super useful is Beeper — which pulls all your chats into one place.
Beeper works with WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS, Slack, Teams, LinkedIn, Telegram, Signal and many more services, and is available on both desktop and app for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
#4 How to Turn Bad Day Into a Great Day With Ian Luckett
We’ve all experienced the pain of a bad day in business, but in his latest podcast, Ian Luckett shares his techniques for turning a bad day into a good day!
At the heart of this episode is Ian’s exercise of ‘red and green language’ and what we need to do to help us progress and grow as individuals as well as business leaders.
#5 The Fastest Data in the World
If you’re struggling with slow broadband, then you’ll be blown away to learn that researchers have created a data link that can reach speeds of 800 gigabits per second – or more than 11,000 times the average UK home broadband speed!
Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland, working with equipment from Nokia, set up a data link to The Netherlands, which produced the record breaking data speed. And yet I still can’t get a decent mobile signal in Newcastle City centre! Sigh.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #31: July – Week 4
#1 How A Penetration Test Uncovered Astonishing Network Flaws
What happened when I ran a Cybersecurity Penetration test on my home network?
I recently asked Cybersecurity experts Endida to run their AI-based autonomous Pen-Test on the device-heavy network at Tubb Towers and the results were… surprising!
In our latest article, I take a deep-dive into how Endida’s MSP-friendly Pen Test offering works, and how MSPs can use it to keep their clients safe.
#2 Erick Simpson’s DISC Overview: #1 DISC
If you’ve ever wondered what DISC Personality Profiles are, and why they are so popular with MSP teams, then MSP Legend Erick Simpson has a video for you.
In this video, Simpson explains DISC Behavioural Profiles and how they are used in hiring and team building processes to ensure the right people are in the right seats on the bus doing things right.
#3 Trundl
If you’re finding your team stuck behind a keyboard far too much, then an app that is becoming very popular with MSPs is trundl.
trundl is a walking for charity app that helps you and your team make a personal impact on important areas of life, like health, charity support and environmental protection.
The app turns every walk into a charity donation. So trundl gives you and your team good reasons to go out and boost your wellbeing, no matter how far or fast you can go.
#4 Business Insights Podcast – Recruitment State of Mind With Debby Clements of Pax8
Recruitment always poses a challenge for MSPs. So, a podcast that caught my ear was Paul Croker of The Business Insights Podcast speaking with Debby Clements of Pax8.
Clements shares how MSPs can go “Beyond the Resume and Embrace the Power of Interviewing the ‘Whole Person’.”
If you’re an MSP employer, this episode is definitely worth listening to.
#5 Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2024
Pax8 Beyond EMEA takes place in Berlin, Germany between 13th-15th October, 2024.
And the event is now 50% sold out!
Attendees can expect to master cybersecurity techniques, learn how to grow their MSP business, and elevate their team’s capabilities. There’s three days of immersive, groundbreaking sessions with leading industry speakers, MSPs and vendors.
Grab your ticket now. I hope to see you there!
Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up
From Week 1
- The Evolving Landscape of the MSP Business Report 2024
- Avoiding Bad Hires: 6 Top Tips for Awesome MSPs & Inhouse Tech Teams
- How 25 UK Resellers and MSPs Are Addressing Their Carbon Emissions
- Nothing Happens by Itself – Even With AI
- SuperOps SuperSummit Virtual 2024: Navigating Tomorrow
Mentioned in Week 2
- Support Clients 24/7 With an MSP Answering Service
- The Checklist Manifesto: How MSPs Can Get Things Right
- Manifest.ly
- Interview From Tampa at the SuperOps Super Summit – Arvind Parthiban
- Helping You Take Your MSP to the Next Level
Week 3
- UptimeLIVE: Innovation, Reliability and Scalability for MSPs
- Stop Mac Hacks in Their Tracks
- Beeper – All Your Chats In One App
- How to Turn Bad Day Into a Great Day With Ian Luckett
- The Fastest Data in the World
And Week 4
- How A Penetration Test Uncovered Astonishing Network Flaws
- Erick Simpson’s Disc Overview #1 Disc
- Trundl
- Business Insights Podcast – Recruitment State of Mind With Debby Clements of Pax8
- Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2024
How You Can Help
As we wrap up Tubbservatory Round-Up #31, let’s get excited for August!
Got something awesome to share? Whether it’s a handy tool, a great article, or an interesting tip, drop it in the comments below. Let’s keep the knowledge flowing—your input means a lot!
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I'm a small business owner, technical writer and blogger, with 15 years experience in corporate IT. I frequently attend MSP peer groups and create content relevant to IT service providers and business owners.
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