Over two long days, VARs and MSPs were provided a massive dose of business building content including these 10 things…

1. Trends to future-proof your business. What must every VAR and MSP know and do to remain relevant in the future? I presented 12 trends that are driving the channel business as well as some tips that VARs and MSPs can use to exploit the emerging opportunities.

2. Financial management. If you are not managing your business from a financial perspective, you are at serious risk. Serena Humphrey provided delegates with the mission critical knowledge on what they must know and do to be financially successful.

3. Network Operations Centre/ Managed Services Team Improvement. Every successful MSP use some form of a NOC team. Is your NOC team, processes, tools and service delivery up to speed? Our NOC expert Prakash Chaudhuri from MSP1 helped MSPs improve their service delivery operation.

4. IT Security solutions to help you protect your clients. Ransomeware is increasing, so how you mediate the risk to your clients is mission critical. Adam Nash from Webroot demonstrated the various threats, how they are affecting business and best ways to offer protection services to the end-users (and make money doing it!).

5. Exploiting remote device monitoring and building solutions as well as IP. Managing devices remotely is the cornerstone of every MSP. Rupert Collier from Paessler showcased their world class RMM solution and how MSPs can leverage to deliver a variety of managed services and build solutions to develop their own Intellectual Property.

6. Big Data analysis of the European IT Channel and trends. Carl West from GFK showed their supporting data behind the IT growth and where the trends are pointing.

7. The future of distribution and how the channel can better leverage. Alex Tatham from WestCoast showed what their company is doing to help the channel grow with new services far beyond the traditional wholesale of products.

8. Roadmap for becoming a more effective leader. Our expert Molly Harvey delivered a three-hour workshop on what you can do to improve leadership skills and grow business beyond expectations. It is what every VAR and MSP must do to remain successful and be happier!

9. Best practices for recruiting staff and keeping them. It’s a huge problem facing many VARs and MSPs. Steve Potts demonstrate the common mistakes and how VARs and MSPs can better recruit and retain better employees.

10. Keeping customers. Take a look at your customer database to learn just how many clients you have lost over the years. You may be surprised! We discussed how you can change the tide and actually regain customers that have been lost or ignored. It may be the easiest way to increase your sales and profit with minimal effort and cost!

And there was a lot more…Adam Harris and his team conducted numerous interactive workshops to help the VARs, MSPs and Vendors to benchmark their business skills and processes with loads of tips to improve! Vendors also got some deeper insights into how to empower their current channel partners to grow sales!

It’s impossible to provide you with the full scoop on what you missed at this 2-day event. The delegates that I spoke to told me that they got loads of valuable business building information to grow and make more profits. You just have to be at these amazing conferences to take the time to work ON your business instead of always IN your business!

You can also check out some of the video interviews that I did on www.ecntv.tv (should be posted soon), and if you are a VAR or MSP from the UK, you may request a free e-copy of the 40-page conference guide so you can get complete information. At least you can check out the information and explore for yourself.

One last thing for UK VARs and MSPs…Do not forget to benchmark your business health by taking the free assessment test at www.bestmanageditcompanies.co.uk It’s a good thing for you to know what you do not know, with zero risk to you!