February 2012 - Kansas City, MO BTA Managed Services Workshop Set for Feb. 22-23 Kansas City, MO — On Feb. 22-23 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org) and Growth Achievement Partners (www.growthachievementpartners.com) will host the BTA Managed Services (MS) Workshop. Taught by Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners, the day-and-a-half BTA MS Workshop will show you how to set up a managed services business in your company. Areas of focus will include: the phases of the MS process, financial targets, packaging of services, MS systems and processes, staffing, dealing with competition and the MS sales process.  MS provides a tremendous market for MFP dealers. The small- to medium-sized business (SMB) customer is receptive to a new way of supporting its internal IT environment. The shift is occurring now, and forward-looking dealers have an opportunity to build a customer base in this growing market today. Once the shift occurs, winning new business will mean replacing the incumbent provider. MS offers a more cost-effective way for your customers to manage their current spending on IT support. The service features monitoring of network devices and ongoing administration using the latest in automation tools. As an example, utilizing mature technology tools, a help-desk technician can support eight to 12 times the number of devices that an on-site resource can manage. This equates to 300 to 400 workstation devices per technician. It is simply a better way to manage the network using more technology and automation and less labor. And, there are the benefits of centralization. Proactive support means the computer tells you there is an issue before the system crashes. You fix it before it breaks and send an invoice every month. Reviews of the workshop have been positive. Here is a sampling of what attendees are saying: ·         “It is rare that you can attend a workshop and be given a binder that is a complete ‘how-to’ for building a new business. The seminar takes you through your target market, how to sell to the market, and the staffing and operations plan. This workshop delivers a business plan that delivers respectable margins for many businesses and the envy for most. Great job!” — Robert Sombach, Nexent Innovations, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada ·         “This course was able to provide the tools and basic skills needed to design and implement MS/help-desk services in a concise and easy-to-apply package. Superb.” — Carl Schiller, DocuSystems Inc., Myrtle Beach, S.C. ·         “This class was very beneficial in the overview and challenge for dealerships to get on board with managed network services or face the possibility of becoming extinct.”  — Dave Varney, Millennium Business Systems, Cincinnati, Ohio Morgan founded the Connectivity Dealer Program from NIA in 1991. After his business was acquired by IKON Office Solutions in 1996, he led its Technology Services division. In 2001, he formed the Professional Services division for IKON. Morgan has been consulting with CEOs on strategy, operations, organizational development and sales since 2005.             Ryne brings significant experience in driving growth and profitability in the solutions business. His tenure includes 10 years at IKON Office Solutions, where he built a high-performing, well-integrated professional services business unit. Ryne possesses a comprehensive understanding of the industry that includes traditional and emerging opportunities from both a sales and operations perspective. For more information or to register, visit www.bta.org/MS or call (800) 843-5059.