News & Views for Australian SBSCs

Ok. I must be living is a verry deep and dark pit.

What T Shirts ? What Kaseya discount ? what Martin Grunstein sessions ?

Do we have a communication breakdown here ?

There certainly is on the Partner Links:

http://members.microsoft.com/partner/public/error.aspx

...and has been for weeks.

Thanks Henry - definately sounds like there is a communications problem.

Will post something about the communications tools available for SBSCs.

Can you let me know where the above link has come from and I'll make sure its fixed.

Cheers

Lorna

Things I'd like to see for small Business ITs as SBSCs.

- A viable, active SBSC "Community" with a Microsoft presence for continual information exchange and feedback. - not just an occasional Blog or newsletter

- Things that help grow the business.

- Things that invrease the visibility and credibility of the business in the SMB market.

- Leads forwarded -to- the SBSCs not sucked off from them and handed to the Certified and Gold Partners..

- Things that increase the competitiveness of the SBSCs ( even at the expense of the Cert and Gold Partners - but also aginst the "Cowboys" )

- Access to Microsoft Financing

- MS weight in getting Increased vendor recognition / deals.

- T-PAMs

- Assistance and MS presence in putting on local events for SMB Prospects similar to the US "Microsoft Truck"

- Someone at Microsoft who knows who the SBSCs -ARE- and who know the SBSc as an Entity ( business/Individual )not as just a part of a global mailing / marketing list. ( this probably comes back to T-PAMs, "Community" and Squeeky wheels and oil )

- Access to heads up training on technology.

- Access to marketing and promotional material.

keep the T-Shirt, and let me buy a Logo'd BUSINESS Shirt from the MS shop or supplier ( ... perhaps I'll add -Sensibly- Logoed. Something with a dignified business presence. )

- points towards becoming a Certified Partner even as a Single Person It Business ( and not bu giving up my Client / Prospect base to MS ...see ref to cert and Gold partners previously... )

...and I could go on..but probably shouldn't

Henry Craven - CI Information Technology.

great, thanks Henry!

Quick question - you say a couple of times "things that will help you do....."

Can you elaborate on this? In particular "things that will help grow the business"

What do you need? Do you need HR support, do you want access to a marketing consultancy, do you want a business growth expert to help?

What do you think is a barrier to your business growing? Do you need better staff, do you need better prices from your suppliers?

Hi Lorna,

The one thing I would like is to not have it compulsory to have Action Pack subscription to be an SBS. I would prefer to make it so that you can have any Microsoft subscription, like Action Pack or Technet Plus or MSDN and still be eligible. Action Pack is a cut down version of Technet and it does not have download of software availability, plus it costs more per year than Technet Plus.

Other than that I am happy with the info we have been given and the special things we have received for the SBS community over the last twelve months.

Cheers

Paul Power