Locke Takes Stock
The group started out as a series of regional special interest groups in California that banded together for more impact, according to Jim Locke, the solution provider currently serving as president. He estimates that the group includes among its 240 or so members probably 10 percent of the Microsoft Small Business Specialists in the United States. This is not a buying consortium. But the group is trying to create common messaging to help buoy the broad small-business VAR community. Membership costs roughly $30 per month.
“We&'re trying to develop some interest around the branding so the small-business owners know they can come to us,” Locke says. His own company, J.W. Locke and Associates is a 10-year-old organization based in Pasadena, Calif. His biggest reasons for becoming involved were to share operational ideas (such as how to ensure better accounts receivable and cash flow), selling/marketing techniques and hiring strategies. “There&'s a big difference between one and two employees; and even moreso between two and three,” Locke said.
Even so, certain vendors including Microsoft, SonicWall, Level Platforms, Autotask and Trend Micro are studying the group. “One of the things I&'ve been able to do is build some partnership relationships,” he said.
Look for more to come, especially as the services network trend continues with the likes of a new group created last week by ConnectWise and the 1NService network, which plans to hold its next meeting this coming weekend in Minnesota.