ChannelTrends: Identify Your Management Skill Set – and How an IT Peer Group Can Support It

You don’t need to hold an MBA or be a CPA to run an IT channel organization, though either probably helps. Few solution providers have a formal education in business, human resources or finance, yet many manage dozens – perhaps even hundreds or thousands – of highly skilled employees. Acquiring office skills and insight isn’t easy for many tech-oriented individuals, just as gaining computer and network technology expertise would likely be no simple task for most executives.

Not to underestimate all the hard work that goes into building a successful solution provider business, but most tech-oriented business owners’ management skills place them in one of three categories:

1. Born naturals: These tech-savvy individuals have the ability to learn and master whatever skills they need to perfect their operations.


2. Associates:  These tech people prefer to partner with a business professional who can handle finance, payroll and other key office responsibilities. That frees the tech to focus more time on his or her clients’ needs and on landing new business.


3. Team members: These individuals often hire or partner with a diverse group of professionals or pool resources with other businesses to acquire the proper skills.

Of course, none of these camps is exclusive and almost all organizations turn into teams as they grow. Nothing prevents a born-natural from partnering with a management professional or collaborating with an industry organization to launch a new business. The vast majority of solution provider companies begin as a one-man shop. No VAR or MSP business is exactly the same as its counterparts, but many of the issues their management teams encounter are quite similar.

Regardless of management skills, many solution providers understand the value of collaborating with their industry peers, whether through local alliances or as part of a larger geographical community. The plethora of IT channel working groups validates the importance of teamwork, whether the participants own a one-man shop or a multi-location solution provider business.

Networking and collaborating with others who have similar issues and opportunities is not a new idea, but it can be especially beneficial to members of the IT channel. Peer group members work together to improve their collective businesses through discussions and the exchange of information, including industry and individual best practices. These communities may be facilitated by experienced group facilitators or self-guided (i.e., member-led), with each designing its organizational structure and rules to address the specific needs of its contributors.

IT channel-focused peer groups typically address many aspects of running a solution provider business, though a number of communities focus on specific vendor partners such as Microsoft, Autotask or ConnectWise. These collaborative industry forums can be traced back to Business Technology Centers. The BTC was founded by several VAR executives under the guidance of Intelligent Electronics. They created the group more than 20 years ago after a conversation at one of the distributor’s annual conferences, joining forces to break into new markets and expand their business practices. Within a year, the BTC had grown to more than 500 members; giving each greater access to the major industry vendors and helping them increase their portfolios and sales. When Ingram Micro acquired Intelligent Electronics, the group transformed into what is now known as the VentureTech Network.

For solution providers who don’t feel they have the skills needed to run and grow their business in today’s rapidly shifting technological and economic environment, it’s time to consider membership in an IT peer group. Those communities come with a variety of business and technology opportunities. Some are completely vendor neutral (i.e. the professional CompTIA Communities), while others are hosted or facilitated by vendors, distributors or for-profit organizations. In addition to the peer groups mentioned above, several others are available to help solution providers address a myriad of issues, including organizations such as:

• 4-Profit


• Business Technology Association (BTA)


• HTG Peer Groups


• Master Mind Group Coaching Program


• Service Leadership Index Groups


• Taylor Business Groups


• Tech Select (Tech Data)


• Varnex (SYNNEX)

For those who want to focus more of their time on winning new business rather than spending endless hours working on the same issues many others have already overcome, it’s time to join a peer group. Start out by finding a community that addresses issues similar to those your company faces, with members who have a variety of experiences and skills that complement your own. Of course, these groups expect solution providers to share freely and contribute their own ideas. Admission to these collaborative communities may not be free, but the ROI can be extremely rewarding.

Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at [email protected].