Business and Finance

So this is my last column with Channel Insider. After selling my MSP, I’ve taken a new role as the Director of Partner Community with Level Platforms, and the leap to the vendor side of the channel changes things for me.

CASE STUDY: Everybody is tasked with doing more with less these days, but for a school district with 2,500 out-of-date PCs and budget cuts looming, IT solution provider Presidio had to get creative with the solution. Here's how they did it.

Don't count on customer loyalty in 2012. According to a new study, fickle customers are among the top challenges that non-financial services companies will face this year. How will your company rise to the challenge?

IBM reported Q4 2011 earnings of 29.5 billion, showing a 4 percent increase in profits -- driven largely by software and services -- despite a dip in mainframe sales.

Microsoft's quarter saw robust business software and entertainment-product sales, although Windows sales remain soft.

Verizon and Netflix's recent gigantic errors in judgment can serve as lessons for the rest of businesses. Here's a look at the right way to treat customers.

If you are looking to augment your workforce with help for a special project or else add to your headcount, recruitment agencies that specialize in helping IT solution providers can help you find just the right fit.

So your VAR or MSP business doesn't have the resources to offer gourmet cafeteria food, free Coke and Mountain Dew or other Google/Facebook-style employee benefits? Here's a look at why employee benefits matter and how you can provide them even if your company bank account is tight.

I recently sold my MSP business, and now with the benefit of hindsight, here are the mistakes I believe I made when I started it and built it. Has your company made similar mistakes?

Most VARs and MSPs know they need to do marketing, but can't find the time. The ASCII Group's new e-newsletter service lets IT solution providers outsource their email newsletter marketing efforts with a customizable solution tailored to their own markets.

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares where the celebrity chef helps struggling restaurant owners fix what ails their businesses just may be the recipe to help you shape up your own business.

The research also revealed a significant opportunity to cut costs and reduce the level of product returns.

Autotask software manages critical business operations and processes for technology services-centric organizations.

MasterCard will provide a 10 percent savings to small business cardholders when they purchase Office 365.

Specializations can make the difference in a vendors or IT solution providers business in today's more competitive environment. But that doesn't mean there aren't issues to overcome. Here's a deeper dive into the world of specializations.

Everyone agrees that increasing the availability of capital to small business will help boost our economy. Two proposals in Washington now could encourage that by creating rules for crowdfunding, a way for a large group of investors to make small investments in a business.

The survey of 383 IT managers found trends in buying behaviors and permitted predictions of future security spending.

Only four in 10 business owners realize it is very important to know what their business is worth right now.

Eligible equipment includes laptop and desktop PCs, workstations and monitors, servers, blades and networking hardware.

High-performing business analysts are few and far between, and as a result highly compensated and in such high demand that poaching is prevalent.