Microsoft o365 and the typical, American Small or Mid-Sized Business (SMB)

Christopher Rauch, MA of genevievesolutions.com

Owner, Senior Advisor, Solution Architect, Project(s) Manager, Company Builder

"Adopting Microsoft o365 is sometimes difficult for the SMB market because of the unknown, perceived "series of high hurdles." However, once they jump over that first HURDLE, Wow!" If they don't admit that there is a first hurdle, o365 can just sit there, idle, as raw, unleashed, potential.

In many respects, that's the cloud. It's also a red pill, blue pill thingy. I favor the red ones.

I have seen many small, moderately successful companies still stuck-in-a-rut, not interested in o365, not understanding their full-potential, or even, their single point(s) of possible business failure. A new generation is on-the-move … it’s exciting, it’s inevitable. What is your SMB going to do about it? You need to find and nurture friends. How about genevieve?

Some SMBs, virtual gold mines, are still like, in the 80s, with walls of filing cabinets, and ten year old softwares? Even, aging, paranoid business owners and fat embedded employees, they are miserable and, at the same time, all a wee bit too comfortable ... it's a security, control thingy. Change IS fear! Problemo: "When the cake walk music stops ... and it always does, there ain't going to be no chairs." Just what sort of legacy do you want to leave behind?

genevieve Solution’s mantra is:

“SOLVE PROBLEMS. CREATE OPPORTUNITY.” Regarding the SMB, she, genevieve, brings significant operational and technology expertise to-the-table. I call it: 1.) management consulting; 2.) microsoft o365; and, 3.) This critical, third dimension, which is increasingly significant: global resource and insight.

Many SMBs (particularly mom n pops) would call this "fancy talk." (They don't know, what they don't know.) Remember the 1950s? Money, in America, just flowed?? The golden age. A middle class! No worries. No enemies. They chose to purchase, cars! Modern, affordable technology! It took them to new places. I have seen the pictures!

My one response: "DUCES!!!!!"

You see, in this 2016 world, CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH IS THE NEW ENEMY! THE NEW HITLER! That SHOULD be very motivating, if not a call to rally, 99% of us, for a variety of reasons and especially for the SMB owner. (Unless you're sleeping or, on the "H?") You should really contemplate this .... Unless your happy greeting folks at Walmart or spinning signs on the street corner (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Two (2) giant, colossal tech companies recognize this immutable American fact and are hedging the shit out-of-it: SMBs will shape America's future! PRAISE JESUS! Take the red pill! (Of course they still like their stodgy, FAT corporate dollars, but then ...)

Consider the following:
•Microsoft – via the o365 subscription model (say, US$15 dollars monthly/per user) you get access to billions of dollars of software and, as a consequence, Fortune 500 transactional capability. Problem is, what does an SMB do with it? Microsoft guidance is, generic. There is a Gold and Silver cartel but, that's another story ..... hint: Ask genevieve!
• goDaddy – also understands, somewhat, the SMB marketplace and, to a lesser extent, SMB problem particulars. goDaddy. It is not just about selling o365 cloud technology and "tech support." What your missing is a certain signature "grit" or "tenacity" to design meaningful info architectures and softwares to drive adoption at various SMB industry levels (some may call this true commitment). hint: Ask genevieve!

The o365 SMB business case (lower costs, higher profits) can however, be quite compelling. What genevieve Solutions maintains, is that a majority of these SMBs need professional “consulting services” because they don't know what they don't know.

Consider for a moment the potential of what o365 professional services can deliver, at a very minimum:

• improved company morale * multi-user, collaborative systems * mobility * integration with your most promising partners * work at home, in your jammies * change control * data centralization * one version of the truth * an aggregate, real time view of your business * automatic business alerts * flexibility and responsiveness to market demands * transparency * process improvement * better manage growth * increased customer satisfaction * lower costs * increased margins * do more, with less * et. al!

Those are SMB bargaining chips, for organizations offering o365 professional services, right out on-the-table.

Never think an SMB owner isn’t thinking about the numbers, it's one of their favorite tricks! Technology cost is now nearly nil, less than oil? The magic, strategic, expensive bullet is expertise. Oh the games they play!

You don't just get the technology and "turn-the-switch." You see, SMBs are not always hip to paying for, expertise? Even when the business case makes sense. "WHY SOME OF THESE SMB COWBOYS IN ARIZONA, THE DUMBEST STATE IN THE UNION, LIKE TO ARTIFICIALLY GET IT IN THEIR MINDS THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONSULTANTS ARE JUST, "LABOR." I have seen it dozens of times. My "professional rate" for example IS higher than that of a plumber! Period. LOL. And, it should be ...

And, I almost forgot to mention, a most important topic for the SMB business owner: your increased business valuation? UuuHuuum? It is almost always worth at least 10K of professional services, if you have just a little bit of volume, and multiple employees, to have a "computerized model" of the company, especially if you don't have one in 2016! Stay vigilant, my friends!

That real-time, custom "Ticker-Tape" of business activity IS priceless ...

Now, younglings, attend! Here is a chance to get in-the-game. Here is 20 years of experience compacted, just how you like it:
1.Approach potential SMB client in a respectful manner and be all about business;
2.Take time to understand your SMB client problems and opportunities;
3.Develop trust and cajole your client into passing along to you their most active/popular operational spreadsheet;
4.Model that in a multi-user o365 Sharepoint list (genevieve can help);
5.Demo that to your SMB client. Cha Ching! Client understands o365;
6.Assuage any grief, Close the Sale; and
7.Rinse/Repeat.

I have seen this work, time and time again ... call it genevieve's secret. It's the simple things that can grow beyond expectation and get your foot in-the-door. In larger companies, I have witnessed teenie, tiny demos that have ultimately lead to million dollar contracts. Not the elaborate, fancy stuff.

genevieve Solutions (www.genevievesolutions.com) is happy to assist, at multiple-levels. Come join my o365 tenant!

With o365/SharePoint external sharing enabled, we got this, our clients get up-and-running in days … they see value STRAIGHT AWAY. You may have just nailed a client for life. If you are really hungry, talk with genevieve Solutions? We pay 10% finders fee and offer free grit and world-class insight and expertise via screen shares. GOT GRIT? (genevieve already likes you.)

GO AMERICAN SMB. SOLVE PROBLEMS. CREATE OPPORTUNITY.

BUSINESS OWNERS AND CREATORS: HOW CAN YOU GROW, SOLIDIFY OR IMPROVE YOUR SMB? IT’S STARTS WITH YOUR EXISTING BOOK-OF-BUSINESS, THAT’S PROBABLY IN A SPREADSHEET OR EVEN, PHYSICAL FILES … DIS-CONNECTED, NOT CENTRALIZED. YOUR ARE BEHIND IN-THE-TIMES? YOU HAVE TO OPEN-UP, TRUST PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE AND HAVE THAT SINCERE INTEREST IN SOLVING PROBLEMS AND CREATING OPPORTUNITY. IT’S A VERY AMERICAN THING TO DO ….