During the last major recession (2007-2009 financial crisis) I profiled Regus in Cupertino CA in the Silicon Valley and it's a sweet spot for companies downsizing (and it was also a social gathering for tired old guys that wanted to get away from momma and play business by day). And it was right next to a Indian lunch buffet!!!

In the old days when knights were bold and kings owned all the gold, the co-worker space pitch in my eyes was to avoid the sticky Starbucks table syndrome. 

SMB Nation (Austin, TX) has partnered with Technology Reseller (Vancouver, WA) to expand their joint portfolio to offer more solutions for Small and Medium Business (SMB) partners who are Managed Services Providers (MSP).

The partnership effectively doubles the audience with a strategic pen stroke. That consolidation results in more efficient solution delivery for the SMB MSP community sponsors to get better results and greater awareness. This is a new way to reach a qualified audience. 

Harry Brelsford interviews Matt Linn, co-founder and COO of Thread, an AI service desk that automates non-billable resources on the service desk, making them billable and reducing service costs through agentic workflows. Linn shares his background from a 10-year career with an MSP in New York City. Thread is announcing a new round of fundraising at the Series A stage to accelerate R&D and build faster. The company emphasizes its unique brand and customer-centric approach, showcasing this through creative booths at events. For 2026, Thread plans to enhance product offerings with better context for agents, more auto resolutions, and zero-touch tickets.

What if? What if automobile manufactures had both direct sales (e.g. Tesla) and a channel (e.g. CarMax)?  Such a strategy would cause tension to say the least. 

Yet this is already occurring in our beloved Small and Medium Business (SMB) - Managed Service Provider (MSP) ecosystem. I don’t know if the SMB MSP community sponsors all went to the same weekend seminar at a third tier airport hotel in a function room but I’m hearing the strategy articulated more than ever. 

Harry Brelsford, a veteran in the cannabis industry since 2014, discusses the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 300, which regulates hemp products. He supports the new regulations, including licensing, testing standards, packaging, labeling, and enforcement procedures, which he believes will improve safety and transparency. Brelsford highlights the need for tracking and traceability from seed to sale, similar to systems in states like Washington. He criticizes the proposed $20,000 annual licensing fee per location as punitive, particularly for small operators, and encourages public input on the regulations.

Harry Brelsford and Jamar discussed their experiences at the M&A Lectures in Orlando, highlighting the importance of selecting which speeches to attend. They met Paul Daigle, who introduced his business advisory board specializing in MSPs. Daigle's company offers a business evaluation service for less than $500 and a tool that assesses an MSP's value to a strategic buyer in 15 seconds. They also provide a free 100 million dollar MSP scaling roadmap and collaborate with vendors to offer discounted evaluations. Daigle emphasized the importance of benchmarking and best practices for MSP growth.

Harry Brelsford and Danny Obaseki discuss Danny's role at K Zero, a company focused on passwordless authentication for MSPs and their clients. Danny explains K Zero's all-in-one authentication suite, which aims to improve password hygiene, integrate password managers, and eventually eliminate passwords through biometrics. K Zero offers NFR (Not for Resale) licenses to partners, allowing them to use and understand the product better. Harry expresses interest in trying the product, particularly for its mobile support. Danny provides contact information for further inquiries and mentions K Zero's recent activities, including attending a hockey game in Montreal.

Happy New Year! Just several days left to participate in our SMB MSP community survey! We’ve enjoyed a robust response and just need a few more participants to close it out and generate a final report. Why participate? First of all our SMB Nation community and ecosystem needs members and others to go old school and help! Second, you might learn a few things are you complete this. 

Harry Brelsford and Jesse Miller discuss the evolution of MSP (Managed Service Provider) events, noting a preference for smaller, interactive workshops over large conferences. Jesse, founder of Power PSA Consulting, explains their "Power Grid VC" operating system for MSPs, which includes go-to-market planning and risk management. Jesse also shares his dual life as a farmer with a hobby farm and a family. They touch on the impact of AI on MSP services, emphasizing the need for MSPs to evolve into business guides and profitably offer VCIO, VCISO, and AI consulting services. Harry concludes by wishing Jesse a safe trip to Orlando.