Join Dave Doerre and tech expert Grace Schroeder on Smart Company as they sit down with **Harry Brelsford, the visionary founder of SMB Nation**. Discover Harry's incredible journey from working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to **buying an Apple II Plus in 1982 for $3,500 (nearly $14,000 today!)**, getting in early with tech, and building a global community for Microsoft Small Business Server. In this must-watch episode, Harry reveals:
- *The #1 Pain Point for SMBs:* Why small businesses must embrace a *cybersecurity stack* and how ignoring threats like ransomware can cripple even cloud data. Learn why many feel immune, but how modern attacks prove otherwise.
- *The Power of MSPs:* Understand why *Managed Services Providers (MSPs)**—the "computer guys" of today—are essential for SMBs, offering **recurring revenue models* ($80-100 per employee per month) for comprehensive tech and cybersecurity support.
- *Rapid Growth Strategies:* Harry advises MSPs to *acquire other small MSPs for rapid growth* instead of slow organic client recruitment. Plus, hear why *human-to-human interaction and referrals* are more crucial than ever in a world flooded with automated outreach.
- *Navigating the "Channels Ecosystem":* Delve into analyst Jay McBain's concept of the vast, complex tech "channels ecosystem". Harry emphasizes the critical need for *partnerships and alliances (P2P interaction)* as the days of the lone "Joe the computer guy" are ending.
- *AI for SMBs:* Grace and Harry discuss how SMBs can start leveraging AI by *addressing productivity bottlenecks with simple use cases* (e.g., normalizing data from PDFs and CSVs) to generate immediate savings. Discover the opportunity for those with domain expertise to **codify their knowledge into intellectual property using AI and low-code platforms**.
- **The Biggest Business Blooper: "Founder's Syndrome"**! Harry shares his own "face palm file" experience of being a founder reluctant to delegate, leading to overwork and siloed operations, and how **delegating vital tasks transformed his business**.
*Don't miss these invaluable insights into the future of small business technology and cybersecurity!* Here are four hashtags for the video, drawing on the podcast's key themes and discussions: