Articles by Arlin Sorensen

  1. A Christmas List For The Small Business Owner In Your Life 12/23/2015

    Running a company isn’t as simple as most business owners thought, and the longer they do it, the more disenfranchised they become. It just wasn’t supposed to be this hard. How do you buy a gift for a person like that? Here are a few thoughts on what small business entrepreneurs and owners might like.

  2. What Effect Are M&As Having On The Channel? 10/23/2015

    M&A is definitely the buzz in the channel today. Not only on the IT managed services provider (MSP)/solutions provider front, but also in the vendor/cloud provider area as well. Things are changing rapidly as companies acquire, merge, partner, or find any number of ways to combine forces. The landscape changes daily, and the discussion is about where the next deal will come from. 

  3. What To Consider When Planning Your Business Exit Strategy (Part II) 8/20/2015

    In the first post of this series, I talked about the financial preparation required to maximize your outcome when you exit your business. Of course, that assumes you will sell or value the company at exit.

  4. What To Consider When Planning Your Business Exit Strategy, Part I 7/24/2015

    One of the areas I spend considerable time on is helping business owners prepare for and then complete an exit from the business they often founded and have worked in for decades. Let’s get one thing straight:  It is a big deal for an entrepreneurial owner to exit his or her business. In fact, it is a very big deal. The saddest call I receive comes from a small business owner that has worked in their company for decades. It was their creation, and they have poured sweat and blood into building it to where it is today.

  5. The Best Business Advice: Don't Worry About What Other People Think 7/15/2015

    I grew up in a family where advice was flowing most of the time, whether solicited or not. My dad was always providing his perspective on life and all things happening around us. For a lot of years, I really didn’t appreciate it so much. But as I grew older and actually began to listen to what he said, it suddenly became a lot more relevant. Now that he’s gone especially, I recognize the brilliance of much of what he shared and wish he were still here as I know I have more to learn.

  6. The Transition From Entrepreneur To Leader (Part 2): Multiply Influence by Maximizing Engagement 7/13/2015

    In a previous blog post entitled “The Transition from Entrepreneur to Leader,” I wrote that without a doubt the biggest challenges most small businesses face revolve around people in the key areas of leadership (the people at the top) and employees (the people who do the work).  In this installment I want to write about people and what we as leaders need to do to ensure we maximize engagement for the people on our teams.

  7. 10 Things Effective Leaders Do 5/21/2015

    Here is a list of things I find effective leaders doing — and doing well. See how many make your list of accomplishments.

  8. 20 Great Books That Can Help Build Your IT Solutions Provider's Leadership Team 4/14/2015

    Building a leadership team is an ongoing challenge. Yet it is one of the single most important tasks an owner/entrepreneur must do. Fortunately, there are many great books that can help make the task a little simpler.

  9. 25 “Leadership Learnings” To Help You At The Helm Of Your IT Solutions Provider 4/9/2015

    I am blessed to be able to spend a lot of time with leaders from all over the globe. Over the years, I’ve collected some observations about the disciplines and habits they live by. Here is a compilation of things I’ve observed and learned as I’ve watched these leaders do what they do.

  10. Top 10 Pieces Of Advice For A Growing MSP (If I Only Knew Then…) 4/6/2015

    Building a managed services practice is a tedious and never ending process. I first got involved in building a managed service practice at HTS (Heartland Technology Solutions), back in 2005 when the topic became a focus for our HTG group. I sold HTS in 2012, but I still vividly recall the meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, when the group debated the idea of managed services — this concept of providing flat fee services for a monthly rate.