SkyDesktop Cloud Services Provider: To Be, or Not To Be?

Oct 17
09:19

2012

Jennifer Hutchison

Jennifer Hutchison

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With SkyDesktop, you consolidate your Cloudapps into one location, connect with one login, and only need to contact one company for support. Check out this new way to do all your work in the Cloud.This article looks at the first of four blogs revolving around SkyDesktop's redefined Cloud Channel Partners Program and how it will be reshaping the Reseller industry.

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As a reseller,SkyDesktop Cloud Services Provider: To Be, or Not To Be? Articles you do it all. You do on-premise installations, Cloud setups, even hybrid Cloud/on-premise configurations. But the world of the reseller is changing. Today, several problems exist in the reseller community, namely ones regarding price control, time management, and customer retention. As a reseller, you’re probably familiar with a few of these problems, but you may not know how you can avoid these issues or you’re struggling with the fact that you’re losing customers and money to the ever-growing public Cloud.  In this series of blog posts, we’ll offer you three solutions that will empower you to overcome the major problems we see in the Cloud services provider community – all by using SkyDesktop, an innovative Cloud desktop designed with small business in mind.. Take Back Your BusinessConsider this example: after a lengthy process, you just closed a deal with a customer who wants a custom installation done. You’re excited and they’re excited. Realizing you need to involve your provider at this step, you move on to a discussion with them and find out the price you quoted your customer is wrong. Your quote is too low to meet the price that has been set by your provider. Now, you either have to go back to the customer and attempt to reopen the deal and re-negotiate the price, or you will have to simply cancel the deal and lose the customer. What do you do? A problem like this can affect your business’ income. Without the opportunity to control your own prices, how will your business grow and make more money? We will fully address this problem in our next blog.Take Back Your TimeAnother example: You’re working on an on-premise deployment for a customer. It’s a large custom job, which requires eight hours a day for three weeks between you and your hired help to complete. But while you’re working on this job and attempting to procure the next, another client’s system breaks down. Now you find the first job stretching from a three week installation to a month and a half, since your two-man team now needs to handle both the first installation as well as the broken system and any other support you’re giving to other clients. A problem like this can inhibit your business’ growth. Not having enough time means not having enough income that can then be used to help your business grow. The second blog in this series will help you solve this scenario by giving you the tools you need to cut your deployment times in more than half, freeing you up to go out and procure more jobs. Take Back Your CustomersThe last example: Say you close the deal after an extremely lengthy negotiation session. You’re celebrating because it’s a large account and that means a good amount of profit. The customer signs and you bring the paperwork to your provider. Your provider in return demands you pass the lead over to them. You have now lost control. You can no longer control your cash flow because you are on a net 30 or net 60 cycle for receiving payments, and you don’t know if your client is going to remember that you are their partner of record. It’s a mess. A problem like this can affect your customer retention and often dictates whether a Cloud services provider will sink or swim. If you’re always handing over leads then you are giving up control, and if you give up control, how can you gain a customer following? The third blog post in this series will answer this question and feature tips for getting around this common problem. ConclusionThese three scenarios are big problems in the VAR industry. Finding out how to prevent or negate these problems can put your business on the track to success and growth. The next three blog posts will explain solutions to each of these problems. Check them out and find out how you can take back your business, time, and customers. Curious about checking SkyDesktop out for yourself? Look into theSkyDesktop Channel Partners Programfor tips and information about how to find your own solution to these problems and more.