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158: Balanced Billing & The "Partner Plan" With Richard Wingfield Of Envision Design

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Recorded on may 31, 2016

TOPICS:

Richard B. Wingfield - Head Geek, Envision Design, LLC of Houston Texas:"I have been using Mac's in business since original Macintosh in '84 and Envision, as a consulting firm, has been around since 1993. Started part time as sole proprietor and 20+ years later we are now a firm of 5 full time consultants here in Houston.  

I tell people I am a "recovering architect" as I got my start in technology practicing architecture and being the "tech guy" in every firm I ever worked for. I even helped manage a DEC vax/vms system for a firm in Austin soon after graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in Architecture. 

This episode examines Richards own "recipe' for Managed Services. Here is a brief description as discussed:

… Simple Hybrid Partner Plan is setup so almost all the clients “get it” and are not confused about how it works

- 3 part invoice is made up of

- small monthly fee per device (each mac, each windows, each iOS or android, each server… fees like $25/mac or $49/windows or $250/server etc) client must enroll ALL computers in the office (cant get cheap and have some on the system and some not)

- our “consluting fee” - which is time for humans to do the work to manage, monitor, secure and maintain systems and ALWAYS includes a minimum of one 2hr visit per month

(more if needed or requested)

- fees for services or hosting (if we host kerio email or rackspace or web or crashplan backups or re-sell backblaze) 

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You can find more about Richard and  Envision design here: Web: http://www.envisiondesign.net

Twitter: @GEEKSapplied

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- Enjoy Command Control Power and want more commercial free programs? Please visit our Patreon Page where you can support Command Control Power and help us bring you more commercial free programming.

Thanks to all our Contributors: JD Strong - Strong Solutions
Daniel Escobar - Proactechs, Luis Giraldo- MonkeyBox

 

157: Watchman Monitoring & Zendesk Integration - Getting Started

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Recorded  on May 24, 2016

This weeks show is sponsored by Drobo, a family of safe, expandable , yet simple to use smart array. Drobo's are designed to protect your important data forever. Visit www.drobo.com to learn more.

This week we welcome back, Jack-Daniyel Strong (aka “JD” in the ACN Community) is the President of J-D Strong Consulting, Inc. and Strong Solutions. As a member of the Apple Consultants Network, J-D Strong Consulting grew over the last 12 years from a one-man consultancy to Strong Solutions, an Apple Authorized Reseller and Service Provider for the Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho area. Strong Solutions' sole focus is on Mac OS and iOS solutions for Small and Medium Business.

Twitter @SpokaneMac
Website: Strong Solutions - https://jdstrong.com
Email: jack@spokanemac.com

Watchman Monitoring is a favorite tool of ours that should be in every professional consultant's toolkit.

Visit WatchmanMonitoring.com/cmdctrlpwr and sign up for your free trial to find out how Watchman Monitoring can keep an eye on your client machines and notify you of over 100 issues. Be sure to tweet @cmdctrlpwr #CCPsentme to support the show!


- Zendesk - https://www.zendesk.com/

"Zendesk provides a cloud-based customer support platform which allows quicker and easier interaction between businesses and customers"

- Zendesk Pricing  - https://www.zendesk.com/product/pricing/
Note: Requires TEAM Level For Both Macros & Automations

- "Reopen Unanswered Tickets In 7 Days" & "Resolved. Close In 3 Days"
https://community.watchmanmonitoring.com/t/zendesk-automation-to-reopen-an-unanswered-ticket-in-7-days/1428

- Turn Tickets Into Prepared Responses WIth Macros
https://www.zendesk.com/blog/tip-of-the-week-turn-tickets-into-prepared-responses-with-macros/

-  Join The Watchman Community - https://community.watchmanmonitoring.com

- Stop Sign Sticker - https://www.mavericklabel.com/products/cheap-labels.html

 

 

 

 

- Watchman Monitoring Sample Support Agreements
https://github.com/watchmanmonitoring/SupportAgreement

- Go To Strong.care to test the mailer

 

094: Remind me on a website

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Recorded on March 17, 2015

This week's show has been brought to you by the fine folks at Backblaze: Online Backup Made Easy. Visit Backblaze.com/ccp to sign up for their Partner Program and ask for your free license of Backblaze. Try Backblaze and see just how great it is!

Topics:

- Joe thinks Reminders should have the ability to remind me "on a website" (in addition to "on a day" and "at a location"). How great would it be to be reminded when you end up on Amazon or MonoPrice that you need some cable or whatever?

- Apple engineer explains how the new MacBook came to be

- Jerry's funny wifi story

- Sam's Apple Store saga: cracked screen, poorly seated memory, failed migration; seltzer (goes well with sushi â€“ see also: non-alcoholic beer)

- Joe's client attempted a self-directed email server migration at noon on a Wednesday; see also: Episode 077: Trust No One, Yoseminite Sam in regards to a serious permissions issue caused by a prior consultant

- Sam's client turned off Time Machine, but Backblaze saved the day

- Jerry reminds us of Bender, which saved the day for his client

- Joe's CCC praise: migrating to new SSD in new machine, Carbon Copy Cloner identifies drives across reboots, and across different startup disks

- Sam encounters (and solves – remotely) "unapproved caller: SecurityAgent may only be invoked by Apple software"

- Joe teases an upcoming segment about upgrading a client's van

092: What's in the Bag

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Recorded on March 3, 2015

Jerry, Sam, and Joe walk through the contents of their tech bags. Don't miss the images posted to CommandControlPower.com.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Joe's special video feature! (Password: ccp)

We're sponsored this week by Watchman Monitoring, a favorite tool of ours that should be in every professional consultant's toolkit.

Visit WatchmanMonitoring.com/cmdctrlpwr and sign up for your free trial to find out how Watchman Monitoring can keep an eye on your client machines and notify you of over 100 issues. Be sure to tweet @cmdctrlpwr #CCPsentme to support the show!

Topics:

- Jerry shares some great recommendations including WiebeTech UltraDock, Wiha 91118 pouch, and Skooba Design Cable Stable Mini.

- Sam shares the backstories behind carrying Atlas gloves, Gunnar computer glasses, and his set of client keys.

- Joe talks briefly about building PsiTool, and recommends mesh pouches to keep cables, adapters, and tools organized. Also, don't forget to bring cleaning supplies, and fasteners like twist ties, cable ties, anchors, and screws.