Partner Spotlight: TechGuides, Inc.
Meet Jeff Sumner, President of TechGuides, Inc., a managed service provider and cybersecurity firm. At IT Nation Connect 2022, TechGuides won Cybersecurity Partner of the Year, as a company that has achieved success with ConnectWise Cybersecurity Management solutions.
About TechGuides, Inc.
Tell us about your company
TechGuides, Inc. has been in business for 24 years—that’s an eternity in this industry. It’s a testament to the strength of our team, their dedication, and their ability to get the job done right. We are a managed service provider (MSP) with a focus on cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has been a cornerstone of our offerings and our mission since we started. We’ve been able to enjoy year-over-year growth without increasing our headcount by continually taking advantage of automation tools and outsourcing opportunities, such as the ones offered by ConnectWise.
What’s a big win that you’re proud of?
We are proud of every win, since each one is a sign of the trust that our clients put in us to take care of their systems. It isn’t the win itself that we are necessarily proud of, it is the ability to deliver a project, a solution, or a relationship, faster and more efficiently than our predecessors.
What’s next for you and your business?
We want to keep growing! There are endless opportunities and potential clients out there and we want to get in front of them and show them what the TechGuides team can do for their businesses.
About the industry
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry?
The biggest challenge is the same challenge it has always been—change. This industry changes faster than most and you need to change with it or be left behind.
Is there one piece of advice you’d like to share with other IT solution providers?
Know your numbers. Know the difference between leading indicators and trailing indicators and what each of them mean. Know your sales, margins, and profitability. Numbers don’t lie. They will tell you the health of your business, if you are moving in the right direction, and which areas of your business you need to focus on.
Being a ConnectWise partner
Why did you choose ConnectWise?
We chose ConnectWise because it allowed full integration of our systems—ConnectWise RMM™ and ConnectWise PSA™. Our previous tools didn’t all live in the same ecosystem, and we wanted them all to be fully integrated.
What impact has ConnectWise had on your business?
ConnectWise has allowed us to grow the bottom line without increasing headcount. It has made us more efficient in our delivery and given us more visibility into our day-to-day operations.
What is the biggest benefit of your partnership with ConnectWise?
Communication. The ConnectWise team is always ready to talk with us, work through any issues, and give us advice on new ways to utilize their systems.
What’s something you want people to know about ConnectWise?
ConnectWise cares about your success—you are not just a number or a contract to them.
Any product features that were a game changer for you or your team?
The game changer for us was knowing all of the ConnectWise products—and just about all of our third-party products—would integrate together without workarounds. This allows us to have as close to a single pane view of our clients’ networks as possible.
And now for some fun!
Tell us a fun fact about you or your company
Our company was incorporated on the Ides of March. I don’t know if that is good, bad, or indifferent, but it makes it easy for me to remember our anniversary!
What’s a country or state you’d like to visit?
How much time do you have? The world’s huge and I’d like to see a lot of it. I would like to finish visiting all the states. I’ve seen 44 of them but those last six have been elusive.
What is one of your bucket list items?
This might sound boring, but I don’t have a bucket list. It’s only after I do something or visit somewhere that someone says, “Wow, that’s a bucket list item!” I don’t think in those terms since that’s thinking about the end and looking back before you even get there. I prefer to look forward.