Monday, November 23, 2015

MCC Partner News from Microsoft: Invest in cost-effective technology to grow your business

Do you spend money on technology, or do you invest in technology? If you
spend money on technology, you buy software after you already need it.
 Purchasing is reactive. Excess money is spent on services you ‘think’ you’ll 
need, but do not actually use. 

If you invest in technology, you do things a little differently. You think long-term
 and invest in solutions that grow with you. And you find innovative ways to
wring more value out of every dollar.
Cloud technology – more for your money
Today, the investment approach is best represented by cloud computing.
When your IT solutions are hosted in the cloud, you avoid high capital expenses
associated with on-premises technology. That’s true even when you need to
add more storage or host new applications. And business costs are more predictable
 with the flexible subscription models offered by many cloud solutions.
Hybrid cloud – an easy first step
The cloud is not an all-or-nothing proposition. You may want to keep some
 applications on your in-house servers, and move others to the cloud. With
the “hybrid” approach, you have the flexibility to run your apps and host your
 data in the way that is best for your business. That could be onsite, in the
cloud, or both.

A great place to start is with solutions like Office 365, Microsoft Azure, and
Windows Server. Using one, all, or a combination of the three, you can quickly
 adapt to changing business demands with affordable solutions.

If you want to host your applications in the cloud, Office 365 provides anywhere
 access to the familiar Office experience, from desktop to device. And
Microsoft Azure offers a fully managed cloud infrastructure to host business apps.
 You get the ability to quickly deploy new apps or move them from onsite
 servers to the cloud when it makes sense.
Virtualization – minimize operating costs
If you do have servers running on-site apps, expanding your business often
requires new servers to support added software. But, using a server with
virtualization built in, like Windows Server 2012 R2, lets you run more apps on
 the same server. You get added capacity without the added cost of new hardware,
 IT maintenance, and power bills.

Virtualization can also make the upgrade process simpler. This is especially
important if you’re running Windows Server 2003 because support will end
for this product (incl. Windows Small Business Server 2003) on July 14, 2015.
 Upgrade now to Windows Server 2012 R2.
Pay as you go
Whether you were purchasing servers, software or services, the “spend” approach
used to be the only option. You had to pay up-front for what you thought you’d need,
 be it more storage or a new email application. Now, cloud technologies offer a
 more efficient payment model: pay as you go.

Better yet, don’t wait until you need new IT solutions. Take a first step into the
cloud and you can start saving money while also preparing for growth.
Invest in your future 
The next time you need new technology, think about how you can invest your
money smarter. Can you lower upfront costs with the cloud’s pay-as-you-go
 structure? Use the hybrid model to move to the cloud on your terms? Get more
 value out of your servers through virtualization?

For example, Office 365 is a flexible subscription that covers a suite of apps.
This payment structure minimizes upfront costs and provides the flexibility to
quickly change your subscription based on the number of users or services. With
 Microsoft Azure, you pay only for resources you use. From there, you can adjust
 service up or down to meet changing business demands.

MCC Partner News from Microsoft: Grow your small business without losing passion or purpose

Many businesses are born because entrepreneurs have a strong sense of purpose – there's a problem to solve or a passion they can offer the world. As a business grows, it's infused with an electric sense of possibility from new people and ideas. But it's often during these times of growth that entrepreneurs feel like their grasp on everything is slipping away.
We approached Gino Wickman, founder of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a business system that helps companies mold strong leadership teams for long-term success. Gino, an entrepreneur since the age of 21, is the bestselling author of Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business. In the below post, and this great video, he shares his insights on breaking through to the next level without losing sight of yourself or your business.
–Cindy
Most of our clients come to us because they're hitting a ceiling. It's a natural phenomenon that many companies experience once they passed the startup phase. Now they're a successful small or mid-sized business, but they've grown to a point where sheer passion and drive isn't enough to carry the organization forward. There's a need for systems, process, structure and leadership.
One of my favorite examples is Sachse Construction, a Detroit-based commercial construction firm, which has been an EOS client for over 10 years. Founder Todd Sachse's business was hitting a major ceiling when he reached out to us, but he couldn't point to a specific reason or problem.
In our decades of helping small businesses get unstuck, we've been able to take this intangible feeling of frustration and get to its core. Fundamentally, it's about the people – after all, businesses run on human energy.
What Sachse needed was an operating plan to harness this energy and channel it in the right direction. We got to work helping Sachse build a strong leadership team with laser focus. First, we got the business owner and the leadership team into one room for a series of full-day sessions. The idea was to give them a holistic approach to treating the entire company, rather than just symptoms.
Below are a few tips we used during these sessions that you can use in your own business:
1.) Share your vision for the company – The first step is to get the leadership team's ideas out of their heads and into writing. This lets you see where there's overlap with the rest of your team and where there's almost no alignment.
2.) Get your leadership team to agree on answers to eight core questions – To do this in a structured way, we use the EOS Vision/Traction Organizer, which you can download for free. The basic questions are:
  • What are our core values?
  • What's our business's core focus or sweet spot?
  • What's our 10-year target?
  • What's our marketing strategy?
  • What's the 3-year picture?
  • What's the one-year plan?
  • What are the quarterly priorities?
  • What are all the issues, obstacles, and barriers that we have to solve?
3.) Develop a vision statement based on your answers – Every effective leadership team has a strong vision statement that defines who they are, what they do, where they are going and how they will get there. This will inform every decision within the company for years to come. It's your guiding light, even as people come and go.
4.) Create a solid leadership team based on the vision – This was a real challenge for Sachse because there ended up being some changes to the original team. This isn't unusual, though. I'd say about eighty percent of the time, we end up making changes to the leadership team.
But this isn't a value judgment or indictment. Rather, it's about defining the core functions of the business. Put simply, the leadership team is made up of the people who head up these major functions. For this process, I use an Accountability Chart and the People Analyzer to ensure the right people are in the right seats.
Once the new leadership team and vision statement are in place, then the answers to formerly confusing decisions seem to come into focus. You get unstuck. This is when companies begin to see a shift in culture that cracks the ceiling.
As for Sachse Construction, over a decade later, they've experienced incredible growth – as much as 400-500% – through a recession in one of the hardest hit cities. But over the years, they've had to get unstuck more than once.
If you find yourself getting stuck again, go back to the vision your leadership team agreed on and work towards getting everyone on board again. Once you have the structure in place, it's as simple as reviewing, refining, and reminding yourself about the core focus that gave you passion and purpose in the first place.
For more information, visit the Microsoft Business Hub. You can find detailed information on the Entrepreneurial Operating System here.

MCC Partner News from Microsoft: Stickability is the Key

In my time meeting with SMB owners — from Millennials to Boomers — across the country, I've learned that there's no single factor that can guarantee future success. Instead, there are a dizzying array of traits, unique circumstances and opportunities that determine who thrives and who doesn't. There are, however, characteristics found in so many successful people, it's difficult to deny their influence. Greg Reid, a motivational speaker and author of the Think and Grow Rich series, says one such factor is "stickability"  — a term he coined to describe the persistence of those who have gone on to become great business leaders. In the below post, Greg shares his perspective on why stickability is the single most important quality to be cultivated in anyone who aspires to be a business owner. I'm thrilled to have Greg contribute a series of content to the SMB blog and think you'll find great insight from his unique approach to achievement and motivation.
–Cindy
One of the greatest single traits shared by men and women who have been successful in business — and in pursuit of their life goals — is persistence. I like to call that quality stickability, which the great Napoleon Hill, the father of the modern philosophy of success, recognized in these words:
"One reason why most men seldom accumulate fortunes until they have passed well beyond the 40-year goal post of life is that they must undergo failures and adversities and overcome sufficient obstacles to develop in them sufficient knowledge to accumulate wealth."
In other words they must — a strong and unmistakable commandment — persist in following their dreams, their most cherished ideas through to the end. Of course, exceptions to every rule abound (think of the twenty-something billionaires of the technology revolution), but it's fascinating to observe how stickability — the ability of the determined leader to stick like glue to a passionately held goal through any and all adversity — works as a powerful tool for all who choose to employ it.
I spoke to Martin Cooper, a visionary and an excellent example of stickability. Credited as the inventor of the modern-day cellular phonehe took advantage when the opportunity presented itself. He didn't procrastinate, but took continued action against doubters and unparalleled obstacles.
Cooper began by developing portable products, including the first hand-held police radios made for the Chicago police department, and citywide pagers, which lead to the invention of the first 800 MHz cellular phone, often called the “Brick" in 1973. You remember those big devices seen on Miami Vice that weighed about 2.5 pounds each?
Sure there were car phones at the time, but nobody thought that having a portable phone would be of any value. Martin, however, saw things differently and envisioned that the phone should be so portable that it could go anywhere.
After countless hours of trial-and-error, and in defiance of skeptics, Cooper eventually became the first person in history to make a public call using what he referred to as a "personal telephone."
By 2006, Martin Cooper and his wife, Arlene Harris (an ingenious innovator in her own right), had founded Great Call, makers of Jitterbug, in cooperation with the Verizon network. They marketed it to the elderly and those specifically looking for simplicity — a true modern example of applying the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" (KISS) formula in a practical and successful manner.
What was the secret behind this success story? The understanding that stickability has to be consistent with flexibility. Balance between persistence and flexibility is crucial. Sometimes you can take stickabilitytoo far. It's important to know the difference between perseverance and stubbornness.
You must be able to adjust if needed. This means, of course, that you first have to be able to identify when adjustments need to be made. You must be fair and open with yourself. Sometimes this includes listening to others' feedback, even when you don't wish to hear it.
According to Cooper, obstacles can do one of two things:
One, they can make you quit.
Or, two, they can reinforce your resolution.
How many creations in our lives would we not have today if the inventors had let obstacles stop them?
What would your life look like if you had quit after the first failed attempt? You would have never learned how to walk, ride a bike or even drive. Do you still have the same level of determination and persistence that you had in your youth to achieve your goals?
When faced with challenges, leaders know that if one process fell short, another one would eventually succeed. This a fact; not something to be hoped for. For every obstacle there is a solution — and the solution is simply never to quit before all options have been exhausted.
Martin Cooper's thoughts are summarized in this powerful message: The key is to listen to your inner voice, and outside counsel, while being willing to adjust along the journey.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

MCC Member News: P&V Enterprises Successfully Produces “Hybrid” Meeting to 600+ Viewers Worldwide

P&V Enterprises Successfully Produces “Hybrid” Meeting to 600+ Viewers Worldwide
All-day event is broadcast live to participants in 80 countries,
and 50 in-house attendees


New York, NY – November 6, 2015 — When Manhattan-based P&V Enterprises, an event planning, production and management firm, was asked by a global NGO to produce an all-day “hybrid” meeting, with live interaction from an online international audience from 80 countries worldwide, they jumped at the opportunity.
“We had handled several meetings and webcasts for this client in the past,” said P&V President and Partner Pat Ahaesy, “but never anything on this scale. It took over two months of planning and we drew up a lot of contingency plans, just in case.”
The event was held from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Scandinavia House in New York City to an in-house audience of about 50 attendees, and simultaneously broadcast around the globe to online participants as far-flung as Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Mongolia.
While some juggling was necessary to accommodate the multiple time zones of attendees and presenters, the major logistic challenge was great disparities in bandwidth size and reliability per geographic region, which could dramatically affect the broadcast.
As a troubleshooting precaution, P&V pre-recorded the presentations of all remote speakers, through Webex, to ensure accessibility and broadcast quality. These pre-recorded presentations were incorporated into the Wirecast streaming software and run on the 1Beyond StreamMachine multi-camera “TV studio in a box” video system. This solution enabled P&V to simultaneously deal with the speakers as they came online, as well as service the live audience and global webcast participants. Everyone could see the event as it was actually taking place.
more…



“It was my job to watch the virtual presentations in case there were any glitches, so we could take action immediately to remedy the situation,” said Ahaesy. “Fortunately, everything ran smoothly, so my job was made easy.”
“What amazing teamwork from P&V Enterprises,” said M. Carmelita Francois, Project Manager. “We had more than 50 attendees in-house and 600 online participants from 80 countries, representing government partners, local academia, researchers, and international organizations. To this day, I am still getting email from participants about how great the event was. P&V’s team did a super job.”
To learn more, contact Pat Ahaesy, P&V Enterprises, at (212) 534-3052 or pahaesy@pnventerprises.com.

About P& V Enterprises
Founded in 1994, P&V Enterprises creatively leverage technology for seamless and successful client events. They provide a full spectrum of event planning, production, webcasting, webinars, online event registration and management services for a wide range of corporations, associations, not-for-profits and educational institutions. President Pat Ahaesy, CMP, CSEP and Executive Producer Vincent Ahaesy have a combined 55+ years experience in event production and lead a team of talented professionals and strategic partners who share their passion for creating memorable events that are visually stunning, seamlessly-executed, within budget, and as stress-free for their clients as possible. The company also provides additional event management assistance through its two subsidiaries: PNV Registration for online and on-site event registration and PNVWebcasts which provides live and on-demand webcasting solutions, from simple one camera to multiple camera solutions.

P&V Enterprises is a Certified Woman-Owned Business. For more information, visit www.pnventerprises.com

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Energy Innovations Galore at the 2016 Buildings NY Show

BuidlingsNY 2014

Contact: Kelly Miller
kmiller@reedexpo.com
203.840.5599

May 24 - 25, 2016
Javits Center, New York, NY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Energy Innovations Galore at the 2016 Buildings NY Show


(NEW YORK, NY, November 5) Norwalk, CT- BuildingsNY announced a new collaboration with Con Edison at the 2016 BuildingsNY Show, May 24 - 25th at the Javits Center in New York. Anchoring the 2016 BuildingsNY Show will be the Con Edison Energy Pavilion. Con Edison will bring their own depth of expertise in Energy Management & Technology along with their many Market Partners offering a wide array of innovative products and services for significant energy savings.

"We had an exceptional experience at last year's show," says Dave Pospisil, Program Manager, Commercial and Industrial Energy Programs, Con Edison. "We've worked closely with the BuildingsNY show management team to create New Exhibitor Packages for our Energy Partners who want to be part of the Con Ed Market Partners Pavilion at BuildingsNY 2016."

"This is great for our Attendees," notes R.J. Palermo, Vice President of the BuildingsNY show. "The Buildings Professionals attending the Show in NYC will have access to all of Con Ed's world-class expertise in Energy Management & Technology and also have access to their Market Partners' most innovative energy-saving solutions, services and products."

For over 30 years BuildingsNY has been the leading trade event for NYC building Owners and Managers. To attend next year's event access our website www.buildingsny.com and click on the "Register" tab. To exhibit, please RJ Palermo at (203) 840-5924 today.


About BuildingsNY
BuildingsNY, being held on May 24 - 25, 2016, will serve over 7,000 small and mid-sized buildings owners and managers with the tools they need to lower their operating costs and source vendors who can help them enhance the value of their building. With new business services vendors and suppliers and the promise of a more productive experience, metro-NY building owners and managers can efficiently satisfy their operating objectives in a one-stop event created with their needs in mind. BuildingsNY 2016 welcomes the input and support from all participating sponsors including its Founding Sponsor, Associated Builders & Owners of Greater New York (ABO), the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), the Building Owners & Managers Association of NY (BOMANY) and the Small Property Owners of NY (SPONY).

About Con Edison

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $45 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, NY.


# # # #

MCC Thanks October's Renewing Members

 

Contact Name

Company Name

Website

Manny Guzman

Pestrol, Inc.

www.pestrol.com

Stanley Poll

Wialliam Poll, Inc.

www.williampoll.com

Sandi Webster

Consultants 2 Go LLC

www.consultants2go.com

Anthony Saladino

Kitchen Cabinet Kings

www.kitchencabinetkings.com

Jeff Pollard

SUNY New Paltz

www.newpaltz.edu/iib

Bob David

Resolve

www.innovative-approach.com

Bruce Bent II

Start Hear

www.starthear.com

Andy Lun

TOTO GROUP

www.totogroup.com

Victoria Tkacheva

Pergola Restaurant

www.pergolanewyork.com

Alan Siege

Small Business Management Consulting

www.sbmc.biz

Adrian Szendel

Szendel PLLC

www.szendel.com

Noal Goldfarb

National Financial Network LLC.

www.natfin.net

Howard Teich

The Howard Teich Network

www.howardteichny.com

Gary Herbst

Buyer's Edge Realty, Inc.

www.buyersedgerealty.com

Divina Trevisano

NPD Logistics

www.npdlogistics.com

Michael Goldman

Score NYC

www.scorenyc.org

David Katz

N2 Global Solutions, Inc.

www.n2-gs.com

Shari Lowsky

Emedia, LLC

www.emediaweb.com

 

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

MCC Welcomes our New Members from October 2015

Contact Name

Company Name

Website

Jessica Sleater

Andersen Sleater, LLC

 

Arthur Warady

Arthur D Warady, Esq., Attorney at Law

 

Will Moya

Berkeley College

 

Andrew Smith

Box

www.box.com   

Susan O'Connor

Concept O'Connor Communications Inc.

 

Quentin English

CY Benefits

 

Dawn Shicoff

Dawn Shicoff

 

Zach Winick

Executive Suites At The Hippodrome

www.execsuitesnyc.com

Jubin Pejman

FCM360 Cloud Services

 

Ramona Cedeno

FiBrick Financial Services, Inc.

 

David Lightman

Fox Data

www.gofoxdata.com

Adolfo Silvera

Home Medical Specialties, Inc

www.homemedic.com

Benoit Larouche

Invest Quebec

 

Gert Boers

KAN Inc.

 

Eric Lam

Lam Architectural Workshop

www.lamarchdesign.com

Nicola Tegoni

Law Offices of Nicola Tegoni

www.tegoni-immigrationlaw.com

Laura Heasman

Lee Lee's Forest

www.leeleesforest.com  

Anthony Caporale

Lion's Cathedral Productions, LLC

www.imbible.org

Dave Gillespie

Micros Retail Systems

www.microsnyc.com

David Katz

N2 Global Solutions, Inc.

www.n2-gs.com

Ashish Vaid

New York U.S. Export Assistance Center

www.export.gov/newyork

Kalliope Barlis

NLP NYC Building Your Best

www.nlp.nyc

Russell Wakelin

Oak Crest Studios

www.oakcreststudios.com  

Matthew Lorenc

Oravest Inc.

www.oravest.com

Larysa Chervak

Provident Loan Society of New York

 

Winston Hayles

Secure House Sitters

www.SecureSitter.com

OMOWALE ST JUSTE

SJ SOLUTIONS SECURITY & PROTECTION SERVICES INC

WWW.SJSOLUTIONS.US

JEANINE FRUMENTI

So Fine Travel, LLC

www.sofinetravel.com

Chetachi Ecton

When In Need Foundation

 

Stanley Poll

Wialliam Poll, Inc.

www.williampoll.com

Diego Aviles

YMCA of Greater New York

www.ymcanyc.org