We sent out a lengthy email to members after the launch of the Vendor Partner Program this week. Here’s the gist of that communication:
Vendor Program Launched!
This blog post will point you to information on the program as well as some background on what we’re up to.
First, here is the recording of the June 15th meeting. It consists of about 30 minutes of presentation, followed by 30 minutes of Questions and Answers.
Second – the Vendor Partner Page
On the NSITSP.org web site, we’ve set up a page dedicated to the VPP: https://nsitsp.org/vendors. Here you will find a description of our program, the suggested contribution levels, and vendor guidelines.
Next Steps. No matter what else you do, please Join Us as a free member or professional member for only $100. This allows your organization to vote in elections and have someone sit on committees or serve on the Board of Directors.
Please note: We are member-centric and IT Service Provider-centric. But we absolutely recognize that we need vendors as much as vendors need us. We want you on our committees and on our Board of Directors.
From the Vendors page, you’ll find a download link for the program summary PDF: Download the PDF.
Please schedule an appointment to talk about the program and how you might be able to participate. We are making every effort to be completely transparent about what we’re hoping to achieve and how we want to get there.
Make no mistake: We will re-define this industry and create more successful and more professional IT Service Providers. The industry is hungry for this, and it will happen.
And as we discuss in the meeting recording, no one else is doing this. Many organizations are doing many great things. But the one thing we can do better than anyone else is to increase the reputation and professionalism of the IT consulting industry.
Some Background: How We Got Here
In 2021, I wrote a series of blog posts over on the Small Biz Thoughts blog about the problems in our industry, including bad business models, incompetent technicians, ransomware, insurance rates, government regulation, and more. In June of last year, I held a webinar defining the big challenges of our industry and some thoughts on how to address them.
The recording of that meeting is here. Click to view on YouTube: Transforming the SMB IT Industry into a Profession.
At that time I also published a twenty-two page white paper entitled Transformation of an Industry Into a Profession. (Click to download the PDF)
The response was overwhelming! Hundreds of people watched the video, downloaded the white paper, and volunteered to help. So, in July of 2021, we held meetings and started down the road to launching the National Society of IT Service Providers.
By the end of July 2021, we had formed a working group to organize the official NSITSP. By the end of August, we had a board of directors and started officially tracking memberships.
In the last year, hundreds of people have continued to volunteer their time, talent, and money. In addition to the board, we have five committees that meet at least once per month.
Because of this widespread interest and support, I am 100% convinced that we will be successful. It might take more time or less time, depending on the financial support we get. But this industry WILL step up in professionalism!
Call to Action: Join Us!
Please absorb as much of this information as you can. Then head to https://nsitsp.org/vendors and schedule a meeting.
We need you – as much as you need strong partners.
🙂