Ambition Mission

Ah, the joys of navigating Microsoft from a Partner’s perspective!

In the latest move, Microsoft REVERSES its decision to get rid of the Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) designation.  There is a great article from CRN on the subject found here:

http://www.crn.com/software/224701456

Those of us who fought since, well forever, to get some Microsoft to recognize Partners focused upon small businesses, the SBSC was introduced with a lasting sigh - as if Partners said “finally!”  Over the last 2+ years (like anything else related to small business focused Partners), there is division over the SBSC program.

SBSC helped - a lot.  Focusing upon small businesses is not only a stepping stone for an IT business - it IS a viable business model in itself.  And of the 120,000 Microsoft Partners out there in the US, how many are 1-2 person operations?  The answer is the VAST majority.   Then there are the “more serious” Partners with 3-15 employees who still focus upon small businesses.  The cababilities of these two sizes of Partners are different, but they all only have the SBSC designation.

The good news with this latest decision - the SBSC brand can still be leveraged by Microsoft and Partners.

The bad news with this latest decision - those two different sized Partners must still be lumped together.

Regardless of which of those is more frustrating to an individual Partner - I think all can agree on one thing - It is VERY frustrating when Microsoft changes its mind!

Microsoft to Partners “Here you go.  This is for you!  Go forth with our full support. (wait 6-36 months) Sorry, we’re getting rid of that.”

EBS, SBSC, Response Point, Office Accounting - Us Partners went forth, we went to bat, we get stuff pulled out from underneath, and we just have to deal with it.  We’re loosing credability with our customers.

My suggestion is this to Microsoft.  You have an advisory council made of up SBSC Partners.  LISTEN to them.  Don’t decide, then run it by them.  That’s Ready, Fire, Aim.  I think Microsoft should have a compensated base of of Partners whose job is to represent the needs of Partners.  Compensated because you need REAL representation from Partners who aren’t just part of the loop because they want to gain better access to Microsoft.  I know personally most of the individuals in this role now and having previously served in such a capacity - I believe them to me mostly representational AND having their hearts in the right place.  Pay them, have more of them.  Listen to them.  Go to them with business issues Microsoft is trying to solve and let them help!  They want to.  They can.

Matt

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.