Roddy Launches VAR/ISV Consulting Business
By The Business Solutions Network
I typically fill our blog with advice on tech trends and business topics. Today’s post is of a more personal nature. After more than 17 years with Jameson Publishing (formerly Corry Publishing), Jim Roddy, president of Business Solutions, speaker, and author of Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer, has left the magazine to pursue a new business venture.
Roddy will serve as the leader of a new organization, currently unnamed, established to provide business consulting to solutions providers. “In my experiences at Business Solutions and speaking with vendors and distributors over the years, many solutions providers are strong from a technological standpoint, but need help with their business operations,” explains Roddy. “The goal of this venture is to leverage our channel expertise and provide germane and effective consulting to help their businesses run more effectively.”
Roddy’s plan is to embed with solutions providers — face-to-face or virtually — and take a deep dive into their business to be able to provide specific advice, guidance, and assistance with the execution of establishing best practices and the building of business systems. The aim is to help build better organizations, stronger cultures, and stronger customer relationships. “We will engage with a solution provider’s team and even their customers to uncover meaningful data that can be used to identify and correct weak spots,” says Roddy.
As we’ve seen in many Business Solutions articles, VARs who are most successful focus on specific niches. “Initially, this new organization will focus on consulting solution providers focused on the markets of retail, hospitality, grocery, and c-store,” he says. By focusing on these few markets, Roddy plans to amass a collection of best practices that will be specific and highly valuable to VARs and ISVs in those markets.
Roddy’s new venture will primarily focus on four areas — building the right culture, employee management, leadership, and training. Consulting will be provided via two methods — customized consulting solutions built for a company and modules that are less customized, but built upon best practices.
One such module will be focused on leadership training. “Folks have talked for years about the importance of channel sustainability,” he says. “Large public companies have structured programs to cultivate high-potential younger talent. In the channel, there’s talk about shifting the industry to the next generation, but many haven’t been able to do it. We’ll help companies develop their high-potential people without having to come up with a curriculum and program on their own.”
Roddy continues by explaining that millennials are inclined to desire personal and self-development as part of their working experience. To retain high quality younger employees, it’s going to be necessary to provide a path for personal and professional growth. The vast majority of solutions providers aren’t doing this, nor are they equipped to do so. “VARs can essentially outsource this function to us and give care to those employees they’d like to cultivate,” he says. “We’ll be running leadership roundtables and providing other training to help these young professionals grow.”
Roddy is walking proof that such programs work. He joined the publishing company nearly 18 years ago as managing editor assigned to Business Solutions magazine. He eventually worked his way up to general manager and then president of the company. Much of his personal and professional growth came via mentoring by the company’s owners, Rick and Terry Peterson.
Other focus areas of Roddy’s new organization include helping solutions providers transition to recurring revenue, including assistance with the necessary change management and systems creation. Additionally, Roddy says there will be modules for exit strategies as VARs look to retire and get the most for their business.
Much of Roddy’s attention will be placed in helping solutions providers not just cope with change, but thrive. “The speed of change is faster than ever,” says Roddy. “The way to survive is through adaptation. The way you adapt best is by having a strong team and systems, and not wasting time. There is a big need for folks to not just do the same thing every day, but to improve where they can.”
While Roddy will be launching this new venture at RSPA RetailNOW 2016 in Grapevine, TX, he will continue to stay connected in certain ways to Business Solutions. “Business Solutions is the leading media company in the channel,” he states. “It’s smart business to partner with BSM if you want to be serious in the channel. I will continue to develop content for BSMinfo.com. Additionally, since we’re going to be focused on helping resellers improve their business, we’re going to make sure a part of our guidance is reading the trends pieces in Business Solutions every month and reading the online content every day.” Additionally, Roddy’s new business will be run from Erie, PA, in close proximity to the Jameson Publishing offices. “Collaboration will be natural,” he says. “How can we not be partners to some degree?”
Roddy leaves Business Solutions in a strong position — financially, organizationally, and its place in the market. Many of those working at the magazine — myself included — have first-hand experience with Roddy’s leadership training and mentorship program. “It’s having such an experienced and talented group at Business Solutions that afforded me the opportunity to make this jump without fearing that the magazine will take a step backward,” he says.
In fact, Business Solutions publisher Tim Ulrich has been leading the direction of the magazine for 15 years. I’ve been with the company nearly 10 years now. Our account executives average 16 years of tenure. Our circulation director has been with the magazine for 21 years! While Roddy’s leadership, quick wit, and caring nature will be missed on a daily basis, I’m confident the magazine will continue to evolve and do what it does best — serve you, the readers.