March 2021 Newsletter

March News:

What's New & On The Calendar

Introducing Our New Fulcrum Group Website & New Content Areas

Go to David's video overview now, or read on for a quick summary...

On March 1st, Fulcrum Group turned 19! Perhaps you've noticed our website has a new look. With celebrations a little more low-key this year, we gifted ourselves and our clients with a fresh new website that includes features that make it easier than ever to reach out for assistance on multiple topics. A few new areas we think are extra-great include:

New Remote Support link and Client Ticket Portal link - found at the very top of the site, for immediate access.

Industry pages geared for the different industries we serve - SMB (Small & Medium Business), Healthcare, Local Government & Non-Profit

New 'About Us' Stuff - under the About Us tab, you can find helpful info to know when working with The Fulcrum Group. If you've ever wondered, "What is STAR Power?" or "What are these Service Fulcrums they keep talking about?" or use of other words we often mention when working with us (see Fulcrum Glossary), go no further!

Categorized Blogs - when you visit The Fulcrum Group Blog, you'll notice now we have blogs categorized by Topic, to make searching for blog entries quicker and easier for you!

Fulcrum Group Recognized on CRN's 2021 MSP500 List

CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named The Fulcrum Group to its 2021 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. The list, released annually, recognizes the leading North American solution providers that have demonstrated innovative and forward-thinking approaches to managed services. Read all about it, here.

Spring 2021 Virtual Lunch & Learn

3 Pillars of Your Remote Workplace

We hope you were able to join us for our Spring 2021 Virtual Lunch & Learn, where we shared outstanding information between attendees, Fulcrum Group staff and expert guest panelists. Read our recap, below (which you can also find on our Events page), where we highlight some key takeaways from the event.

We're grateful for the opportunity to get together virtually with folks we've really missed seeing in person! We'll keep you informed on the topic and date for the next Fulcrum Group Lunch & Learn right here in our newsletter.

Monthly Office 365 Virtual Training Sessions

Our Microsoft Office 365 Tips & Tricks Training Sessions are still going strong! Check out our Playlist to view a few of our latest trainings. If you are interested in attending future sessions, please reach out to David Johnson. We'll send you an Outlook invite to join in for the next session. While this series continues, it can be accessed from our Events page.

We'll let you know about any additional upcoming special events through our social media pages, which we'll update on our Events page as they occur. Quick links to our social media pages are accessible right from our website and in every monthly newsletter email you receive from us.

If you're new to our newsletter and you'd like to subscribe, let us know.

What is ITIL?

IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a library of volumes describing a framework of best practices for delivering IT services. ITIL V4 is the latest version of the ITIL framework and is designed to offer a more agile, flexible, and customizable framework for the modern business.

ITIL 4 contains nine guiding principles and focuses on integrating IT into the overall business structure. This is especially important in our changing world, as services drive value, organizations are changing at a faster pace than ever, and digital transformation is driving business growth.

Implementing ITIL 4 processes can deliver the following benefits:

 Reduced IT costs

 Improved IT services through the use of proven best practice processes

 Improved customer satisfaction through a more professional approach to service delivery

 Helping businesses manage risk, disruption, and failure

 Strengthening customer relations by “delivering efficient services that meet their needs”

 Building a stable environment that still allows for growth, scale and change.

Fulcrum continues to train its staff on ITIL 4, and implement the processes that help us improve our Service Delivery

Top Takeaways From The Fulcrum Group Virtual Lunch & Learn

It’s a year into the pandemic - is your business still struggling to maintain your company culture and security? That’s exactly what we tackled during our Lunch and Learn event on March 3rd. The event was very insightful, and many topics were covered by our awesome presenters, but in case you missed it, here are the key takeaways:

Steve Meek’s presentation, 3 Pillars of your Remote Workplace

1. Now that people work from home are network borders gone? And what effect has the pandemic had on relationships within the office?

2. What management framework are you using to make sure your company culture doesn’t get lost when your workforce is working from home. Management frameworks mentioned include Scaling Up and EOS.

3. Cybersecurity challenges, how do I keep my company safe when traditional security isn’t as effective? How do we secure our company Intellectual Property in the cloud?

Next, we had our panel discussion with experts from across different fields and expertise in remote management and security. Panelists included: John Arnott with Content.First Marketing, Brandon Tschida with Arctic Wolf, Mark Mitford with HR Catalyst Consulting, Joey Badalament with Ingram Micro, and Bob Wierdsma with The Fulcrum Group.

Key Takeaways from Panel Discussion

1. Security is now more important than ever. A great suggestion was to focus on two factor authentication. Doesn’t matter what vertical you are in, this should be a primary focus for your business.

2. Understand that new systems are coming online that make it much easier to be in the cloud and protect your company data. So now it can be accessible to your work force, but also safe.

3. Understand who you are hiring, introverts act differently in a remote workplace than extroverts do.

4. Keep your culture alive, don’t abandon company gatherings. Some good suggestions were things such as virtual games, maybe even virtual meetups after hours and everyone brings their favorite drinks.

These are just a few of the topics covered, along with key points highlighted from the excellent discussion during the event. We can’t wait til our next Lunch & Learn opportunity with you! Until then, view this Event on our Youtube channel.

We're grateful for the opportunity to get together virtually with folks we've really missed seeing in person! Always feel comfortable to reach out with any questions you might have.

Cybersecurity Alert: Microsoft Exchange Email Servers Under Attack from Nation-State Cyber Attackers

Microsoft has detected multiple 0-day exploits being used to attack on-premises versions of Microsoft Exchange Server in limited and targeted attacks.

In the attacks observed, the threat actor used these vulnerabilities to access on-premises Exchange servers which enabled access to email accounts, and allowed installation of additional malware to facilitate long-term access to victim environments.

Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) attributes this campaign with high confidence to HAFNIUM, a group assessed to be state-sponsored and operating out of China, based on observed victimology, tactics and procedures.

Check out our blog post for full details.

Vistage Executive News - Could You Grow Yourself Out Of Business?

B2BCFO Financial Executive, Tamara Jones discusses the impact of aggressive growth.

Tamara Jones, B2BCFO Financial Executive

Growing a company is one of the most studied and strategized topics in the business world. Steady, healthy growth is obtainable for most businesses. However, growth can be a double-edged sword. If growth is too rapid, it can smash goals and leave dire impacts. Without careful planning, companies can experience financial, legal, staffing, inventory, quality and supplier problems and literally grow themselves right out of business. For business growth to be successful, it should be sustainable. To avoid rapid growth problems, take the time to devise an action plan that details how you’ll grow without jeopardizing your company’s finances and future. Incorporating these key steps can lead the way to healthy growth:

Develop a strategic growth plan. Identifying growth priorities specific to your company and executing a strategic growth plan requires funding, staffing, and other resources, so if the resources and capital to execute don’t exist, consider revising the timeline for that objective or eliminating that goal entirely.

Manage financials. Many CEOs and owners are the “ideas” people. They are exceptional at driving the big picture and disruptive thinking, but less skilled at keeping an eye on metrics such as cash flow, profit margins, expenditures, financing, etc. Many mid-sized businesses may not require a full-time CFO, but could greatly benefit from the experience of a strategic financial consultant who can develop a financial foundation to effectively manage growth and spot warning signs before they become problematic.

Monitor performance. Financial data and key performance indicators (KPI’s) provide a business with insights about how well it is performing. Building financial models can help you analyze monthly operations and monitor established KPI’s and other financial metrics such as gross profit, net profit, profit margin, savings ratio, current ratio and cash flow.

Set a budget and forecast. Develop a budget and forecast for your business so you can set targets for available capital, estimate expenditures and anticipate incoming revenue. By referring to the budget, businesses can measure performance against expenditure and ensure that resources are available for initiatives that support the business growth goals.

Conduct a SWOT analysis. By examining your internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats, a business can fill gaps and capitalize on core strengths. To achieve growth goals, make sure you are clear about the factors that impact your business success. A SWOT analysis enables your business to scale, so that operations, technology, customer service, and human resources grow at the same pace to meet the growing demands of the business.

Fund your growth. Business owners have many options when it comes to funding their growth. If the business model and infrastructure are scalable, steady growth is possible by continually reinvesting the net cash flow back into the business. It is common for companies to seek outside financing to help fund growth initiatives and keep cash flowing in case of cash shortages, loss of a major client or the seasonality of the business. Term loans, construction loans, commercial mortgages, equipment leases and SBA loans are a few examples of business loans that can be used to help fund growth.

What you can do right now Business growth is exciting, but it is essential to strategically plan ahead for growth. B2B CFO® is passionate about helping business owners achieve their growth goals by removing obstacles that can derail success. Through best practices, financial management, banking relationships, strategic planning and uncovering risks, we can guide you by developing a clear and compelling plan to set the right pace for your business.

For assistance with analyzing your company’s growth potential, reach out to Tamara today.

Did You Know...? ITIL

Did you know...? Did you know that The Fulcrum Group uses ITIL processes to deliver its SPOT Managed IT Services? Reach out if we can offer assistance.

That's it for this month. Remember, if you need help in implementing
any of this month's tips, contact us - we're here to help.