NEWS: Global Mentoring Solutions is now part of the Sherweb family. Click here to read more about the acquisition.

The winds of change constantly blow in the MSP business.  If you haven’t heard the 800 lb gorilla in the closet, DELL is making some moves to strategically position itself in the MSP channel once again.  The recent acquisitions of AppAssure and now SonicWALL are a testament to Dell’s commitment to owning market share in the SMB space.

With the DELL news comes the DELL bashing once again.

I read this quote the other day and really set the stage for what I wanted to share this time around on the IT Services Blog blog brought to you by GMS Live Expert.

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.– John Maxwell

I have been in the channel since 1997, and over my almost 15-year career I have seen my fair share of change.  One thing for certain is that if I didn’t adjust what I was doing, chances are I would be running a struggling business or maybe no business at all.

CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT. Looking back at the John Maxwell quote we really have three options.  My question to you is what and why are you avoiding to change your business?

Are you a complainer?  Many of us fit into this category.  I believe in calling a spade a spade, so yes, many of us travel to conferences around the world just to gripe about what is happening to our glorious IT channel.  DELL’s acquiring SonicWALL and potentially screwing up its channel is the most recent gripe hitting the airwaves.  Are you one of those folks who invests thousands of dollars in hit IT shows just to complain?

Do you think the world will change? Do you see great things in the future?  Are you a person of many great ideas but act on none of them?  Yes, we have people in our community like this as well.  The future is so bright I need to wear shades!  However, we will sit back and wait for the change to come to us.  If you are one of these types; my question to you is this, how is that working out for you?

Do you make change happen? There is no secret that many successful people are game changers. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Henry Ford were game changers.  These business leaders didn’t sit back and wait; they took the world by storm and made a difference.  Are you able to do this on a regionalized level with your MSP business?

Are you able to make the change?  Or is status quo good enough?  It is a difficult decision to make for many of us.  Some of us have been in the industry too long to warrant any change.  Some of us are rookies just starting out and charting our courses. Then of course there is that portion of us who just sit back and complain or wait for someone else to pave the way.

In closing, you are the only one accountable for your own success.  How you react and perhaps more importantly avoid reacting, is your choice.  No one can do it for you.  So what will it be?  Leave us a comment.