By
Mendy Green
December 12, 2022
•
20 min read
Business
What should I know about my business
As a business owner, it’s important to have a good understanding of your business goals, and its operations. There are several key questions that every business owner should be able to answer in order to ensure the success and growth of their company.
- What is your why? If you know me personally, by now you know I am a follower of Simon Sinek. Simon’s consistent chasing the why is something I’ve come to admire and strive for. The reason you get out of bed every day, the reason you go to work, if you know it, it’ll sustain you and become the building block for your Company Culture and Core Values.
- Who are your customers? It’s important to have a clear understanding of who your target customers are and what their needs and preferences are. This will help you tailor your products and services to meet their specific requirements and create a more personalized customer experience. More importantly, staying in touch with them will help you adjust to their changing needs, so you stay relevant.
- What is your revenue model? How do you generate revenue and make a profit? This could be through the sale of products or services, subscriptions, advertising, or a combination of these methods. Understanding your revenue model will help you identify growth opportunities and make strategic business decisions.
- What are your expenses? It’s crucial to have a good understanding of your business’s expenses, including fixed costs like rent and salaries, as well as variable costs like materials and marketing expenses. This will help you manage your cash flow and make sure your business is profitable.
As a business owner, it’s essential to have a strong and focused culture and a set of core values that guide your company’s actions and decisions.
Business culture refers to the values, beliefs, and behaviors that make up a company’s identity. It’s the “personality” of the organization and the way it operates. A strong culture is one that aligns with the company’s goals and mission, and that supports the growth and success of the business.
These values should reflect your company’s mission and goals and should be integrated into every aspect of your business operations. Once your values are established, it’s important to communicate them to your team in to help make sure they are integrated into the company’s operations and decision-making processes. While all the other points are critical for owning and operating a business, they are also all areas that can be delegated (and usually are for larger businesses). The first point, regarding company culture is something that can only come from the top.
There are several reasons why this can have a major impact on the success and growth of your business.
First, a strong and focused culture can help attract and retain top talent. Employees who share your company’s values and beliefs are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work and are more likely to stay with the company long-term. This can improve morale and productivity and can help drive the success of your business. This can include offering opportunities for professional development and growth, providing a healthy and supportive work environment, and recognizing and rewarding outstanding performance.
Second, a consistent and focused culture can improve customer satisfaction. Customers want to do business with companies that share their values and beliefs. Simon Sinek uses the one wearing the Red Hat as an example. People gravitate to those they connect with and by having a clearly defined culture you can articulate it allows others to see what you stand for and more easily connect with you, which can help increase loyalty and repeat business, as well as establish a greater level of trust.
Third, a focused culture and set of core values can provide guidance and direction for your employees. By having a clear set of values that everyone understands and adheres to, you can create a cohesive and consistent brand and customer experience. This can help improve collaboration and communication within your team and can make it easier to make strategic business decisions.
Finally, having that strong culture and core values established gives you guiding principles when it comes time to pick which companies you start a vendor/client relationship with, being able to articulate what you stand for allows you to recognize easily those that align with you or those that do not. You can quickly identify business practices and test them against your core value. “Is this company being honest”, “Do they care about customer experience” are questions you can easily answer based on the start of the relationship and your interaction throughout.
While having a unique selling proposition (USP) is often considered an essential part of a successful business, there is some debate over whether it is still relevant in today’s competitive market. With so many businesses offering similar products and services, it can be difficult to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd.
Additionally, many prospects may not have the time or inclination to thoroughly research and compare different vendors before making a purchasing decision. They may rely on marketing messages and other external factors to make their decision, rather than taking the time to evaluate the validity of a company’s USP.
In some cases, a company’s USP may be seen as simply a marketing tactic, rather than a genuine differentiator. This can lead prospects to view all USPs as equally valid, or to disregard them altogether.
Overall, while having a unique selling proposition is still important, it may not be as effective as it once was as a marketing strategy in a crowded and competitive market. It’s important for businesses to carefully consider their USP and whether it is a genuine differentiator, or if it is simply a generic marketing message, and in reality, aligning this with your Culture will help give you a true differentiator.
I'm passionate about IT, driven by a dual love for solving complex problems and a commitment to transforming the stereotype of technical support into a positive and enjoyable user experience. For over 13 years, I've been deeply involved in the MSPGeek community, lending my expertise to various Managed Service Providers (MSPs), while also serving as the CTO at IntelliComp Technologies.
My journey in the tech world is fueled by a passion for teaching others. I find great satisfaction in imparting problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and offering practical guidance during the troubleshooting process. It's this enthusiasm for mentorship and improvement that led me to my current venture.
Today, as the founder of Rising Tide, I'm focusing on the MSP industry, dedicating my time to coaching and assisting both individuals and businesses. At Rising Tide, we're not just about providing solutions; we're about nurturing growth, fostering innovation, and building a community where everyone can rise together. Whether it's through hands-on problem solving or strategic planning, my goal is to make the IT experience not just efficient, but also empowering and enjoyable
See some more of our most recent posts...
By The [Run]Book: Episode 1
What do webhooks, Agent Trophies, and a 10-year scheduler have in common? In Episode 1 of By the [Run]Book, consultants from Renada and Rising Tide walk through HaloPSA releases 1.86 and 1.88—field-testing features, skipping the fluff, and asking better questions than the release notes ever do.
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Welcome to By the [Run]Book
HaloPSA features, field-tested.
We’re not here to sell you a perfect system. We’re here to show you what’s possible when smart, slightly feral people get curious about tools that were allegedly designed to help us.
By the [Run]Book is a new podcast collaboration between consultants from Renada and Rising Tide, where we dig into the latest HaloPSA features, challenge what’s been handed to us, and ask: What else could we do with this?
No fluff. No shiny demo decks. Just real-world testing, practical breakdowns, and a healthy disrespect for default settings.
By the [Run]Book – Episode 1 Feature Guide
By the [run]Book's first episode breaks down HaloPSA releases v1.86 and v1.88, this episode explored what’s new, what’s weird, and what’s actually worth your time. Use this guide to follow along.
Event Management | 2.186 #798529 | ▶️ 6:06
Create and update tickets based on webhook events—without needing Runbooks.
- Easier interface for handling alert data
- Trigger rules based on payload content
- Map fields into tickets dynamically
Chat Interface Redesign | 2.186 #764942| ▶️ 10:06
The new chat view makes internal and client conversations more manageable.
- Conversation list/table instead of floating popups
- MS Teams chat support improved
- Much more usable in high-volume settings
Tabbed Interface in Halo | 2.186 #446952 | ▶️ 12:03
Multiple tabs now open inside Halo, not your browser.
- Reduces tab clutter
- Smooth for screen sharing
- Plays well when Halo is run as a desktop app
Agent Trophy Feature | 2.186 # 831583 | ▶️ 14:28
Yes, agents can now earn trophies for closing tickets.
- Visual badges on agent records
- Available in assignments and dashboards
- Fun, but scoring logic is a bit suspect
- Custom Leaderboards via CSS. Mostly a morale booster—not reporting-grade insight
Date Filters, Forecasting Module + TimeGPT Integration | 2.186 #830461| ▶️ 19:41
Prevent retroactive ticket floods when new rules are applied.
- Set start dates to control retroactive logic
- Helps avoid spam from old data
- Crucial for clean automation rollouts
Enforce Unique Email Addresses | 2.186 #829650 | ▶️ 20:43
Avoid duplicate users and weird portal issues.
- Blocks user creation if email already exists
- Critical for integrations and self-service portals
- Best turned on early before it breaks things quietly
Opportunity Variables: Annual, Monthly, One-Off | 2.186 #828897 | ▶️ 22:31
New fields help break down potential revenue at-a-glance.
- Available for ticket templates and reporting
- Auto-updates from quotes (with correct config)
- Useful for sales forecasting and quote summaries
Runbook Sleep Steps | ▶️ 30:55
Introduce delays in automation logic—finally.
- Wait X seconds before next Runbook action
- Great for API pacing or async dependencies
- Simple but long-awaited
To-Do Groups Linked to Clients | ▶️ 33:28
Tie checklists to specific clients.
- Good for client-specific onboarding/offboarding
- Still clunky, but now usable in context
- Replaces “one-size-fits-all” task lists
Dynamic SQL in Ticket Actions | ▶️ 33:34
Use SQL-powered fields in your ticket logic.
- Previously unreliable, now stable
- Can pull dynamic field values into workflows
- Adds power to advanced configurations
Xero + Avalara Sales Tax Integration | ▶️ 34:15
Auto-calculate sales tax in Halo quotes synced to Xero.
- Uses Xero’s built-in Avalara tax engine
- Requires
invoice.updatedwebhook enabled - Real-time, regionally compliant tax logic
Direct User-to-Client Association | ▶️ 37:40
Users can now be tied directly to clients, no site required.
- Supports more flexible org structures
- Great for shared-stock or multi-client setups
- May simplify certain workflows
10-Year Scheduling Period | ▶️ 42:24
Because someone, somewhere asked for it.
- Schedule things a decade out
- Useful for contract reminders or licensing renewals
- Feels deeply aspirational
Got a Feature You Want Us to Cover?
Introducing Rising Tide Proactive Support
Tired of tools slipping through the cracks? Discover why Rising Tide built Proactive Support: a low-lift, high-impact way to stay in control of your systems like HaloPSA, Hudu, and Rewst—without needing a full consulting engagement.
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Built for Busy MSPs: Why We Created Proactive Support
While we pride ourselves at Rising Tide on being clever, we didn’t make this up on our own.
Over the past year, multiple clients told us the same thing in different ways:
“We don’t need a full-on consulting. We just need someone to help us stay on top of the tools we already have.”
“Can you set aside time each month to tell us what’s working, what’s not, and what we should actually do next?”
“Honestly, I just want to know if anything’s falling through the cracks.”
MSPs weren’t talking about emergencies. They meant the small stuff. The not-yet-broken-but-might-be. The features that got launched but never rolled out. The bugs they forgot to follow up on. The process that made sense when they built it... but not anymore.
So we listened and built out a Proactive Support offering for teams like yours. Support that pays attention, leveraging the best of Rising Tide to make the best of your systems. It’s not reactive. It’s not rushed. It’s not about being broken.
It’s about staying in control, without wasting time figuring out where to start.
What You Get Each Month
Designed for Rising Tide clients who’ve already implemented tools like HaloPSA, Hudu, and Rewst, and just want to keep things running smoothly without spinning up a full project or workshop every quarter.
Here’s what Proactive Support looks like in practice:
1. Systems Health Review
A short, focused check-in on the systems you want our guidance on. for:
- Are automations running like they should?
- Are there missed SLAs or ticket pileups that can be fixed with better workflows?
- Are there any underused (or over-complicated!) features?
You’ll walk away with a small, clear action plan that you can execute on your own or leverage the Rising Tide team to complete.
2. Feature Release Briefing
We read the release notes so you don’t have to. You’ll get:
- Highlights of what’s new
- Suggestions for features worth trying and what isn't
- Warnings about what’s likely to break or change
3. Vendor Liaison Support
We’ll chase the vendor on your behalf. That includes:
- Logging and tracking bug reports
- Validating bugs and escalating to dev teams directly.
- Identifying workarounds and assisting in implementation.
- Following up on feature requests or stuck tickets
- Communicating feature requests clearly (and tracking them)
4. Immediate Error Support
If something breaks in a tool we’ve implemented or documented, we’ll:
- Help triage and fix it
- Identify if it’s a vendor issue
- Tell you clearly if it needs escalation into a project
What Proactive Support is Not
To be clear, the Rising Tide Proactive Support Plan is not consulting. Proactive Support is only for systems we’ve implemented and reviewed. It doesn’t include:
- New tool or system implementation
- Redesigning workflows or processes
- Training or onboarding
- Deep reporting or strategic planning
If we find something that should be a project, we’ll tell you and help you decide how you would like to move forward.
Pricing
$900/month
Includes up to 5 hours of support time
Bundled with licensing or dashboard/reporting add-ons, if you need them.
Let’s Be Real
The goal isn’t to keep you dependent on us. It’s to help you feel like you’re on top of your systems instead of under them.
We’ll help you spot friction before it becomes fire, surface fixes you might’ve missed, and give you the clarity to act, delegate, or table things with confidence.
That’s the tide we’re trying to raise.
Ready to add Proactive Support? Or want to see a sample check-in?
Contact Rising Tide Consulting Today. We’ll show you what this looks like.
2025 Q3 Newsletter - Get more out of Halo, Hudu, and Rewst
Rising Tide’s Q3 2025 newsletter is here—with fresh updates shaped by the conversations we’ve had with you on the road and in your consulting calls. Check out our new Proactive Support plan, admin tools in the client portal, and hands-on YouTube training for HaloPSA, Hudu, and Rewst. Let’s keep your team sharp and your systems humming.
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It’s been a few months since our last update. We’ve enjoyed seeing many of you on the road at Right of Boom, MSPGeekCon, and Flow. Hopefully you’ve taken the learning and tools you picked up at each even and are using them to their fullest!
In light of the conversations we’ve had with many of you at these conferences and in your consulting calls, we’ve been building a few new offerings that we hope will help you and your teams continue to learn and grow in your use of HaloPSA, Hudu, and Rewst. Take a look at our new Proactive Support, YouTube videos, and Administrative tools for you in the Rising Tide Portal.
Proactive Support with Rising Tide
Shaped directly by your requests, the Rising Tide Proactive Support plan is for teams who want another set of eyes on your systems, to make sure you’re getting the most out of your subscriptions. This new monthly support plan includes:
- A health review of applicable systems
- Updates on vendor features that matter to you
- Vendor liaising regarding bugs and requests (we’ll validate bugs and escalate to dev teams directly. If there's a workaround or fix we'll identify that and provide them for you too.)
- Hands-on support for tools we’ve implemented or reviewed
Read more about it here:
https://www.risingtidegroup.net/thoughts/introducing-rising-tide-proactive-support
Learn With Us
We’re actively growing our YouTube channel to create more and more helpful resources for you as you implement your tools and automations. Of note, check out:
- By the [Run]Book – A bi-weekly series, aired live with our friends at Renada where we review HaloPSA’s release notes and make suggestions on what to implement (and what not to!) in your HaloPSA instance. Watch the first episode here.
- Drag-and-Drop Dispatching in HaloPSA – Jason's video on how to visually schedule tickets for your technicians using dashboards and filtering lists.
- Streamline Your MSP Ticket Closure Process with HaloPSA – Jen's latest video on systematically restricting ticket closures and communicating why to your technicians until they’ve completed associated tasks, tickets, and activities.
There’s plenty more! Be sure to subscribe to our channel and hit the bell to get notified when new videos drop.
Let's keep your projects moving!
As a reminder, if you have hours on your pre-pay total, we keep them viable as long as you have a project on the books with us within a calendar year. If you want to know what your current hours are, visit the Rising Tide user portal at portal.risingtidegroup.net. In this area of our website, you can:
- View hours remaining on pre-pay blocks.
- Submit and track tickets.
- Refill Pre-Pay hours for consulting work.
- View feature requests and bug reports submitted to Halo by Rising Tide.
We recommend booking an hour at least once a month, and more frequently if you have work you want to get done! We don’t charge cancellation fees, so book time freely with any of our consultants and we’ll get your sorted. To book time, access your project from the portal to grab your booking link or pull it off any of the recap emails sent.
- Mendy Green - Halo General, Automations – Halo and Rewst, Hudu General and Migrations from IT Glue
- Jason Parsons - Halo General
- Jen Butler - Automations – Halo and Rewst
- El Copeland - Halo Invoice/Quote/Email Templates, UX/UI, Branding+Marketing
Of Note
A recent change to how HaloPSA processed notifications caused them to break in certain conditions. If your notifications stopped working, update your Permissions - Base role client restrictions to grant all clients to role members. Reach out for more specific instructions if you need it.
Lastly, as a bonus, enjoy the new Rising Tide theme song generated with Suno by our very own Jason Parsons.
Thanks for trusting us and being part of this work with us. We’ll keep refining what we offer based on your feedback so don’t hesitate to reply and tell us what’s working, what’s still messy, and what you’d like to see next.
Until next time,
The Rising Tide Team