ARTICLES BY JIM RODDY

• “Who are the New Solution Providers?” And More From RSPA Inspire 2020

  4/13/2020

  One question hanging over our channel has been “Who are the new solution providers?” that will backfill for retail IT resellers who are retiring, merging, or selling. The answer to that question could be found in the Inspire audience – the new faces that are engaging with the retail IT channel.

• COVID-19 Crisis: Key Points from RSPA Communication Guidelines Webinar

  3/24/2020

  To help retail IT VARs and ISVs effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the RSPA has produced several pieces of channel-focused content including a webinar on Communication Guidelines with Employees and Customers during this crisis. The 57-minute session featured insights from RSPA Legal Counsel Bob Goldberg and RSPA Board Chairperson Chelsey Paulson, who works full-time as the Human Resources Director at VAR North Country Business Products.

• COVID-19 Crisis: How VARs Are Communicating With Employees, Merchants

  3/24/2020

  RSPA members Brett Bennett, the President of VAR POSitive Technology and ISV OpSuite, and Chris Rumpf, the owner of VAR/ISV Flyght, provide examples of COVID-related messages they delivered to their employees and their merchants.

• COVID-19 Crisis: ISVs Focus On Rescuing Merchants, Protecting Staff, Stimulating Creativity

  3/24/2020

  In this article, software developer executives from the RSPA Niche & Startup ISV Community offer guidance for addressing customer issues, VAR issues, staff issues, and general business issues during the pandemic.

• COVID-19 Crisis: Leading VARs And ISVs Are Taking Action – Today

  3/24/2020

  To help retail IT VARs and ISVs effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the RSPA reached out to several members asking them for ideas and business best practices related to this crisis. Our community has responded generously with several executives sharing helpful information. Our first RSPA Blog post shared examples of how two VAR/ISV hybrids are communicating with their constituents.

• Winning Recruiting Strategies For 2020 – And Beyond

  2/17/2020

  Remember the #1 employee recruiting tool 10 years ago? Newspapers. Today print classified ads are about as effective as inserting a floppy disk into an iPad. So, what is working in 2020? Successful VARs and ISVs are implementing these five recruiting strategies. 

• Retail Tech Resellers: Where Will Your Customers Invest In 2017?

  11/14/2016

  Innovative Retail Technologies magazine has published its annual Retail Tech Spending Report for 2017 and it’s must-read content for anyone in the retail IT industry — especially retail resellers who want to see what’s around the corner in their vertical. This special issue arrived on my desk just hours ago and I’ve already underlined several key passages.

• RSPA RetailNOW 2015 Preview: Best Quotes From Gerber's “E-Myth”

  4/16/2015

  The RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) has long been known as the leading association in the retail IT channel, and this year they’re gaining a reputation as the place to meet America’s top business authors.

• Best Quotes From The Day 3 Reseller Forum At RSPA INSPIRE 2015

  1/28/2015

  Day 3 at the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) INSPIRE 2015 Conference in Maui kicked off with an open-forum discussion among the nearly 100 retail IT channel executives in attendance. Led by RSPA solutions provider board members Mike Seymour, COO at Postec in Atlanta, and Bob Bauer, president at BMC POS in Michigan, the half-hour session produced some memorable insights.

• Heath, INSPIRE 2015 Attendees Discuss VAR Salesperson Challenges

  1/27/2015

  I was fortunate to participate in a very interesting exercise this morning at the RSPA INSPIRE 2015 Conference. Chip Heath, the event’s featured presenter, facilitated a workshop among the 100+ channel executives in attendance focusing on how solutions providers must train their salespeople to become consultative partners, not just hardware pushers.

• Heath Answers Questions From Channel Execs At RSPA INSPIRE 2015

  1/26/2015

  Acclaimed business author Chip Heath (pictured, right) isn’t just speaking at the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) INSPIRE 2015 Conference — he’s carving out significant time to engage with retail IT channel executives in the audience. Here’s a portion of the Q&A from Heath’s January 26 discussion.

• Top Quotes From Heath's “Made To Stick” — RSPA INSPIRE 2015 Preview

  12/9/2014

  This is the last of three Business Solutions articles sharing the best quotes and lessons from a Chip Heath business book. Heath, a best-selling co-author with his brother Dan, will be the much-anticipated featured speaker at the RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) INSPIRE 2015 conference January 25-28 at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui.

• Business Lessons From Heath Book “Switch” — RSPA INSPIRE 2015 Preview

  11/24/2014

  This is the second of three Business Solutions articles sharing observations from a Chip Heath business book. Heath will be the featured speaker for the RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) INSPIRE 2015 conference January 25-28 at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui, and I think studying his writing is a great way to prepare for the event.

• Good News For RetailNOW Registrants: Bouwer Is Back

  6/12/2014

  Tom Bouwer will be appearing on Wed., Aug. 6, at RSPA's RetailNOW 2014 in Orlando, FL. Bouwer will be conducting his exclusive workshop titled, “Get A Grip On Your Business: Are you running your business, or is your business running you?” This session is designed for business owners and is based on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

• From RSPA INSPIRE: Much Ado About Millennials

  2/5/2014

  I’ve attended several RSPA INSPIRE winter conferences, so most of the topics discussed this year didn’t surprise me. The most important challenges facing the retail IT channel — shrinking hardware margins, the transition to the as-a-Service business model, the convergence of POS and payment, the rise of mobility — have been top of mind for at least a couple years now. But I am a little taken back by how much the nearly 100 channel executive attendees at this year’s INSPIRE have talked about Millennials. (If you’re not familiar with the term, Millennials are typically considered to be people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, which covers everyone between the ages of 17-29.)