Welcome to GreatConversations, a podcast about leadership and life from GreatAmerica Financial Services. Mitch Leahy, VP and General Manager for our office Equipment Group, hosts our series of talks with thought leaders and innovators from across the business world. On today’s episode of GreatConversations, Mitch hosts Jenna (Stramaglio) Miner, Channel Development Manager at ConnectWise, and daughter of industry icon, Mike Stramaglio. Jenna talks about growing up in the business and becoming entrenched in the industry for over two decades. She shares some of the lessons she’s learned when it comes to developing her confidence and overcoming anxiety around public speaking and offers her perspective on “the changing of the guard,” as legacy leaders begin passing the baton to the next wave of Gen X and Millennial leaders.
Picture this: You presented your customer a convenient monthly payment on your total solution, and now they are ready to move forward. What’s next? It is time to present the lease agreement for review and signature. Often, when a legal document is presented for signature, it can often feel overwhelming – words and unfamiliar terminology cover the page and the entire experience may feel lackluster or dare we say it – slimy. We do not want the above scenario to be your customer’s reality. So what does that process look like when working with GreatAmerica? Today, we'll walk you through the next steps and describe in detail, what your customer can expect when you decide to offer financing through GreatAmerica.
Updated on 9/25/2024 Originally published 7/23/2020. You want to grow your business, maintain positive cash flow, and have lasting relationships with your customers. Today these objectives have become more challenging, as businesses run ‘lean and mean’ on resources. In times of economic uncertainty, strong and secure cash flow in the form of contracted recurring revenue can provide some stability and assurance that payments will continue to flow into the business. Bundling can help you do just that! Offering a bundled payment and delivering a true single invoice solution to your customers creates a better customer experience and stronger relationships. It can also help to increase your bottom line, grow your enterprise value, and secure future cash flow and revenue streams.
Updated 9/19/2024. Originally published 11/25/2018. Hardware as a Service (HaaS) vs. Hardware as a Rental® (HaaR®) vs. Lease We like to say that the GreatAmerica Hardware as a Rental® (or HaaR®) solution combines the best attributes of Hardware as a Service (or HaaS) and leasing. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Solution Providers are able to present their clients with an all-inclusive monthly subscription payment, without hurting their cash flow. At its core, HaaR® is an equipment rental agreement with HaaS-like features.
Welcome to GreatConversations, a podcast about leadership and life from GreatAmerica Financial Services. Mitch Leahy, Vice President and General Manager for our office Equipment Group hosts our first series of talks with thought leaders and innovators from across the business world. On today’s episode of GreatConversations, Mitch hosts Brantly Fowler, Co-President of ZENO Office Solutions out of West Texas. Brantly shares his journey, from working in the ZENO warehouse doing odd jobs as a kid, to being the Co-President. We learn how Brantly created his “V-Formation” of people in his life, how he gives 100% to all things with his “no excuses” mentality, and how he carries that over into a professional career to create humility, commitment, and ownership in his work. Listen to full podcast or read the abbreviated interview below!
Updated 8/28/2024. Originally published 6/3/2021. We've learned a few things in our work in the finance industry. Third party experiences, both of our own and those of our customers, have given us exposure to the various ways organizations structure their teams, and the impact it can have on the service level technology providers receive.
Welcome to GreatConversations, a podcast about leadership and life from GreatAmerica Financial Services. Mitch Leahy, VP and General Manager for our Office Equipment Group hosts our NextWave Series of talks with thought leaders and innovators from across the business world. On today’s episode of GreatConversations, Mitch hosts Ashley Carnes, Chief Strategy Officer at Impact Networking—one of the fastest-growing managed services providers in the nation. Ashley’s passion for lifelong learning and servant leadership earned her recognition as a 2024 Young Influencer by The Cannata Report. She shares her unexpected journey from an entry-level sales rep to leadership, emphasizing the role strong mentors had on her development and how motherhood helped shaped her empathetic and curious approach to leadership. Listen to full podcast or read the abbreviated interview below!
Updated 7/25/2024. Originally posted 12/8/2022. There’s nothing worse than billing processes that involve wasteful double-entry and time-consuming methods of billing for usage. Whether you are an office equipment dealer selling copiers on cost-per-copy finance agreements, or a managed service provider needing to easily bill and invoice for an ever-changing array of software, hardware, and as-a-service solutions, the administrative process you follow has a large impact on your bottom line, be it positive or negative. For well over a decade, GreatAmerica Financial Services has built and expanded upon our comprehensive billing infrastructure to support solution providers selling a wide range of technology and as-a-service offerings. We’ve been deliberate in developing integrations with leading ERP software providers serving the imaging and technology channels. This blog will hone in on three specific integrations with ECI e-automate®, ConnectWise, and CEO Juice.
Welcome to GreatConversations, a podcast about leadership and life from GreatAmerica Financial Services. Mitch Leahy, VP and General Manager for our Office Equipment Group hosts our NextWave Series of talks with thought leaders and innovators from across the business world. Today Mitch hosts Casey Lowery, President at Applied Innovation, a family-owned and run office technology provider offering technology, imaging, and automation solutions with locations in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida. Applied Innovation’s legacy goes back more than three decades, and Casey grew up observing and learning from his dad, John Lowery. As a young kid, he always looked up to his dad and knew early on he wanted to follow in his footsteps. Casey shares his perspective growing up the young child of a business owner and paints the picture of what it was like in the early days growing up in a family business. He shares what he’s learned throughout life and leadership that’s shaped the way he approaches things today in his current role as President at Applied Innovation and talks about what it’s been like to lean into the ownership seat with the goal of staying family owned. Listen to full podcast, or read the abbreviated interview below!
The office technology industry is full of up-and-coming talent, as showcased by The Cannata Report’s 2024 Young Influencers Issue. This year’s list includes both generational leaders carrying through their family legacy, as well as young talent who have entered the industry through internships or career moves. Regardless of the category they fall into, it’s clear they're all hungry for opportunities to contribute to their organization and grow the industry to its full potential. Among those on this list is Hannah Allpress, Account Executive and MSP Channel Manager at Collabrance, a wholly owned subsidiary of GreatAmerica. Hannah was selected as one of six of The Cannata Report's up-and-coming executives under 40 and recognized as a 2024 Young Influencer. In fact, Hannah is the youngest office technology professional to ever be selected for this recognition. Today, we interviewed Hannah to hear her perspective on being a young leader. Read on as she shares her advice for other young professionals, as well as her insights on where she sees the industry heading.
Updated 6/25/2024. Originally published 9/11/2020. Time is a valuable commodity. It equates to so many things to so many people – money, accomplishment, job satisfaction, etc., so if you’re spending it in the wrong places or on the wrong things, it’s easy to see how quickly things can become misaligned. In today's competitive landscape, we’ve all been challenged to adjust our processes and use our time and other resources more wisely.
