Small Business Specialist Wrap Up By Eric Ligman

Eric Ligman (Sr. Manager, US Small Business, Microsoft Corp) posted the following information as a response to a number of questions raised on the mssmallbiz mailing list. It certainly answers a lot of my questions but keep them coming, as I’ve said before, everyone that does anything in the smallbiz needs to have this credential. If you’ve got questions or concerns, this is the time to bring them up (while they are listening):

And let me add a little bit more to this for further clarification:

1) Small Business Specialist is not a Partner Level (like Registered, Certified, or Gold)
2) Small Business Specialist is not a competency in the Microsoft Partner Program
3) Small Business Specialist is a designation that a Partner at any level, Registered, Certified, or Gold, can look to obtain to differentiate their business as one that focuses on serving the needs of Small Businesses. So, you could be a Registered Member of the Microsoft Partner Program that is a Small Business Specialist or you could be a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that is a Small Business Specialist (same for Certified). On the flip side, you could be a Registered Member, Certified Partner, or Gold Certified Partner and not be a Small Business Specialist.
4) Yes, Small Business Specialist does earn you 25 Microsoft Partner Points; however, it is not a competency. So if you have (2) competencies already, you can still use the 25 points from Small Business Specialist in your total (even though there is a cap of 2 competencies for points normally), because this is not a third competency.
5) On the Small Business Center website (http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness), which is where we point our Small Business customers through our advertising, the “Find a Partner” tool will list Small Business Specialists first because they focus on Small Business. As such, a Certified Partner that is a Small Business Specialist will list before a Certified Partner that is not a Small Business Specialist. Why? Because if a customer is looking for a
Partner on the Small Business Center, they are most likely a Small Business Customer and would be best served by a Partner with a Small Business specialization. Will a Certified Small Business Specialist come up before a Registered Member Small Business Specialist? Yes. Why? Because not only do they have a Small Business Specialization, they have also taken the extra steps to become Certified. So for those of you who are already Certified and have been suggesting that now that the Small Business Specialization is out it will alleviate the need to be Certified anymore, here is just the first example of where that is not the case.
6) You will see additional “proficiencies” be added within the Small Business Specialist Program around items like: Security, CRM, Financial Management, Retail Management, Business Productivity, etc. over time so that not only can you designate your organization as a Small Business Specialist; however, you can become a Small Business Specialist with a CRM proficiency, for example. To gain these proficiencies, you will need to meet minimum requirements (which will be determined as the proficiencies get introduced).
7) How many times have you been a part of, instigator of, or witness to a conversation that includes, “As a Registered Member that is a one or two person shop, we are too small to qualify to be Certified Partners, yet we have more SBS or Small Business skills than any of those who became Registered Members just to get Action Pack. How are we supposed to differentiate ourselves if Microsoft makes it too hard to reach that based on our size?” Sound familiar to anyone???? Well, part of the goal of this program is to help you do just that. Anyone who became Registered just to get Action Pack will no longer be on the same level as you. You will have an advantage. Those of you who have become Certified, you will still have all of the advantages of the Certified
Level, which still exceeds that of the Registered Level. And no, becoming a Small Business Specialist does not get you all of the advantages of being a Certified Partner. One thing to look at though is that by becoming a Small Business Specialist, those of you who really want to reach the Certified Level but were not quite big enough, you now earn 25 Partner Points which helps get you closer to attaining that goal. Those of you who are Certified, the 25 points gets you that much closer to obtaining a Gold Level if you choose to pursue it.

As someone very close to this program, I see it as offering a lot of positive upside to any Small Business Partner that really wants to differentiate themselves and use the program to get ahead. Looking at the issues that were raised in the past and complaints we have heard, I think we are much better off with the offerings available as of yesterday vs. what was available last week as several of these items are being addressed with the Small Business Specialist Program. As the program continues to grow and the additional proficiencies become available, I do believe this will become an even greater asset for all of our motivated Small Business Partners, which again, will help differentiate you from those who are in it just to be in it. And isn’t that one of the big things you have been asking for?

Ok, that’s enough typing for one post…

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Senior Manager, Microsoft US Small Business