Now, as a member of the first ever HTG Peer Group in Canada, he is receiving as well as giving valuable mentorship. See the companion story, Small businesses have big IT needs.
HTG peer groups are gathering of six-to-12 like-minded IT company leaders who meet quarterly in a non-competitive environment to network and discuss issues specific to each member’s concerns as a company owner, president or manager.
The first Canadian meeting is planned for June 2nd; Crawford is leading the initiative on this side of the border, as several meetings have taken place in the U.S.
HTG is organized by Arlin Sorensen, president of Heartland Technology Solutions, one of the member companies. He launched the first HTG peer group in 2001, bringing together IT industry leaders and insiders with years of experience.
The HTG peer group experience is a unique forum for technology industry resellers who are serious about implementing a model for success in their own businesses through sharing and collaboration of best practices.
“Membership in the HTG Peer Groups offers IT Matters a valuable resource for the overall effectiveness of our company,” Crawford describes. “Teaming up with like-minded member organizations gives us an extension of our management, operations, marketing and technical teams. We benefit from the expertise and experience of our peers, and they benefit from ours.”
The result is seen as an intimate network where the expectation of confidentiality is an underlying facet of the group’s inherent design. The agenda for each meeting is designed around the concerns and issues that are faced in a fast-paced, increasingly complex industry.