One of my favorite resources in the SMB community is Robert Crane – Directory of the Computer Information Agency. You can find him at CIAOPS.com.

I refer to Robert as a resource because he really is "the man to know" with regard to SharePoint. That includes the SharePoint services shipped with Small Business Server 2003, 2008, 2011, the free version from Microsoft, or the full-price product now available as a hosted environment.

SharePoint Operations Guide by Robert Crane

Robert maintains a massive resource library he simply calls SharePoint Operations Guide. See more information at SMB Books and CIAOPS.com. The SharePoint Operations Guide now includes a great deal of information on Office 365 and how you can integrate these products to add value for your clients.

Robert and I had a phone chat yesterday (Well, today in Australia).

Robert gives us some great ideas about how to make money with these new products. He spells out a wonderful analogy between technology consulting and shepherding sheep. Imagine that you have always tended a small group of servers (sheep). With modern tools you can now tend a much larger flock. So the next question is, how can we add value to the service we provide.

– Download the Interview with Robert Crane here.

Christmas Special:

Right now – through Christmas Day 2012 – the SharePoint Operations Guide is $50 off at SMBBooks.com. No coupons. No codes. Just add it to your cart. That means more than 2,000 pages of great information on SharePoint and Office 365 for only $249 USD.

Download this PDF to see a "Getting Started" document on the SharePoint Operations Guide, which gives and in-depth look at the contents: Getting Started

Check it out today.