I've always felt that in a mature channel that one of the best ways for a vendor to improve its results is to help VARs improve their capabilities as business people. If they are better at hiring, billing, borrowing, all the other things that go into running a small business, they will sell more. I've referred to this as skewing the normal probability curve. In other words, the performance of, let's say the 40 to 60 percentile, shifts to the right. Vendors probably can't do much with the bottom of the channel. Years ago, my boss at my first job in computer trades sent me to a session with computer store dealers (who were much like VARs in their relationships with vendors) with a business expert. He had asked them to bring P&Ls, which he had reviewed. During a break, he commented, "Most of these people are out of business. They just don't know it yet."  This is the kind of problem vendors should help solve. Partners should at least know if they have a chance financially.