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This year, we are diving into all things MSP: what is in store for MSPs in the future and how you can level up your organization through proper MSP practices.
Historically, MSPs have just kept the lights on. They would come in, fix the problem or make it go away and that was that. But, when was the last time an MSP sat down and asked an organization how they could help with your profit margins or increase the return on your technological investment? That’s what we’re going to be talking about this whole year! How MSPs can truly make a positive impact in their client’s companies.
It used to be that an IT guy could do everything from desktop support, to the switch, to the route. As technology did its thing and expanded, it really became too much for one individual to master. The growth of technology allowed MSPs a chance to develop specialties and become skilled in certain areas, which ultimately makes them a much better resource.
Basically, MSPs are evolving and changing. If you’re an MSP, you can branch out and bring in different resources unlike ever before. It’s not too much of a change to think of yourself as a management company that manages a lot of different resources.
If you were to start an MSP today, it would be best to have no engineers. Hire consultants that are able to ask important questions like, “what kind of company are you and what do you need?” Then, your job would simply be to manage those concerns and goals for them. Have your clients pay one monthly fee and you take care of all the other resources that might be needed.
The most important thing to keep in mind if you’re an MSP is that you should always sell your client the best solution for their company and not the other way around. If you are only ever offering cut-and-dried solutions, then you aren’t being a good resource. This will give your clients the things they need rather than trying to fit their needs into your offered in-house skills.
In order to move forward as an MSP with absolute success, create custom solutions to meet specific needs. Since the industry has become a hybrid model split between technical and business consulting, MSPs need to be solutions experts. You don’t have to be business experts — your clients are already filling that role. You just have to listen to their difficulties and their goals, then you can give them the best solutions based on your technological knowledge.
Ultimately, embrace the changes that are happening in the MSP industry in order to have the most success. Change is going to happen very rapidly. You can either ride that wave or get sucked underwater. The MSP world is moving toward a more consultative practice than an operational one. Part of that change is measuring the success of that business and seeing where they are going in order to offer solutions that are going to make them ride the wave successfully.