As summer sadly draws to a close and the kids head back to school, it’s the perfect time for IT professionals to consider what they need to do to advance their own business education. MSP organizations are, after all, a transitional model that need to be continuously molded and adapted to meet the constantly changing needs of their customers. A stagnant portfolio and set-in-stone processes are not a formula for success.
An effective and profitable MSP is as proactive building its own business as it is at managing its clients’ systems. Research and education are a must, ensuring they keep attuned to market conditions, client issues and the latest and greatest service offerings. Bigger isn’t always better, but scaling the organization to increase revenue potential while streamlining and automating your operations is a worthwhile endeavor for most.
Of course, channel professionals understand that managing an IT services business’ day-to-day activities while simultaneously building and executing its strategic growth plan isn’t easy. With so many processes in play, responsibilities often get delayed or overlooked completely. Long-term activities are often first to go, especially when an MSP is a tech professional at heart. While some assume the role of CEO as their organization grows over time, they often feel more comfortable taking a tough help desk call or solving a complex technical issue.
A Faster, Stronger, More Profitable MSP
The trick, for those building a successful managed services practice, is not to let that happen. A thriving MSP needs a captain, someone to set course and keep the “ship strategy” pointed in the right direction. That’s a commitment every managed service business owner has to make if they’re truly in it for the long haul. No sugar coating, no short-cuts. Just a commitment to improvement.
First of all, the owner needs to focus on fundamental improvement. Every operational and training process in an MSP business should be refined, documented and rehearsed repeatedly. Whenever possible, procedures should be automated. From help desk and remote management activities to your sales and marketing processes, everything that can be performed more cost-effectively by a machine needs to be. That gives you more time to focus on the real issues and opportunities facing the organization.
At the same time, an MSP’s portfolio needs to be enhanced and evaluated regularly, with timelines and details included in the company’s strategic business plan. You should continually be assessing vertical market opportunities and which products, services and solutions would be needed to capture (and support) that business. The dynamics may seem complicated, but when key employees are managing the daily operations, it’s much easier to focus on long-term strategy.
Leverage CompTIA Resources
For those looking for help getting their MSP business to the next level, the CompTIA Managed Services Community is ready, willing and extremely interested in helping. The group completed two projects over the past few months designed to give providers the direction and boost they need. The first is a comprehensive “roadmap” for IT professionals looking to become highly successful MSPs. At the recent ChannelCon 2015 conference in Chicago, Community Co-Chair and Anchor Networks CEO Vince Tinnirello introduced the new Quick Start Guide: Six Steps for Building an Effective and Profitable Managed IT Services Business. This is a must have for those who are truly ready to begin building a managed services practice—especially since CompTIA made it available to download at NO COST.
The second tool the group developed is the lifecycle of a managed services client infographic, a visual roadmap of daily customer interactions and activities. Basically a pictorial description of an MSP’s vital business processes, the illustration can be used to validate that IT providers are following best practices and maximizing all their opportunities.
Whether you’re still struggling to free yourself from more mundane managed services activities or have that part of the business mastered, each of these tools offer great reference points for moving an MSP organization forward.
Brian Sherman is Chief Content Officer at GetChanneled, a channel business development and marketing firm. He served previously as chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@getchanneled.com.
