If you ask any other managed services provider about the most effective way of earning clients, you will most probably hear about referrals. However, even the happiest of your customers won't always refer your exceptional services to their business connections. But why? Continue reading
When a customer picks up the phone to call with a problem, are your help desk technicians able to resolve that issue on the first try? First-call resolution is a concept common in call centers, but one that can be extremely helpful to apply to MSPs. As the name suggests, this metric tracks the ability of the support organization to resolve customer problems or answer questions on the first call. Continue reading
Download this free MSP Business Continuity Plan template to ensure that a company can continue to operate during a disaster. This template outlines the key processes and items that should be covered as you create an MSP business continuity plan. Continue reading
Shadow IT might be the cause of a security breach at many levels, including data breach through an insecure or legacy solution and up to compliance breach due to uncontrolled data movement. In 2019, this concept was in the top 7 list of IT concerns for US companies. Hence, in most cases, shadow IT is dangerous and MSPs should do their best either to eliminate it or control it. However, there are a couple of surprising upsides for companies implementing shadow IT. Continue reading
Your managed IT bundle is the cornerstone of your business. The bundle comprises software and hardware solutions, services, prices and other conditions of your services. The core of your bundle and the pricing will be the same for most customers. But the devil will still be in the details, since each of your prospects, even if they come from the same vertical, is unique. So, your price and services offer will also be unique. Continue reading
According to the global payments network Veem, 81% of small businesses in the US are expecting an economic slowdown over the next 12-16 months. In times like these, cost-cutting becomes one of the top priorities for all businesses, including managed IT providers. In this guide, we will overview five great tactics to cut your costs. Continue reading
A standard operating procedure, or SOP for short, is a step-by-step document that comprises workflows, frameworks, and procedures that are taken as the standard for your managed IT services. SOPs are a common instrument for most MSPs wanting to standardize and streamline their operations. These documents help to onboard new tech staff members faster and ensure that the quality of support is of the required level. Continue reading
It is important for MSPs to determine key business processes and milestones to structure operations and to provide partners and investors with crucial information about business. This template covers the essentials of an MSP business plan. Continue reading
It is easy to say that you need to evaluate your risks, control and mitigate them and, if anything bad happens, perform damage control, overview the situation and make appropriate changes. All that sounds great, but what is “risk” exactly? And how do you make risk management a part of your value-based managed IT offering? Continue reading
Some managed IT providers think it's obvious that they have limited liability for data breaches, failed hardware, and clients’ data loss. On the other hand, many clients believe that their managed IT providers are totally liable for any of these incidents, and they will go straight to court to sue the MSP for any damage, downtime, or loss. While the court may not be on the side of the clients, a lawsuit is a long and expensive process by itself. Continue reading
Some MSPs will tell you that you should not waste even a minute of your time creating a business plan while your business is only a project. Other, more mature managed IT providers will tell you that, unless you have to secure funding from a partner or investor, an MSP business plan is - you guessed it - a waste of time. Continue reading
It is crucial for MSPs to have well-documented processes to guarantee an outstanding level of services delivered. These templates cover the essentials that should be included in service level agreement and statement of work. Continue reading
