7 Tips for Getting Started in the Managed Services Space
What does it take to become a managed service provider (MSP)? Here are seven tips for businesses that are looking to enter the managed services market in 2016.
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What does it take to become a managed service provider (MSP)? Here are seven tips for businesses that are looking to enter the managed services market in 2016.
What does it take to become a successful MSP? Consider how you will support customers and outline your goals to develop an effective business strategy. "The role of a managed service provider is to provide quality IT services to customers quickly and efficiently for a consistent and attractive price," remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform provider Kaseya wrote in a recent white paper. "But there's a second part. The role of an MSP is also to make money. Remember, you aren't just building a job for yourself. You're building a business, and businesses need to be profitable."
A proactive MSP is a successful MSP. Explain your services to customers and work with them to ensure they understand how your business can help them achieve their goals. "The reasons to contract with an MSP are now more varied and nuanced. Some are tactical and pragmatic: Organizations are looking to improve operational efficiency and IT reliability beyond what currently achieving, for example, or they view a third party monitoring and managing their IT as a more assured path to improving their IT security," Carolyn April, senior director of industry analysis at IT industry organization CompTIA told MSPmentor. "Other reasons are more strategic in nature, such as a company’s desire to take a more proactive approach to IT."
How can you help customers save money? Examine how you can help customers reduce their IT expenses, and ultimately, streamline their IT operations. "In the now roughly decade-long history of managed services offerings, the primary reason to adopt has been to save money on IT spending," April noted. "The cost savings argument has been the lead selling point put forth by many MSPs over the years, and is the chief reason many end users took interest in the first place."
A recent Webroot survey of 300 IT decision-makers indicated many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) intend to increase their security budgets this year. IT security remains a priority for organizations of all sizes, and an MSP that offers managed security services could help customers reduce the risk of exposure to malware, viruses and other cyber threats.
How can MSPs help their customers with public cloud adoption? A recent ScienceLogic survey of over 1,600 IT professionals revealed 46 percent of respondents said they do not, or do not know how, to proactively monitor their public cloud workloads. MSPs that understand the cloud and offer cloud services, however, can help customers fully leverage the cloud.
Examine your overhead costs — you'll be happy you did! Kaseya pointed out overhead costs include all of your other non-billable employee costs, such as compensation, insurance and training and education expenses.
Become an IT innovator and expert by staying on top of industry trends. By doing so, you may be able to identify growth opportunities before your rivals. "It's important to stay on top of innovation in the IT industry, constantly improving your services while finding new ways to benefit customers," Kaseya pointed out. "Get certified. Take classes. Participate in the social conversation taking place in the growing number of community-focused destinations. Connect with evangelists within the industry so you can pass that knowledge on to your customers. And be creative when marketing yourself."
Become an IT innovator and expert by staying on top of industry trends. By doing so, you may be able to identify growth opportunities before your rivals. "It's important to stay on top of innovation in the IT industry, constantly improving your services while finding new ways to benefit customers," Kaseya pointed out. "Get certified. Take classes. Participate in the social conversation taking place in the growing number of community-focused destinations. Connect with evangelists within the industry so you can pass that knowledge on to your customers. And be creative when marketing yourself."
What do you think of this week's cloud stories for MSPs? Share your thoughts about this story in the Comments section below, via Twitter @dkobialka or email me at [email protected].
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