Selling co-managed IT: Is it the right fit for your MSP?
Co-managed IT is becoming a popular option among businesses in need of additional IT support, particularly larger ones with internal IT departments. While some MSPs are turning toward co-managed IT services to generate additional monthly recurring revenue (MRR), it’s important to consider the following: The co-managed IT model isn’t the right fit for every MSP,...
Managed compliance services put money in the MSP bank
A survey of 300 IT security professionals published this week by Telos Corp., a provider of IT services, finds organizations on average comply with 13 different IT security and/or privacy regulations and spend $3.5M annually on compliance activities. Over the...
Four first steps to hiring for your MSP business
Hiring is not the easiest task no matter what industry you work in. Add that to the fact that the MSP industry is full of people with a lot of technical expertise, but lacking some of the soft skills that...
Maintaining your brand promise as your MSP grows
There is one fact in the managed services space that can’t be ignored: everyone has I.T. support. Those who already understand and value managed I.T. services are already buying it. Your whole sales process is now built around displacing competitors....
Sales & Marketing
Helping your clients understand their customers better
The pandemic has changed the way we do business. Most of your clients probably aren’t meeting customers in person, or if they are, it’s with minimal contact as possible. As this new way of conducting business takes hold, much of...
Perfect your LinkedIn profile, generate more leads
Previously, I wrote a piece called “Can MSPs really used LinkedIn for lead generation? Absolutely – and here’s how.” It’s something I still feel incredibly strong about, and it’s also a perspective that I think has been reinforced by everything currently...
What you should showcase on your MSP website
Previously, I wrote on SmarterMSP about keeping your prices off of your MSP website. This article serves as a continuation of this topic, this time focusing on using your website to tell a story of value over price. In this...
Security
Tech Time Warp: Credit card companies put PCI compliance in place
We were headed toward a nearly cashless society anyway, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of “contactless” transactions is likely the final push over the edge. Every time you place a takeout order via a mobile app, you’re putting...
MSPs and election cybersecurity
MSPs have emerged as central players in the democracy machinery. And after a rash of recent attacks on MSPs, some worry that MSPs may face a new challenge in election cybersecurity for the United States’ upcoming Presidential elections. Tim Davis,...
Email threat types: Data exfiltration
Data exfiltration, sometimes referred to as data theft, is the unauthorized transfer of data from your computer, network, or other devices. The stolen data is transferred from the victim to a control server or some other device that is controlled...
Better Business
Where do MSPs go next post-pandemic?
COVID-19 has had a massive impact around the globe. Businesses across the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors have been hit badly, while a few (such as those in the healthcare and government sectors) have for the most part come through...
Survey yields new insights regarding reliance on MSPs
A survey of more than 1,000 IT decision makers in North America and Europe published this week by Spiceworks Ziff-Davis forecasts managed services will account on average for 16 percent of the total IT budget in 2021, a single percentage...
Focus your MSP on customer service, not software
With so many choices when it comes to MSPs or competitive offerings, it’s easy for customers to pick up and leave when their needs are not being met, and they are left wanting more from their services investments. When customers...
Tech Insight
Survey unveils edge computing opportunity for MSPs
A global survey of 1,652 individuals from a broad set of industries and organizations published this week by Eclipse Foundation, a consortium that promotes adoption of open source tools and platforms, shows the level of diversity among edge computing platforms...
Helping your clients choose sales and marketing software
As the IT experts for their clients, MSPs often have to make business software recommendations. When it comes to sales and marketing automation tools, SMBs are often faced with a choice of expensive offerings, choosing an all-in-one solution, or cobbling...
Organizations need WFH help from MSPs now more than ever
Many organizations are just now starting to come to terms with the inherent challenges with supporting employees as an anticipated second wave of COVID-19 infections appears to be all but inevitable. A survey of more than 100 C-level executives and...