Tag: Ask an MSP Expert

Ask an MSP Expert is a weekly advice column answering common questions from MSPs and IT service providers. It covers topics ranging from pricing and selling to marketing and communications—and everything in between.

ask an MSP expert
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I thank my customers without breaking the bank?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I thank my customers without breaking the bank?

  Q: Earlier this week I received a thank you card in the mail from a vendor I partner with at my MSP business. I really liked the fact that they took the time to think of me and my...

/ November 23, 2015
social media marketing
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I use social media to help my MSP business?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I use social media to help my MSP business?

  Q: I’m not very active on social media, but I’ve noticed that a few of my competitors are using it to promote their business. I understand how social media works, but I’m just not sure how to use it...

/ November 9, 2015
cloud storage
How can I convince my customers that the cloud is secure?

How can I convince my customers that the cloud is secure?

  Q: One of my customers is reluctant to store their data in the cloud because they’re afraid it’s less secure than an on-premise storage option. As their managed service provider, I know that cloud storage is the best option...

/ November 2, 2015
cloud backup
Ask an MSP Expert: Ensure customers are backing up their data

Ask an MSP Expert: Ensure customers are backing up their data

  Q: I guess I’ve been watching too many scary movies lately (it’s Halloween after all) because I had a nightmare that my customers weren’t backing up their data! In the dream, one of my customers insisted that they’d backed...

/ October 26, 2015
cloud operations
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I convince my customers to move to the cloud?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I convince my customers to move to the cloud?

Q: I have a customer with aging IT infrastructure, and it’s time-consuming for my technicians to keep their systems running properly. I know moving to the cloud will be a better option for their business and make things more manageable...

/ October 19, 2015
byod policy
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I support a customer with remote employees?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I support a customer with remote employees?

Q: I recently signed on a new customer, and many of their employees work remotely. They brought me on to support their servers, PCs, and some corporate laptops, but I know their employees are using other tablets and mobile devices...

/ October 12, 2015
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I establish a customer success organization in my MSP business?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I establish a customer success organization in my MSP business?

Q: My MSP business is growing, and we’ve been signing on more small business customers, which is great. My technicians are always busy managing customers’ day-to-day needs, and they don’t really have time to build relationships with the different customers....

/ October 5, 2015
email marketing
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I optimize my email marketing efforts for my MSP business?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can I optimize my email marketing efforts for my MSP business?

Q: I’ve been regularly emailing my list of prospective small business customers, and I’m getting the hang of it. But, I feel like I could be doing more to make my emails even more effective. How can I optimize my...

/ September 28, 2015
data centers
Ask an MSP Expert: Should I host my customers’ data myself or use a third-party vendor?

Ask an MSP Expert: Should I host my customers’ data myself or use a third-party vendor?

Q: I’m recently opened my own MSP business and am trying to find ways to reduce costs. Is it beneficial to host my own data center? Or would it be cheaper for me to leverage a third-party cloud provider to...

/ September 14, 2015
billing process
Ask an MSP Expert: As an MSP, how can I make billing simpler for myself and my customers?

Ask an MSP Expert: As an MSP, how can I make billing simpler for myself and my customers?

Q: At the end of the last billing period, my MSP business ran into some issues. After the invoices were sent out, we got a number of calls from customers asking us to explain or provide details on the cost...

/ September 7, 2015