Tales From the Trenches: Wisdom from the Frontlines of Managed Services
The Managed Services space can be a challenging place to build a business. Tune in to hear industry experts talk about topics that are on the minds of MSPs in the Peer Groups. Our hosts come from working in the trenches at Managed Service Providers, and are active MSP Peer Group facilitators that have conversations with dozens of MSPs each month. Topics we will cover will include finance, pricing, sales, marketing, running the business, legal, and pretty much anything MSPs are talking about.
Episodes
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Hiring in an MSP sounds simple until you’re actually in the middle of it. In this episode, Natalie and I dig into one of the most common challenges we see in Peer Groups: knowing when to hire, who to hire, and how to do it without creating bigger problems for your business. This is one of those areas where a bad decision can set you back months, and a good one can unlock ...
In this episode of Tales from the Trenches, Natalie and I dig into something that sounds simple but is often missing in MSPs: routines. We break down what a strong cadence actually looks like for both owners and service managers, and why so many businesses get stuck reacting to fires instead of running with intention. From daily dashboard reviews and sales discipline to weekly one-on-ones and client check-ins, we talk through the h...
Account management is a key process and role in your MSP. In this episode Natalie and I talk about all things Account Management.
Interested in the Pax8 Peer Groups? You can find out more info here: https://www.pax8.com/en-us/academy/groups/
We even have an Account Manager Peer Group. Interested in the Pax8 Instructor Led Training? You can find out more info here: http://pax8.com/en-us/academy/training/
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Over the past week I've talked to a bunch of MSPs about Lead Generation and Finance. These topics come up a lot in my travels in the MSP Peer Groups. These two things are topics that few MSPs didn't get in the business to learn.
Most MSPs start as techs that start a business didn't plan on becoming a sales person, a marketing person, and a financial wizard. The reality i...
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Let’s be honest... raising prices is scary. Most MSPs avoid it because they don’t want to lose clients or rock the boat. But here’s the truth: nothing in your business is getting cheaper, and avoiding that hard conversation will quietly eat away at your margins. In this Tales from the Trenches episode, Natalie and I share how MSPs can raise prices the right way — from t...
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In this episode of Tales from the Trenches, Natalie Hell and I dig into one of the most overlooked (and under-profitable) parts of running an MSP: Projects. From scoping to pricing to client communication, projects can make or break your margins, and too often, they end up being loss leaders instead of profit drivers. We’ve both been deep in the trenches running project team...
In this episode, we're diving into a side of business continuity that often gets overlooked in the MSP space: What happens to your business if you, the owner, can’t be there. This isn’t about data backups or disaster recovery tools. Instead, it’s about building a plan so your MSP can keep running if you need to step away for a vacation, face an unexpected illness, or even in the worst-case scenario, if you’re no longer around to le...
Every lost client is a lesson to be learned in your MSP. In this episode, Natalie and I talk about things we've learned along the way from the clients that got away.
Interested in the Pax8 Peer Groups? You can find out more info here: https://www.pax8.com/en-us/academy/groups/
Interested in the Pax8 Instructor Led Training? You can find out more info here: http://pax8.com/en-us/academy/training/
As we talk to MSPs each week we find ourselves talking about several processes on a regular basis.
Natalie and I took a little bit to come up with our top 5 processes that all Managed Service Providers should have in their business. We had a little bit of overlap so our top 5 processes each turned into a total of top 8 processes.
Our top processes are (in no real particular order are):
1. Invoicing and Accounts Receivable
2. Backup...
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Your Triage and Dispatch process is vital for your MSP. This process (and the people that perform the process) setup the tickets coming into your MSP for success. This sets a number of other pieces in motion. If you set the ticket up for success, you set the tech up for success, and ultimately this helps set the client up for a great experience with your service.
You MUS...
One important thing to keep your eye on at your Managed Service Provider is keeping your team up-to-speed with learning new skills. From tech skills to soft skills to leadership skills your team all needs to continue getting smarter.
This isn't just for the MSP techs, but for the whole company - including the owner. In our podcast this week Natalie and I talk about building a professional development plan and some ideas around how ...
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Natalie and I don't really coordinate our topics that carefully, but often we land on the same topic each week. This week was finance.
Our conversations throughout the week led us to how important it is to understand your MSP financial situation properly and make decisions on your finances. Join our conversation as we talk about the importance of understanding finance.
...
New client onboarding is one of those vital processes for your MSP. Managed Service Providers MUST onboard new clients well. When client onboarding is done well everyone wins. When client onboarding isn't done well, everyone loses.
Onboarding sets your team up for success with the new client, it sets the client up to know what to expect, and it's often the first work you do for the client. Natalie and Adam will cover the important ...
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One of the most common sayings we have in Peer Groups is that "You must be present to win." When you try and attend a meeting that is largely in person, but you attend remotely it really inhibits the value you gain from being in the group in the first place. So, in short, you get more from your Peer Group from being there and fully engaged than attending remotely.
Che...
We made this podcast/video series to talk about all things Peer Groups. It makes sense for us to tell you a little bit about how each of us got our Peer Group start.
Welcome to Tales from the Trenches: MSP Peer Group Origin Stories.
Check out the Pax8 Peer Groups: https://www.pax8.com/en-us/academy/groups/
Join Adam's Newsletter: https://adamhannemann.com/newsletter
Connect with Adam: https://linkedin.com/in/ahannemann
Every week (or every other week at least) we have conversations around marketing. Specifically, how do I generate more leads? Many MSPs approach this with what I call "random acts of marketing" where they try a bunch of different things without anything approaching a plan.
This week's podcast is all about building up your core marketing muscle. You must do a few things well, and we're covering the MOST IMPORTANT pieces of your mark...
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What do you do when you have a key employee that gives their notice? Do you have a backup plan? Are you doing what you can to keep them from even wanting to leave? Keeping your people happy is one of those important things that you must think about as a people leader and MSP Business Owner.
In this episode we talk about keeping your key employees and strategies for handl...
Many MSPs wonder how many packages they should have. Should you have 1 package to rule them all or should you have the age old bronze, silver, and gold packages? Should you have different security offerings on your different packages? What's the right call? If you have any of those questions today's episode is for you.
You can watch the video version of this episode on the Ramblings of a Geek YouTube channel here: https://youtube....
Tales from the Trenches is a brand new Podcast about life in the Managed Services (MSP) space. We will be releasing new content each Thursday about conversations from the week that we've had with MSPs in the space. Join Adam and Natalie while they navigate through the issues MSPs face on a daily basis. New episodes each Thursday.
There will be video versions available on YouTube as well. You can find them here: https://www.youtube...
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