Richard Tubb's Blog, page 13

Bonusode: Live From Pax8 Beyond EMEA With Phylip Morgan: What’s New?

This episode was recorded live in Berlin, Germany at the Pax8 Beyond EMEA conference. Phylip Morgan is the Pax8 Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, and he shared what’s new at Pax8.

An Interview With Phylip MorganWhy MSPs Shouldn’t Fear Cloud Marketplace Providers

Phylip explains that many MSPs see cloud marketplaces as competitors, able to offer more to customers. But he said that Pax8 aren’t like the hyper-scalers that MSPs worry about. Instead, he says:

“We want to these enterprise-class tools in the hands of the small MSP. So that they can fight back against the digitisation and automation of everything. We’re designed to fit into the SMB ecosystem and work with them, not against them.” 

How Pax8 Helps MSPs to Up-serve Their Clients

Many of today’s MSPs find themselves supporting their SMB clients with more than just the tech. They ask for advice on things like recruitment and retention. So that’s a long way away from the break/fix model.

And, Phylip says, the challenge today is to deliver a business outcome rather than a technology solution. It’s not always easy to do that by yourself. But they have a range of tools that MSPs can leverage to better serve their clients and deliver all the support they need. 

Why Data is the New Oil and How Pax8 is a Refinery

This is a phrase that Phylip has used before, so I wanted to explore it with him. “So I find that MSPs have data at their fingertips, but they’re not utilising it in the best way. It’s hard for them to surface the data – they have to log in to different platforms.

“And we want our company to be able to help with that. So we’re building tools like Opportunity Explorer to make it easier. And it highlights gaps in your services so you can offer the right solutions to your clients.

The phrase ‘data is like oil’ means that we’re a ‘refinery’ and can help you access and use that data to grow your business.

Phylip’s Advice for Time Poor MSPs

By working with so many MSP partners over the years, Pax8 have identified three core problems that they have. As Phylip explains: “First, they’re usually time-poor. They only have eight hours in the working day, and they often have small teams.

“So something has to give. You push the delivery date back and that damages your ROI. Second, their employees don’t have the skills required. And finally, they get so busy that they reach capacity too soon.

“However, we’re confident that we can help. We have a Partner Services Program and an academy to support you behind the scenes. We want you to win business and succeed.”

How to Connect With Phylip MorganPax8Follow Pax8 on TwitterLike Pax8 on FacebookFollow Pax8 on LinkedInConnect with Phylip on LinkedInFollow Phylip on TwitterEmail PhylipHow to Connect With MeSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on iTunesSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodeIT certifications and training: CompTIABook: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business IdeaCloud computing tool: VMwareCloud computing tool: CitrixAI tool: ChatGPTPax8 Opportunity ExplorerPax8 Partner ProgramPax8 AcademyPodcast interview with Andy ReadmanYou Might Also be Interested inPodcast: AI, The Future of Managed Services and Pax8 for MSPs: What You Need to KnowPax8 Beyond EMEA 24: Growing Community Beyond the CloudPodcast: Pax8 Beyond and How to Support MSPs with Cybersecurity

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Partnering with Vendors: A Strategic Approach to Enhance Your MSP’s Offerings

Over time, it’s reasonable to expect that what you offer your customers is likely to change. That doesn’t necessarily mean your audience changes. But the technology you or they use might evolve rapidly as you work together. So partnering with vendors might be helpful.

What’s more, it’s not always reasonable for you to expect to handle and process absolutely everything you offer in-house. As an MSP, you likely work with a variety of different tools and services to offer packages to customers. And good vendor relationships can help with that.

Vendor partnerships can help enhance the packages and services you offer customers, whether by making things more convenient or introducing completely new features. Therefore, by partnering with the right vendors, you could take advantage of some serious growth – boosting your bottom line, brand awareness, and customer loyalty.

But how should you approach partnering with vendors, and what are the longer-term benefits of bringing external support on board? 

In this guide, I’ll take you through how to improve your MSP’s offerings with the help of carefully-selected vendors and their specific solutions. Whether you’re just starting out with an MSP or are a few years into your journey, there’s never a bad time to consider taking on a new partner or two!

What Does Partnering With Vendors Mean?

Partnering with vendors simply means that you set up contracts with external firms to support the packages you offer to customers.

For example, let’s say that the managed service you offer to customers includes malware and cybersecurity coverage.

Instead of handling the finer points of security in-house, you might partner with a cybersecurity software provider – like Huntress, for example. So you offer round-the-clock support, firewall services, and malware protection.

Or, you could work with a cloud management platform to provide customers with access to a range of off-site services. Alternatively, you might work with a vendor to set up a responsive technical support service.

Regardless, partnering with vendors ensures that MSPs can continue to meet the evolving demands of their customers, and that they have access to extended skill sets they can rely on in a pinch.

Beyond simple partnerships and work sharing, there’s also the phenomenon of the strategic partnership. As business development expert Greg Jones discusses with Richard via TubbTalk, this is a connection you make to foster growth. It’s not just to get products and services.

Jones rightly points out that building long-lasting relationships between vendors and MSPs is extremely important. With the right vendors, you can grow your MSP as a collective – and maintain mutually beneficial relationships over time.

Therefore, even if you don’t foresee offering any specific new services or product upgrades in the near future, creating vendor partnerships could be conducive to creating a healthy support network you can fall back on as and when you need it.

But what are some of the further benefits of working with the right tech vendors?

Benefits of Partnering With Vendors for Tech Tool Support

As mentioned, setting up a flexible, friendly support network is just one key reason why it’s worth seeking vendor relationships.

Here are a few other points to consider. They’re helpful wherever you are in your growth journey. And it applies to all products and services you currently offer:

It’s Easier to Keep up with Evolving Customer Needs

Your customers’ needs are, naturally, going to change over time – and that’s not always going to be something that’s easy to predict.

For example, the rise in automation and AI over the past few years has caught a few companies off-guard – with some needing to scramble to offer generative services and automated support to help boost customer satisfaction.

By partnering with specialist vendors, you always have fingers on various pulses. You have access to experts who can help you adapt to new needs as and when they arise.

And that means there’s little need for you to relearn things or spend time training your own teams.

You can Attract More Customers with Additional Solutions

Depending on the services you offer to customers, there may still be plenty of scope for you to add additional products and enhancements.

It’s also reasonable to expect not knowing how to do everything from the get-go. For example, you might find that there are a few cybersecurity features and services you could offer to bring in more customers.

You might discover that there’s a burgeoning demand for penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, alongside general firewall and network security management.

Instead of training or upskilling on this in-house, you could find a vendor to manage that type of security testing for you. And that could prove be cost-effective

Now – just how cost-effective vendor partnerships could be depends somewhat on the people you work with. And how often you use their services. You’ll need to tread carefully when it comes to determining whether or not prospective relationships will be genuinely valuable to you.

Regardless, there are cost savings available from the get-go if you hire, say, a vendor to handle projects and services you don’t offer outright to customers.

As you can save money on hiring and training people by outsourcing certain work, you can do so on bringing in experts by simply offloading or white-labeling certain cases to your vendors.

You have instant access to expertise, meaning there’s no need to invest in expensive training or hiring people to temporarily handle vital projects.

Having a vendor on standby means there’s always someone in your support network or pipeline who can pick up a specialist demand.

Partnering With Vendors Keeps you Competitive

Keeping track of the competition is healthy. After all, it pays to see what other MSPs offer in terms of USPs, and why certain customers use them rather than you. It’s nothing personal against you!

One of the best ways to stay competitive is to bolster your service arsenal with expertise and tools that grow with your customer demands. 

Consider the difference between a vendor-free MSP and one with several partnerships. Unless the former offers a broad range of skills and services that really set themselves apart from the pack, the latter will likely win out because they have more expertise and resources to pool.

Again, the more expertise you have by your side, the more flexible you become. An MSP with vendor partnerships will often be able to pivot faster in the event of major industry or demand changes compared to one that’s solely reliant on in-house talent.

That’s not to devalue the people you employ – rather, that a company with multiple strings to its bow is likely to be more capable and therefore appealing compared to one with little support.

Conversely, less is sometimes more when it comes to the number of partnerships you have in place. Experienced MSP owner and advisor Eamon Moore suggests, for example, that working with a handful of vendors could help you give back clarity to your customers.

Customer Support is More Efficient

When you’re approached with a problem or a project request, you’ll typically advise your customer of timescales by which you can return to them.

When you work with vendors, you share and delegate this workload. You could bring on board software development experts, for example, if your customer has a highly specific demand of your suite or resources, but you can only get back to them with a solution by the end of the month.

When you have vendor knowledge to pool from and people to delegate to, you can serve and support your customers faster. Everybody wins!

It’s Easier to Train up Your Team on New Skills and Software

You don’t have to delegate everything to vendors. In fact, you should be spending time upskilling your team on gaps that are proving to be sticking points when communicating with customers.

For example, let’s look again at AI. More and more people want to harness the cost- and time-saving benefits of machine learning. If your MSP can’t support its customers due to a lack of knowledge or experience, you can partner with vendors to offer both.

Consider it direct access to experts who can not only help you grow and enhance your services, but who can also improve your team’s capabilities and skillset.

You Could Boost Brand Recognition and Sales

Publicly partnering with leading software vendors and highly-rated specialists in their industries could have a fantastic knock-on effect for your own bottom line.

Successful vendors don’t enter into partnerships lightly, meaning a strong relationship with a well-known brand could inspire more customers to invest in your services. 

However, it’s never wise to seek out vendor partnerships purely for the endorsement potential. If anything, this effect is secondary to the benefits I’ve explored above.

But it’s a powerful benefit nonetheless! What are some examples of technology vendors you could partner with?

If you’re mulling over the benefits of working with a technology vendor or two but are unsure of which direction to move in, let’s take a look at a few examples.

The following are all expert tech vendors we’ve highlighted here at Tubblog who offer specialist services to MSPs looking to grow and evolve:

Keepabl , a B2B solution that helps growing companies manage complex data compliance demands Uptime , a multi-faceted vendor that aids MSPs with operational support, ad-hoc project delegation, and 24/7 helpdesking Hornetsecurity , cloud security experts who offer a range of infrastructure protection solutions alongside cybersecurity awareness training Huntress , experts in real-time protection, endpoint guarding, and off-site security operations management SuperOps , a scalable professional services automation (PSA) provider, simplifying AI and automated processes for growing businesses
How do You Set up Successful Vendor Partnerships?

While it’s entirely possible to start benefiting from partnering with vendors right away, it is going to take time for you to build lasting, truly beneficial relationships.

What’s more, there is never any guarantee that the vendors you initially choose will be right for you. Unfortunately, this part of your journey in running an MSP will always come with some trial and error.

Therefore, the best thing you can do before seeking out successful vendor partnerships is to foster an open mind. Be willing to test the waters with potential partners and be careful with contracts.

And create a flexible and forgiving action plan. If you have to double back and try new avenues, so be it.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when getting started looking for vendors to partner with, and how to stay resilient in the face of careful long-term relationship building.

1. Have a Plan in Mind (and Keep Your Customers at the Heart of Everything)

The key to planning ahead with vendors is to focus on your customers first. You should ideally be entering into vendor relationships to improve your service offerings rather than to increase your prestige. 

So, like with any good business plan, take stock of where you are now. What services and products does your MSP offer? Which are the most popular? Are there any areas that your customers have requested particular support with that you could grow into?

Think carefully about where you want to be in several years’ time. Do you want to niche down into a particular type of product, or do you intend to cover a broad range of services?

Your answers here will help you narrow down the types of vendors to look for – and to establish what you will value the most from support.

It’s also worth asking vendors about some of these areas, too – what do their roadmaps look like? What’s their attitude toward growth – and how can they help you scale up?

2. Create a Comparison Checklist

Just like comparing any product or service, it makes sense to have a list of essential features and services that you need your vendor to provide.

Once you have a roadmap of sorts in place and know what you want to niche down or expand into, create a checklist you can apply to each vendor you come across and investigate.

For example, regardless of the services you’re looking for, you could compare vendors on:

How easily they could integrate with your existing servicesWhat specific support they offer to MSPsThe security standards they have in placeTheir standing in their industry and level of expertiseOpening packagesSupport they have available and the channels they work throughContract lengths

I’ll cover some of these areas in a little more detail below, but to start, it pays to have a shopping list of sorts so you’re not simply entering into a partnership for the sake of it.

3. Pay Attention to Reviews and Testimonials

Naturally, a leading vendor is going to be proud of its five-star reviews, and these shouldn’t be too difficult to see from their web presences.

However, go beyond the basic sales patter and social proof. Dive deep into what others have to say about a specific vendor. Start by looking into honest Google reviews, searching for their mentions on LinkedIn and Reddit. And, where possible, look for insight from other MSP clients.

Be prepared to push Google to the limit when researching potential vendors. Just because they have a strong set of client reviews on their website doesn’t always mean they will be the right fit for what you need.

Pay attention to specific reviews written by people with genuine experience of working with your prospective vendors. On a positive note, you might uncover something interesting about them that makes you want to pursue a relationship even more.

4. Look Carefully into MSP Offerings

This is a point I mentioned briefly above, but it certainly deserves its own focus. You need to find a vendor relationship where there are clear boundaries and it’s obvious what both parties get from a partnership in the long run.

For example, ask your potential vendors to explain how it offers resources and to what extent. What does it have specifically to offer MSPs – is it purely ad-hoc expertise, or can it train your personnel, troo?

What is your vendor’s stance on feedback? Does it have open channels or even an advisory board? The presence of the latter could suggest that it is particularly welcoming to two-way feedback.

Ultimately, you want to be clear on what to expect as the MSP in a vendor’s partner program. If representatives can’t give you clear answers or any kind of structure, it might be worth looking elsewhere.

That means being clear on contracts, too. Are your vendors flexible? What is a minimum term for your potential partner, and are there any deal-breaking policies?

5. Prioritise Budget Compatibility

Finding vendors you can afford is a given. However, it also pays to look for companies and services that can work to your expected budget over the months and years to come.

Discuss the support that a vendor could offer you based on your projected budget allocations. Look carefully at the genuine value you claim back from investing in vendors, too.

Do the services they offer provide enough of a return on your investment for sustainable long-term partnerships?

You should also consider doing some homework on your vendors’ financial health. Dig deep into their operational histories – and ask them directly about their financial performance.

6. Test Drive What Vendors Have to Offer

Let’s say you want to work with a CRM software provider who can help streamline your customer journeys and improve your own client relationships. In this scenario, you’d be well within your rights to ask for a trial run of the software you’re about to put capital behind.

Many vendors offer free trials and hands-on explorations of what they have to offer. However, if this isn’t forthcoming at first, don’t assume it’s a red flag. Ask if you can see platforms and products working in a live demo, if not, try to explore products hands-on yourself.

Not sure what a CRM is? This article might help.

7. Take Time to Cultivate Your Vendor Relationships

Once you’ve set up with a vendor, don’t set and leave the partnership idle or only refer to them when you need them.

The best vendor partnerships are built on clear communication and mutual respect. That can mean taking the time to get to know people at various areas of their business, involving their teams and decision makers in important events, and generally networking.

You might even find further mutual benefits from working together – which will help to cement your relationship for time to come.

Ultimately, the best vendor relationships aren’t purely transactional. Instead, they should be about sharing knowledge and experience and supporting each other, not just paying for a service.

In Summary

Finding the perfect vendor partnership or relationship isn’t going to be something you accomplish overnight. And, the advice I’ve given above might not always fit your specific needs or circumstances.

The best advice we can all give here at Tubblog, however, is to show genuine interest in anyone you work with – and to focus on building mutual benefits and respect over time.

The best vendors you work with will have your back when you need them, and will be genuinely invested in helping you grow your MSP. If you have any specific advice or guidance of your own that you’d like to share, please let us know!

You Might Also be Interested inPodcast: How Outsourcing Your MSP Service Desk Leads to GrowthHow do I Choose a CRM Vendor to Work With?Podcast: The MSP Owner’s Guide to Becoming a Better Leader

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How to Scale Your MSP Without Losing the Personal Touch

Anyone out there running businesses wants to be able to grow their enterprises – it just makes sense! However, for many MSP owners, scaling up their firms and products can come with a bittersweet realisation – what happens if they lose the ‘personal touch’?

I’m referring to the idea that, eventually, your company might grow to such an extent that you no longer have time to offer the same one-on-one care and service to your customers. What if you need to start focusing more on running your firm and less on taking care of people?

Don’t worry – it’s a common concern, and for many MSP owners, it won’t come to pass. However, it’s still important to plan ahead so you can keep building your business without losing sight of the people who have helped you succeed.

It’s absolutely possible to scale up an MSP and still maintain a personal, friendly relationship with customers. You just need to take a few careful steps and to be mindful of where you’ve come from as well as where you’re heading.

In this guide, I’ll take you through some key tips to keep in mind while growing your MSP to ensure your brand stays friendly and personable while going from strength to strength.

Why Customer Satisfaction Matters – Regardless of How Big You Grow

Let’s be clear – a growing MSP is great news for customers. The more you expand, the more you can improve your services and products, extend into new regions and specialisms, and even offer more features to improve customer experience.

However, it’s easy to lose sight and start adding flashy solutions to your service offerings for the sake of doing so. Just like all those added extras you add to hotel trips or vehicle purchases – do you, or rather your customers, need them?

Don’t fall into this trap!

One of the first things you should always do when scaling up an MSP is to focus on your customers’ current needs. A growing business that retains the personal touch is one that continues to tap into its audience’s pain points – rather than just expanding for the sake of conquering the market.

That said, we all know that scaling is never an exact science. Your MSP could have started from a very different point to your peers’ – and there are no precise checkpoints or timescales when it comes to growth.

You need to keep adapting and upgrading ad hoc, and while doing so, you should anchor yourself to your customers’ needs. 

What’s more, it’s always worthwhile focusing on your sales and marketing strategies to keep efficient and profitable during this process. It’s something Darren Strong, of Focus Technology Solutions, discussed with Richard in his episode of TubbTalk.

None of us are here to tell you how to keep your customers happy. However, what we can do is share a few tips on how to continue making them your priority, even as you evolve.

Keeping Your Customers at the Heart of Everything: 10 Key Tips

It’s also a good idea to network with other MSP owners! The IT Nation’s Dan Scott spoke to Richard about why embracing MSP community groups can be highly beneficial for measuring growth. Joining said groups and gaining insight into how other companies handled customer relations during upscaling could be extremely beneficial.

Retaining and welcoming customers is a careful balancing act. And, yes, you’re likely to need some help to do this as you scale, no matter the speed at which you’re growing.

I’ve put together some tips to help you get to the heart of what really matters to your business – and how you can keep your customers feeling happy and appreciated while you continue to build your bottom line.

However, remember that these tips are only useful as generic pointers! As mentioned, MSPs vary in terms of size, starting points, and growth speed. Consider this a nice launchpad of sorts to get you thinking, or maybe even moving in the right direction.

Let’s get started!

1. Make security your number one focus

I really can’t stress this one enough! Customers are placing incredible trust in you to keep their interests, money, and data secure. Break that trust, and you’ve lost your customer.

It’s easy to lose sight of security strategy when you’re trying to scale up at pace. However, you should ideally make it your number one priority, regardless of what you do as an MSP.

Ensuring you have firm data retention policies in place and a rigid security posture will reassure customers that you still care about their safety.

Invest in regular cybersecurity testing and make your security focus known to your customers. Set up clear policies, explain how you handle their data, and be ready to answer questions.

Showing you care isn’t enough in this instance – you need to back up your intentions with action. Otherwise, a data breach or hack that occurs due to a lack of preparation could do irreparable harm to your customer relationships.

2. Make customers a clear part of your growth plan

If your growth plan solely focuses on acquiring new clients, upgrading tools and premises, and boosting revenue, you might want to rethink.

Of course, it’s reasonable to focus on all of those things when growing your MSP. However, the key is to keep your customers’ pain points in mind while you grow.

Carefully map out each step in your process and ask yourself how you feel customers might be impacted by each decision.

For example, what if you need to increase your costs to accommodate a new service partner. How might your customers respond to such a hike? Could you mitigate this by giving your base ample space and time to react and adjust? What if you need to move physical premises – how might your local customers react?

It’s impossible to please everyone, and ultimately, you need to do what you have to when it comes to scaling up. However, you can apply critical and pragmatic thinking to problems like these. Consider how to soften blows and ensure your customers know you’re thinking of them.

For example, you could simply slow down your growth plan. This could give customers extra time to get accustomed to your changes – while you won’t get where you’re going at speed, making customers a focus of your plan will help to keep them on-side.

3. Be mindful of fee changes

I’ve mentioned this in a brief example above, but put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If your MSP announced it would be increasing prices by 5% and only gave you an impersonal email warning about it around a week in advance, you’d be annoyed!

No one wants to pay more money for services unnecessarily. Unfortunately, a fast way to lose customers (and therefore the personal touch) while you scale is to rush into hiking prices.

Instead, think carefully about the packages you offer. Could you offer more value in the services you provide at an additional cost? Is there a way you could adjust your pricing tiers with notice?

You should also take time to carefully research your market. What do competitors offer for the same price? Do they have any membership or loyalty schemes, or new buyer deals?

To retain long-term customers, one of the best ways to cushion fee changes is to offer a blanket discount over several months. Of course, the way you roll this out – and how long for – will depend entirely on your individual circumstances.

4. Invest in customer care solutions

While you grow your business, it makes sense to invest in services and partnerships that will support your expanding customer base. However, along the way, it also makes sense to invest in resources that directly support your customers and how you communicate with them.

One of the biggest worries and challenges MSP owners have when they start scaling up is that they lose contact with some of their longest-standing customers. This is especially the case if you’ve grown your brand from the ground up and have several customers who have been with you since the early days!

However, it’s reasonable to expect that, as the MSP owner, you might not always have the time or availability to handle every individual customer query, or even to speak to people directly. That’s where things can get a little impersonal, but you can mitigate this by delegating customer care.

Consider funding an in-house customer care team – one that knows your products and services well, and can embody your brand and personality in every conversation.

Hiring and funding an in-house team can be the more expensive option over outsourcing, but many customers might feel they forge closer links with people who are physically close to the brand – especially if they know you personally!

For your longest-tenured customers, this might even be considered the ‘next best thing’ to talking to you personally.

Of course, there are still benefits to outsourcing your support centre. As Uptime’s Jason Kemsley discusses with Richard, you don’t have to be the only voice of your business. Sometimes, it’s just about finding a personable team that fits your brand.

Find New Ways to Provide the Human Touch

Another option to consider is setting up specific account managers for customers. This might not be an approach you can take for lower-paid packages, so you might want to consider it a premium perk.

Regardless, assigning a personal account manager means your customers rest easy knowing there’s always a direct line of communication. There’s someone they can speak to who knows their cases and knows their usage and habits.

It’s also a great way to keep that personal touch alive between you and your customers. After all, who wants to deal with faceless robots? Speaking of which…

5. Avoid going all-in on artificial intelligence

Unless you’ve been in outer space since 2022, AI has been a huge talking point across multiple industries. It’s safe to say we’re living in an age where machines can handle some of our simplest and most mundane tasks with impressive skill and precision.

There are also plenty of efficiency, productivity, and cost-saving advantages to using AI when handling customer accounts. For example, many businesses use AI chatbots to help with queries at the point of sale and to address existing customer concerns.

But… it’s all so impersonal!

Again, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Let’s say you have a server issue and you need your managed team to run diagnostics. However, instead of presenting you with a human advisor, your MSP gives you a chatbot with predefined messages and a library of popular answers.

Don’t Sacrifice the Human Element by Relying on AI!

It’s not only impersonal, it can be frustrating – especially when you have a complex concern that requires a human expert to understand context and even show empathy!

Yes – there are huge benefits to using AI when it comes to growing firms and managing customer accounts and queries.

And there are plenty of great use cases for it. But if you want to retain that personal touch, you should seriously consider putting the brakes on.

One of the best ways to ensure your MSP retains that human connection as it grows is to simply employ humans to speak with humans! You could use a chatbot for some front-facing concerns, but don’t be quick to assume AI can handle all of your customers’ questions.

It’s a quick route towards losing customers who simply want to talk problems out with a friendly expert. And, if part of your selling proposition is that you offer a human touch to complex issues – then you would do best keeping AI at arm’s length. That is, when it comes to customer-facing tasks!

6. Maintain a clear face of the business

No business owner sets out to make their enterprise a faceless entity. That certainly goes for MSPs, too – especially when there is such a burgeoning industry out there.

If anything, as you scale, it’s reasonable to want to try and stand out in the best ways possible. One of the best routes to avoid your MSP falling into the ‘faceless’ trap is to make sure you’re visible – that is, you, the person behind the business.

You, your directors, and any teams you work with should have clear visual profiles on your website, and publishing content under your name and photo is also wise.

By keeping your image and personality front and centre of the brand, you’re ensuring people remember that you’re a human entity, and that you genuinely care about keeping their needs at the forefront too.

You might also want to take part in social media videos, record interviews and podcasts. Or you could write guest posts for other publications. 

Even as you grow, people will continue to associate your name and persona with your business and expertise. This is especially comforting for customers who might worry about losing contact with you as your enterprise scales up.

Keeping your name and face in the spotlight – and your marketing carefully managed – is just good MSP PR. Consider interacting directly with people via social media and online forums, too. Show your customers that you’re just another person, trying to help other people.

7. Be very open to feedback

Let’s keep this point brief – no one likes receiving bad news. However, the way you accept and process feedback, particularly in public, greatly impacts your MSP’s brand worth – particularly if you are in the middle of scaling up.

Give your customers plenty of opportunity to raise concerns. Again, you could assign specific account managers or provide direct channels to members of your team.

It’s also a good idea to take full ownership of cases. Whether publicly or privately, owning up to mistakes and explaining how you intend to remedy situations will go a long way with people who are already frustrated.

All you need to do then is, of course, follow through. How you do this will vary from case to case, of course. But, again, try to limit the number of automated feedback channels you have available. When someone has a legitimate concern, the last thing they are likely to want to do is spend hours talking to a chatbot.

8. Be proactive

One of the best ways to ensure your customers know that you value their support is simply to follow up with them. It’s easy to assume that a purchase or a project is one-and-done, but for MSPs, customer relationships are often long-term.

Therefore, take the time to reach out to customers and check temperatures. Make sure the services and support you provide are continuing to address their pain points. 

No news isn’t always good news. Again, with a team of account managers on the ground, you could establish an outreach campaign to ensure customers are satisfied at specific points of the management cycle.

Being proactive about customer care shows people that you are genuinely concerned about their needs, and that even when they’re not interacting with you directly, you want to continue providing exceptional human service.

Of course, not everyone wants to be coddled or checked up on! Test the waters from customer to customer and find patterns that benefit specific needs.

9. Keep a sense of humour

It’s good to laugh, provided the circumstances call for it! Many brands and businesses lean into cheeky or sarcastic humour to help connect with people on a human level.

It’s not always appropriate – it depends on the services you offer and the audience you serve. But when used effectively in marketing, it can give your MSP a fantastic human edge.

While you scale up, think about your current marketing campaigns and branding. Are they feeling a little dry or impersonal? Could you add a little personality or humour to try and engage with people more?

This is a step that I don’t necessarily recommend you address on your own, unless you have specific marketing experience or insight.

Therefore, make plans to work with your marketing and PR teams to brainstorm ways you can add personality and humour into your  persona. Coupled with a human face and voice, people will find it easier to connect and relate to you as you continue to grow your MSP.

Naturally, it’s wise to address this as early as you can in your growth journey. Suddenly becoming a comedian overnight will be jarring to existing customers and offputting or patronising to potential new contacts.

10. Keep innovating

An innovative attitude to developing MSP services and products shows people that you’re invested in their needs and what they’re likely to face in future.

Continuing to offer the same services and solutions (while potentially increasing prices) is a fast track to stagnation and poor public opinion. What’s more, that approach is only likely to cement your reputation as a business that’s less invested in its people, but more in simply making profits.

Innovating, upgrading, embracing digitisation, and adjusting service offerings – particularly in line with public demand – shows your customers that you’re still in touch with their pain points and that you genuinely care about what they’re facing.

Innovating new products and services shows that you want your customers to have convenient lives – there’s genuine empathy behind such decisions, not just a desire to build revenue.

To customers, an MSP that’s continuing to evolve based on customer needs and demands is likely to be more exciting and engaging than a faceless entity.

Therefore, one of the best ways to show people you haven’t lost sight of that human connection is to keep approaching their challenges with new and engaging insights.

In Conclusion

Scaling an MSP is hard work. There are lots of moving parts, and one of the biggest challenges is ensuring your customers know that there’s still a human entity behind a growing enterprise.

Thankfully, as you’ve seen, there are more than a few ways you can keep this human link intact. Ultimately, it revolves around being proactive, keeping your customers’ needs in sight, and making sure they’re heard.

Of course, all MSP scaling experiences are different! Let us know if you have any tips of your own – we’d love to hear your thoughts and stories.

You Might Also be Interested inHow to Help Your MSP Clients to Stay Safe When Using AI ToolsElevate Your Client Retention Strategy with Outstanding Customer ServiceMSP Pricing Models for Profitability, Growth and Client Satisfaction

The post How to Scale Your MSP Without Losing the Personal Touch appeared first on Tubblog: The Hub for MSPs.

TubbTalk 167: Building a Culture of Success: Secrets from the UK’s Top ISP

Richard Tang is the founder and CEO of Zen Internet, which is consistently rated as the top internet service provider in the UK. Founded in 1995, Richard’s initial plan was to capitalise on the popularity of a new technology. Today, they provide broadband services to mainly business users. He tells Richard Tubb how he’s built a culture of success.

An Interview With Richard TangZen’s Approach to Customer Support

The key difference, Richard explains, is right at the core of the culture. “So, we have these three most fundamental long-term objectives: happy staff, happy customers, and happy suppliers. And in that order.

“Because we’re all about putting people in the environment first and money second. And this is different to most of our competitors. Yes, they might do good for the environment. But at the end of the day, they’re driven by maximising financial return, which creates a certain culture.

“However, our focus on people and environment first creates a culture of success. We make decisions both strategically and day to day that have people at the core. And what matters is to us is what’s best for our staff and customers, and building better supplier relationships.”

Building a Strong Business Culture of Success

Richard acknowledges that he must have got the company culture right, because over a quarter of the workforce (150 people in total) have been with the business over 10 years.

“And some have been here more than 20. They say, ‘I never expected to stay with Zen for so long. But I believe in what it’s about, in its values.’ They know that we want to make a positive difference in the world, and that inspires them to stay.

“But we’ve put people and the environment first, and grown every year since 1995. And I hope that demonstrates that you can have a financially successful business without putting the finances first. I want to lead by example.”

Why B Corp Certification Leads to a Culture of Success

The B Corp movement began in America in response to businesses putting a focus on profit to the detriment to people and the environment. So the founders decided there had to be a better model and created B Corp. Richard explains more:

“Essentially, you change the articles of association to give your company directors a legal responsibility to take into account people, community, environment, alongside profitability. They have to be equal. And you have to publish a social responsibility statement along with your annual accounts.

“And we took it one step further to say ‘people in the environment are the purpose of the business.’ We have an environmental steering group to decide what we do as a business and the impact that we have. We strive to constantly improve.”

How Zen Helps help MSPs and Resellers Help Their Clients

The key to helping their suppliers and building a culture of success is all about the partnership. Zen know that MSPs want a rock-solid service with great support. And so that’s what they offer.

Says Richard: “We have a great API and portal for partners. They can manage everything themselves, and there’s a help team. Plus we can support with more complex projects an MSP might otherwise not be able to deliver.

“I see us as reliable building blocks MSPs can build their businesses on top of. So it’s a huge responsibility to make sure those blocks are robust. Yes, we want to make some money, but we want that for all of our partners too. They rely on us for long-term success.”

Why Making Charitable Donations is so Important to Zen

Richard says it’s really important to him personally, and also aligned to the company values. “Each year, we pick one or more charities, and do a whole range of fundraising activities for them. And then at the end of the year, we double everything we’ve raised via our profits.

“We do all kinds of things. For instance, we spent a day in the garden of a local hospice. My job was to varnish some benches, which took ages! But it’s important that all the staff go out and do things.

“Plus we try to do things with local schools and colleges. Because we want everyone, especially girls, to see tech as a viable career option. And maybe some of them are future Zen employees.”

Where the Zen Motto comes from

The three most fundamental objectives for Zen (happy staff, happy customers, happy suppliers) has a surprising origin. Richard explains that he was inspired by a policy introduced by the King of Bhutan.

“I was there on holiday and learning about the country. And I found out that the King had said: ‘All these other countries focus on growing their GDP (gross domestic product).

“’Instead, I want to look at how happy our country is. So we’re going to focus on Gross National Happiness (GNH).’ And that struck a chord for me. I wondered how I could apply that to a business, and decided to make it our long-term aims. It became a new purpose.”

How MSPs can Adopt the Zen Mentality and Build a Culture of Success

From conversations he’s had with other CEOs, Richard knows that people struggle to balance doing the right thing for people in the environment and making money? “Because they think it’s one or the other. And that’s simply not true.

“Zen is the living proof. We’ve grown to a £120m business and we grow every year.  We make a profit by focusing on people and the environment. Zen has a loyal workforce who believe in our purpose. We have customers who value our services because we look after them. And we want to build long-term partnerships with them.

So my advice would beL build your business, do the right things for your people and your customers, and you’ll earn more money in the long term. You’ll see greater success than if you just look for quick wins.”

How to Connect With Richard TangZen InternetFollow Zen on InstagramLike Zen on FacebookFollow Zen on XConnect with Richard on LinkedInHow to Connect With MeSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on iTunesSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodePeer group: SBSC NorthwestB Corp certificationPodcast: Richard’s interview with David BreretonYouTube: Richard’s Three Peaks videoCloud marketplace: Pax8You Might Also be Interested inPodcast: Looking into the Mindset of a Successful, Modern MSPSBSC Northwest: Advantages of Sharing Best Practice Amongst Local PeersAsk Me Anything: Potent Insights & Proven Methods for Success

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The Huntress Roadshows are Back and Better Than Ever!

Did you miss out on the Huntress Breaches and Brews roadshow that took place in the UK last year? Did you have FOMO seeing your peers having a great time? Well, worry not! The Huntress Roadshows are back!

The team at cybersecurity experts Huntress felt bad that so many of the MSP community missed out on their successful events, so they’re holding some more this autumn. They’re taking place in the UK and the USA.

What’s the Format for the Huntress Roadshows?

First, each event offers  learning sessions. There’ll be a partner spotlight, with a Huntress partner sharing their experiences of collaborating with them. And there will also be a discussion about the opportunities for MSPs with MDR, and a look at the current threat landscape.

I’ve been to a number of these events now, and the MSPs and IT professionals I meet there share great feedback. They highlight their strong community vibe, which gives you the opportunity to network with your peers and learn about the latest cybersecurity challenges.

Registration for the roadshow events are now open to ALL MSPs, so get registered, grab a pint and some snacks and dive into a world of cybersecurity battle stories alongside your MSP peers!

Which Cities are They Visiting?

The UK events are taking place in the following cities:

London, 30th OctoberCardiff, 12th NovemberSouthampton 14th November

And the US events will be happening here:

Jacksonville, 22nd OctoberTampa, 24th OctoberNewark, 14th November How to Register for the Huntress Roadshows

Find out full details of dates, times and locations for this autumn’s roadshows and grab a ticket for a city near you here.

Still not Sure if the Huntress Roadshows are for you?

Not sure why you should get yourself along? Well, here are several great reasons:

A warm welcome from the IT communityNetwork with your peers in an informal settingFind collaboration opportunitiesMeet the Huntress teamFree drinks and snacks
You Might Also be Interested inBreaches, Brews and Banter: A Fun Roadtrip with Cybersecurity Experts HuntressPodcast: How To Stop Mac Hacks In Their Tracks and Bolster macOS SecurityWebinar: Chilling Cybersecurity Horror Stories From the Professionals at Huntress

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TubbTalk 166: Need More Free Time? Call Answering Services are a Game-Changer for MSPs

Leigh Smith is the Director of Growth and Happiness at AnswerConnect, a 24/7, live call-answering solution founded in 2002. The service enables MSPs to streamline issue resolution, manage tickets more efficiently, and maintain their SLA compliance. And they offer support with capturing and qualifying leads.

An Interview With Leigh SmithWhy AnswerConnect Specialise in Call Answering for MSPs

Leigh says that what sets them apart from other call answering services is their deep integration with MSP operations. “So, we offer 24/7 coverage, including holidays and weekends at no additional cost.

“Plus, we offer a customised script so you get a personal touch. And we integrate seamlessly with popular MSP tools to provide all of our clients with real-time data updates. We use Zapier to ensure everything works properly.

Additionally, we’ve got a really slick outbound dialling and instant call back feature. So that allows MSPs to respond to leads within minutes. That not only boosts customer satisfaction, but it sets them apart from their competitors as well.

The Importance of Using a Human for Call Answering

In today’s fast-paced world, says Leigh, clients expect that personalised service and instant response. Because when they’re dealing with technical issues, the last thing they want is to navigate an automated system.

“We ran a survey a year ago and 75% of callers reported feeling frustrated when they can’t speak to a real person. And when they’re already stressed, a human voice makes a difference. It reassures them that their concerns are being heard and addressed promptly.”

Leigh acknowledges that many MSPs she meets want to use AI for call handling. But, she says, “It should be there to support rather than replace human interaction. There’s less of that all the time in the modern world, but it’s how you deliver exceptional customer service.”

Why Your MSP Clients Won’t Mind if You Outsource Calls

Some MSPs don’t believe that their clients would be happy to speak to anyone but them on a call. That makes sense when you’ve invested time in building your brand and those client relationships, agrees Leigh.

“But it’s helpful to step back and look at the bigger picture. Yes, you’re the expert in tech and network management. But being constantly interrupted by calls slows down your service delivery and hinders your growth.

“So by having a professional answering service to filter and prioritise calls, you can focus more on strategic tasks, developing new offers and growing the business. And it doesn’t detract from the personal touch.”

How AnswerConnect Manage Different Call Answering Scenarios

Leigh talks through a range of scenarios faced by their typical MSP clients. “Firstly, our system is designed to recognise and prioritise urgent issues through the customised scripting we develop. And they choose how and who we alert.

“Next, we can qualify leads and prospects on your behalf. The most effective way to do that is if they come through a website form. Then we can do a callback. And our account managers work closely with each MSP to understand their needs so we gather all the key information. 

“And of course, our agents are very well versed in handling unsolicited sales and marketing calls. We filter out and eliminate anything unwanted to ensure that only relevant and valuable messages reach our clients. Our team is trained to distinguish between spam callers and genuine queries.”

How Their Call Services are Billed

At AnswerConnect, all plans are billed at a flat monthly rate. These consist of set, inclusive minutes, but you can go over them if you need to. “We offer complete flexibility and we don’t tie anyone into a contract.

“So you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time to suit your needs. And all of our plans include that 24/7 support and customised scripting. We also offer appointment scheduling.

“The idea is that your plan adapts to your needs through the year. You might need mor support during summer holidays, or you want to use call divert more. Alternatively, you might have all calls filtered through us, or we only answer if nobody internally picks up. It’s up to you.”

The AnswerConnect Company Culture

Everyone at the company works incredibly hard, says Leigh. “But I think that the culture at AnswerConnect is really centred around collaboration, innovation, and a strong commitment to customer service.

“We are a remote-first company and prioritise flexibility to ensure that our team members have the autonomy to thrive in their roles and maintain a healthy work/life balance. And we have an inclusive and supportive environment.

“And it’s important that we get feedback from our staff and they know we have a transparent culture. When we empower our employees and create an engaging workplace, it allows us to better serve our clients and drive long term success.”

How to Connect With Leigh SmithAnswerConnectFollow AnswerConnect on LinkedInLike AnswerConnect on FacebookFollow AnswerConnect on InstagramConnect with Leigh on LinkedinHow to Connect With MeSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on iTunesSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodePSA tool: AutotaskIT software solution: ConnectWisePSA/RMM tool: SuperOpsWorkflow automation tool: ZapierPodcast: How I Built ThisPodcast: Business BreakdownsBook: James Clear: Atomic Habits: The life-changing million-copy #1 bestsellerBook: Dave Anderson: Unstoppable: Transforming Your Mindset to Create Change, Accelerate Results, and Be the Best at What You DoYou Might Also be Interested inPodcast: Where MSPs go Wrong with Customer FeedbackHow to Effectively Measure MSP Cllient SatisfactionPodcast: The Most Effective KPIs to Track for Your MSP Business Growth

The post TubbTalk 166: Need More Free Time? Call Answering Services are a Game-Changer for MSPs appeared first on Tubblog: The Hub for MSPs.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #33 – September 2024

Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSP

Every month, Richard Tubb searches the web to uncover the most valuable resources, handpicking a unique collection for IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) striving for success.

Welcome to the Tubbservatory – a dynamic video series spotlighting carefully chosen articles, podcasts, events, and more, all designed for IT innovators.

Presenting the Tubbservatory Round-Up #33, your entryway to the September 2024 edition! We’ve gathered all of this month’s episodes for your enjoyment.

Discover the links to these must-have resources at the end of this post.

This month, we’re diving into Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, must-read books, MSP Outsourcing, Mental Health, and Onboarding essentials.

Tubbservatory: The September 2024 Round-Up Video

Tubbservatory Round-Up #33: September – Week 1#1 Ai-driven Lead Generation and Growth Strategies for MSPs From Shane Gibson

How can Artificial Intelligence help Managed Service Providers with lead generation and growth strategies?

Juan Fernandez and Shane Gibson recently ran a boot camp on this topic at the SuperOps Super Summit Virtual, and it is well worth watching.

This session, along with all the other Super Summit Virtual sessions, are now available to freely watch on demand.

#2 Huntress Managed SIEM

MSPs know that cybersecurity alerts can get a bit overwhelming. How do you filter the valuable alerts from the noise?

Well, cybersecurity specialists Huntress have announced a SIEM – Security Information and Event Management – solution for MSPs.

Huntress SIEM is a cybersecurity solution that provides real-time analysis of the security alerts that are generated by applications and network hardware. Huntress’ 24×7 security analysts and Smart Filtering technology then streamline the SIEM lifecycle so that MSPs are presented with vital security data, so that you get a transparent, predictable cost environment to detect and respond to potential security threats.

#3 Recommended Books for MSPs

A book I’d highly recommend to anyone pursuing a career in Managed Services is The Tech Nerds’ Guide to Career Success: Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company by Dan Adams.

Written as a story-form business parable, as well as being useful for IT professionals, I’d suggest this book for any MSP business owners who want to help their staff.

#4 Ireland’s Datacentres Overtake Electricity Use of All Urban Homes Combined

Sobering news that Ireland’s datacentres have now overtaken the electricity use of all urban homes combined.

As well as the environmental impact, we need to be aware that electricity is a potential limiting factor in the growth of AI.

#5 Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2024

The agenda and keynote speaker for Pax8 Beyond EMEA in Berlin have both been announced.

Taking place in Berlin, Germany on October 13-15th 2024, Pax8 Beyond EMEA is expected to draw over 500 IT service providers, 40 vendors and leading channel experts from across the community.

And the event will be headlined by none other than former Olympic and World Champion athlete, Carl Lewis!

Tickets are still available, and I hope to see you in Berlin!

Tubbservatory Round-Up #33: September – Week 2#1 MSP Outsourcing: The Buyer’s Guide

It’s no secret that I’m a huge advocate for Managed Service Providers focusing on their core competencies and embracing strategic alliances with other technology companies, but where does an MSP begin when it comes to outsourcing?

Well, Uptime have released The MSP Outsourcing Buyer’s Guide.

The guide offers a step-by-step approach to navigating the outsourcing process, helping your MSP avoid common pitfalls and ensuring a successful partnership that aligns with your IT businesses goals.

This guide is now available as a free download.

#2 Is Your Organisation Ready for Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Now, is your MSP Ready for Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is set to revolutionise daily tasks by assisting with designing presentations, creating summaries, and drafting emails. By accessing documents, emails, and files in Microsoft 365 SharePoint and OneDrive, Copilot delivers personalised results.

In theory, it’s a dream come true; however, this convenience also poses a significant risk: sensitive data might be exposed to unauthorised users, causing major security concerns for MSPs.

Well, Cybersecurity experts Hornetsecurity have released a whitepaper guide on setting up Copilot for Microsoft 365 safely.

MSPs should download this guide to learn how to mitigate risks and ensure data remains secure.

#3 GFI Software appoints CoreTech to ‘energise’ UK Channel

News that GFI Software have appointed CoreTech to ‘energise’ their UK channel.

Doug Woodburn at IT Channel Oxygen reports that GFI has handed CoreTech control of around 150 of its UK resellers and MSPs amid a change in its local distribution strategy.

CoreTech’s Marino Vigliotti characterised the signing as “huge for CoreTech”.

#4 Revolutionise Your Marketing With AI – Unpacked and Explained

A podcast that has really caught my ear is AI in Marketing: Unpacked by Artificial Intelligence and Marketing expert, Mike Allton.

The podcast explores how to supercharge your marketing strategy with AI, and breaks down AI step-by-step and show you how real businesses are making it work.

Available now in all good podcast players.

#5 Sorry, Windows is Deleting Control Panel

It’s time to say goodbye to a friend, as Microsoft has decided to uninstall their premier settings app, the Control Panel.

Samtime says a few words about ControlPanel in his latest video.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #33: September – Week 3#1 MSP Business Talk With Daniel Ekroth

We kick off this week with MSP Business Talk, a brand new video series for Managed Service Providers.

In this first episode, host Jules Lagae of Barracuda MSP speaks with Daniel Ekroth of TWO Stone IT about growing an MSP business.

Expect new MSP Business Talks regularly, so make sure to subscribe!

#2 We’re Not Machines, We’re Human Being

Next up, We’re Not Machines, We’re Human Beings.

I recently discussed my experiences as an MSP owner and my battle with clinical depression on the For The Health of IT podcast with host Diana Giles.

This is a very personal interview that I hope will help raise mental health awareness in the MSP industry.

#3 Ultimate Guide to MSP Onboarding: 10 Boosts to Drive Retention & Success

Now, onboarding new employees is a critical process for any organisation, but the stakes are particularly high for MSPs.

So, you’ll want to check out the Ultimage Guide to MSP Onboarding: 10 Boosts to Drive Retention & Success, from Jane Matthews at Wildcat Careers.

Matthews shares steps such as Pre-boarding: Laying the Groundwork for Success, Onboarding Day One, First Steps and More.

This guide is well worth reading.

#4 ChatGPT Empowered AI Voice Recorder

Next up, some technology I’m very excited about.

The Plaud Note is a ChatGPT-empowered AI voice recorder.

Plaud Note records meetings, calls, lectures, voice memos, trainings, and classes, automatically generating summaries, mind maps, and other useful information from the recordings.

I can see this little gadget being very useful for an MSP in client meetings, team meetings and other scenarios.

#5 The MSP Finance Team BTCC Brands Hatch 2024 Meetup

Racing fans will want to mark Friday, October 4th 2024 in their diary, as The MSP Finance Team will be hosting their Brands Hatch 2024 meetup!

Hosts Daniel Welling and Adam Morris are giving this opportunity for MSPs to learn and share with your fellow MSPs and have some fun at the same time!

Registration is now open!

Tubbservatory Round-Up #33: September – Week 4#1 Support Clients 24/7 With an MSP Answering Service

Out of hours call coverage can be a challenge for Managed Service Providers, so a service that MSPs should be aware of is AnswerConnect.

AnswerConnect are an MSP-focused call answering service that offers 24/7 call coverage to answer calls, gather information, and then log tickets in your Helpdesk of choice, or transfer calls to your engineers.

Additionally, AnswerConnect offer an app, a portal, SMS and email integration to help you keep track of calls.

#2 PitchIT Battle Royale

If you missed the recent PitchIT Battle Royal, then you missed some of the top innovators in the Managed Service space!

Hosted by Sean Lardo of ConnectWise, and Matt Soloman of Channel Program, the Third Annual PitchIT Event showcased emerging MSP-focused solutions that will take centre stage at IT Nation Connect in November.

Which innovators were you impressed by this year? Leave a comment below and let us know.

#3 Podcasts Like Never Before

Talking of innovation, a cool new app I’ve started using is Overlap. Overlap is an AI-powered podcast assistant. Ask it about any topic or person, and it’ll give you a custom podcast playlist of clips relevant to what you asked for.

Overlap is currently only available for iOS.

#4 Smaller Businesses Are the Testbed for Malware – A Look at the Huntress Threat Report

Smaller businesses are the testbed for malware.

That’s what Jamie Levy, Director of Adversary Tactics from Huntress, shared in her recent podcast interview with MSP legend Karl Palachuk.

Levy discussed the 2024 Huntress Threat Report, and the report is definitely one for cybersecurity focused MSPs to check out.

#5 Rated a Top 50 Channel Conference

October 17th-18th is the date, and Irvine, California is the location for the Q4 SMB Tech Fest event.

Hosted by Dave Siebert, SMB TechFest is designed to offer expert topic speakers and products and solutions to put MSPs in the fast lane.

Tickets are now available!

.

Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up

From Week 1Ai-driven Lead Generation and Growth Strategies for MSPs From Shane GibsonHuntress Managed SIEMRecommended Books for MSPsIreland’s Datacentres Overtake Electricity Use of All Urban Homes CombinedPax8 Beyond EMEA 2024Mentioned in Week 2MSP Outsourcing: The Buyer’s GuideIs Your Organisation Ready for Copilot for Microsoft 365?GFI Software appoints CoreTech to ‘energise’ UK ChannelRevolutionise Your Marketing With AI – Unpacked and ExplainedSorry, Windows is Deleting Control PanelWeek 3MSP Business Talk With Daniel EkrothWe’re Not Machines, We’re Human BeingUltimate Guide to MSP Onboarding: 10 Boosts to Drive Retention & SuccessChatGPT Empowered AI Voice RecorderThe MSP Finance Team BTCC Brands Hatch 2024 MeetupAnd Week 4Support Clients 24/7 With an MSP Answering ServicePitchIT Battle RoyalePodcasts Like Never BeforeSmaller Businesses Are the Testbed for Malware – A Look at the Huntress Threat ReportRated a Top 50 Channel Conference

How You Can Help

As we wrap up Tubbservatory Round-Up #33, let’s get ready for October!

Got something great to share? Whether it’s a handy tool, a standout article, or a clever tip, drop it in the comments below. Let’s keep the knowledge flowing—your input is priceless!

You Might Also be Interested inElevate Your Client Retention Strategy with Outstanding Customer ServiceTubbTalk 156: How To Partner With a Vendor To Grow Your MSP BusinessMSP Pricing Models for Profitability, Growth and Client Satisfaction

The post Tubbservatory Round-Up #33 – September 2024 appeared first on Tubblog: The Hub for MSPs.

TubbTalk 165: The 20-Year Overnight MSP Success Story You Need to Hear

Daniel Shone is the Managing Director of Apex Computing, and Chris Gorman is the CEO. Based in the North West, they support their clients with cybersecurity, hardware and software procurement, BDR and consultancy. Here, they share their MSP success story.

An Interview with Daniel Shone and Chris GormanHow Having a Business Partner Leads to MSP Success

Daniel explains that he and Chris have different skillsets in specific areas that allow them to focus and drive the business forward. “We’re able to pass things between each other as needed. But it’s more of a marathon than a sprint after 20 years!”

He says: “If you choose to work with someone else, it should be someone at a similar stage to you and with a shared outlook. Chris and I are the same age and we want the same things from our business. That shared mission reduces conflict.

Chris adds: “Of course we clash. But we know each other so well and each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re able to support each other and have the skills the other lacks. So we complement each other, too.”

Why Strategic Relationships with Vendors are Essential

Daniel explains why he and Chris have worked to cultivate strong vendor relationships: “So, I think there are certain barriers you’ve got to break through when you’re growing an MSP. When that happens, speak to your vendors to see who’s prepared to help you.”

Daniel says that doing this in the past enabled Apex to become a Microsoft Gold Partner, secure MDF funding and get Azure accreditation. “But when you when you’re trying to overcome these hurdles, don’t try and reinvent the wheel. Choose partners that will come on board and give you practical support.”

If this is something you’re considering, Chris and Daniel recommend speaking to your vendors and asking how you can be a better partner to them. Try to help them to reach their objectives too.

How Building a Strong Company Culture Grows a Successful MSP

Chris says that they’ve worked hard to build a company culture where every employee feels involved. “I’d say our USP is our culture. But how would I describe it? In four words: welcoming, supportive, collaborative, and nimble.

“You can’t just define your culture and values and call it a day. You’ve got to embed them and allow them to evolve over time. We got clear on our values, and then we promoted them so that all our staff understand and embody them.”

Dan explains that the company cultures are displayed around the office: “They’ve become an integral part of the business. They’re not just words – our staff can recite them and live by them every day.”

Why Apex Have In-House and External Cybersecurity Support

While Chris and Daniel talk positively about their relationship with cybersecurity outsourcing experts Huntress, they also have their own, internal Head of Cybersecurity. Chris explains why having Nathanial Gill in the role is a game-changer:

“Because it’s pivotal in allowing us to deliver a range of products. When we want to deliver consultancy or security strategy, it makes sense to have someone in-house who knows the tools we use.

“And then there are other things that have to be outsourced, such as the alerting. We don’t employ people to monitor networks 24/7. But Nathaniel oversees all of that too, and keeps the clients in the loop.”

How a Business Mentor Helps with Growth and MSP Success

For Daniel and Chris, having a business mentor has helped them to reach a specific goal at key stages of their journey. “For instance, Ian Luckett and Stuart Warwick helped us with financials and growing the SLT.”

Daniel adds: “One thing we’ve learned, though, is if you invest, you have to do what you say. Because you agree objectives with your coach, and they expect you to follow through on them.

“If you can do that, you’ll grow as a business. And each coach can help in a different way and for a short time. Then you outgrow them and move on to someone else. But you don’t have to make a big investment at the start – find something affordable and build from there.”

Why Peer Groups are Worth the Time Investment

Chris sums it up simply: “It’s about being part of a community. You attend events and you start to understand so much more about the industry. Because you see that your peers have faced similar challenges to you.

“Or they’re further ahead, and you can see what might be coming next.And what you’ll find is that everybody is willing to help. Some are open books. We certainly are. When we speak to MSPs, it’s complete disclosure.

“And we’re not unique in that approach. Everybody wants to help, and they will help you. They’re happy to share. But remember that you need to give back. Look for ways you can offer support. Collaboration not competition is key.”

How to Connect With Chris and DanielApex ComputingFollow Apex on TwitterLike Apex on FacebookFollow Apex on LinkedInConnect with Daniel on LinkedInConnect with Chris on LinkedInHow to Connect With MeSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on iTunesSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodeIT conference: DattoconPodcast interview with DanielScale your business: MSP Growth HubIT and MSP Business Growth Expert: Ian LuckettHelping Ambitious MSPs to Scale to £1m: Stuart WarwickCloud marketplace: Pax8Cybersecurity stack: Apex Security SphereEmail security: SendmarcCybersecurity platform: Sonic WallIT and security platform: KaseyaCybersecurity solutions: BrigantiaCybersecurity and data protection: AcronisEnterprise cybersecurity solutions: Threat LockerCybersecurity platform: HuntressIT distributor: TD SYNNEXMicrosoft Gold Partner programmeMicrosoft Azure ladder programmeMicrosoft Azure infrastructure accreditationMDF FundingApex Computing on YouTubeDaniel Welling of Welling MSPPodcast interview with Daniel WellingDarren Strong at Scalable (workplace productivity software)Podcast interview with Darren StrongBusiness expert: Karl PalachukPeer group: CompTIAPeer group: SBS Network Group North WestPeer group: The Tech TribeYou Might Also be Interested inSBSC North West: Advantages of Sharing Best Practice Among Local PeersCompTIA ChannelCon 2024: Key Takeaways on MSP GrowthWhy MSP Owners Should Schedule a Mid-Year Review

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TubbTalk 164: Top Lessons from 25 Years Building a Successful MSP

David Brereton founded Myson Pages 25 years ago, while most of his peers were operating on a break/fix model. Today, he has 15 employees and supports SMEs with a range of IT requirements. He explains how to run a successful MSP.

An Interview With David BreretonWhy Myson Pages do Managed Services Differently

David explains that from the very start, their aim was to replicate their offerings for larger businesses and give them to SMEs. “Because at the time, it was all break/fix and the IT companies made a bit of money.

“But we thought the SMEs deserved consistency too. We know that they just want us to look after their IT and limit any problems. In the early days, we used to try to make them into our ideal customers. Now, we tend not to work with people if they don’t fit.”

And David is honest that if customers treat him more as a supplier than as a partner, he’s willing to let them go. It’s not always easy to do, but if an MSP can build a network of clients who’ll stay long-term and become like friends, they’re sorted.

The Company Culture of a Successful MSP

Throughout our conversation, David emphasises why his business is more like a family, and that’s why he has a successful MSP. But having recently worked through the Traction model, he’s now defining the company’s values.

“We’ve come up with six. And while the sixth one is only two words, it effectively replaces the other five, because it sums up so well what matters to us: ‘we care.’ It sounds so simple, but we’ve fallen foul of companies that don’t care as much as we do.

“As soon as someone reports a server issue, we all care about the outcome. And we’ve got inquisitive minds. So it’s not enough for us to say ‘OK, fixed that.’ We want to know why it failed and how we can prevent that from happening again. We like to go the extra mile.”

Why Peer Groups are Important if you Want to Grow a Successful MSP

David explains that he’s been involved in SBSC North West, a Manchester-based peer group, for many years. And he describes it as invaluable in terms of support and encouragement.

“All MSPs should just get involved. If you don’t enjoy it, you’ll only come once. But I guarantee you’ll find a warm welcome, especially at SBSC. I know that people often worry about sharing things with competitors, but it’s really not like that.

“Because it’s really all about sharing and collaborating. I’ve made friends with people I know solely through community events. We’ve never worked together. But I know if I needed anything I could ask and get it. Having backup like that is invaluable. You wouldn’t get it anywhere else.”

How a Successful MSP can Nurture Talent

David explains that at Msyon Pages, they have external support to nurture talent in the business. They use a company in Gateshead, Baltic Apprentices, to work with new employees to develop their skills.

“All of our new talent goes onto a level 3 apprenticeship, with some then completing level four. And we offer on-the-job training and vendor training. They get 18 months to complete it and most of them do well.

“But I say to them, ‘If you don’t complete it but you’re indispensable to the team, we’ll keep you on.’ And then I ask them what additional training they’d like in order to specialise. Because we’re small enough that people can choose a niche and excel.”

How to Support Employees with Personal Challenges

Just because someone’s work performance is impacted by personal challenges, that shouldn’t be a problem, says David. “They’re the same person. And if you want them to do a good job but they can’t because they’re not in the right place, you need to help them.

“I know from personal experience that life stuff happens unexpectedly. And it gets on top of you. So it’s important to me to offer support. If you can be there, listen and understand and show interest, sometimes that’s enough.”

David says that by engaging with staff and offering support, they start to feel better. And they can ask for help in other places too. “When we’ve had people struggling, we help. They know they’re family here, and they want to stay with us and be happy. As a team, we look out for each other.”

How the EOS Methodology Grows a Successful MSP

EOS is the entrepreneur’s operating system. And it’s described in the book ‘Traction by Gino Wickman.’ It works for any businesses, not just MSPs. But as David goes on to explain:

“It’s a way to run things, structure meetings, decide your values, your vision and your journey. However, it’s not a quick fix. We’re right at the start of our Traction journey, and it’s probably going to take 18 months to get to the end.

“But I know I’m not going to run the business forever. So I need a plan in place so the great leadership team I have now can take it forward. It’s shown us what’s important to have a good company, and I’m pleased that we’ve already ticked some boxes ahead of schedule. I’ve got good people and the right culture now.”

How to Connect With David BreretonMyson PagesFollow Myson Pages on LinkedInConnect with David on LinkedInFollow Myson Pages on XHow to Connect With MeSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on iTunesSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodeDocumentation solution: IT GlueBroadband provider: Zen InternetBusiness book: Gino Wickman: Traction: Get a Grip on Your BusinessPeer group: SBSC North West and co-lead Robert GibbonsTubbTalk podcast: Why Personal Branding is Important for Standing out in the MSP CommunityTubbTalk podcast: Looking into the Mindset of a Successful, Modern MSPIT solutions provider: Aabyss Cloud marketplace: Pax8Tech apprentices supplier: Baltic ApprenticeshipsIT solutions provider: EnableMark Williams at Pensar (IT support)Cybersecurity distributor: BrigantiaDan Sullivan at Strategic CoachNeil GreatorexPeer group: CompTIAYou Might Also be Interested inSBSC North West: Advantages of Sharing Best Practice Among Local PeersCompTIA ChannelCon 24: Key Takeaways on MSP GrowthPodcast: Why You Need to Know the Process of Process for MSP Growth

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UptimeLIVE 2024: Key Takeaways from an Exciting New MSP Event

The inaugural UptimeLIVE has just taken place, and if you missed it, you missed out! But never fear – we have a round up of our favourite talks for you here!

UptimeLIVE was held at the Business Design Centre near the Angel in London. The full day event, on 17 September 2024, saw delegates come from around the world. And they got a day of learning, networking and fun!

Read on to find out what we learned from Jim Captainino; John Witty; Bradley Munday and Jason Kemsley and the amazing keynote speaker, Levi Roots!

Jim Captainino: The New-Breed MSPs

Jim Captainino is the founder of Inver UK, which he started eight years ago with a team of consultants, account managers and IT specialists. And he explains this to the UptimeLIVE audience: “We’re “motivated by a desire to differentiate ourselves in a crowded marketplace, focusing on delivering exceptional customer service.”

So how do they do this? Via a “hyper account management” approach, which emphasises a deep, ongoing relationship with clients rather than a transactional, sales-driven model. In short, regular check-ins and proactive engagement. This builds trust and satisfaction.

Inver partner with an outsourced provider for helpdesk and project delivery. Captainino says the decision was influenced by the need for flexibility and seamless integration with their customer service philosophy. And he can customise the outsource solutions to each client.

Mastering Mergers and Acquisitions: John Witty’s UptimeLIVE Session

John Witty has considerable experience of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the IT and tech space. This allows him to explain honestly the cons as well as the pros for today’s MSPs.

“While M&A can be a powerful tool for rapid growth and market expansion, it carries significant risks and challenges. Yes, it increases your market share and profitability, but there’s a risk of vendor conflicts, cultural mismatch and unhappy customers.”

So what can you do? Plan and execute properly, John says. The benefits for the buyer are clear – if they go about it the right way. Looking to sell? Then prepare well in advance to maximise your value. An on-market corporate financial adviser might help.

Jason Kemsley and Bradley Monday: The Founders’ Journey to UptimeLIVE

The co-founders of Uptime Global and the duo behind the event UptimeLIVE shared their story from the stage. Founded in 2009 in Bradley’s spare room, they evolved their MSP into a channel-only business within two years.

Today, they have 160+ staff who deliver 20,000 support tickets monthly. Uptime remains focused on its three core services: help desk, NOC (Network Operations Centre), and dedicated technical support.

Jason and Brad elaborated on the ‘new breed’ MSPs – they scale quickly by outsourcing key services rather than building an internal team. “Because of this, they can be more agile, reducing churn and managing costs effectively.”

Strong customer service leads to sustained business growth. And they encourage modern MSPs to move beyond basic service delivery to align their offerings with the goals of their clients. The aim? To become trusted advisors in strategic decisions.

“But be aware that however you do this, there are struggles common to most MSPs. It’s easy to get distracted, or to stay in your comfort zone for too long. Realign with your goals to get back on track. You should enjoy the journey!”

Levi Roots Keynote: Be Authentic

Levi Roots shares his inspiring journey with the UptimeLIVE audience. Raised in Brixton by his grandmother, she influenced his passion for food. In his early days as an entrepreneur, Levi faced rejection and doubt but persevered.

So appearing on Dragon’s Den was a big step. And while friends and advisors tried to discourage him, Levi introduced the Dragons – and the world – to his now-famous  Reggae Reggae Sauce through song.

But winning the backing of Peter Jones was only the start. The real challenge was learning how to manage the business and build relationships. Through determination, adaptation, and taking advantage of unexpected opportunities, Levi saw his sauces stocked nationally.

And his advice today? “Embrace your individuality and take risks. And follow my mantra (borrowed from Shakespeare): ‘Take the current when it serves or lose your ventures.’” Levi’s story is a testament to staying true to oneself, overcoming obstacles, and embracing calculated risks to achieve success.

 

You Might Also be Interested inPodcast: Why Modern MSPs Need to be at UptimeLIVEHow to Measure Profitability to Make MSP Businesses More RobustPodcast: Travelogue: UptimeLIVE 2024: Business Growth for MSPs

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