How to Unshackle Your MSP’s Growth in 2023
What you’ll read today:
Reflect back, focus forward
2023 is all about your MSP’s GROWTH
The clear path to Service Delivery freedom
3 key questions to ask yourself
Need help getting started? You got it!
What to look for in the months ahead
A question for you (hint: there’s only 1 right answer)
2023. Wow! People are already arriving in New York City to watch the ball drop. As I sit here at my desk, staring out the window at the beauty of a Maine woods, I can’t help but think back to 2022 and everything that came with it from 2020 and 2021.
The promises. The disappointments. And everything in between. I can hear the great John Lennon in my mind singing lines from his Classic Christmas song,”…And so this is Christmas. And what have we done? Another year over. And a new one just begun.”
Yes, Christmas was last week, and the New Year isn’t quite here, but that last week of the year is the perfect time to think about what we have done, what we wanted to do, and what we could have done.
And then move forward to the next year, resolving to make things better – for yourself, your MSP, your clients, and perhaps…just perhaps, the world.
Ok, enough reminiscing. Let’s focus forward…
2023 MSP Focus: Growth!
One thing I encourage an MSP to focus on is growth. I get that not every MSP wants to grow to 100 employees, but every healthy MSP should have at least some growth.
To attain that growth, the MSP needs to achieve Service Delivery Freedom. It’s simple. Without Service Delivery Freedom, not only can the MSP not grow, but billable hours are also being wasted to the tune of at least $96,600 per Tech per Year (according to Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola).
Without the Freedom to grow, more Revenue just makes everyone busier and less efficient, which equates to less profit.
Case study after case study has proven that the path to Service Delivery Freedom is clear:
Fully leveraging the Autotask PSA tool, so the Techs know what to work on next and so someone always knows what’s going on in the shop.
Best in Class Standard Operating Procedures, leveraging the tools and making it easier for the Techs and Managers to work smarter, not harder.
Advanced Reporting like the Tech Balance Scorecard (picture above) to guide the Techs on where they need to improve and give management the ability to hold them accountable.
FYI: It takes 7-10 years to figure out how to fully leverage the Autotask software, develop the SOPs needed for the Team to operate efficiently, and know how to hold the Team accountable.
3 questions to ask yourself:
How long have you been using Autotask?
How much of the tool are you fully using?
How painful is it not to be able to grow the business?
Why does it take so long?
Trial and Error methodology is inefficient and leads to delays.
For those that have succeeded, it takes someone 20-40 hours per week working on nothing but Service Delivery Improvements, including learning how to leverage the PSA software.
The PSA software developers do not fully understand how an MSP uses their software, nor do they want the liability of telling you how to use it.
To make matters worse, there is no general conscience or one “Best Way” to do things. A lot depends on an MSPs’:
Product mix
Culture
Type of Clients
However, in less than a year, a Certified Autotask Service Delivery Expert can guide you through the process and adjust both the PSA software and SOPs to fit your unique solution.
To help you get started, we are going to write about what goes into each of the three steps on the road to optimization over the next few weeks and months:
1) Leveraging the Autotask PSA Software
a. Categorizing, Prioritizing, and Organizing Client Requests
b. Streamlining the Invoicing process via Cascading Contract Automation
c. Building a Better Client Experience
d. Managing Projects on Time and On Budget
e. Planning Resource Workloads for MSPs
f. Managing Sales Opportunities and handing off to Finance, Procurement, and Service Delivery
g. Managing Inventory and Procurement
h. Billing based on Consumption via Advanced Contracts
i. QBRs and a Proactive Preventative Management program
j. Co-Managing Client Requests and leveraging the new and improved Client Portal
2) Best in Class Standard Operating Procedures for MSPs
a. Overall Operational
b. Sales, Inventory & Procurement
c. Intake, Engagement, Disengagement, & Closeout
d. Open Ticket and Service Delivery Management
e. Project Management, Accountability, and Quarterly
f. Invoicing, Financial, and HR
3) Advanced Live Reporting
a. Sales performance
b. Intake and Open Ticket Management performance
c. Profitability performance
d. Tech performance
e. Project performance
Without a guide, this road is like going through Jurassic Park in the rain - with no headlights on your Jeep - and the electric fences are offline for the next 7-10 years. Yes, years, my friend.
And that is, IF you have someone with the right skill set, you can dedicate to the task. With Advanced Global as a partner, you can leverage 49+ years of experience and a dynamic team of 7 working full-time to guide you on how to be optimized in less than a year. It’s what we do.
How long does it take to walk you through each of the three steps? Since you asked,
Fully Leveraging the Autotask PSA software – 6 months
Implementing the Best in Class SOPs – 4 months
Leveraging Advanced Live Reports – 2 months
Employing a guide is a simple, 3-step process:
Start with a Free No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation
Have a discussion on Findings and Suggestions to find the best path for your situation
Expedite the process by engaging the guide for a fraction of the cost of going it alone (skip being eaten by the velociraptors and still have lunch money)
The choice is yours. Do you want to:
Take 7 to 10 years of your life at the cost of 100,000 USD per year in wasted billable hours?
🤔 or…
Save more money than switching your car insurance to the lizard company by reaching out to Advanced Global and being optimized by 2024? Thus, saving you not only all those wasted hours but also dealing with Client complaints, never really knowing what is going on, and the headaches that come with managing the constant chaos.
Why do I feel so strongly about this? My mission - and the mission of each and every member of the growing Advanced Global team - is to help your MSP reach its full potential and grow as much as you want to.
We are here for you because we believe that by working together, we can be profitable, find freedom, and enjoy the peace that Managed Services promises.
This was true in 2022 and even more so in 2023. I turn back to John Lennon to share my hope for you in 2023. “…a happy New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.”
If I can be of any help to you, please do reach out. The first step is easy: just email Advanced Global at Info@AGMSPCoaching.com and ask for information on the Free No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.
On the fence about asking for some help? Check out what some of our Clients and past Clients say about the effectiveness of Advanced Global’s programs:
“Autotask is not a program; it is a platform on which we need to develop our own process. Thanks to Advanced Global’s knowledge, expertise, and willingness to think out of the box, they were a tremendous help in guiding Layer 7 to fully use the Autototask PSA Software.”
-Cory R, Layer 7 Systems
“Steve, Thanks so much for your help through the past few months.
The improvement in reporting, trust in the data and the resultant performance improvement of the team has been nothing short of outstanding. Our team know what to work on and when to work on it, and when and when they’ve had a good day. We can no manage to what good looks like. I can’t recommend your SDPI process strongly enough.”
-Chris Davies, Evologics
The elephant in the room:
How do we know what we know? Because we are not philosophers! We are hands-on “How To” coaches that everyday guide MSPs on how to thrive by:
1) Fully leveraging the Autotask software
2) Providing the “Best in Class” Standard Operating Procedures
3) Leveraging Autotask Live Reports to hold everyone accountable
We are Thinkers and Doers with 49+ years of working for MSPs, bringing real Bottom-Line Improvements, change, profitability, and Best in Class performance.
Here are a few bullet points to let anyone interested know who we are and what we do:
1) We Are – the Autotask Global Service Delivery Authority
2) We Help – MSPs thrive
3) We Solve – Service Delivery issues, inefficiencies, and challenges by making sure that:
a. MSPs know what they don’t know
b. Techs know what to work on next
c. Someone is managing all open tickets and driving them to completion
d. The Client has a great client experience
e. Real-Time Time Entry is a cultural habit
f. Projects are completed On-Time and On-Budget
g. Profit is maximized
h. Autotask is being fully leveraged
i. The staffing levels are correct, and the workload is balanced
j. The historical data that is in the Autotask software is accessible to benchmark, track & USE effectively
k. The Service Delivery operations can scale
l. The Company can grow
4) Our Tools:
a. Autotask “Best in Class” standard build
b. Our MSP robust Service Delivery SOP library
c. Advanced Live Reports
d. Expertise in providing a transformational experience
Note: We are not philosophers; we are doers with 49+ years of Service Delivery experience, bringing real Service Delivery Improvement change, profitability, and Best in Class performance.
We start by offering a FREE No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.