Many IT support companies are following the trend of moving towards a full IT-managed service, rather than working on a break / fix or retainer basis.
If you run a “one man band” IT company by yourself, you may have wondered whether you are truly in a position to migrate towards this popular service model or are stuck doing things “the old fashioned way.”
In many respects, the MSP (managed service provider) model should work well for a single professional. A modern IT-managed service uses lots of automated tools to proactively monitor networks, which should lessen visits to customer sites. However, if you are working by yourself, it is extremely difficult to guarantee constant availability to a number of clients. After all, what happens if a serious issue occurs with one client while you are already dealing with one for someone else?
A Possible Strategy
While the above fact alone may preclude you from offering a true MSP service to rival larger competitors, that doesn’t mean you can’t take some pointers from the IT-managed service model and use them to improve the way you do things. Here are some ideas:
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Use MSP software such as helpdesk tools and remote management and monitoring solutions to keep a close eye on all your networks.
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Use cloud-based tools that are remotely accessible to free you from a central location.
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Offer software as a service (SaaS) in areas such as backup and Internet security to give yourself more direct control of client networks (while earning commission!).
As just one individual, there are certain things you will never be able to provide in the same way as a large MSP with dedicated helpdesk staff and onsite engineers. However, that doesn’t stop you from modernizing the way you do things and improving your service to customers.
Do you offer a full IT-managed service? Share your experiences in the comments below.
And to follow through on the tips introduced in this short article, especially if you also support SaaS and IaaS, be sure to enroll now in our free 7-day eCourse: Go-to-Market Strategy 101 for B2B SaaS Startups and Scaleups.
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