About This Episode

While last year’s focus was primarily on the adjustment to work from home and the myriad of issues that accompanied the vast majority of the country’s workforce carrying on their daily duties away from the office, 2021 came with its own set of frustrating and exhilarating challenges, most of which still carried at least a touch of the pandemic. As we wrap up year two of this brave new world, we wanted to highlight the top issues we heard from our listeners and friends in the MSP community.

2:52 – Brian, Tim, and Robb discuss the challenges smaller MSPs face when it comes to finding and attracting new talent, particularly where salaries are concerned. Tim presents a real life example from an MSP owner, and the hosts share a tip about breaking up positions to lower costs.

7:38 – Brian turns the hiring conversation to the issue of enterprise versus small business, emphasizing the very real difficulty that smaller businesses face when trying to attract an employee who’s also being considered for a corporate position with a higher salary and better benefits.

11:49 – The hosts shift into the second challenge they heard the most in 2021: how MSPs can protect themselves from liability when a cyber event occurs. Tim and Robb give examples of MSPs they know and have talked to that are serving as more of an advisor role with their clients. Brian shares how this move is similar to when everyone began outsourcing their help desks.

16:58 – Robb gives a novel example of how an MSP can outsource in order to create a better liability chain, rather than owning all of the liability itself. Brian points out that auditing yourself opens you up to the possibility of being accused of insurance fraud.

20:06 – The third challenge we heard the most from MSPs in 2021 was the issue of customer acquisition. Tim shares how his expectations at the beginning of the year didn’t quite pan out the way he thought they would. Robb makes a suggestion about prospecting, and Brian reminds listeners that MSPs have to stay adaptable and creative in order to continue growing. The hosts leave us with the reminder that those who stay innovative and consistent are the ones who win.