If you were to go to Google right now and search for ‘MSPs in my area’, you’d probably be met with a number of results, as well as a good amount of ads. Unfortunately though, it’s not that simple to find a great MSP.
It’s not that any one MSP would be terrible for your business, not at all – it’s just that when it comes to outsourcing to an MSP, you need to find a company who is perfectly suited to all of your needs.
If you’re curious about finding the perfect managed service provider, one that you’ll be able to form a strong, long-lasting relationship with, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll share some tips straight from various fantastic MSPs, all in an effort to help you find the right one for your business.
Come to a Solid Service Level Agreement
When you decide to work with an MSP, you’ll have to come to an SLA – a Service Level Agreement. This agreement is vital, as it lays down exactly what you can expect from the working relationship.
Ultimately there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for putting together a great SLA. Many businesses find that starting with a ready-made agreement can be useful – one that they can tweak and adjust to suit their needs, but this isn’t for everyone. In the end though, both you and your chosen MSP want to make sure you’re doing what’s best for your respective companies, to ensure the relationship is strong and productive.
Find an MSP that can be proactive
Downtime can be a killer for any business. The fact that downtime alone can cost businesses thousands of dollars for every hour spent offline should be enough to make anyone want to work with an MSP that can detect problems as soon as they can, and address them before you even have time to notice.
The issue is, not every MSP works this way. While some will have staff working 24 hours, ready to respond to any alert or notification as soon as an issue arises, with others, you’ll have to contact them if and when you notice a problem which needs fixing. This is fine for some businesses, as many don’t have systems online at all times. However, if your business does, finding a proactive MSP can make all the difference
Ensure your MSP has experience with similar businesses
This may seem obvious, but don’t underestimate the benefits of finding an MSP who has experience working with companies similar to your own. The similarities don’t need to be exact, but as long as an MSP has supported a business which is a similar size to yours, in the same industry as yours, or is at the same point in their growth, you should be absolutely fine.
It can be a great idea to simply ask an MSP who they’ve worked with previously, and if you can speak to them. If you don’t want to ask them outright, consider looking at your chosen MSPs social media to see if you can find anything on there. Talking to other companies who have used a particular MSP goes a long way towards figuring out if they’d be good for your business.
Though any MSP may need to take a little time to adjust with how exactly your business works, choosing one who has successfully supported businesses similar to yours generally is a huge benefit.
Make sure your MSP works well with your team
When bringing together two separate teams of individuals, it can be hard at first to tell whether they’ll work well together or not. While it’s true that IT departments don’t often contain people who are particularly hostile, bringing two teams together can often result in minor disagreements of the best work practice, or places where skills have some overlap.
In order to prevent anyone’s toes from being stepped on, finding an MSP who is ready and willing to work with a previously established team, as well as a method of working in which everyone’s responsibilities are clearly outlined, can be an excellent decision.
Even if you choose an MSP, there are certain projects you may still want to tackle with your in-house department if you have one – and having a clearly defined method of working can be very beneficial when it comes to making these important decisions.
Find an MSP that can keep pace with you
Over the years you spend with an MSP supporting you, they’ll probably have been a part of some crucial developments. They might have helped you relocate, developed systems for you, and may have even been present when you made important business decisions. You and your MSP are likely to become close, and this can cause issues if the relationship happens to run its course.
This is why it’s vital to choose an MSP that can keep up with your business, even if you have no immediate plans to grow. Your MSP is probably going to end up being at least partially responsible for any growth you do experience, so it’d be cruel to leave them in the dust.
If an MSP can’t grow at your pace, it might be best to avoid them. It can be worth comparing your 5-year plans to theirs, to see if they’re compatible. You also want to make sure they’d be prepared to respond to unpredictable events, such as unexpectedly signing large clients and contracts. If you’re lucky, your chosen MSP will be ready to get to work, maximizing the support they can give you. Any MSP who is willing to put in the effort to react swiftly to anything that may happen is one with which you’ll likely be able to build a strong relationship.
