The global pandemic entirely changed the way businesses function. Like most sectors, the MSP market also experienced its fair share of challenges following the onset of the pandemic in 2020. As organizations scrambled to switch to a remote workforce model almost overnight, IT security became a key issue.
Although businesses needed new solutions and services to protect their IT infrastructure from data breaches, they lacked the necessary internal resources and expertise to do so. As a result, they sought external assistance from MSPs. While MSPs could certainly resolve the issues SMBs were facing, shortened timelines and limited budgets meant they struggled to meet the challenge.
Understanding the Changing Market Demands
As businesses come to terms with the “new normal” in a post-COVID world, MSPs need to adjust not only to the shifting market dynamics but also to the post-pandemic economy. They need to realize how demand for their services continues to shift and how they can utilize this opportunity to their advantage to better position themselves in the market.
As an MSP, the best way to position yourself is to understand the changes and challenges the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to bring to your customers because the pandemic shows no signs of going away anytime soon.
When you know where your business is headed and what your clients are expecting in this new and volatile economic climate, you can start setting strategic initiatives for the coming year. Security, business continuity and compliance are three key areas that offer great opportunities for MSPs. After all, the most important thing your customers need from you is to keep business operations moving along as planned.
Adopting the ‘No Barriers Mindset’
There will be times when shifting customer demands and strategic initiatives take you outside your comfort zone. Organizations that are ready to leverage these opportunities and evolve to meet new goals will sustain and grow as a result.
As an MSP, you have to be brave and dedicated enough to succeed no matter what you’re faced with. If you’re holding back your business from providing new services just because they’re outside your comfort zone, you may be hampering your business from moving forward.
Embracing New Opportunities
The series of COVID-19 waves has made remote work the new standard, and this isn’t going to change anytime soon. It’s hard to tell what the final picture will be, but as workplaces steadily reopen, an ever-increasing number of employees are looking forward to a hybrid workforce model. It’s fair to assume that the demands for cybersecurity, backup and compliance solutions will only grow as you push ahead.
Going forward, MSPs need to rethink ways to perform major business operations to stay ahead of their peers in this evolving, post-pandemic market. While offering customized solutions is a great customer service strategy, customers often lack clarity on what they need.
Instead of waiting for your customers to come up to you looking for solutions, be proactive and make them understand what they really require. The key here is to position yourself as a market leader who is aware of what specific services are going to be critical in ensuring advanced IT security in a flexible work environment. What’s more important is how, as an MSP, you package them together, offer integrated solution suites and make it budget-friendly.
To learn more about the No Barriers Mindset, listen to our podcast as hosts Dan and Will get into a candid conversation with blind adventurer, American athlete, author and activist Erik Weihenmayer to shed light on how you can apply the No Barriers Mindset to your MSP and your everyday life so you can achieve your goals.
