It’s no surprise that 49% of MSPs say COVID-19 pandemic policies slowed the growth of their business. Workplace restrictions, staff isolating, and reducing in-person meetings meant MSPs needed to be flexible to survive.

Even ones that planned for situations like this couldn’t have planned for it, like Luis Alvarez: “I think back to prior to the pandemic, we did a lot of testing, tabletop exercises with some of our clients who are in banking and financial services and it included pandemic testing. And one of the lessons we learned is that nothing that we put on the tabletop really prepared us for what really happened.”

Fortunately many MSPs found ways to harness the pandemic policies and actually grow during this time. For some, that meant increasing cybersecurity or figuring out how to manage hardware in clients’ homes. For others, it was enabling clients to use new tools for communicating, helping them transition to remote and hybrid work and leverage the Internet of Things (IoT).

Having the right people in place can make a big difference. That’s why hiring and retaining talent were considered a growth factor for many MSPs.

Carrie Green explains why the employee experience is important, “It helps you drive to growth because if you don’t have happy employees, they’re not gonna put out that same level of service as a happy employee is.” Giving employees a good experience gives them an incentive to stay and grow with the company. MSPs are doing this by offering hybrid or remote work options, creating growth and training opportunities, and providing a good work-life balance.

Reducing the mundane manual tasks can also improve an employee’s experience at your MSP. Paul Riedl of River Run sees it as win-win for both employees and clients, “we’re saying let’s automate as much as we can so that we’re spending the time and the value with the client.”

As the pace of technology advancement continues to race ahead, keeping clients ahead of the curve has been instrumental for many MSPs. It’s no longer just about fixing their existing technology. The leading MSPs are becoming trusted advisors for their clients as they lead them into digital maturity.

Guiding clients through strategic planning, project management, and hardware deployment projects are opportunities to grow, according to the responses from the majority of MSPs.

The growth from strategic planning isn’t rooted in sales — it’s about client experience. You’re building trust with your clients because you’re working with them and supporting their growth over a longer term. A good client experience can make or break a client relationship, so ensuring you’re being the trusted, collaborative leader they expect is essential for MSPs today.

While supply chains took a hit early in the pandemic, they’re now closer to the stability we’re used to. The fluctuations made it difficult for MSPs to decide if the current conditions are favorable or not, as responses were fairly even across the board.

The slow supply chains are now coupled with inflation, so while we’re seeing more availability of product, the same hardware may not be within budget. This is leading MSPs to offer clients warranties to extend the life of their hardware until they can get the equipment they need.

Other MSPs are looking for ways to do the same jobs with equipment that might not be at the same standard they’re used to. By going for a model that’s a step down they’re able to save some extra cash, either for their own business or their clients.

Manual processes like ticket checking, inputting data, and building reports are a drain on resources and hindering their growth. That’s why many MSPs are looking for ways to automate their workflow, and those that have implemented more automation found that it’s helping them grow.

But automation can be a double-edged sword. Go too far, and you’ll lose the human element of the customer experience entirely. It’s essential that your business is able to connect with your clients, so look for automation tools that can strengthen that connection.

Strategically implementing automation into your workflow doesn’t mean employees are becoming redundant — it’s allowing them to put their focus on other tasks. Now they can be proactive, upskill, and deliver a better customer experience.

Backup management and disaster recovery remain some of the core services that MSPs provide to their clients. Many clients are focused on the here and now, but proactive MSPs are also educating and preparing them for what could happen in the future.

As businesses continue to modernize their IT infrastructure, more MSPs are capitalizing on the shift from traditional server backups to cloud services. Educating clients on how to effectively use cloud services is just as important as implementing it.

Additionally, more clients are working to meet cybersecurity requirements, so their MSPs need to ensure backup and recovery strategies are rock solid. Having those plans readily accessible, along with reports on the assets and backup history, will help your clients meet the increasingly strict requirements.

This year has put a highlight on cybersecurity and the importance of cyber liability insurance. While some clients have already seen the importance of cybersecurity, others are only just beginning to realize how essential it really is.

Working from home, new requirements from insurance companies, and past attacks are all reasons why clients may be asking their MSP to help them with cybersecurity. What they used a few years ago isn’t going to protect them from the threats of today, so there will always be an opportunity to enhance their security strategy.