After more than 25 years of running my own MSP and now helping hundreds of others through ForzaDash and MSPInfluencer.com, I can tell you this: No matter how successful an MSP is, there are three things that consistently keep owners and operators up at night. These are not surface-level headaches. These are deep-rooted fears that threaten the core of the business if not addressed head-on.
Let’s break them down.
1. Security: The Silent Threat That Can Break You
The nightmare scenario: One of your clients gets hit with ransomware. Maybe it’s a phishing attack. Maybe their systems get encrypted. Either way, the phone rings, and now it’s your problem.
Here’s the kicker: you’re on a flat-rate agreement. So now, you’re eating the cost of incident response, working overtime, reallocating your team’s resources—and doing it all while taking the heat.
Your client is upset. They might blame you. They probably don’t understand the nuances of shared responsibility or the limitations of basic security packages. All they know is: “This shouldn’t have happened.”
And here’s what you know: they might fire you, even if it’s not your fault.
Security is the #1 reason many MSPs lose sleep. The threat is constant, the stakes are high, and the client often doesn’t appreciate the layers of defense you’ve built until it’s too late. That’s why smart MSPs are investing in layered security, MDR, cybersecurity education, and most importantly—proactive communication with clients.
If they understand the value you bring before the crisis, they’re more likely to stick with you during one.
2. Human Capital: “What if My Lead Engineer Quits?”
Every MSP founder I’ve worked with has said some version of this:
“I’d grow faster if I could just find good engineers.”
“We’d be screwed if [insert name] left tomorrow.”
“I can’t find anyone who knows [insert vendor stack].”
Hiring is tough. Hiring right is even tougher. And retaining top-tier techs in a competitive market? That’s an art and science MSPs often don’t have time for.
Most MSPs are stuck in reactive mode. Someone quits, and then the scramble begins—recruiting, vetting, onboarding, praying. The cycle burns time, cash, and culture. And in the meantime, your service quality might dip. Client satisfaction can take a hit.
What’s the solution? It’s not just about better hiring—though that matters. It’s about building a system for talent sustainability:
- Document your processes so new hires can ramp quickly.
- Cross-train your team to reduce single points of failure.
- Create a culture where great engineers want to stay.
The MSPs that win are the ones that plan their talent strategy just like they plan their tech stack.
3. Growth: Sales Is a Foreign Language
Most MSPs are started by technologists. People who love solving problems, optimizing infrastructure, and helping clients succeed.
What they don’t love? Sales. Marketing. Funnels. CRMs. Cold outreach.
Here’s what I see over and over again:
- No predictable lead flow
- No marketing strategy
- No sales process
- No differentiation in a crowded marketplace
And yet, the market is on fire. Private equity has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the MSP space. Rollups are happening daily. Your MSP peers are exiting with high multiples, buying lake houses, and driving away in new Teslas.
If you’re not growing, you’re standing still—or worse, getting left behind.
But here’s the good news: sales isn’t magic. It’s a system. And with the right framework, tools, and partners, any MSP can build a repeatable engine that delivers qualified opportunities and helps you scale—whether you’re looking to grow your MRR, prep for exit, or just get back to what you love doing.
The Good News? You Don’t Have to Do It Alone.
At ForzaDash, our mission is simple: to help MSPs grow—securely, profitably, and sustainably. We’ve built platforms, content, and tools to support the very challenges that plague MSPs the most.
Through MSPInfluencer.com, the largest online watering hole for MSP professionals, we bring together the wisdom of the crowd, the strategies that work, and the conversations that matter.
Whether you’re fighting to retain your best engineer, stay one step ahead of threat actors, or finally get your sales machine humming—there’s a path forward. You just need the right roadmap and the right team behind you.
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