The 3 Mistakes That Stalled My First MSP
How I turned frustration into momentum by changing just three things.
The first business I built started with a single idea.
I turned it into a fully formed product—clean, powerful, and built to solve a real problem.
But no one came.
Six months in, I had only a handful of clients and a few thousand dollars in revenue.
Looking back, the product wasn’t the issue—it was everything I neglected around it.
I hadn’t learned how to package, position, or sell what I built.
I sold it a year later for a modest return—and hit pause.
Then I got serious.
I studied product.
I studied marketing.
I figured out how to build a business that actually works.
If I had to do it all again, here’s what I’d never allow back into my MSP:
1. Stop Billing by the Hour
Hourly billing is a race to the bottom.
It attracts the wrong kind of clients—the ones who question every minute and undervalue your work.
I’d choose outcome-based pricing every time: fixed fees tied to clear deliverables.
It builds trust, aligns incentives, and gives you control over your time and margins.
Hourly work makes you a vendor.
Outcome pricing makes you a partner.
2. Standardize the Stack
A messy stack kills efficiency and scale.
Every one-off tool adds overhead, confusion, and cost.
I’d treat my service like a real product—with standard features, defined versions, and planned updates.
No bolt-ons. No chasing shiny objects.
Just a clean, managed environment that evolves with purpose.
If you’re not productizing, you’re just consulting with a toolkit.
3. Make Marketing a Priority
If people don’t know you exist, nothing else matters.
Most MSPs avoid marketing because it feels awkward or “too salesy.”
I used to think the same.
But after working with CEOs who built demand-first businesses, I saw the power of clear positioning and consistent outreach.
I’d put marketing first from day one.
Marketing isn’t optional—it’s the engine that drives growth.
Final Thought
Every MSP owner will face a choice—build a business that reacts to demand, or one that creates it.
I’ve done both, and the difference is night and day.
When you stop billing by the hour, standardize your service like a product, and make marketing a priority, everything changes.
You gain leverage.
You gain clarity.
You gain control.
If you’re stuck, it’s not because you’re lazy—it’s because the foundation is wrong.
What would your business look like if you built it right, from the start?
Now’s the time to find out.
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