Empowering Your MSP Business to Grow and Prosper—One Post at a Time

Most managed services providers (MSPs) are no stranger to the struggle of finding qualified candidates for technical jobs. Especially those who are running a lean operation—every hire and every team member is critical. But in order to scale and support the needs of your clients, how can you right-size your team without breaking the bank?

In this partner spotlight, Tandem Systems, an MSP based just outside of Manchester in England, shares how they have more confidence going out to market because they’re backed by Continuum’s Network Operations Center (NOC) team.

This year has already brought a lot of channel activity; whether through mergers and acquisitions—for both vendors and service providers—the naming of new CEOs and executives, or things to look out for in 2019. But which of the major trends in the market are actually worth watching?

To answer this question and more, I sat down with Continuum CEO Michael George. Recently, Michael shared his predictions for the managed services industry, alluding to three major forces that will disrupt the market. Keep reading for a deeper dive into these three forces, including exclusive insight from Michael on how to align your MSP business for success in 2019.

The advent of inbound marketing has leveled the competitive playing field. Size no longer matters, because Web-based marketing is entirely accessible and extremely affordable. These seven concepts define key differences between inbound and outbound marketing and explain why every MSP should adopt an inbound approach to marketing.

With over 90 percent of online experiences beginning with a search engine, online and web-based marketing has become a main sales channel for modern businesses. However, even the best-looking websites aren’t worth much if nobody can find them. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google rankings come into the picture.

It seems like every business is eager to claw their way to the top of Google’s result page, but what’s the key to beating out your competition? To find this answer and more, I sat down with Audane Leger, Digital Marketing Specialist at Continuum and resident SEO connoisseur. Keep reading to discover her tips on how to improve your Google ranking and make your way to page one.

As the saying goes, “Tis the season to be jolly,” and we’re especially jolly about some recent accolades awarded to Continuum and our team. Not only do these reflect the innovation we’re bringing to the industry, but also our commitment to empowering our partners with best-in-class solutions.

So without further ado, let's take a look at three new awards and recognitions Continuum is adding to its trophy case.

Money is many things, but it isn’t everything. It can be tough out there for managed IT services providers who want retain top talent but don’t always have the means to pay them. Luckily, there are several non-monetary ways that you can offer your employees compensation that actually help to enrich your staff’s daily work environment.

In the spirit of the upcoming new year, look to incorporate these non-monetary compensation strategies. As a result, you could see a more positive company culture, more engaged employees, and a more loyal, productive workforce.

As you begin to offer clients with a comprehensive cyber security solution, one of the first steps you should take is to identify which security metrics you need to measure. Why? Because you simply can’t manage what you don’t measure.

While some aspects of security—such as the integrity of the solution or provided peace of mind—may be difficult to quantify, below we’ve compiled eight essential security metrics that every MSP should be tracking.

On Monday, December 3, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an alert for SamSam ransomware—also known as MSIL/SAMAS.A—after identifying certain cyber threat actors using the ransomware to target industries in the United States and worldwide.

In this post, we cover the breaking news and what MSPs should take note of, how the SamSam ransomware works, and what you can do to protect against it.

Many MSPs are familiar with the concept of ticket fatigue; when you or your techs can’t perform at the high-level of service your clients need, all because of the sheer amount of alerts that consume your day-to-day. Before becoming a Continuum partner, DS Tech was no stranger to ticket fatigue.

In this partner spotlight, DS Tech shares their story of how they leverage Continuum to not only reduce their daily number of tickets, but become more efficient and able to better service their clients.

What are the keys to an MSP marketing plan for 2019? How can you explain the cloud to your clients? What tools are needed to build a cyber security offering? We answer these questions and more in our monthly roundup of the MSPblog's most popular posts.

See below for the top five blog articles our readers couldn’t get enough of this November.