Running an MSP

How to select RMM and PSA platforms on pricing shape, contract terms, integrations, automation depth, and vendor risk, with typical 2026 costs, when to switch, and a migration plan.

How to pick RMM, PSA, documentation, remote access, and password tooling for a new MSP in 2026, with named vendors, rough pricing, contract traps to avoid, and a realistic monthly budget.

How to measure logo and revenue churn monthly, the benchmarks and leading indicators that matter, the retention levers that work, when to fire a client, and how churn sets your valuation.

How to define, staff, price, and deliver a vCIO service for MSP clients – the deliverables, the cadence, how it differs from vCISO and account management, and the failure modes.

How to build service level agreements a small MSP can actually keep, with a P1-P4 priority matrix, realistic response targets, service credits as the sole remedy, and measurement in the PSA.

What an MSP must document for every client, how to structure it in IT Glue or Hudu, naming conventions that scale, and how to keep documentation alive instead of rotting.

When a solo MSP founder should make the first hire, who to hire, what technicians cost in 2025-26, and how to interview and onboard so the hire pays for itself instead of burning out.

A reference guide to MSP communities, peer groups, conferences, podcasts, and benchmark reports as of 2026, with guidance on which ones fit which stage of an MSP's growth.

Why handshake deals cost young MSPs real money, how the MSA-plus-attachments structure works, the clauses that actually protect you, and where to get templates worth signing.

The financial and service delivery metrics that predict MSP profitability, industry benchmarks for each, and the five numbers a small MSP should actually watch every month.

How MSPs price managed services in 2026 – per-device, per-user, tiered, and value-based models with typical dollar ranges, plus onboarding fees, minimums, out-of-scope rates, and why underpricing is the hardest mistake to undo.

How a technical founder actually wins MSP clients – the long trust-based sales cycle, referral systems, assessment-led selling, objection handling, local SEO, and when (not) to hire a salesperson.

How a new MSP actually buys software and hardware – distributors vs direct vendor programs, Microsoft CSP economics, NCE commitment traps, hardware and HaaS margins, and how to evaluate vendor partner programs without drowning in them.