Now, I’ve spoken about private equity entering the MSP space before, but since then, a lot has happened, much of which is good news for MSPs. Think about it this way: PE firms only chase expanding addressable markets. The fact PE firms have been investing in the channel means they believe the potential customer bases for MSPs and vendors are growing rapidly. While PE firms investing in the channel is overall a good thing, there are some things for MSPs to consider this year.

With cybersecurity top of mind for business owners, MSPs have an extraordinary opportunity to become more than just IT providers in 2019. When executives review security vulnerability reports for their organizations, they’re forced to look at how breaches would impact overall business risk. This is where MSPs can insert themselves as not only cybersecurity experts but business risk professionals.

Shadow IT isn’t going away anytime soon, so be sure to hold on tight. As managing shadow IT becomes a greater concern among business leaders at all levels, solutions to overcome challenges arising from this unfortunate phenomenon are accelerating. Those businesses already geared up to combat increased security threats from the widespread use of shadow IT are — you guessed it — MSPs. Even though there are many MSPs still unsure of how to control shadow IT effectively, a good bulk of them are making progress and protecting their customers from unintended side effects.

To be able to successfully execute your MSP sales plan for the year, your sales engine needs to be running at peak performance. If it’s not, it's probably time for a sales engine tune-up — and just like any tune-up, there’s a sales checklist to follow to ensure everything runs smoothly the remainder of the year.

Like a wheel, life goes round and round. Holding it all together is your framework, which you’ve been building up your entire life. If one spoke breaks, you weaken as a result. To keep the ride — your life journey — from getting thrown out of whack, strengthen your life’s spokes by growing and accepting.

Many MSPs are struggling with promoting themselves on social media platforms, which isn’t a surprise: Marketing has always been a top challenge for MSPs. Over the years, more and more MSPs have become interested in deploying social media strategies to increase brand awareness and generate leads for their sales teams. Before making the jump, there are some things to consider first.

Email systems are the number one target of cybercriminals, and the situation is only getting worse. Attackers are finding new ways to infiltrate email accounts and use them as a platform for launching other types of attacks.

To help explain the shift in IT provider models in the industry, late last year, I introduced the “Technology Success Provider” (TSP). This year, at Schnizzfest, I asked you to trust me by joining me on the journey to Technology Success World. If you still haven’t taken the first step to becoming a TSP, the new year is a good time to start.

Eighty percent of your MSP sales process should revolve around you assessing the results your prospects are getting today. You accomplish this by asking them technical questions, finding how much they're investing in technology and inquiring about their businesses. We do this so we can determine the best way to reframe their perspectives on technology and costs. With enough practice in reframing, you'll be overcoming sales objections and boosting your sales performance in no time.

If you still haven’t drafted your business plan for 2019, you’re a little late to the game. That being said, I’d rather you develop one late than not create one at all. To help you begin the process as quickly as possible, let’s review several key points to consider.