Professional development shouldn’t be an afterthought in your organization.
It’s something that should matter greatly to not only you, but also your managers. Developing a plan for continuing education is essential for any MSP looking to generate monthly recurring revenue (MRR) at the right price.
Before developing your company’s plan for continuing education, take inventory of the certifications, knowledge and skill sets you, your employees, and your customers already have. Then think about where you’d like everyone to be in the future.
Ask yourself this question: “What would they need to know and what type of skills would they need to acquire to get there?”
Your people matter, so help them progress to where they’d like to end up
Many of your employees are looking to grow and develop in their careers. One of your responsibilities as a leader is helping them get to where they’d like to be in a month from now, a year from now, and a decade from now. Look at it this way: They are investing in you and your business’ future, so you should return the favor by investing in theirs.
One way to help your employees with advancing in their careers is by providing them with continuing educational opportunities. If you cannot offer these opportunities internally, then there’s nothing wrong with seeking outside help. For example, there are industry organizations you can turn to for assistance. CompTIA’s a popular one; the association offers events, training, and certifications for IT professionals.
While partnering with industry organizations is important, you may also have to allocate funds for employees seeking continuing education opportunities. Use this investment to attract new talent to your organization, too.
Empower your clients by educating them
Many MSPs forget about offering continuing education opportunities for their clients. MSPs can empower their clients by educating them (your clients are your first line of defense after all). The more educated they are about what you do and how they can help, the better off everyone will be.
Even though it takes time, create content for your clients to consume. Host monthly webinars, publish weekly blog posts, and deploy monthly newsletters. Keep them informed about what you’re doing and what they should be staying up to date on to protect their systems and networks.
How can you improve yourself as a leader?
Everyone in your organization can benefit from continuing education, including you. While your technicians may want to focus on the technical aspects of what’s expected of them, you may want to take classes on sales and marketing, management, or cybersecurity. There are also online leadership courses you can take at your own leisure if you’re interested in learning how to improve your leadership skills.
Continuing education is necessary for you, your organization, and your customers if one of your goals is to improve business outcomes. Develop a plan that incorporates all of your stakeholders and watch your organization grow.
