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MSP and ME

MSP and ME

April 18, 2025 Alex Strobaugh Comments Off

Partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) should feel like gaining a full-fledged IT department—not just someone to call when things break. But to get the best out of your MSP, your business needs to be an active participant in the relationship. At Succeed MSP, we’ve worked with companies across Northern California for over 20 years—and the most successful partnerships always share the same traits.

Here’s what MSPs like us need from our customers to make your IT environment more secure, efficient, and aligned with your business goals.


1. Clear Communication and Transparency

Your MSP isn’t just a vendor—it’s a strategic partner. We need to understand what’s happening in your business. Planning a new location? Hiring 10 employees next quarter? Considering a new industry-specific platform?

Open communication helps us:

  • Proactively scale your infrastructure
  • Identify potential risks
  • Align IT strategies with your business goals

💬 Tip: We provide quarterly business reviews to keep this dialogue flowing.


2. Defined Business Goals and Objectives

If we know what you’re trying to achieve, we can help you get there faster—with fewer technical headaches.

Tell us your priorities, like:

  • Reducing downtime
  • Improving cybersecurity
  • Enabling hybrid work

With that, we’ll build a roadmap that ties your IT investment directly to business outcomes.


3. Access to Critical Information and Systems

We need secure access to your systems—servers, cloud platforms, firewalls, etc.—to do our job. This allows us to monitor for issues, patch vulnerabilities, and resolve incidents quickly.

🔐 Don’t worry—we always use secure methods, adhere to compliance requirements, and follow the principle of least privilege.

🛡️ Learn more about our cybersecurity-first approach.


4. Commitment to Cybersecurity Best Practices

Even the best antivirus can’t stop someone from clicking a malicious link. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility.

We’ll handle the monitoring, patching, and response—but we need you to:

  • Enforce strong passwords and MFA
  • Train your team to recognize phishing
  • Follow best practices we recommend

🔐 Consider adding Guardz and endpoint protection to secure your devices.


5. Realistic Expectations and Timely Decision-Making

We’re great at solving problems—but we can’t move forward without your go-ahead. Delayed decisions around software upgrades, cloud migrations, or budgeting can stall progress.

We also aim for transparency. If something isn’t realistic within your budget or timeline, we’ll tell you up front—and find the next best solution.


6. Engagement and Collaboration

Our most successful clients are engaged. They show up for strategy calls. They give us feedback. They ask questions.

You don’t need to be technical. You just need to be present. Let’s collaborate on:

  • Planning future upgrades
  • Streamlining your workflows
  • Reviewing metrics and performance

🤝 We offer collaborative support and advisory services.


7. Timely Payments and Budget Alignment

We keep things predictable with fixed monthly pricing. To keep the relationship smooth, we ask clients to:

  • Pay invoices on time
  • Notify us if budgets change
  • Approve add-ons before deployment

💡 Ask about our service bundles that combine VOIP, cybersecurity, and support into one monthly bill.


8. Support for Change Management

When it’s time to upgrade systems, migrate to the cloud, or roll out new devices, we’ll lead the charge—but we need you to support the change internally.

That means:

  • Informing and preparing staff
  • Allocating internal champions
  • Allowing us access for rollout and testing

🚀 Explore our server and network services to support these transitions.


Final Thoughts: Let’s Be Better Together

The MSP-client relationship works best when it’s truly a partnership. When we’re both committed to clear communication, shared goals, and cybersecurity best practices, your IT transforms from a cost center to a competitive advantage.

At Succeed MSP, we’re more than just a helpdesk. We’re your technology ally, here to make your systems more secure, your team more productive, and your business more resilient.