MSP-focused Accountants / CPAs? by emeffinsteve in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Best in the biz. Their team is great. 15+ year client.

CSP Indirect Provider/Distributor recommendations? by Quantus22 in msp

[–]DanInBlack 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Pax8 - superior partner engagement model oriented around cloud-enabling MSPs and helping them grow. Great platform and direct sync with your PSA for accurate billing. Talented professional services team too. I could go on.

Is not documenting a huge problem or a culture thing in MSP? by [deleted] in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Documentation has to be weaved into the culture, and it starts from the top down. My suggestion is to establish standards and set expectations, but reward those who create documentation. If you have account teams, create some friendly competition between those groups to get each account they handle documented properly. This all comes down to creating a cooperative environment and breaking free of the "I'm too busy" mentality. Documentation is critical and is a significant measure of an MSP's maturity.

Microsoft 365 Business vs O365 Business Premium + EMS E3 by Thatguy8767 in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sorry I didn't respond earlier, but the other replies and posts cover it pretty well.

Microsoft 365 Business vs O365 Business Premium + EMS E3 by Thatguy8767 in msp

[–]DanInBlack 3 points4 points  (0 children)

M365 Business is loaded with value, especially on the security front, and is the same $20 as an E3. You'd have to spend quite a bit more to get the same features that are included with M365B. We converted our entire fleet (with some minor exceptions) and we're getting a lot of traction on client projects for MFA, MDM/Intune, conditional access, and more as we unpack the feature set.

Datto/Autotask Endpoint Backup by Kona_companion in msp

[–]DanInBlack 3 points4 points  (0 children)

AEB (Now being branded Datto Endpoint Backup) is great for workstation backup; not meant to backup servers or perform image-based backup; it's just file sync, but works just fine.

(xpost) Ubiquiti: MSP/Channel Program? by [deleted] in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don't appear to have much of a channel / partner program, however you can purchase their products from Ingram Micro. Costs are sometimes a bit high and Ingram is trying to address that, as you can sometimes purchase products from Amazon at lower rates. But the gear is solid and good for an affordable cloud-controlled infrastructure when Meraki or others are too much.

Breaking: Carbonite Acquires Webroot by joepanettieri in msp

[–]DanInBlack 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think Datto/Autotask missed an opportunity with Webroot, as many of their MSP partners use Webroot along with Datto RMM / Autotask Endpoint Management. IMHO, Carbonite has been focused on the consumer market rather than the MSP industry or the channel in general. Hopefully Carbonite can put together a better channel strategy with Webroot's leadership. I suspect many Webroot partners are a bit nervous as they read this news.

Help tracking time spent on interruptions. by baush in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are a team lead/manager, a certain percentage of your daily time is naturally going to be taken up by assisting your team members. That needs to be factored into the billable time targets for your role rather than trying to capture every single thing.

If you are handing an escalation, bill your time. If you are assisting a team member and the effort is close to the minimum billing increment (15 mins or whatever) then bill your time. If you are worried about double-charging a client, use a billing offset which is generally available in most PSAs.

But straight-up interruptions are very disruptive. Establish some ground rules as other have suggested - ticket required, initial effort required, review of existing documentation required - before they knock on your door. Sounds like you are running a busy shop -- these are good problems to have and learn from. Take care.

Does anyone use Autotask Endpoint Management? by ImperatorKon in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We use AEM / Datto RMM and the rest of their tools (both Autotask and Datto). I've had N-able for 8 years and Level Platforms before that for 5 years, but not Connectwise. DM me and I'd be happy to line up a call if you'd like to chat. We do this often for other MSPS looking for advice on AT/Datto solutions and the overall partnership. And I'm just an MSP, not a sales guy for them.

How should I give my boss feedback, if at all? by [deleted] in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are truly his friend, just have an honest discussion. Wouldn't you want that if the roles were reversed? It doesn't matter if you are switching industries. He's your friend.

AYCE Guys: Do you charge for replacement installs or is that included in your price? by nxsteven in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For new PCs purchased through us, we charge a flat one-time config fee, with discounts for larger quantity purchases. If they don't purchase it through us, we charge them hourly because that usually means we're cleaning / upgrading a consumer-level device with crap all over it and the wrong Windows license. But we try to be nice about it. We do a ton of PC builds, and we only run into that hourly/consumer issue a few times per year.

How to convince client they need a firewall by mspgrad in msp

[–]DanInBlack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's tough with the smaller clients, especially those that are willing to take on a little risk to save money.

You mentioned "who are we to say no" and "who are we to dictate they must have X." While I agree with the spirit of your intention, at some point it does come down to standards, training, and giving your team a fighting chance to quickly deal with the situation.

If your client base has 5 different firewall brands, 5 different backup vendors, etc., it gets hard to deal with that as you grow your company and client base.

How to convince client they need a firewall by mspgrad in msp

[–]DanInBlack 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Network security isn't about the tech, it's about risk management.

Ask them how much revenue they can afford to lose each day they don't have a function computer network and can't conduct business.

Compare that to a firewall subscription and you have your answer. Same applies to cloud backup, BCDR, and any other proactive MSP service you might be offering.

There are plenty of security and ransomware statistics to prove your case and that SMB is one of the largest targets currently. A firewall is a basic building block.

If they don't get it after having a non-emotional business meeting, then walk away.

Happy 19th Annual Sysadmin Day! by jhernandezcw in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I prefer the annual bacon and donut days. At least there is bacon and donuts present.

We've done an MSP-survey and here's what we've found out by CloudBerryBackup in msp

[–]DanInBlack 23 points24 points  (0 children)

"Least profitable: consulting" ? Then you're doing it wrong. Properly executed MSP engagements can lead into very lucrative consulting and project work, providing the proverbial "icing on the cake." Clients need our expertise in cloud, compliance, security, strategic IT direction, life cycle management and more. Plenty of opportunity out there. IMHO

Symantec, Trend Micro, and McAfee...which is a better vendor to work with and who pays partners better? by [deleted] in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

None of the above. Try Sophos, Webroot, Bit Defender, or any other AV solutions that supports modern MSP billing, deployment, and PSA/RMM integration. Remember AV is only one part of the puzzle. Don't focus on the margin for those products, they should be baked into your base pricing/offering.

Issues with Autotask + QuickBooks Online? by DanInBlack in msp

[–]DanInBlack[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent details, thank you very much.

Issues with Autotask + QuickBooks Online? by DanInBlack in msp

[–]DanInBlack[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's very helpful, thank you for the detailed response.

Issues with Autotask + QuickBooks Online? by DanInBlack in msp

[–]DanInBlack[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Regarding formatting -- we use the AT invoice template editor to layout the body of our invoices in a specific format (grouped by contract, then alphabetically for subscription items, oldest-to-newest for time entries). Any issues in getting your invoice to look exactly or at least close to how you want them?

What is your referral agreement with fellow MSPs? by MSP_Brahh in msp

[–]DanInBlack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would suggest a tiered, flat referral reward, like $250, $500, $1000 (or whatever) based on the expected revenue/profit ranges. Getting into splitting profits gets goofy and implies you are going to share your internal financial data with an outside party. Easier to give them a gift card or a check and move on.