John Snyder (CEO, Net Friends) joins Josh to unpack how MSPs escape “do-everything” chaos by choosing a clear primary business model and fixing account management. You’ll hear owner-level lessons on partnership, procurement pitfalls, automation wins, and why marketing isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the front door to recruiting and revenue.

✅ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below. https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

John Snyder of Net Friends shares his path from field tech to majority owner and the mindset shift from “say yes to everything” to a focused MSP. He explains how Primary Business Model (PBM) clarity changed profitability, why VAR-heavy procurement distracted the team, and how “Account Management 2.0” is being rebuilt around trackable, team-based communication instead of single points of failure. The conversation also dives into practical automation starting points and the underrated compounding effect of consistent marketing investment.

👉 PBM clarity: stop being “everything to everybody,” pick MSP as the core, and align ops, sales, and projects 👉 VAR trap: big hardware deals look great, but meetings, deal reg, and micro-decisions crush focus 👉 Account Management 2.0 → 3.0: replace lone CSMs with a shared inbox + ticketed comms for visibility and handoffs 👉 Automation that lands: start at the customer portal with HR forms (on/offboarding, role changes, leave) to prove value fast 👉 Marketing as a force multiplier: talent, recruiting, and referrals all begin with what prospects see online (benchmark ~8% of revenue)

Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.

🔗 Resources & Links • John Snyder at Net Friends: https://www.netfriends.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Coffee-chat intro & origin story 03:00 – From field tech to CEO: gifted equity to 49% → 90% ownership 12:30 – Partners, morale, and the “AI makes you feel seen” aside 16:15 – Primary Business Model confusion and choosing MSP as the core 18:05 – VAR/procurement highs, hidden costs, and why focus wins 21:25 – Breaking fix habits, culling the long tail of $59/hour clients 32:24 – Automation starting point: customer portal + HR workflows 37:53 – Outlook: integrations, data flow, and making tools better 41:57 – Account Management 2.0 problems & the shared-inbox fix 48:39 – Sales vs. Success vs. Ops: one role at a time 56:48 – Lifecycle Insights, TBR pushback, and relationship signals 1:01:39 – Marketing lessons: invest ~8% of revenue & hire the team 1:03:54 – Where to find John + wrap

🔍 Primary Keywords MSP account management, MSP primary business model, MSP automation, MSP marketing strategy

🔍 Secondary Keywords customer portal HR forms, VAR pitfalls MSP, lifecycle insights vCIO, MSP profitability

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #managedservices #accountmanagement #customersuccess #automation #rpa #servicedelivery #itbudgeting #lifecycleinsights #connectwise #mspprofitability #entrepreneurship #leadership #marketing

Learn the 13 MSP numbers that actually move profit. Host Josh Peterson breaks down revenue buckets, service gross profit, and the levers your service manager can pull today. Perfect for MSP owners and leaders who want clearer decisions, stronger margins, and a repeatable finance rhythm.

Episode Description → Josh Peterson (Bering McKinley) is joined briefly by former MSP owner Ryan Alter to challenge the myth that you need “hundreds of KPIs.” You’ll learn the few numbers that matter—and how to wire your P&L so your team can actually manage to them. This episode translates finance into field-ready actions for MSP operators, service managers, and fractional leaders. 👉 The 3 revenue buckets (service, product, resold cloud) and why your overall GP target centers around a weighted mix (aim ~42%). 👉 Service GP target (55%) and the critical ratio: service salaries to service revenue at ~33%—only possible if service payroll lives in COGS. 👉 Agreement Gross Profit (AGP): pricing vs. onboarding scope, why CW member costs & addition costs matter, and using the agreement GP report to verify reality. 👉 Effective Hourly Rate (EHR): how to calculate it (spendable revenue ÷ hours) and compare to rack rate (goal ≥1.125×) while staffing work at the right technician level. 👉 Billable utilization truths, calling out out-of-scope work without drama, and giving real P&L responsibility (and bonus levers) to your service manager. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.

🔗 Resources & Links • Ryan Alter - Silverstream: https://www.silverstreamav.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & why only 13 numbers matter 02:18 – YouTube push, Riverside move, and “From the Trenches” 05:12 – The 3 revenue buckets and service sub-buckets 08:40 – Guest drop-in from Egypt (Ryan Alter) 10:05 – Chart of accounts cleanup & payroll in COGS 13:22 – Targets: 42% company GP, 55% service GP, 33% salaries ratio 18:10 – Agreement Gross Profit (pricing vs. scope; CW setup) 24:03 – Effective Hourly Rate (formula, rack rate multiple, staffing) 29:45 – Billable utilization and the skills pyramid 34:20 – Out-of-scope cadence and profitable “needy” clients 39:05 – Service manager P&L ownership & incentive design 44:12 – Perspective, resilience, and closing takeaways

✅ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below.

🔍 Primary Keywords msp kpis, service gross profit, agreement gross profit, effective hourly rate

🔍 Secondary Keywords managed services finance, connectwise reporting, billable utilization, service manager incentives

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #msplife #mspowner #mspgrowth #mspsales #mspprocess #kpis #grossprofit #connectwise #servicedelivery #utilization #agreements #effectivehourlyrate #managedservices #itservices #itbusiness

In this “From the Trenches” conversation on the Bering McKinley Vision Podcast, host Josh Peterson sits down with Sparkle Tufano, CEO of Sparkle Innovations (https://sparkleinnovations.com), to explore what it takes to run a people-centric MSP in Middle Tennessee. Sparkle’s unusual path—from theatrical lighting and pyrotechnics to IT—taught her the power of precision, safety, and clear communication. Today, ~85% of her client base is women-owned or women-operated businesses, and she explains why that focus changed her service model: be direct, ditch the “geek speak,” and build genuine community relationships.

You’ll hear how Sparkle maintains loyalty without over-indexing on slides and graphs, using conversational QBR touchpoints and proactive two-, five-, and seven-year planning. We also unpack the growing role of AI in MSPs—from better prompting to agentic AI that runs continuous, outcome-focused tasks—and where MSPs can add real value without losing the human touch.

Whether you’re defining your ideal client profile, rethinking QBRs, or deciding how AI fits into your stack, this episode delivers practical insights you can apply right away. For more MSP growth resources, consulting, and finance best practices, visit https://beringmckinley.com.

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