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.

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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.

MSP consulting women-owned business IT MSP podcast agentic AI QBR community-led growth MSP security client experience MSP sales MSP operations

AI for MSPs women-led business technology Middle Tennessee MSP plain English QBR tips how to define ideal client profile MSP MSP community outreach strategy nonprofit IT support MSP break-fix to managed services transition AI agents for small business MSP relationship management

MSP, managed services, womenownedbusiness, womenintech, MSPpodcast, AIforMSPs, agenticAI, QBR, clientexperience, communitygrowth, smallbusinessIT, cybersecurity, TennesseeBusiness, BeringMcKinley, SparkleInnovations, leadership, MSPsales, MSPoperations, SMBgrowth, businesspodcast

New founder Chris shares the real playbook for launching (again): lean tools, aggressive outreach, and a focus on recurring revenue. If you’re an MSP owner or IT leader eyeing your next growth phase, you’ll learn concrete tactics you can reuse immediately.

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Chris, founder of IronGate MSP, joins BMK Vision “In the Trenches” to break down how he’s building a modern managed services practice from day one—without bloated software or guesswork. You’ll hear how his first tech gig at 18 set the course, why he sold an earlier MSP, and what’s different this time: a sales-led approach, disciplined proposals, and a ruthless focus on MRR stability. The episode is a candid look at tool selection, vertical targeting, outbound prospecting, and using automation to stay proactive for clients.

👉 Launching lean: choosing an all-in-one PSA/RMM to avoid heavy contracts and minimums while you scale 👉 Sales first, not “word of mouth”: cold email sequences, local chambers, targeted mailers, and structured discovery to book meetings 👉 Proposals that win: align pricing to the problems uncovered (e.g., internet reliability + SD-WAN) instead of cookie-cutter bundles 👉 Projects vs. MRR: take smart projects that lead to managed services while tracking recurring revenue as the North Star 👉 Automation & AI opportunities: process optimization (Zapier/Make) and documentation integration to deliver consistent, proactive service “Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.”

🔗 Resources & Links • Chris Hart - IronGate MSP: https://irongatemsp.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Why start an MSP (again) and family stakes 00:00:32 – First IT story: from printers to servers at 18 00:02:08 – SBS 2003, first client win, and the MSP spark 00:04:40 – Leaving a stable job to launch IronGate MSP 00:06:41 – Year-one goals: 15 clients and $100K revenue 00:09:55 – Avoiding pitfalls: sales process and proposal discipline 00:13:33 – Outbound engine: cold emails, social, chamber networking 00:15:27 – Funnel metrics and next-step mailers + call-downs 00:18:54 – Discovery and assessments that drive tailored proposals 00:20:42 – Projects as a bridge to recurring revenue 00:22:37 – Tooling on a budget: lean PSA/RMM strategy 00:25:43 – Being truly proactive: cadence, checklists, automation 00:28:59 – MSP role in client automation and AI enablement 00:33:11 – Check-in plan and big goal: Florida’s largest MSP 00:34:03 – Markets served and where to connect

🔍 Primary Keywords starting an msp, msp sales strategy, recurring revenue msp, cold email for msp, msp proposal process, network assessment msp, sd-wan for smb, msp go to market

🔍 Secondary Keywords irongate msp, orlando msp, celebration fl it support, msp tool stack, psa rmm selection, ai workflow automation, zapier make integrations, windows 10 eol outreach

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #mspowner #mspsales #recurringrevenue #psa #rmm #smbit #automation #ai #zapier #makecom #outbound #coldemail #discoverycall #proposal #sdwan #orlando #florida

In this candid “From the Trenches” chat, Josh Peterson and guest Rafi Cohn unpack what MSP sales really looks like day-to-day—no pitch decks, just shop talk. You’ll hear why most MSPs don’t have a true salesperson, how that shapes pipeline strategy, and practical ways to prospect without burning cash.

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

Guest Highlight: Rafi Cohn, head of sales & marketing at IntelliComp, joins Josh for a frank conversation about building an MSP sales motion when you’re a team of one. From conference ROI to cold-calling lists and ABM-style outreach, they break down what’s working, what isn’t, and how to avoid common traps that stall growth.

👉 The reality check: typical MSP size, why “no dedicated sales rep” is the norm, and what that means for targets and activity 👉 Conferences without regret: when to go, when to speak, and how to leverage customer intros on the floor 👉 Pipeline to miracles: simple, accountable opportunity stages and why a lightweight CRM setup (e.g., HubSpot) beats scattered notes 👉 Prospecting that fits your market: niche vs. broad ICP, building usable lists, and balancing long-cycle enterprise with near-term wins 👉 Creative outreach that opens doors: 3-touch mailers, pattern interrupts (yes, donuts), and follow-up cadences that actually get callbacks

You’ll come away with concrete ideas to fill the top of the funnel, lead the sale instead of trailing prospects, and set up systems today that you can scale into a real team tomorrow. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.

🔗 Resources & Links • Rafi Cohn - Intellicomp: https://intellicomp.net Intellicomp Technologies • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Why “From the Trenches” (no pitch, just real talk) 00:34 – Rafi’s path: customer → MSP sales lead (IntelliComp) 03:25 – The size myth & why most MSPs have zero salespeople 09:35 – Should you even go to that conference? ROI & speaking slots 13:44 – Why IT sales feels harder than other industries 16:50 – Long sales cycles: don’t tell reps that on day one 20:13 – Pipeline hygiene, stages, and using HubSpot simply 29:40 – Cold calling that fits your style (and your list) 32:59 – List building: niche focus vs. multi-industry spread 43:11 – Pattern interrupts: coffee mailers, donut boxes, and callbacks 50:35 – Wrap & takeaways

🔍 Primary Keywords msp sales, managed service provider sales, msp prospecting, msp pipeline stages

🔍 Secondary Keywords cold calling for msps, account based marketing msp, conference roi msp, hubspot for msps

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #mspsales #managedservices #mspmarketing #salesprospecting #coldcalling #accountbasedmarketing #salespipeline #hubspot #msplife #itservices #mspleadgen #fromthetrenches

MSP leaders will love this candid, from-the-trenches chat on building a people-first help desk and project team. Guest Stephanie Carbone shares how empathy, SOPs, and training turn chaos into white-glove service—and why that wins clients and reviews.

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

Stephanie Carbone, IT Operations Manager at Complete Business Systems of Colorado (CBS), joins Josh Peterson to unpack how a copier-dealer-turned-MSP built a service culture around “people serving people.” From hiring techs with empathy to giving teams the tools and confidence to deliver white-glove experiences, Stephanie explains what actually moves CSAT, loyalty, and growth. 👉 Internal IT vs. MSP: why the biggest transition risk isn’t tech—it’s people skills, communication, and handling new personalities daily. 👉 Hiring & training that stick: prioritize customer service aptitude over certs; use playful “tech bingo” and recurring reviews to drive certifications and soft-skill reps. 👉 SOPs that calm the chaos: clear queues, 30-minute touch rules, escalation paths, and onboarding playbooks that make new engineers confident fast. 👉 Ritz-Carlton mindset for MSPs: empower front-line techs to solve small problems and create memorable “white-glove” moments that earn reviews and renewals. 👉 Women in tech & client trust: how representation improves sales conversations and end-user comfort—especially with front-office teams. Natural keywords woven throughout: MSP help desk, client experience, SOPs, MSP onboarding, technician training, empathy in support.

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

🔗 Resources & Links • Stephanie Carbone - Complete Business Systems of Colorado: https://cbsofcolorado.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Why this isn’t a pitch: real MSP stories 00:35 – Stephanie’s path: AV → IT director → MSP 03:30 – GoPros, feedback, and learning loops 05:15 – First big IT rebuilds and client modernization 08:45 – From help desk to ops manager: building teams 11:05 – Internal IT vs. MSP: the real differences 14:40 – Hiring from internal IT: people skills over tech 16:55 – “People serving people”: communication to resolution 20:32 – Measuring client experience beyond first-call fix 24:56 – Interviews without personality tests: empathy first 28:15 – Coaching introverts & “tech bingo” for soft skills 34:30 – White-glove mindset and small moments that matter 37:36 – Surveys, reviews, and using feedback for training 39:29 – Staff pulse checks, growth, and gamified certs 43:36 – Building MSP SOPs inside a copier business 47:44 – Being a woman in tech and why it helps clients 55:59 – Where to find CBS & final takeaways

🔍 Primary Keywords MSP client experience, MSP help desk, IT operations management, MSP onboarding, service desk SOPs, technician training

🔍 Secondary Keywords customer empathy in IT, copier dealer MSP, CSAT for MSPs, women in technology, MSP hiring, white glove service

🏷️ Tags Stephanie Carbone, Complete Business Systems of Colorado, MSP client experience, MSP help desk, IT operations, SOPs, technician training, customer empathy, copier dealer MSP, CSAT, white glove service, Bering McKinley, Josh Peterson

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #managedservices #helpdesk #customerexperience #sop #itsupport #womenintech #serviceleadership #mspgrowth #teambuilding #softskills #mspsales #projectmanagement

Cash flow keeps MSPs alive—and too many still leak dollars in AR. In this episode, Josh Peterson and Ryan Alter talk with Nicholas from Alternative Payments about practical ways to speed up collections, reduce aging, and make “quote-to-cash” truly automatic for MSPs.

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

Nicholas, Partnerships Manager at Alternative Payments, joins the BMK Vision Podcast to unpack the everyday realities of MSP cash flow—and how disciplined AR automation transforms margins. We dig into why so many providers still chase checks, when to pass on credit card fees (and how to do it ethically), and the simple workflow shifts that pull cash in faster without straining client relationships. You’ll hear real talk on lines of credit, deposits for hardware-heavy projects, and how to design payment options that meet clients where they are while protecting your bank balance.

👉 The MSP AR reality: why invoices often pay 20+ days past due—and the levers that reliably shrink it to near-zero with auto-pay and ACH. 👉 Payment options that work: transparent card fees, ACH by default, and project financing as a value-add (not a crutch). 👉 Quote-to-cash done right: capture payment details at signature, reconcile PSA ↔ accounting, and eliminate onboarding gaps that stall revenue. 👉 Project cash flow: deposits, disciplined procurement, and maintaining bank relationships/LOCs before you need them. 👉 Operational hygiene: activation rates, license reconciliation, and clean AR reports that your banker (and CFO) actually trust. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.

🔗 Resources & Links • Nicholas Reimer- Alternative Payments: https://alternativepayments.com @alternativepayments • Ryan Alter - Silver Stream AV: http://www.silverstreamav.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & series context 01:05 – Guest intro: Nicholas, Alternative Payments 02:10 – Scale & responsibility of payments 05:40 – Credit card fees vs ACH, cash discounts 09:30 – Points talk & why redemption value matters 12:55 – Passing fees & offering three payment options 16:30 – AR realities in MSPs (aging & activation rates) 18:05 – Driving auto-pay adoption 20:50 – Cash flow for big projects & LOCs 24:50 – Municipal/education clients & checks 25:50 – bill.com vs MSP-specific AR workflows 27:10 – Closing the loop: AP on the horizon 33:10 – Quote-to-cash: from quote to collection 35:20 – Onboarding gaps that delay cash 40:40 – Sales flow: sign now, pay now 42:05 – Bookkeeper horror story & controls 47:30 – Onboarding as client experience 52:20 – Being known for AR automation (not “just payments”) 54:30 – Final takeaways & sign-off

🔍 Primary Keywords msp cash flow, accounts receivable automation, msp ar collections, payment processing for msps, connectwise quickbooks integration, ach payments msp, quote to cash msp, auto pay msp

🔍 Secondary Keywords alternative payments, credit card surcharge vs cash discount, net terms b2b payments, license reconciliation msp, psa integration, onboarding msp clients, line of credit for projects, msp project deposits

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #managedservices #cashflow #accountsreceivable #payments #ach #creditcards #connectwise #quickbooks #quotetocash #mspgrowth #mspsales #mspfinance #arautomation #recurringrevenue #psa

New founder story with real talk for aspiring MSP/MSSP owners. Josh Peterson sits down with Will Robinson to unpack the leap from government IT to launching a cybersecurity-forward services firm—covering sales, pricing, tool choices, and hiring. If you’re building from zero or resetting your go-to-market, this is your blueprint.

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

Will Robinson (Thirdeye View Corp) joins Josh Peterson to explore what it actually takes to start—and sustain—an MSSP that small businesses trust. From sharpening CEO-as-seller habits to avoiding tool-stack whiplash, Will shares candid lessons from his first steps plus a practical approach to pricing and profit. 👉 Why founder-led selling matters: sell yourself, then your company, then your services—and ask better questions to win trust 👉 Targeting right-fit clients: underserved 4–20-seat SMBs that need security leadership and pragmatic IT 👉 MSSP vs MSP positioning: security-first while co-managing or taking on core IT—how to message the difference 👉 Smart tool stack decisions: pick RMM/CRM you can afford, master, and keep—process beats shiny objects 👉 Pricing fundamentals: back into rates from cost, utilization, and risk; translate to projects and managed services Close the loop with financial literacy—turn QuickBooks into a decision tool, not just a tax box—and creative hiring via internships and state programs to extend capacity. “Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.”

🔗 Resources & Links • Will Robinson - Thirdeye View Corp: https://thirdiviewcorp.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro & premise 00:40 – Why start an MSP/MSSP now 03:20 – Free advice vs paid value (sales boundaries) 06:40 – CEO as salesperson: habits & mindset 10:18 – Sell self → company → services 11:50 – Ideal client: 4–20 users, SMB focus 13:30 – MSSP vs MSP: co-manage or all-in? 15:01 – Security + IT: scope and expectations 17:00 – Daily prospecting rhythm (from month → day → morning) 20:15 – The million-dollar plateau and networks 24:15 – Tool stack thinking (RMM/CRM) 27:35 – ConnectWise, process over tools 29:35 – Hiring interns; Virginia VTOP example 33:54 – Consider a sales intern for appointment-setting 36:33 – Packaging services & pricing anxieties 39:38 – Rate math: wages × 4.5 = target bill rate 42:40 – Managed services pricing (tools + time) 46:30 – Accounting basics & financial literacy 49:25 – Open series idea to follow the journey 50:27 – Purpose, legacy, and motivation 52:34 – Where to find Will & close

🔍 Primary Keywords msp startup, mssp pricing, managed services sales, msp tool stack, cybersecurity for smbs, connectwise onboarding, founder led selling, msp rate calculation

🔍 Secondary Keywords msp vs mssp, small business it security, rmm selection, crm for msp, utilization formula, effective hourly rate, co-managed it, internship programs for tech

#️⃣ Hashtags Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #mssp #managedservices #cybersecurity #connectwise #mspsales #msppricing #rmm #crm #founderlife #smallbusinessit #co-managedit #toolstack #financialliteracy #effectivehourlyrate #dispatch #timeentry #fromthetrenches