As Vice President of Academy at Pax8 and an entrepreneur, it’s my mission to make sure managed service providers (MSPs) have the education and tools they need to succeed. The start of the new year offers the perfect time to take stock of your business and make a roadmap for 2025. Here are my top tips to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and set your business up for success in the year to come. For even more tips, read part two of this series from my colleague Rob Rae, CVP of Community and Ecosystems at Pax8.
Tip 1: Start with budgeting and financial planning
One of the most crucial steps in preparing for success is starting with a solid budget. If your expertise lies more in technology than business operations, it’s essential to recognize that budgeting is a cornerstone of running a thriving business. Begin by creating a budget that clearly categorizes your revenue streams and costs, while keeping a close eye on your gross margin. Analyze your expenses and track them as a percentage of revenue to gain deeper insights into your financial health. And remember this axiom: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Tip 2: Focus on both strategic and tactical planning
Formalize your purpose, vision, mission, and values (PVMV) to guide your business. If you already have these in place, the new year is a great time to revisit and reset these core principles. As your company grows, a clearly defined PVMV will help maintain a unified culture and direction. This is especially important as you add more layers of management and employees.
Tip 3: Develop a plan for marketing and community engagement
Marketing can be a challenge for MSPs. And if you outsource these services, it’s not enough to simply write a check and expect results. Develop a multi-pronged marketing strategy and continuously feed it to keep the momentum going. Engaging with your community is crucial for translating marketing efforts into leads. Remember, marketing is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process that requires dedication and involvement from senior leadership.
Tip 4: To plan for AI integration, start with data readiness
While AI is a hot topic, 2025 will be more about data readiness than mass AI adoption. Clean and standardized data is essential for effective AI and automation. Focus on improving the quality of your data by standardizing your processes and ensuring your data is well-documented and tagged appropriately. For example, time entry notes can inform automation to completely change the way we operationalize the ticket lifecycle.
Tip 5: Leverage Pax8 partner enablement resources
Pax8 offers a range of resources to help partners succeed, including Pax8 Professional Services, which can assist with end-user projects by extending the skill or bandwidth needed to complete them. Leverage Pro Services for Dynamics (Business Central and Sales Pro), Modern M365, Infrastructure (Azure and AWS migrations), and security rollouts.
In addition, Pax8 Academy provides valuable training and educational resources that can help you grow and mature your business — many at low or no cost. Pax8 Academy offers instructor-led courses, on-demand coursework, peer groups, and more. Need help with building a budget or kicking off the new year? Pax8 Academy has you covered.
Lastly, the new Pax8 Voyager Alliance program goes beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, providing a tailored experience that adapts to each partner’s unique needs, growth stage and goals. Keep an eye out this year for additional tiered benefits for Pax8 Academy and Pro Services.
Tip 6: Invest in training and leadership development
Investing in training and leadership development is crucial for long-term success. It’s expensive to train employees but even more costly in the long run if you don’t. Focus on developing leadership skills and creating a structured training program to help your team grow. This will enable you to scale your business effectively and avoid plateaus that can hinder your growth.
Tip 7: Be open to change and innovation
The IT industry is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires a willingness to adapt and embrace new technologies and methodologies. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within your organization to stay competitive and meet the ever-changing needs of your clients.
Let Pax8 Academy help you leverage these tips
There will be endless opportunities in 2025 for MSPs to innovate and grow. With the right strategies and tools, you can navigate the evolving IT and business landscape and seize these opportunities. Embrace the support and expertise Pax8 offers to make 2025 a year of remarkable achievements for your business.
If you’re a Pax8 partner, click here to see resources associated with the tips in these blogs. And don’t miss an episode of Academy Live on the Pax8 YouTube channel, where we talk through the fundamentals of business operations for MSPs.
