Skip to main content
SolarWinds MSP
  • Login
  • Support
      SolarWinds MSP
      • Products
        • SolarWinds RMM The RMM platform that grows with you. You can be up and running quickly.
        • SolarWinds Backup Leverage on-site and off-site storage to quickly recover from a disaster.
        • SolarWinds Mail Assure Robust spam and malware protection, including zero-hour detection.
        • MSP Manager Manage your IT business effectively with a system that minimizes the overhead.
        • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence Put a financial value on your IT risk profile.
        • MSP Anywhere Get quick, efficient remote access tools that let you get the job done fast.
      • Solutions

        I'm looking to...

        I'm looking for...

        • Manage my MSP Business More Efficiently
        • Manage my IT Department More Efficiently
        • Layered Security
        • Data-Driven Insights
        • Cross-Platform Support
      • Resources

        Webinars & Events

        Resource Center

        • Ask the N-Central Experts
        • Backup Foundations Training
        • RMM Foundations Training
        • Upcoming Events
        • Upcoming Webinars
        • Case Studies
        • eBooks
        • White Papers
        • SolarWinds MSP Free Tools
        • GDPR Resource Center
        • Security Center
      • About
        • Contact
        • Worldwide sales and support
        • Careers
        • Awards and Recognition
        • Get A Quote
        • Newsroom
          • Press Releases
          • In The News
          • Media Contacts
        • Leadership Team
        • Legal
          • Cookie Policy
          • Privacy Policy
          • SolarWinds MSP UK Software Services Agreement
          • Terms of Use
          • Backup Fair Use Policy
          • GDPR
        • Security
      • Blog
      • Contact Sales
        • Get A Quote
        • General Inquiry
      • TRY NOW
        • SolarWinds RMM
        • SolarWinds Backup
        • MSP Manager
        • SolarWinds Mail Assure
        • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
        • MSP Anywhere
      Filter Blogs
      • Filter by:
      • MSP Business
        • Backup & Disaster Recovery
        • Best Practices
        • Business
        • Business Growth
        • Business Risk
        • Cloud Computing
        • Customer Service
        • Cybersecurity
        • Data
        • GDPR
        • Internet of Things
        • IT Support
        • ITSM
        • LOGICcards
        • Machine Learning
        • Mail
        • Managed Services
        • Marketing
        • Mobile
        • Networking
        • Operations
        • Podcast
        • Product
        • PSA
        • Remote Management
        • Research & Trends
        • Risk Intelligence
        • Security
        • Security Vlog
        • Service Desk
        • Services & Support
        • Tips & Advice
        • Training
      Home Blog MSP Business Should MSPs Bother with Microbusinesses?
      MSP Business

      Should MSPs Bother with Microbusinesses?

      By Scott Calonico
      11 June, 2014

      Microbusinesses are a growing trend across the world. Tough economic times have caused many large businesses to lay off huge numbers of staff, and many of them have gone on to start small (one or two man) companies of their own.

      If you own an MSP business, you may have wondered whether it is worth taking on these microbusinesses as clients.

      Logic perhaps dictates that it’s better to concentrate on the “bigger fish,” and to an extent this is true – after all, a larger client means more work and more potential revenue. However, it’s perhaps unwise to discount the potential value of these small individual clients.

      In this article, we present the simple advantages and disadvantages of providing services to microbusinesses, to help you make your own mind up as to whether they are a market worth targeting.

      Advantages

      1. Today’s microbusinesses could be tomorrow’s success stories. By becoming a trusted partner from the start you could find your potential revenue grows with their success.

      2. Microbusinesses can prove very easy to support, especially if you build their IT systems around cloud services.

      3. Microbusinesses don’t tend to be afflicted by power struggles and company politics. If you build a good relationship with the client, your day-to-day work with them should be relatively stress free.

      4. Just because a business is very small, it doesn’t mean it can’t be successful and cash-rich. If you work with the right microbusinesses, the work can still prove lucrative.

      5. Working with a collection of different microbusinesses is a healthy way to diversify your streams of revenue and spread your risk. If your business is built on two or three large clients, the loss of one can be devastating for your MSP’s income. 

      Disadvantages

      1. Some microbusinesses, especially in their early stages, run on a shoestring budget. These clients won’t want to spend much money, and will often expect the earth for it.

      2. Looking after multiple tiny clients means maintaining a lot of documentation and keeping up to speed with lots of different IT systems.

      3. Many fledgling businesses fail, and sometimes they may fail whilst owing money to their service providers.

      4. Micro-entrepreneurs often invest a lot of time in their new businesses, working long hours and weekends – and if they are your clients they will probably expect to be able to get support from you during these times.

      5. You will need several microbusiness clients to earn an equivalent amount of revenue as you would from a traditional SME.

      It’s understandable that some MSPs “turn their noses up” at the tiny clients, but surveys show that the trend towards microbusiness shows no sign of abating. Someone’s got to support them – and it could prove lucrative for it to be you. It’s your call.

      You might also like...

      MSP Business

      Selling to Line of Business Managers

      MSP Business

      Why Integration Is a Critical Component of MSP Growth

      MSP Business

      5 Best Practices for Adding Business with Existing Customers

      MSP Business

      MSP Customer Retention: 6 Tips for QBRs

      MSP Business

      Six big reasons you should give your technicians sales training

      MSP Business

      Direct mail: still a powerful marketing tool for MSPs

      Recent Posts

      • Password Security: Central to GDPR Readiness
      • 10 Steps to Cybersecurity—Why Practicing Good Cyberhygiene Is Critical
      • The Blurring Line Between MSP and MSSP 
      • Managing reporting to build customer confidence
      • How to forecast your customers’ needs
      • More Results

      Categories:

      • Business Growth (374)
      • Tips & Advice (341)
      • Managed Services (296)
      • Best Practices (251)
      • Cybersecurity (217)
      • Business (204)
      • Security (195)
      • IT Support (96)
      • Backup & Disaster Recovery (87)
      • Data (69)
      • ITSM (67)
      • Cloud Computing (54)
      • Product (47)
      • Mail (38)
      • Marketing (37)
      • Risk Intelligence (32)
      • Customer Service (29)
      • Remote Management (22)
      • Networking (22)
      • Service Desk (16)
      • Services & Support (16)
      • Research & Trends (13)
      • Business Risk (12)
      • GDPR (11)
      • Internet of Things (10)
      • PSA (10)
      • Mobile (9)
      • Operations (7)
      • Training (6)
      • LOGICcards (4)
      • Machine Learning (3)
      Show moreless
      SolarWinds MSP

      Products

      • SolarWinds RMM
      • SolarWinds N-central
      • SolarWinds Backup
      • MSP Manager
      • SolarWinds Mail Assure
      • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
      • MSP Anywhere

      Solutions

      • How We Help MSPs
      • How We Help IT Departments
      • Layered Security
      • Cross-Platform Support
      • Data-Driven Insights

      About

      • About Us
      • Careers
      • Newsroom
      • Leadership Team
      • Upcoming Events
      • Privacy
      • Legal
      • Security
      • Subscription Preferences

      Support

      • SolarWinds RMM
      • Solarwinds N-central
      • SolarWinds Backup
      • SolarWinds Mail Assure
      • MSP Manager
      • Solarwinds Risk Intelligence
      • MSP Anywhere
      • MSP Mail
      • MSP Anywhere Downloads
      • Backup & Recovery Downloads
      • Sitemap
      • Service Status