Making it easy for you to market your MSP and get new clients

Paul Green - MSP Marketing Edge - US

Hi, my name's Paul Green, I'm the founder and driver of the MSP Marketing Edge.

Right now, more than 700 MSPs trust me and my team every day to help them generate leads, warm them up, and turn them into clients.

Marketing and business growth are my super powers. They're what I think about day and night (when I'm not thinking about Doctor Who and the Marvel Cinematic Universe).

I understand that owning and running your own business can be sheer joy and sometimes pure hell at the same time.

I learnt this the hard way. Before I started working with MSPs in 2016, I grew and then sold a successful B2B marketing company.

Understand this:

You’re not going to get to the end of your life, look back, and wish you’d spent more time closing tickets because your techs 'forgot' to...

I started the business in 2005 after having an ‘entrepreneurial seizure’ and quitting my job in the media (I was a newspaper reporter, then a radio presenter for 13 years. Great fun).

But the story really begins at 6.15pm on Sunday 18th July 2010.

It was a hot Sunday afternoon. And with just one hour’s warning, my wife went into labour and gave birth to my only child, Tilda.

She was an incredible 15 weeks’ premature. And the Special Care Baby Unit doctors warned us she might not survive the night.

I’d been a business owner for five years at that point. The business was doing OK – I was making a living – but the personal price I was paying was way too high.

I was working stupid hours, 6 days a week, to try to grow the business. I had two staff. But it seemed like nothing really happened unless I personally did it:

  • I had to market the business
  • Sell to clients
  • Lead the delivery
  • Worry about cash flow

The staff got paid before I did (sometimes I went months without pay). Work/life balance was way out of whack.

Sound familiar? It’s a position many business owners find themselves in. But in the long-term it’s not healthy.

Paul and Tilda

Instead, you’ll wish you’d spent more time with your children. Or other half. Or just having more fun – hang gliding; golf; whatever your thing is.

For three months after Tilda’s birth, I focused on my family. I kept in contact with the business, but I wasn’t there – mentally or physically.

Tilda amazed the doctors with her progress, and today is a healthy 10-year-old.

Back to 2010. The day I returned to work after a 3 month break, I was dreading it.

Would there be a viable business to return to? Or would it have taken a massive step backwards?

Actually, it was the complete opposite. My two staff had stepped up to the mark, and had replaced me! They were keeping the marketing going, selling to clients and delivering. And do you know what… the business was running more efficiently than when I had been there for 12 hours a day.

I remember feeling a little hurt at first. After all, as business owners, our identity is tied up with our business, right? But I quickly realised how exciting this was.

Because now I had space. To stand back, and work ON the business, rather than IN it.

I stopped going into the office so much, and started working from McDonalds, Costa and Starbucks (anywhere I could get power and Wi-Fi became my office).

I took more time off. I went on more holidays, including a three week cruise with zero internet or phone contact (bliss). In 2012, we moved to a new home an hour away from the office. And I started only going in on Thursday mornings.

Suddenly, I had a business that was there for me. Rather than the other way around.

And the growth was impressive every year. From 2010 to 2011 the business grew its turnover by 47%. The year after it grew by 67%.

On the 24th March 2016 I sold the business to a fast growing digital marketing agency for an undisclosed sum.

So what did I actually do to grow the business to the point it could be sold as a profitable, ongoing concern?

That’s simple. I focused all my attention on systemising effective marketing, sales and delivery. That’s it.

Now I work with the owners and managers of 703 MSPs around the world.

People who want to grow turnover and net profits at the same time. And have a dramatically better work/life balance.

The MSP business model is beautiful, isn't it? Crazy good retention, and tons of Monthly Recurring Revenue.

The only downside of this is it makes many MSPs lazy with their marketing. They do little or no marketing. Perhaps your business is like that?

The thing is, there is a real opportunity in every marketplace for one or two MSPs who get really good at marketing.

And you don't have to be world class. You just need to be better than 2 or 3 of your closest competitors. You'll generate more leads, prospects and clients than they will. Which is the route to a great net profit, and ultimately a better work/life balance.

This is what members say about the MSP Marketing Edge

Meet the team

  • Paul Green
  • Paul Green

    Paul is the Founder of the MSP Marketing Edge. He says his role mainly involves drinking tea and watching everyone else do the hard work. The best piece of advice he’s ever been given is ‘you should only do, what only you can do, everything else can be delegated, outsourced or automated’.

    Paul loves hearing clients’ success stories and how our work has helped them be successful. He also loves red wine with a whisky chaser, is undefeated at name that tune, and can’t bear it if his hair isn’t perfect (he’s a Leo). Just don’t ask him about his Star Wars coach tour in Tunisia (clue: it involves severe food poisoning, an ‘explosion’, and no toilet roll 🤢)

  • James Lett
  • James Lett

    James is Head of Helping Clients GTD (that’s Get Things Done), as well as producing and creating a lot of internal and external audio/visual content.

    Not only is James creative, but he loves using his techy skills to get the job done. In fact, he’s the only member of the team that can complete a Rubik’s cube (in 70 seconds, none-the-less)!

    Despite that, he says he’s not very patient, but we’re not sure how true that is. James is also a self-taught plumber, electrician, and builder, which definitely takes perseverance.

    Maybe it’s the thought of a full-flavoured IPA that gets him through?!

  • James Lyon
  • James Lyon

    James is our Marketing Manager. That’s a lot of marketing! Which is lucky, because it’s something he’s really good at.

    James is a man of many talents, actually. If marketing didn’t work out for him, he could always fall back on his killer piano skills (he loves a bit of Mozart), or perhaps try his hand at acting - he once auditioned for the part of an elf in a TV ad. We’d love to find that audition tape!

  • Ben Smith
  • Ben Smith

    Ben is Head of Transferring Enthusiasm, and rightly so. He loves speaking to people all over the world, from start-ups, to multi-million dollar businesses, and he prides himself on his easy-going, positive attitude.

    Ben also possesses the rare ability of keeping a clear head in stressful situations… though as a huge fan of live sports (and Guinness), we wonder if that’s a skill he reserves for working hours only?!

  • Ami Knox-Hall
  • Ami Knox-Hall

    Ami is our First Line Client Support. She’s the one you’ll probably speak to if you call or email us. If you have a question, she’s usually got the answer.

    And that answer is powered by lots and lots of coffee.

    When Ami isn’t working, or acting as First Line Offspring Support at home, she likes to watch the first few minutes of a film before falling asleep on the sofa. That might explain why she’s never seen a Star Wars movie!

  • Clare Hargrave
  • Clare Hargrave

    Clare writes the content for MSP Marketing Edge. She particularly enjoys writing the educational guides and has developed a slightly concerning interest in cyber criminals and how they operate.

    Clare admits she’s a chronic over-thinker and has to consider things from every angle, which can be annoying. However, she’s makes up for this by being a very good baker, so she’s a good friend to have if you like cake!

Contact us

Alternatively, please arrange a time to speak with growth consultant Ben Smith