Partnering with a minimal-effort MSP who only puts out fires won’t get you anywhere.  

When it comes to sustainable business growth, proactive MSPs are the name of the game. It’s easy to understand why: unlike traditional “tech support” that relies on you initiating any contact, proactive MSPs are there every step of the way to guide you, consult with you, improve your IT infrastructure, and fix any emergency damages. You can’t hope to go up, or anywhere, if you only operate on getting out of the red. That’s why more businesses are opting to choose the team that works with their best interests in mind, not against them, and certainly not from a distance. 

You need a five year plan 

Try as you might to wade in the waters of the business world, but without a strong technology standing, you will sink like a rock. Even if your computers are all beeping and booping like they need to be, that’s not enough— given how quickly technology and its risks evolve, you need an action plan. 

That’s where your MSP comes in. 

The next five years are essential to your business’s future. Taking them on with no direction will inevitably lead you to crashing, burning, and closing. All businesses need a five-year plan to visualize what their goals are, how they’re going to achieve them, what obstacles are in the way, who is involved, and beyond.  

Partnering with an MSP that thinks function-first, not business-first, is not in your best interest. The right partner can transform your vision into something achievable, something you can actively measure and reap the benefits of.  

The only problem? 

The search for an MSP that actually cares, let alone has the technology expertise necessary to create a five-year plan, can be a huge pain in the ass.  

How to pick your IT Partner for the next five years 

The key to finding the right IT partner versus just another technology vendor is understanding what you need from them. For example, do you need help with: 

• Translating and understanding your industry’s compliance regulations?  

• Leveraging your tech to be more efficient and effective? 

• Understanding what the heck is going on with cybersecurity? 

• The whole enchilada? 

Or maybe, you don’t know at all. Even that’s okay, as long as you ask the right questions. But let’s assume you have no idea where to start with no map, no plan, first day on the job. After your computer freezes up for the 15th time that afternoon, you sit back in your chair and really think about the support you’re getting with your business technology. 

When it comes to your IT Partner, consider the following:  

• Have they helped you create a technology roadmap (and do you know what that is)? 

• Are you asking them as many questions as they’re asking you? 

• Do they ever have any useful advice or guidance for you? 

• Do they get to know you and your team? 

• Do they give you options when approaching a solution for an issue? 

• Do they reach out and find which level of necessary compliance you need to achieve, where you are in that process, and what needs to be done? 

• How easy are they to reach? 

• Are they highly responsive when you need them? 

And, most importantly: 

• Do they have a growth mindset? 

If any of these questions are answered with “no,” “I don’t know,” or “what is that,” then you’re in the wrong place. It’s time to start interviewing—five years will be here before you know it. Without the right, growth-focused MSP, your future is uncertain. If you partner with the right technology and the right people to map out every stage of your success, you’ll already be a cut above the rest. 

Lucky for you, we happen to be the right MSP. Paragus isn’t just another IT vendor. We take pride in serving as a strategic partner to each and every client we serve. 

Contact us to learn more about how our team of business tech experts put the fun back in IT, all while exceeding your business goals.