“Get your sh*t together.” That was Matt Solomon’s advice to all Managed Service Providers, if given the opportunity to send out an industry-wide PSA. Because let’s be real. Too many MSPs are stuck in the past. And not in a cool retro, vinyl-records-and-typewriters way. We’re talking clunky processes, weak security, and “we’ve always done it this way” habits that burn time, bleed money, and frustrate clients.

Here are a few red flags that scream dated MSP practices:

• Spreadsheet dependency: Running your business on Excel sheets may have worked when you had five clients, but in 2025? It’s a data integrity nightmare. Whether it’s tracking vendor contracts, managing passwords, or logging tickets, spreadsheets invite human error, siloed information, and wasted hours hunting for the “latest” version.

• Poor password management: Shared admin passwords and sticky notes taped to monitors aren’t just sloppy, they’re a hacker’s dream. Without proper credential management and rotation, you’re one phishing attack away from a breach.

• Weak MFA adoption: Multi-factor authentication should be table stakes by now. Yet too many MSPs still treat MFA as optional or roll it out inconsistently across clients. That gap in coverage is an open door for bad actors.

• Legacy VPN reliance: VPNs were once the gold standard. Now, attackers know how to exploit them, and the modern solution is zero-trust network access. If you’re still clinging to VPNs as your only line of defense, you’re leaving both your business and your clients exposed.

• On-prem-first mindsets: Cloud isn’t the future; it’s the present. Prioritizing on-premises infrastructure out of habit means you’re missing out on scalability, redundancy, and agility that cloud-native MSPs are already leveraging.

• Underutilized tools: Many MSPs invest in robust PSA or RMM platforms but only use a fraction of the functionality. Paying for Ferrari-level software and driving it like a golf cart is a fast way to waste money.

• Poor knowledge base management: If your team is solving the same issues over and over without documenting resolutions, you’re doubling down on inefficiency. A messy or nonexistent KB turns every ticket into reinventing the wheel.

• Failure to standardize: Supporting dozens of different stacks across clients leads to skyrocketing costs, endless training, and slower resolutions. Without standardization, you’re scaling chaos instead of scaling profit.

Sound familiar? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. The good news is that there’s a clear path forward.

It starts with three focus areas:

1. Gaining visibility

2. Cutting waste

3. Driving revenue growth

1. Gain Visibility

You can’t fix what you can’t see, and too many MSPs are operating with blind spots. How many of your tools are actually being used? Which vendors are delivering value and which are just draining budget? Are your team’s hours going to revenue-generating work, or are they buried in Tier 1 ticket hell?

Visibility is the foundation of operational efficiency. With a consolidated view of your tech stack, your vendor relationships, and your team’s output, you can spot patterns that reveal waste and risk. It’s the difference between making business decisions based on gut instinct versus real data.

BetterTracker, for example, exists for this very reason. It helps MSPs centralize SaaS contracts and subscriptions, stay on top of renewal alerts, detect redundancies, and increase spending visibility. It gives you the clarity to adjust course before inefficiency turns into lost revenue. Visibility doesn’t just prevent surprises, it unlocks smarter strategy.

2. Cut Waste

Every MSP has inefficiencies hiding in plain sight. Maybe it’s paying full freight for tools that only half the team knows how to use. Maybe it’s letting senior engineers burn hours on basic password resets. Or maybe it’s losing billable time to “ticket ping-pong” because documentation is thin and triage is inconsistent.

Cutting waste means streamlining ruthlessly. Automate repetitive tasks. Standardize your toolsets across clients. Invest in better documentation so Tier 1 techs can solve issues without escalating. And don’t be afraid to partner with vendors where it makes sense. Your top engineers shouldn’t be answering phones all day.

That’s where Helpt comes in: by handling Tier 1 and Tier 2 support with US-based, 24/7 coverage, we give MSPs the breathing room to focus on higher-value work. Instead of wasting time on low-level tasks, your team can efficiently direct their energy toward client strategy, complex projects, and growth initiatives.

3. Drive Revenue Growth

Once you’ve gained visibility and cut out waste, the next step is to grow, and not just by adding clients. Real growth comes from becoming more profitable per client, expanding your service offerings, and strengthening loyalty.

Clients notice when your support is fast, consistent, and modern. They notice when their vendor stack is streamlined instead of bloated. They notice when you bring them proactive solutions rather than reactive fixes. All of that translates into trust. And trust translates into profits.

Channel Program helps here by connecting MSPs with the right vendors and resources to evolve. Instead of juggling dozens of point solutions and hoping they play nice together, you can find vetted partners that align with your stack and your strategy. That means more time spent delivering value to clients, and less time stuck managing vendor headaches.

Wrapping It Up: Modern MSPs Don’t Do It Alone

The MSPs that thrive in today’s market aren’t the ones clinging to spreadsheets and legacy VPNs. They’re the ones who get serious about visibility, efficiency, and profitability–and who use the right partners to get there. In fact, “improving efficiency and operations” and “controlling costs” are the number one and two business advantages for MSPs.

• Helpt: Your help desk partner that frees your team to focus on growth initiatives.

• BetterTracker: Your visibility engine for viewing, controlling, and optimizing all contracts and subscriptions.

• Channel Program: Your community and vendor-matching platform that makes growth smarter, not harder.

Together, these tools and partnerships help MSPs stop wasting time, losing money, and exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.

So yes, it’s time for MSPs to get it together. The good news? You don’t have to do it alone.

Get started with Helpt today.

About the Author

Alyssa Reed

Content Writer 

After establishing her foundational skills as a content writer and marketing professional while working for small businesses and non-profits, Alyssa began working within the IT industry. Since then, she has specialized in crafting content for B2B marketing strategies for Managed Service Providers, as well as help desk and cybersecurity service providers. With a background in Journalism, she especially enjoys the social aspect that comes with being a writer. Whether it's interviewing a customer about a recent win for a case study or chatting with a coworker about their area of expertise for a slick sheet, it excites her that those stories can inspire action, add value, and increase trust.