MSPs in Conversation

Oct 20, 2026

Getting Sales Out of the Owner's Head: What to Build First, and in What Order

In most MSPs, sales runs through the owner. That's not a failure, it's the right starting point. The problem is what comes next. Growth stalls at whatever the owner has time for, and the pressure to hire builds before anyone's clear on what they'd actually be hiring for. We're heard from MSP owners and sales leaders on what they built first, what they'd do differently, and what has to be in place before anything moves off the owner's plate.

Sep 16, 2026

Mind the Margin: The Financial Metrics That Decide Where Your MSP Goes Next

Most MSP owners know their revenue off the top of their head. Ask about effective hourly rate or true cost to serve and the room goes quiet. That gap is where profit hides, and in a tight year it separates the businesses that are coping from the ones quietly bleeding. We get into the numbers that actually run an MSP: which clients are worth keeping, and whether you are building something a buyer would ever want to touch. In this episode, we're talking to MSP leaders who already run their business this way: what they track, what it's changed for them, and what it took to build the discipline.

Aug 18, 2026

Running an MSP Across Two Generations

Mark Pace started Sterling IT in 1995. Thirty-one years on, his son Nathan runs the business day to day as General Manager (a role he never planned on) having come to IT from real estate. In this conversation, recorded live at Catalyst, they talk openly about what generational handover actually looks like inside a working MSP: the fear of letting go when your clients have been with you for 25 years, the arguments over changing a logo or moving an office, and why the friction between old-school experience and new-generation thinking is the thing that makes it work rather than the thing that bre

Jul 31, 2026

Beyond Efficiency: How Smart MSPs Are Using AI to Build New Revenue and Better Margins

MSPs are meeting clients who want more than they used to, and AI is a big part of why that's possible. The same tools that reduce ticket volume and lower support costs are also opening up whole new conversations: advisory work, automation projects, AI implementations that simply weren't on the table a few years ago. The MSPs doing this well aren't just using AI to do the old job faster. They're using it to build a different kind of business: lower operational cost, higher-value client relationships, and revenue streams that didn't exist before. For MSPs that stay in the same lane, the everyday

Jul 9, 2026

Marketing That Scales With Your MSP

Most MSPs start with a great story. The founder is the brand, the salesperson, and the evangelist all rolled into one. For a while, it works. Then growth stalls, the founder burns out, and marketing activities run on gut feel with no way to measure what's actually working. In this episode, recorded live at the Catalyst conference in Sydney, we sit down with Anita Sheridan-Roddick, CRO at Baidam, and Vivienne Winborne, Senior Marketing Manager at One Little Seed. Together they unpack what it really takes to transition from founder-led sales to a scalable, measurable marketing function, and why

Jun 25, 2026

What Being an MSP Actually Means Now

The role of the MSP is changing. AI is levelling the playing field, break-fix work is shrinking, and Australian MSPs who keep positioning themselves as "the IT company" are going to feel it. In this episode, recorded live at the Catalyst conference in Sydney, Daniel Butt, Director of Danet Technology, shares what it really takes to stay relevant as a managed service provider in 2026. From using AI to go deeper with clients, to escaping the race to the bottom on MSP pricing, to making the shift from IT support to strategic technology partner, this is a conversation every Australian MSP owner ne

Jun 17, 2026

The Vertical Advantage

For years, "we support all businesses" was a perfectly good MSP pitch. Mark Whittington took the opposite path. As CEO of Ozdoc, he's built a business focused almost entirely on healthcare, a vertical where the stakes, the language, and the definition of "critical" are unlike anything a generalist MSP deals with. We caught up with Mark live at the Catalyst conference, two years on from his first MSPs in Conversation appearance, to see how his thinking on verticalisation has evolved. He shares why the niche only works if you genuinely care about it, how Ozdoc is now extending into governance an

Jun 9, 2026

Buy, Build or Partner: How MSPs Are Growing Through M&A

The MSP acquisition market has never been more active. Private equity is rolling up providers at pace, strategic acquirers are hunting for specialised capabilities in cybersecurity and compliance, and many long-standing MSP owners are having serious conversations about exit for the first time. Meanwhile, some of the most interesting growth stories in the market right now aren't coming from winning new clients, they're coming from buying them. The problem is most MSPs are either not prepared to acquire or not prepared to be acquired. They haven't thought seriously about valuation, they haven't

Jun 4, 2026

The Rise of Managed Intelligence Provider

Every few years our industry reinvents itself, and the gap between each reinvention keeps getting shorter. Box pusher became break-fix, break-fix became the MSP, the MSP became security-led, and Milan Rajkovic reckons the next shift is already here. In this episode, recorded live at the Catalyst conference in Sydney, the founder of Otto IT traces his path from hacking his high school network at 14 to building a security-led managed service provider, then lays out where he thinks the industry goes from here. He makes the case for the Managed Intelligence Provider, explains why security stays th

May 5, 2026

Filling the Whitespace: Finding The Hidden Revenue in Your Client Base

Your clients are buying technology from other vendors that you could be providing. VoIP, internet services, hosting, DNS management, mobility… the budget is already there, it's just not coming to you. That's whitespace and most MSPs have never even stopped to measure how much of it they're sitting on. The reasons are surprisingly consistent: a reactive sales culture, laser focus on new clients, and years of single-stack thinking that assumes existing clients already have everything they need. Meanwhile their clients are writing cheques to other vendors every month for solutions their MSP could

Mar 13, 2026

Price Pushback: How MSPs Are Closing Deals Despite Tighter Client Budgets

Client budgets are tighter than they've been in years. CFOs are scrutinising every line item. MSPs are hearing the same pushback repeatedly: "You're too expensive," "We need to cut costs," "Can you do it for less?" The challenge isn't that your services aren't valuable, it's that the old way of selling them isn't landing anymore. But despite this issue, some MSPs are still closing deals, winning competitive situations, and even raising prices. In this episode, we're hearing from MSP leaders and sales experts dealing with this exact environment. They'll share the specific pushback they're encou

Feb 18, 2026

Start the Year Strong: Build a Pipeline That Actually Converts

A strong year starts with a pipeline you can trust. Too many MSPs head into Q1 with a list of “maybes”, leads that don’t fit, and sales activity that feels busy but doesn’t move deals forward. In this MSPs in Conversation panel, we’ll talk about what it actually takes to build a pipeline that converts, without relying on luck, discounts, or last-minute scrambling. We’ll hear from MSP leaders and industry experts who’ve built repeatable sales and marketing habits that create steady demand and better-fit opportunities. From tightening your messaging and lead sources to improving follow-up and sa

Oct 23, 2025

Creating a Culture That Performs: Stress Management for MSPs

Running an MSP isn’t for the faint-hearted. Long hours, urgent client issues, and the constant pressure to scale can take a toll, not just on business owners but on the entire team. In this MSPs in Conversation session, we’re digging into the real challenges Aussie MSPs face when it comes to culture, stress, and mental well-being. We’ll look at how to build a workplace that doesn’t burn out your best people. We’ll speak with MSP leaders and experts who’ve embedded wellbeing into their operations, sharing practical frameworks that go beyond surface-level perks. From smarter resourcing and proce

Aug 21, 2025

Meeting Market Demand: The Evolution of the MSP Offering

The MSP landscape is changing, and it’s changing fast. As customer expectations evolve and emerging technologies reshape the playing field, the question is: How is your MSP adapting to meet this demand? In the next session of MSPs in Conversation, our panel of industry leaders explores how Australian MSPs are evolving their service stacks, improving profitability, and staying competitive. This session will unpack how modern MSPs are broadening their service portfolios into high-margin offerings, and discuss where you should focus your efforts in to win and retain customers. Whether you're look

Jul 24, 2025

How Smart MSPs Deliver Outstanding Customer Experiences

You’ve got the tech stack, the SLAs, and the expertise, so why are clients still churning, complaining, or going quiet? The MSP market is tough in 2025, and new customer acquisition costs between 5-25 times more than customer retention, so you can’t afford to neglect your current client base. Yet many MSPs are so focused on net new logos and the day-to-day that customer experience is an afterthought. Support is reactive. Communication is inconsistent. And that “great service” promise? It’s lost somewhere in the ticket backlog. Meanwhile, the smart MSPs? They’re turning CX into their secret gro

May 28, 2025

Sales & Marketing: How to Fuel the MSP Growth Engine

The hidden revenue killer for Aussie MSPs? A sales & marketing disconnect. Your sales team is chasing cold leads. Your marketing team is generating interest that never converts. Meanwhile, your competitors are locking in deals you should be winning. For too many MSPs, sales and marketing operate in silos resulting in wasted budget, lost opportunities, and unpredictable revenue. But top-performing MSPs are cracking the code by aligning these teams for maximum impact. Join us for an unfiltered MSPs in Conversation session, where we break down how MSPs can finally bridge the gap and turn alignmen

May 6, 2025

Unlock AI for Your MSP: Driving Business Growth and Efficiency

AI is transforming how MSPs operate, scale, and drive profits. It’s more than just selling tools like Microsoft CoPilot AI offers real opportunities to streamline operations, enhance services, and open new revenue streams. From automating tasks to delivering smarter services, AI helps MSPs cut costs, boost efficiency, and stand out in a competitive market. But how can Australian MSPs adopt AI today for real business growth? Join us as our expert panel breaks down practical AI strategies covering automation, cybersecurity, predictive analytics, and customer experience to help you improve margin

Apr 11, 2025

Building a Successful Cyber Security Practice Within Your MSP

Is your MSP ready to thrive in 2025’s evolving cybersecurity landscape? With the start of a new year, the demand for cybersecurity is at an all-time high, and Australian MSPs are uniquely positioned to lead the way. But what does it take to deliver best-in-class cybersecurity services that are both effective and profitable? Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the tools it’s about strategy, execution, and positioning. Join us for the first session of 2025, where we’ll unpack the key strategies, tools, and insights Australian MSPs need to build and scale a thriving cybersecurity practice. If you’

Jan 3, 2025

Do You Understand the Financial Health of Your MSP? Key Metrics and Insights for Success

Are you running a profitable business? And no, just saying ‘yes’ isn’t going to cut it. It’s about really knowing the numbers behind that ‘yes.’ Profit isn’t a dirty word. In fact, the most successful MSPs don’t just make more money, they also deliver a better client experience because they’ve got their finances in check. If you’re serious about growing your business and delivering top-notch service, it’s time to get real about your financials. Join us for a deep dive into the key benchmarks that top-performing MSPs track and get actionable tips on what levers you should focus on to drive grow

Dec 19, 2024

Empowering Your Team: Developing Leaders for a Thriving MSP

As your MSP grows, building a strong leadership team is vital for success. The challenge is that many small business owners are time poor and ill equipped to train and develop future leaders within their organisation. Join our next MSPs in Conversation, "Empowering Your Team: Developing Leaders for a Thriving MSP," where we’ll be inviting top leaders in our industry as they explore the essential strategies and tools needed to nurture leadership skills among your employees. Learn how to build a resilient and dynamic team that drives growth, fosters innovation, and ensures long-term success. Wha