Send us Fan Mail Welcome to MSP Mastery, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP. I am Jeni Clift, joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we draw on our experience to explore what is really working in thriving MSPs. In this episode, Brendan Rose returns to join Nick and me for Part 2 of our three part series, Building a Better MSP: 15 Lessons from the Owner’s Seat. Across the series we explore the lessons every service business owner learns along the way, usually the hard way. In this middle instalment, we work through the next five lessons, covering client concentration risk, difficult accounts, overcomplicated service offerings, proactive communication and building systems before software. “You can feel some pain fitting in building a pipeline and going out and getting new customers, or you can feel the pain when that client goes and you have got nothing to replace it. So what pain do you want to feel, and when?” That line from Brendan sits at the heart of our conversation about the whale client. When one account makes up a quarter or more of your recurring revenue, fear starts to run the business. Brendan explains how to protect yourself by hiring for that account specifically, never under servicing everyone else, and building a pipeline so you can grow into the next big client instead of dreading the loss of the current one. Nick shares what happened when his first client, which made up half of the business revenue, was suddenly lost. It felt like a disaster at the time, yet twelve months later the business was more profitable and a lot happier. He explains why owners tend to over service their biggest accounts, the warning signs to watch for, and why knowing your numbers matters long before a client is at risk. We then turn to the clients you should have let go of sooner. Nick reflects on how cash flow fear keeps owners holding onto bad relationships, and why core values should guide who you work with, just as they guide who you hire. Brendan explains how a healthy pipeline and a clear view of sold but undelivered work gives you the confidence to part ways professionally. We also share a practical way to plan for the worst, so a lost client becomes a plan you execute rather than a panic. From there, we look at why MSPs find it so hard to say no to bespoke work, the cost of taking on a platform your team does not know, and how too much flexibility can quietly wreck your billing and service desk. We discuss the value of building real relationships with your vendors, and treating them the way you want your own clients to treat you. Proactive communication is next. Nick, Brendan and I cover how often to check in with clients, how to talk to the senior people who really make decisions, and why silence from a client is never a measure of success. We also share how one simple message to clients during a staff shortage changed how they saw us. We finish with shiny object syndrome. Brendan walks through the business case every new tool should earn, why half finished implementations are the real culprit, and how a product owner and a quarterly review can save thousands. Nick explains why a dodgy process produces a dodgy result, even with the latest AI tools, and how a 90 day planning cycle keeps good ideas from derailing the team. Here is what we covered together: ✅ Spotting the warning signs of a whale client ✅ Hiring for a specific account to reduce operational risk ✅ Rebalancing your client portfolio without fearing your biggest account ✅ Why owners over service their largest clients ✅ Protecting your team and your investment with a poaching clause ✅ Why building a pipeline is the best protection against client loss ✅ Knowing when to set a difficult client free ✅ Using your core values to choose clients, suppliers and partners ✅ Planning ahead with best case, most likely case and worst case scenarios ✅ Having a mature conversation when it is time to part ways ✅ Saying yes to bespoke work on purpose, not by accident ✅ Keeping your service stack simple and consistent ✅ Building strong vendor relationships that give you real influence ✅ Setting a rhythm of proactive client check ins and strategic reviews ✅ Keeping clients informed before they have to ask ✅ Writing a business case before buying another shiny tool ✅ Mapping your manual process before you automate it ✅ Using product owners and quarterly reviews to cut unused subscriptions Join us next time for Part 3, where we cover delivery consistency, sales pipelines, hiring culture, capacity management and protecting your personal energy as an owner. We created this podcast to share real conversations and hard won lessons from people who understand the challenges of the MSP industry, and to offer ideas that can help you build a business that is both profitable and fulfilling. Connect with Brendan here: Brendan Rose LinkedIn Read more episode notes at mspmastery.blog Subscribe to our main channel at youtube.com/@MSPMastery Listen to the audio podcast at youtube.com/@MSPMasteryAudio Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/@mspmastery
