{"id":6397,"date":"2020-05-20T22:37:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T21:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/?p=6397"},"modified":"2021-06-02T17:21:09","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T16:21:09","slug":"how-efficiency-can-help-you-prepare-slow-and-busy-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/fr\/blog\/how-efficiency-can-help-you-prepare-slow-and-busy-times","title":{"rendered":"How Efficiency Can Help You Prepare for Slow and Busy Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ups and downs are normal in any business environment, and thankfully managed IT services have been improved with the adoption of a subscription or recurring revenue model. However, we currently find ourselves in one of the most challenging times most businesses have ever been in\u2014but this doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t things you can do to help keep your MSP business going.<\/p>\n

I started my own MSP in 2007, right before the recession in 2008.\u00a0It wasn\u2019t great timing, but what made it possible for me to build a new MSP during the period was automation and my reliance on tools rather than reverting to manual labor. Having run a break\/fix business for 10 years I did not want to come back into the market the second time doing things the way I had before, and this new level of efficiency allowed me to change things up.<\/p>\n

In simple terms, efficiency is about doing more with less. The problem is that most often efficiencies are gained only after investing time and effort up front. When you are in an upswing is when you can least afford to invest that time because your energy should be spent helping customers.\u00a0While in downtimes, businesses traditionally shrink back to try and conserve cash.<\/p>\n

However, if you follow the general recommendation of having three to six months of cash reserves available, you should be able to weather the downturns invest in your internal systems while doing so. This way you can emerge from a downturn with more capacity than when you went in, allowing you to capitalize on the opportunity of the upswing without incurring added expenses.<\/p>\n

Know where your business is<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first step to creating efficiencies and optimizing your business is knowing where you are. Peter Drucker said it best, \u201cYou can\u2019t manage what you can\u2019t measure.\u201d\u00a0You have to know what your current operating processes are and how well they are working before you can start improving them.<\/p>\n

If you have not already written down your most critical processes, start with that.\u00a0Flowcharts work well.\u00a0From here you can decide what you want to measure. Some typical measurements are tickets opened\/tickets closed, number of tickets reopened, time to resolution, and customer satisfaction.\u00a0There are many more, but it\u2019s better to start with a few and then add more later.<\/p>\n

Some of the places to look for opportunities to create efficiencies here include:<\/p>\n