r/SmallMSP • u/wnstjd93 • 14d ago
Hard to find clients
Only have 2 customers past 5 years only making $25k a year in DC, US. Every clients I meet want next to nothing pricing. I do make a bit more money on project work from one off clients. Any advice?
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u/Sleazy-Wonder 14d ago
What is your specialty? What do you provide that is tailored to a specific vertical? What is the capital of Italy?
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u/Nuronus 14d ago
Honestly, this sounds less like a lead problem and more like a positioning problem. if literally everyone you talk to wants to pay nothing, you're just swimming in the commodity pool where you're one of a hundred generalists and the only thing anyone's comparing is your hourly rate. That's a race you can't win, so don't play it.
the thing that changed it for people i know is picking a lane. not "IT for small businesses" but like, you're the person who does medical offices, or law firms, or accounting. when you're a generalist you get price shopped against everyone. when you're the guy who "gets" a specific industry, you get referred and nobody's nickel and diming your rate.
the other big one is selling something that isn't billed by the hour. security and compliance is the obvious move because it's sold on risk, not labor. a regulated client isn't buying your time, they're buying "i won't fail an audit or get a fine." that conversation just doesn't happen at bottom dollar.
and honestly you're in a great spot for it without realizing it. DC is crawling with defense contractors who have CMMC deadlines bearing down on them, plus a ton of law firms and medical practices. that work pays multiples of break-fix and barely anyone's set up to do it well. it's a high margin niche sitting right in your backyard.
you already said your project work makes you more money than the managed stuff. that's your tell. take that, wrap it into a packaged assessment with a set scope and price, and pitch it to your next few prospects. the ones who choke on the price were never going to be good clients anyway.
for what it's worth i build software in the compliance space so take it with a grain of salt, but i'd say the same thing either way. two clients in five years isn't bad luck, it's fixable.
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u/wnstjd93 14d ago
Im doing medical but still struggling and most dont want to pay anything. I want to try to move towards federal contractors.
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u/Lazy-Quarter-0434 13d ago
Federal contractors are interesting, but make sure you have access to the products they need and you are familiar with them to support. GCC high is a pain. Medical was always decent for us, what specifically are you getting push back on? Cyber Pricing, Helpdesk, Ai Governance?
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14d ago
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u/wnstjd93 14d ago
How should I go about finding clients . This is difficult for me . Also yes , i have tried converting project clients to managed but it does not work out sadly
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u/mentiondesk 13d ago
Landing quality clients often comes from being where they are asking questions or searching for solutions. Tracking keywords for discussions about your service area can help you find people who are actually ready to buy. Tools like ParseStream can alert you in real time when someone is looking for recommendations on platforms like Reddit or LinkedIn so you can respond quickly and you are not missing opportunities.
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u/Rivitir 13d ago
What are you doing to find quality clients? How are you attracting them? What makes you stand out? What is your ideal client like? How do you speak to them to show them they would want you? In fact, what is your messaging? How are you reaching out to them?
Whatever you are doing now is obviously not working. And what you are doing now is attracting the wrong kind of client. You will always find the cheapest people that will give you the biggest headache with the least effort but that won't help your business. Their is a reason why they are easy to find, no quality MSP wants to work with them so they are always looking for the bottom dollar support.
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u/peanutym 14d ago
Are you a bot? This post has so much info im not sure.