Are You a SMART MSP? 5 Goals That Actually Make You Money

I’ve been in this industry a long time. I ran an MSP before launching Cloud Services for MSPs, and I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: growth doesn’t happen by accident. Growth happens by design!

Too many MSPs tell me they want more leads, more recurring revenue, or just “to grow.” But those aren’t real goals. They’re wishes!

 If your to-do list looks more like a wish list, you’re going to stay stuck. What changed everything for me was committing to SMART goals. Not fluffy goals. Not vague aspirations. I’m talking about Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals that actually move the needle.

So, let’s break them down!

1. Specific

“Sell more” is not a goal. Neither is “grow our client base.” You need clarity. A specific goal sounds like this:

“We want to add $25,000 in new monthly recurring revenue by signing five cloud clients in the legal vertical, using one webinar per month plus follow-up calls.”

See the difference? You know the target, the strategy, and the execution plan. Generic goals keep you busy. Specific goals get results!

2. Measurable

If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it. MSPs love tracking client dashboards but often ignore their own. Don’t wing it. Track it!

If your goal is $25,000 in new MRR, know how many calls you need to make, how many campaigns to run, and your close rate. When you say, “I’ll host one webinar a month” or “I’ll make ten calls a week,” it becomes clear whether you’re on track or falling behind.

3. Attainable

I’m all for big, audacious goals, but let’s be real. If you’re at $5,000 MRR today, you’re not hitting $100,000 next quarter. If your goal feels impossible, your team will nod politely… and ignore it.

Instead, stretch but stay realistic. If you’re at $10,000 MRR, aim for $20,000 in the next 90 days. That’s five $2,000 clients: totally doable with the right campaigns and focus. When the goal feels achievable, momentum builds!

4. Relevant

This one’s huge. Too many MSPs chase shiny objects. Don’t waste time on things that don’t drive recurring revenue.

Ask yourself: Does this goal align with where the industry is headed? Right now, the big money is in cloud, security, compliance, backup, and ransomware protection. That’s where your goals should focus. Relevant goals are the ones that directly fuel your bottom line.

5. Time-Bound

A goal without a deadline is fantasy. If you say, “We want more recurring revenue,” when will that happen? Next month? Next year? Never?

When I ran my MSP, we didn’t say, “Move more clients to the cloud.” We said, “Move five clients with on-prem servers to the cloud by September 30.” That deadline created urgency and drove the desired result!

Break down your timelines. If your 90-day goal is $25,000 in MRR, then by month one you need $8,000, month two another $8,000, and month three $9,000. If you’re behind after the first month, you’ll know exactly how hard you need to push.

Making SMART Goals Stick

Here’s the part most people skip: commit publicly. Post your goals on the wall. Review them in team meetings. Talk about where you’re at, whether you’re ahead or behind, and what needs to happen next. Visibility and accountability change everything!

I’ve seen MSPs grow fast by applying this framework. One of our Cloud Academy partners set a SMART goal to add $15,000 in new MRR by onboarding five financial advisors with cloud services. They set a vertical, a system, a deadline, and made it happen. That’s the power of SMART goals!

So here’s my challenge to you: write one SMART goal this week. Make it revenue-focused, give it a deadline, and make it public. Then watch what happens when your team rallies behind it!

Today’s quote is from Tony Robbins: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

Have a great week and weekend!