by Rick Yates, on March 31, 2020
Thank you to everyone who took part in the first week of our COVID-19 response survey. In just three days, we received a massive 145 submissions, giving us a wide overview of the impact that Coronavirus has had on the industry and the common concerns that have followed.
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK SEVEN HERE
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK SIX HERE
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK FIVE HERE
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK FOUR HERE
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK THREE HERE
>> VIEW THE RESULTS FROM WEEK TWO HERE
Here are the results for the week commencing 23/03/2020:
1. How busy has your business been this week compared to last week?
| A lot busier than last week: | 42% |
| Slightly busier than last week: | 10% |
| About as busy as last week: | 8% |
| Slightly quieter than last week: | 19% |
| A lot quieter than last week: | 21% |
These results show that at present, the industry seems to be split down the middle. MSPs are either experiencing a large increase in business, or have seen things slow down.
2. What have your customers mostly needed from you this week?
| Setting up remote working: | 83% |
| Cyber security / data management: | 3% |
| Access to hardware: | 1% |
| Business as usual / service desk: | 8% |
| Other (please specify): | 5% |
In a surprise to no one, remote working is the clear winner this week. However, it will be interesting to see how this changes over the coming weeks as everyone gets used to their new home setups.
3. Are your customers requesting services additional to their regular packages as a result of Coronavirus?
| Yes: | 52% |
| No: | 48% |
A fairly even split across the industry this week.
4. If your customers are in need of any additional services, what are they?
We received a number of insightful responses for this question. While there was some variation, the vast majority cited remote working support and VPN access as their most requested services.
For remote working software, we recommend TeamViewer.
For reliable VPN access, we recommend Perimeter 81.
5. Has it been necessary for you to place any staff members on furlough?
| Yes: | 17% |
| No: | 83% |
As this period of uncertainty continues for an unknown length of time, we expect these numbers to change. That said, in reference to the results of the first question, it's positive to see that even as business slows down, the many MSPs have been able to maintain their staff.
6. What kind of advice would you find most useful to help you and your customers during the Coronavirus crisis?
| Staff productivity during remote working: | 27% |
| Data security and compliance for remote environments: | 8% |
| Insight on how other IT Service Providers are faring during the crisis: | 29% |
| Ways to diversify your business to create new revenue streams: | 33% |
| Other (please specify): | 4% |
The even distribution of responses to this question further reflect the community's need for concrete answers in an ever-changing situation.
We hope that our weekly surveys (posted on Fridays with the results released on Tuesdays) will provide some insight into how the rest of the industry is faring. Over the coming weeks, we will also seek to provide help and resources for the other categories.
P.S. Shoutout to the person who wrote in 'a COVID-19 cure'. We're right there with you, pal!
7. Do you currently feel concerned for the future of your business as a result of Coronavirus?
| No, I think we will grow as a result: | 24% |
| No, I think we will neither grow nor shrink: | 22% |
| Yes, this may have a negative effect on my business: | 47% |
| Yes, I am worried that the Coronavirus crisis will put us out of business: | 7% |
While the Yes and No split is not totally uneven, it's clear that the industry is erring on the side of caution. Only time can tell whether this is realism or pessimism, but we are choosing to be optimistic. If any community can come out on top during this, it should be one that provides a primarily online service.
8. Currently, what is your top concern regarding Coronavirus in regards to your business?
| That my customers will not be able to pay me: | 57% |
| That an overwhelming number of my staff will become sick and need to self isolate: | 3% |
| That I cannot keep up with demand: | 6% |
| That there is a shortage of incoming new business: | 30% |
| Other (please specify): | 4% |
Not getting paid and a lack of new business are sensible concerns that are shared by the whole community. Over the coming weeks, we will begin see if any of these issues come to fruition as the real impact of COVID-19 becomes clear.
To help stay afloat during this time, MSPs have the option to sign up to IT Provider Hub. This directory of IT Providers has been made free to join during the crisis and is a great place for new customers to find your business.
As joining fees have now been waived, we ask that you check out the IT Services Emergency Growth Initiative and donate if you can. With your help, the directory can be pushed to as many people as possible and circle back to bring you more business.
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in week one of our MSP survey. Over the coming weeks, we hope that you will all continue to submit answers so that we can get a clear picture of how the industry is responding to this crisis in real time.
To be the first to hear when we release our next survey and the subsequent results, follow @zedsphere across social media or sign up for email alerts below.
