The Top 10 Business Coaches and Mastermind Groups to Help You Grow Your MSP/IT Firm

In the world of IT and managed services, improvement is constant and necessary. Otherwise, you’ll never keep up with the competition. Automation and AI are changing the game for several IT companies and managed services firms, but that isn’t something that you can’t adapt to if you try. 

In fact, you can do a lot more for your MSP or IT firm than you might realize. For example, have you ever considered hiring a business coach? Having a coach to assist you with all of your growth concerns and uncertain business decisions will ensure that you’re pointed in the right direction. 

Right now, the Internet and the related businesses surrounding it are all growing at impressively fast rates. It can be hard to keep up and when you’re trying to beat the competition, it can become even more of a challenge. As the world of IT and managed services continues to grow and change, it’s going to be up to you to stay on top of things by using the resources available to you.

A business coach can help you get clarity on your business direction. They can help you identify where you need to go and what needs to happen so that you can get there. They will provide you with accountability and they won’t let you set yourself up to fail. Business coaches don’t care about being your friend or hurting your feelings—they care about getting results and that’s what they’ll do. 

A business coach will offer:

• A new perspective
• Motivation and goal-setting assistance
• Honesty and accountability
• Clarity and insight
• Professional expertise
• Industry knowledge
• And more!

Of course, that all assumes that you’re choosing the right person for the job. Before we get into the best coaches for IT and managed services, let’s talk about what that means. 

Features to look for when hiring a coach or coaching group

No two businesses are the same, so their needs will probably be different, too. However, there are some general things that everyone can keep in mind when hiring a business coach to ensure that they get the right person for the job. Consider things like:

• Expertise and Experience: While you don’t have to hire someone that’s been around for 40 years, you do want to make sure that you choose a coaching solution that provides the experience that you need. Look at what kind of coaching they offer, whether they specialize in IT and managed services, and what kind of growth or coaching they focus on. 

• Years of Coaching: It takes work to become a coach and it’s not something that just anyone can do. Plus, the more experience someone has, the better chance they will have of helping you get the best results. Take the time to consider this along with the rest of your factors and stick to those who have more coaching under their belt for the best outcome. 

• Types of Coaching/Resources: You should always find a coach or group that offers the resources and coaching that you want. That might sound obvious, but there are so many different solutions out there that you really have to take the time to see what’s offered. Almost all coaches offer one-on-one consults and coaching, while some also offer online courses and training resources, but not all. 

• Audience/Reputation: Look at what kind of following the coach has and what kind of solutions they have provided in the past. Consider their reputation as a big part of your decision because that’s going to show you what other people think. Find their audience, read reviews, and make sure that they have a solid following that warrants considering them for the expertise that you need. 

• Skillsets: This kind of goes along with experience, but here we’re talking about the actual skillsets that are present with their coaching-- what do they focus on? Do they focus on IT and managed services? Perhaps they’re experts at marketing. Whatever it is, make sure that it aligns with what you need in your business. 

• Media Options: Do you prefer video courses? Maybe you like blogs and resources that you can read. You can find coaching in all kinds of mediums and formats, so it will be up to you to find the one(s) that you like best. Make sure that you consider this when choosing a coach so that you don’t end up stuck with a learning or coaching style that doesn’t work. 

These are just a few things that will help you choose the right coaching solution for your business. With these things in mind, let’s look at the top coaches in the industry right now. 

The top 10 business coaches for your MSP/IT firm 

1. Jay Abraham

Abraham is one of the most well-known and probably among the highest paid business coaches today. That's not meant to scare or deter you, though—he's actually got a lot of affordable solutions for the modern IT and managed services brand that is looking to get more out of its growth. Jay founded the Abraham Group Inc., and since then has worked with his organization to connect people with the business coaching that they need. He prefers that people read his books and online materials first and then get the one-on-one coaching setup so that he can coach based on the principles of his writings. 

2. Vanguard Business Coaching

Andy Turner is another big name in the coaching industry, and he founded this organization after 20-odd years of his own experience in business and consulting. Today, the organization works with small business owners and entrepreneurs who are trying to take their business to the next level, pairing companies with the coach that fits their needs best. Andy focuses on finding inefficiencies in your business, locating pain points, and fixing things from the inside out. There are one-on-one coaching sessions, along with group training, online courses, and other resources that you can use to gain valuable insights and grow your business. 

3. Paul Lemberg

Paul Lemberg is one of the premier business coaches available today for those who want to turn their business into a profit machine. He has been in business for years and focuses on helping businesses identify unique ways to make profits and generate new revenue streams. After working with several seven-figure companies and small brands alike, Paul has the experience to help you find millions of dollars in profits when you’re in the business of making money. He is a published author and speaker, offers a blog on his website, and even has one-on-one consulting and coaching available. He likes to combine personal and professional goals to help entrepreneurs get on the right track. 

4. Ravi Raman

Ravi Raman offers executive business coaching to those who are looking to grow their brand and get more out of their business. Ravi is familiar with entrepreneurship and climbing the corporate ladder, which he did for several years before striking out on his coaching career. He transformed his own career and left the corporate world to coach, which allows him to work with other entrepreneurs and like-minded businesses that are trying to climb the ladder and create their own success. He has helped hundreds of companies and entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground and tap into the growth potential that they might not have known they had. 

5. Robb Fahrion

Robb Fahrion is one of the most notorious names in coaching today. He has founded the Flying V Group along with partners and offers a variety of different coaching solutions to the modern business. He is known for his work in helping many businesses survive, and even thrive, during the pandemic, and his team works by essentially turning themselves into an extension of your team to get an idea of where things need to go, and which steps should get to success. He capitalizes on marketing and growth strategies to get results but offers several styles of coaching and support with the assistance of his team. 

6. Coachfirm

Coachfirm was founded with the idea of helping businesses get more out of their growth. Like several of the organizations available today, it was founded by those who are experts in the business field and know all about consulting. The group connects companies with coaches from all areas of business and all types of backgrounds to ensure that everyone gets the coaching solution that suits their needs. With the Coachfirm team, you will find one-on-one coaching and group solutions, along with courses and resources online that you can access if you’d rather learn on your own. Of course, as the company will tell you, the best solution is a combination of coaching and self-learning. 

7. ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH was founded by Brad Sugars, one of the original coaching professionals in the industry. He started in business and moved into coaching, eventually developing this company to help other businesses of all kinds find their growth and get the results that they want. The ActionCOACH program pairs businesses with coaches after asking a few important questions, and companies will find one-on-one and group coaching resources, along with online courses, videos, in-person training, and more. The company works to help SMBs, and entrepreneurs clearly define their goals so that they can grow faster and scale easier. 

8. EMyth

EMyth is one of the original coaching solutions available on the market, and today they have quickly become one of the most popular mastermind groups for small business that want support from a major brand that knows coaching. EMyth offers coaching and personalized support for several industries with a focus on entrepreneurs and small businesses and makes sure that everyone gets paired with the best coach so that they get the results that they desire from their business growth. The program offers tons of resources for online training and support along with a relationship with a dedicated coach that will spur your business growth. 

9. Barry Moltz

Barry Moltz is a business professional that is known well for his efforts in business growth and online business. He's great for MSPs and IT firms because he knows the world of Internet technology and understands how business works in these arenas. He also has years of his own experience under his belt before he switched to consulting and likes to help people find a solid structure so that they can identify new growth opportunities and profit potential. With one-on-one coaching and other online resources available, Barry has the perfect solutions for several businesses that want a different style of coaching. 

10. Matt Ward

Matt Ward is a coaching expert that everyone needs to know if they can. He is primarily known for is interests and efforts in AI and automation, as well as augmented and virtual reality, but he also coaches business across several industries, including IT and managed services. He uses his years of experience to help people by consulting on the best ways to create new revenue streams while also increasing fundraising efforts and reducing operational costs. He has worked with seven-figure brands and small businesses alike, making him ideal for companies of all sizes. 

While you’re managing your growth, let Smith.ai manage your calls and more

The team at Smith.ai has a commitment to helping your organization grow, and we can do so by streamlining your day-to-day operations and making sure that you get all the assistance and support that you need for after-hours phone calls, live website chat, lead intake and scheduling, and so much more. Our dedicated virtual receptionists will be on call 24/7 to handle whatever you need. 

We can even help you craft the strategy that will ensure that you never miss a beat, and that we take care of anything and everything that you need. All the while, you can focus on building your business and growing your brand and know that your customers are always taken care of, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

You can learn more when you schedule a consultation to discuss our 24/7 live agents and the solutions we offer, including Facebook and SMS message answering, phone answering, around-the-clock chat answering, and more. You'll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.