#88 - Revenue Is Vanity: Why MSPs Must Fire Unprofitable Clients | BMK Vision Roundtable

Most MSP owners will tell you they want to improve profitability. But when the solution involves cutting recurring revenue, the conversation gets uncomfortable fast. This roundtable tackles the hard truth: not all revenue is healthy revenue, and the clients you're afraid to lose may be the ones destroying your margins.

Josh Peterson, Gary Boyle, and Ryan Alter dig into a real client scenario where 15% of agreements were operating below sustainable margins — and explore why MSP owners tolerate it, what it costs them, and how to break the cycle.

🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• Why revenue growth masks profitability problems in MSPs • The real cost of low-margin agreements on service capacity and team morale • How Gary and Ryan both repriced 100% of their clients — and lost none • The ego trap: why owners protect revenue that's hurting them • Standardizing pricing as the first step toward financial clarity • Why buyers purchase EBITDA, not top-line revenue • The vicious cycle of underpricing to zero

👤 Guest & Co-Host Bios

Ryan Alter is the founder and former CEO of Alter Enterprise, a managed IT services provider he built over 17 years in Missoula, Montana. Ryan successfully exited in 2023 when Alter Enterprise was acquired by Fisher's Technology. He now runs Silver Stream AV. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alter-896a5b11/

Gary Boyle is a Partner for Strategy & Business Development at Bering McKinley. With a background spanning network engineering, entrepreneurship, and strategic consulting, Gary brings real-world operator experience to helping MSP owners build stronger, more profitable businesses. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyboyle/

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of The BMK Vision Podcast. Since 2004, Josh has worked with hundreds of MSP owners to build operationally sound, profitable businesses through consulting, peer teams, and direct coaching. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

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📝 Credits

Host: Josh Peterson Producer: Bering McKinley Episode: #88 — Revenue Is Vanity: Why MSPs Must Fire Unprofitable Clients | BMK Vision Roundtable