TLDR: What You’re Really Getting

For a typical $85-100 monthly fee per user, your business receives 4 to 6 hours of proactive, behind-the-scenes IT and security work every single month. This includes 24/7 security monitoring, system patching, and compliance management.

This baseline service doesn’t even include the 1 to 2+ hours per user typically spent on reactive support tickets.

For a 10-person company, that’s 40-60 hours of expert IT work monthly—the equivalent of a part-time specialist—for a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house staff.

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Ever wondered what happens after you pay your monthly tech/security fee? Spoiler: It’s way more than “just standing by in case something breaks.”

The reality? Your managed IT & security provider is quietly working behind the scenes—all month long. Sometimes it’s updates at midnight. Sometimes it’s threat hunting while you’re sleeping. Sometimes it’s onboarding a new hire before you’ve even had your morning coffee.

Here’s where your money actually goes:

Where Do Those Monthly Dollars Go? (Let’s Break It Down)

Your $85-100 per person/month covers a ton of proactive work that most folks never see—including:

Monitoring & Automated Security Checks

~2-3 hours per month/user
24/7 scanning for threats, reviewing logs, triaging alerts, stopping danger before you even know it existed.

For perspective, that’s like having a security guard continuously walking the perimeter of your digital business. They’re checking doors, looking for suspicious activity, and making sure everything stays secure—all while you focus on running your actual business.

Patching & Updates

~1 hour per month/user
Testing, scheduling, and installing critical security updates to keep your systems safe.

This isn’t just clicking “update now” when a pop-up appears. It’s researching which updates are safe, testing them in controlled environments, scheduling them during non-disruptive hours, and ensuring they don’t break any of your existing systems. When a major vulnerability hits the news, your MSP is already working on protecting you.

Compliance & Reporting

~30 minutes per month/user
Keeping up with regulations, updating documents, prepping for audits—not glamorous, but oh-so-important.

As regulatory landscapes constantly shift, your MSP is making sure you’re covered. Whether it’s HIPAA, PCI, or other industry standards, this behind-the-scenes work helps you avoid hefty fines and reputation damage that can cripple small businesses.

Onboarding/Offboarding

TLDR: YOUR FIRST MONTH COSTS US 10X MORE THAN YOU PAY

We invest 40+ hours setting up your entire digital infrastructure in month one while you pay for just 4-8 hours of “support.” We build security systems, document your network, deploy monitoring tools, and configure backups—all before you’ve even figured out how to submit your first ticket.

Let’s get real about time investment here:

• Onboarding a single user: 20-45 minutes (maybe an hour if they’re particularly needy)
• Onboarding an ENTIRE NEW CLIENT: 5-10 hours in the first month alone

That monthly fee you’re paying? A huge chunk of it goes to that initial setup you never see. We’re building your entire digital infrastructure while you’re sipping coffee and wondering why everything isn’t “done yet.”

Building out and removing user accounts, provisioning hardware, setting permissions, and cleaning up digital footprints isn’t just clicking a few buttons. It’s methodical work that requires actual expertise.

This work scales with your business changes. When you hire new team members, they need access to exactly the right systems—no more, no less. When someone leaves, their digital presence needs proper handling to prevent security gaps. And when you decide to switch providers because you found someone “$50 cheaper per month,” you’re completely ignoring the 10 hours of setup work we already invested in your business.

At Your Personal Ninja, we frontload this work to make your ongoing experience seamless—but don’t mistake invisible for nonexistent.

Total Behind-the-Scenes

That’s an average of 4-6 hours per person, per month—invisible work you don’t see, but absolutely need.

Think about it: if your company has 10 employees, that’s 40-60 hours of proactive technical work happening every month. That’s practically a full-time position, distributed across a team of specialists who each bring their own expertise to the table.

And That’s Before We Even Talk About Support Tickets

All the “Help! My Wi-Fi is down!” or “I need a password reset!” moments?
Every support ticket is handled on top of those baseline hours.

Depending on your environment, support tickets can add 1-2+ hours per user, per month—sometimes more if things get wild.

At Your Personal Ninja, we understand that every support ticket represents a moment of frustration or lost productivity. When you can’t print that crucial proposal or your email stops syncing right before an important client meeting, you need help now—not tomorrow. That’s why responsive support isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for your business continuity.

Why Long-Term Contracts? It’s All About the Value (and Effort)

Here’s the secret: The real workload (and cost) stacks up when you factor in everything up front, especially onboarding. Bringing a new client onboard means:

• A full tech and security audit
• Migrating and securing data, devices, and credentials
• Setting up automations and monitoring for everyone
• Training users on safe habits and best practices
• Tons of documentation and compliance setup

It’s a serious lift before you ever submit your first ticket. If we only worked month-to-month, we’d never have time to build you a true safety net—so long-term contracts are about fairness and protection for both sides (and it keeps your rates lower, too).

This initial investment is similar to what happens when you start with any professional service, whether it’s legal counsel or financial planning. The setup phase requires deep work that pays dividends over time as your systems run more smoothly with fewer emergencies.

The Real Bang for Your Buck

Hiring even a basic IT staffer often costs $60-80k/year (plus benefits, overhead, and they still need to sleep!). With an MSP, you get:

• An entire team’s expertise, spread across everyone
• Deep security know-how that evolves every month
• Proactive work + unlimited support (yes, even the “my printer hates me” tickets)
• Peace of mind, all for less than a gym membership per user

When you partner with a quality MSP like Your Personal Ninja, you’re not just buying hours—you’re buying outcomes. You’re investing in business continuity, security, and the ability to focus on your core operations without technology headaches interrupting your day.

The Financial Reality of MSP Operations

Behind every MSP invoice is a careful balancing act. Unlike product-based businesses, service providers must continuously deliver value while managing costs that primarily consist of skilled labor and advanced toolsets.

According to industry research, successful MSPs prioritize profit alongside revenue growth, understanding that adding Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) from existing clients is far more cost-effective than constantly chasing new business. When you maintain a long-term relationship with your MSP, both parties benefit—you receive increasingly tailored service as they understand your needs better, while they can invest in your success rather than constant sales efforts.

What Sets Quality MSPs Apart

Not all managed service providers are created equal. The difference often comes down to:

1. Proactive vs. Reactive Approach: Lesser providers only respond when things break. Quality MSPs prevent problems before they impact your business.
2. Strategic Partnership: The best MSPs function as virtual CIOs/CTOs, helping you align technology decisions with business goals.
3. Documentation and Process: Behind great service is meticulous documentation that ensures consistent results regardless of which technician handles your issue.
4. Continuous Improvement: Technology and threats evolve constantly. Your MSP should be evolving their practices accordingly.
5. Transparent Communication: You should always understand what you’re paying for and the value you’re receiving.

Beyond the Break-Fix Mentality

Nothing about modern IT/security is “set it and forget it.” Next time you wonder what your monthly fee goes to—remember all the invisible work, late-night updates, and early-morning saves happening in the background.

Consider this: when everything works perfectly, you might wonder if you need your MSP at all. But that smooth operation is precisely what you’re paying for—the prevention of problems you’ll never know about because they were addressed before they affected you.

The cybersecurity landscape grows more complex every day, with supply chain attacks and social engineering becoming increasingly sophisticated. When your MSP successfully shields you from these threats, you won’t see dramatic heroics—just another normal, productive workday.

The Bottom Line

When you break down the numbers, MSP services deliver extraordinary value. The preventative care, specialized expertise, and responsive support would cost multiples more if you tried to replicate it in-house. For businesses focused on growth and efficiency, partnering with an MSP isn’t just convenient—it’s a strategic advantage.

Ready to see how much you’re really getting? Or want metrics for your own business? Just ask—we’re proud to show the math. After all, transparency is part of building the trust that makes great tech partnerships work.

Because at the end of the day, the best MSP relationship isn’t about buying hours—it’s about buying outcomes. Peace of mind. Business continuity. The freedom to focus on your expertise while we focus on ours.

And that’s worth every penny.