Episode 188

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Published on:

18th Sep 2025

[188] MSP Exits Uncovered: Everything You Wanted to Know (But Didn't Ask)

In this episode, Richard talks to Laura Cook. She’s a strategic advisor who helps expert business owners earning between 250k and £3 million break free from the trap of being tied to the day-to-day business.

She works with founders who feel stretched thin and want to scale the business without losing quality or burning out. She positions them for freedom for growth and even multimillion pound exits.

Laura has helped numerous business owners to triple their valuations, slash their working hours and build businesses that thrive without them.

Richard asks Laura what business owners should do if they don’t think they need an exit strategy or think the company can’t run without them. She shares her advice for preparing for unexpected time off, setting up processes for others to follow and how to strategically prepare your MSP for sale.

Laura talks through how to make yourself a good financial acquisition and why the specific vendors in your stack matter less than the tools you offer. She talks honestly about how to sell a family or close-knit business and what to do if you think your exiting would rock the boat.

Laura explains that you don’t have to transition all in one go, and touches on both the emotional side of a business exit, having the right mindset and how to deal with a sense of loss once you do leave. And if you’re feeling burnt out, why you shouldn’t just jump ship.

Richard asks Laura to talk about some of the practicalities, too. She addresses how to assess the value of your MSP and why having a niche can make your MSP more valuable. She also explains why you should plan your exit even if you change your mind later.

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About the Podcast

TubbTalk: The Podcast for Managed Service Providers
Putting Managed Service Providers back in control!
Richard Tubb has been a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community for the last two decades. At the helm of media company and MSP advisory business Tubblog, Richard loves to showcase tech companies disrupting the industry, as well as shining a light on new tools you might not be aware of.

His long-running and successful interview-style show, TubbTalk, features fireside style chats with the CEOs and CTOs of these businesses, to dig deep into how they got started in the industry, what inspired them to start something new and what their advice would be to anyone who wants to do the same.

But it's not all tech focused! As a former MSP owner himself, Richard knows that there are many facets to being a business owner, which is why his guests reflect that too.

Previous topics include mental health, sales, marketing, business growth, productivity, customer service and more. Wondering why you should listen? Well, as one fan put it: "It's like eavesdropping on a conversation between two friends, who are sharing their knowledge and wisdom with each other. You learn while you're being entertained."

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Richard Tubb

Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk