Sometimes, it takes a fresh perspective to make the big changes necessary for success.
When Scott McDonald started Quality Computer Consulting (QCC IT) back in 2002, he did so out of necessity, with no idea that one day, his sons would come aboard and breathe new life into the MSP that serves businesses across Salt Lake and Utah Counties.
But that’s exactly what Austin McDonald, COO of QCC IT, and his brothers have done, turning QCC IT into a second-generation, family-owned MSP that has enjoyed a steady 15–20% growth rate over the past three years.
Austin doesn’t plan on stopping there. “Within the next five years, I hope to double the size of the business, and within ten years, I see us being a $10 million company,” he declares.
Getting the right people in the right seats has been key to their growth strategy.
Where It All Began
Austin’s father, Scott McDonald, started QCC IT in 2002 when Austin was just 7 years old. “Of course, I didn’t understand this at the time, but my father started this business out of necessity,” Austin says. “He had been working for various IT companies for the previous five years, but he kept getting laid off. So, he decided that he would build stability for his family and do it on his own.”
Since joining the organization in 2016, Austin has taken a primary role in expanding QCC beyond anything his father had previously imagined. “At first, my dad simply wanted to see if I could bring on new clients, so I was cold calling in the morning and shadowing him in the afternoon,” Austin says. “Keep in mind, he’s been running the business as a one-man show for 14 years, so there was a lot of growing pains and adjustments to be made when bringing me on as his first full-time staff member.” He continues, “For example, all the systems and procedures, even the invoicing, was all in my dad’s head, so that was another priority of mine—getting the protocols properly outlined and implemented.”
Break-Fix To Managed Services
After this initial phase, Austin turned his attention to profitability. “Up until this point, we were entirely a break-fix model, meaning our monthly recurring revenue [MRR] was zero because we never knew who would run into a problem and when,” Austin explains. “So, the MSP model was very attractive to us because not only will you have consistent MRR allowing you to forecast your future plans, but you can provide a much more comprehensive service for the client. This not only enhances their overall operational efficiency but also fosters a stronger, more trusting relationship between us and our clients as we become their strategic IT partner rather than just a reactive technician.”
With all this in mind, Austin spent his days for the next two-and-a-half years working through their long list of clients and converting as many as he could to the MSP model.
Hiring The Right People
“It was a big jump going from zero managed clients to 15 to16 MSP clients,” Austin recalls. “But it wasn’t until we landed a big contract in 2020 that we hired our next full-time staff member, Mike, who has become kind of like our lead on everything.”
Soon after hiring Mike, the business was growing so rapidly that they needed to hire even more staff. “Bringing on my younger brothers has been very special,” Austin admits. “We’ve been able to not only grow this vision that my father had but also implement an exit strategy for whenever he wants to retire, which I’m sure won’t be for a while, but it allows him to eventually walk away when the time’s right and for us to take over and continue that journey for him.”
Closer To Goal
Austin keeps his goal of being a $10 million company in mind. “What’s that saying, ‘Get the right people on the bus in the right seats.’ Well, I’d say we’re well on our way to doing that.”
In fact, that’s exactly what Austin says differentiates QCC IT from other MSPs. “We don’t hire people for a role,” he explains. “We’re hiring that person for their personality—that’s the void we fill first, before we focus on what they can do. We can train pretty much anybody to do what we need them to do, especially for level one and two technicians. What we’re really looking for is a personality that meshes well with our team.”
Beyond getting the right people in the right places, Austin credits his success to community—specifically, that of other, successful business owners in his TMT peer group. “The opportunity to learn from the guys and girls who have great business insight and are out there doing it, that’s [made a real difference].”
Now, with Austin in the driver’s seat, his family and fantastic team behind him, and a community of other MSPs around him, QCC plans to continue evolving. Austin’s previous efforts have already resulted in a massive expansion in terms of revenue, employees, and client services, so there will surely be great things to see from this Utah-based company as they continue to grow.
