“Working with small business owners and passionate leaders of organizations is rewarding, especially when you see a lightbulb go off.”
Matthias Kittok is the president of Foresight MSP, a Corcoran-based company offering managed IT and cybersecurity solutions for Minneapolis-area small businesses. After seven years at the company as a technician, Matthias became president this year after the original president and founder retired. Despite not coming from an entrepreneur background, he quickly found his footing and is now driving Foresight MSP toward new avenues of success.
What inspired you to start your business, and what is your long-term vision for it?
As a technician, being told "that isn't your job, don't worry about it" one too many times in the corporate world. I wanted someplace where I could actually solve people's technology challenges without that brick wall in the way.
What do you love about living and owning a business in Minnesota?
Being a Minnesota native, I love that we have a strong economy and skilled labor force with so many larger organizations based here. I also believe that the culture is generally collaborative, which makes working with strategic partners and even competitors a possibility.
What is your proudest achievement so far as a business owner?
Selling almost half our book of business that was in another state and then re-focusing on the Minneapolis/St. Paul market to recover all the sold revenue and beyond the following year.
What is one challenge you had to overcome, and how did you resolve it?
Not coming from a business owner background, I had to learn the ins and outs of running a small business. From basic things like reading a P&L, how to price services, all the way to what does a solid sales process look like? I surrounded myself with a group of peers that helped coach and educate me in general and industry best practices.
What are 3 things you love about your business?
1. Something new every day, whether it be something someone finds out how to break in a new way or a new cyber threat appears. It keeps life interesting and engaging.
2. Working with small business owners and passionate leaders of organizations is rewarding, especially when you see a lightbulb go off when you are able to solve a business problem with technology.
3. Flexibility. We designed our team to be secure and remote before it was cool. This enables me to work from most places with a cell connection.
What is the best decision you've made so far as a business owner?
Aside from becoming a business owner, I think the best decision I've made was to trust my employees with more technical decisions and projects. Learning as an owner to take a step back and trust your people is a difficult but necessary step to growth.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were starting out?
A better understanding of margin, profit, and what a healthy bottom line looks like. Coming from the technician side I assumed I could rely on my experience and knowledge to just do better at the technical side and the money will follow. Scaling too thin a margin will hurt you in the long run.
Just for fun, what song best describes your business and why?
Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder. This song symbolizes the idea of continual improvement and reaching new heights, which reflects the goal of Managed IT Services to constantly elevate technology infrastructure, security, and support for businesses to operate at their best.
