Show Notes

In this episode, we sit down with Doug Bates, founder and president of CMIT Solutions of Atlanta Southern Crescent, to talk about how he built a thriving MSP from scratch during the 2009 recession. With no technical background but decades of corporate sales and leadership experience, Bates shares how perseverance, communication, and a customer-first mindset turned his franchise into a multimillion-dollar success story—with family now fully involved in the business.

Key Themes

A Sales-First Mindset. Coming from a business and sales background, Bates built the company on strong client communication and relationship-building instead of technical expertise.

Investing in People. He credits much of his success to hiring a strong technical lead early and empowering technicians to focus on what they do best while he focused on growth.

Client Relationships over Contracts. He runs his MSP without automatic price escalators or long-term lock-ins, offering 30-day outs to keep service quality high and clients loyal.

Slow and Steady Growth. Bates prefers deliberate, profitable growth over chasing large valuations, focusing on client retention, steady margins, and long-term stability.

Automation for Efficiency. The team continually refines workflows, leveraging automation and AI tools to reduce admin work and allow technicians to focus on solving problems.

Leadership Lessons. He highlights the importance of working on the business rather than in it—staying out of the weeds to remain a strategic partner to clients, not just a technician.

Actionable Takeaways

• Focus on communication and relationships—technical skill alone doesn’t win clients.
• Don’t fear starting small or in tough times—discipline and persistence pay off.
• Hire slow, fire fast; cultural fit matters more than technical skill.
• Keep service quality high by maintaining flexible client agreements.
• Build systems and automate wherever possible to increase technician efficiency.
• Stay involved in leadership and sales—don’t disappear into the technical work.
• Define success by profitability, community reputation, and client trust, not size alone.

What’s Next

Bates continues to grow CMIT Solutions, Atlanta Southern Crescent steadily, with expansion across the Atlanta region and deeper family involvement. The company is focused on integrating more automation and AI into operations, while maintaining its core focus on personalized, high-quality client care.

Bates built his business not by chasing scale, but by committing to doing things the right way—putting clients first, leading with integrity, and refusing to quit. His journey is a reminder that the path to lasting success in the MSP world starts with ownership, discipline, and heart.