no connectivity quote too small 

‘no project too small’ is the smartest business strategy in connectivity   

We explore why the industry’s obsession with minimum project sizes creates massive opportunities for inclusive MSPs, examine the real value of small connectivity projects, and reveal how serving everyone profitably builds stronger businesses. 

what exactly is connectivity discrimination and why is it widespread? 

Connectivity discrimination is the industry practice of turning away customers based on project size. It’s the ‘sorry, that’s too small for us’ response customers hear when they need one or two connections rather than major enterprise deployment. 

The supposed reasoning: large projects generate more revenue per hour, so providers focus exclusively on bigger opportunities. 

But this creates artificial scarcity for smaller connectivity projects, leaving thousands of customers underserved and creating opportunities for resellers and MSPs willing to serve everyone professionally. 

It’s like restaurants only accepting bookings for parties of 20+. Sure, big groups spend more per visit, but you’re turning away lots of customers who might become regulars. 

what are the real economics behind small connectivity projects? 

Industry assumption: small projects aren’t profitable. The math tells a different story when you factor in lifetime value and efficiency. 

Traditional ‘big projects only’ thinking: 

• Large project: £50,000 revenue, 200 hours = £250/hour 

• Small project: £500 revenue, 4 hours = £125/hour 

• Conclusion: Small projects half as profitable 

Actual business reality: 

• Small customer lifetime: £500 + £150/month × 36 months = £5,900 

• Large customer lifetime: £50,000 + £2,000/month × 24 months = £98,000 

• Small customer acquisition cost: £100 vs Large: £2,500 

• Small customer referral rate: 40% vs Large: 15% 

When you factor in retention, referrals and acquisition costs, small customers often deliver better ROI. 

how has the connectivity landscape changed for smaller businesses? 

Smaller businesses now have the same connectivity requirements as enterprises, just at smaller scale. 

What every business needs: 

• Reliable internet for cloud applications 

• Backup connectivity for business continuity 

• Mobile connectivity for flexible working 

• Secure connections for sensitive data 

• Scalable solutions that grow with business 

A 5-person accounting firm needs 99.9% uptime just as much as a 500-person corporation, they just need it for 5 people instead of 500. 

what’s the real cost of ‘minimum project size’ approaches? 

Market gaps: 

• 73% of UK businesses have fewer than 10 employees 

• These businesses spend £2.8 billion annually on connectivity 

• Most providers ignore this segment 

• Result: Massive underserved market with limited competition 

how does serving all project sizes work operationally? 

The key is systems that make small projects as efficient as large ones. 

Traditional approach (inefficient): 

• Different suppliers for different connectivity types 

• Complex pricing negotiations per project 

• Manual coordination across relationships 

• Separate support channels 

Unified approach (efficient): 

• Single portal for all connectivity types 

• Transparent pricing with instant availability 

• Automated ordering and provisioning 

• Unified support across all technologies 

Efficiency example: 

• Quote preparation: 30 minutes → 5 minutes 

• Order processing: 2 days → same day 

• Customer communication: automated vs manual 

what makes ‘one portal for everything’ so powerful? 

A unified portal eliminates the complexity that makes small projects seem unprofitable. When you can quote, order and manage any solution through one interface, project size becomes irrelevant. 

Before 

Customer: “We need basic internet for our new office”  

MSP: “Let me check with our FTTP supplier, SoGEA provider and mobile options. I’ll get back to you in a few days.” 

After:  

Customer: “We need basic internet for our new office”  

MSP: “Perfect. I can see three options now: FTTP at 100Mbps for £65/month, SoGEA at 67Mbps for £45/month, or 4G backup for £15/month extra. Which works best?” 

what’s the competitive advantage of truly inclusive services? 

When competitors turn away 70% of potential customers due to project size, you have a competitive moat just by serving everyone professionally. 

Advantages: 

• “The MSP that never says no” reputation 

• Access to underserved market segments 

• Higher acquisition rates due to less competition 

• Diversified customer base reducing risk 

We worked with a regional MSP who stopped turning away small projects: 

Results: 

• Projects per month: 8-12 → 25-35 

• Customer acquisition cost: £850 → £200 

• Referral rate: 20% → 65% 

• Year 1: 40% revenue increase despite smaller average projects 

• Year 3: 70% of new business from referrals 

how do you position ‘no quote too small’ professionally? 

Weak positioning: “We’ll take any project, no matter how small” 

Strong positioning: “We believe every business deserves professional connectivity solutions, regardless of size. The same expertise and service quality applies whether you need one connection or one hundred.” 

The positioning isn’t about being cheap, it’s about being professional and caring about every customer’s success. 

If you’d like to discuss serving all connectivity needs profitably, we’d welcome a conversation. Get in touch and we’ll show you how to make every project size work for your business.