An MSP QBR (quarterly business review) is a meeting where you and a client's decision-maker review the last three months of service and agree on the next three. Below: a template to copy, a 45-minute agenda, where each number comes from, and a completed example for one client.
The template comes from the team behind SherpaDesk, a helpdesk and professional services automation (PSA) tool a small IT team can run alone. The client reads the summary before the meeting, so most of the 45 minutes go to discussion.
Why A Quarterly Review Matters For A Small MSP
When managed IT works, the client sees little of it: patches, restore tests, and tickets close out of sight. The quarterly review is where the person who signs the contract sees the work, the gaps, and what comes next.
Raw numbers can backfire. An r/msp member who manages a team of vCIOs disliked ticket-count reports. The reason: "some CFO would always divide the number of tickets in a month by what they are paying and start to grouse about pricing." That's why this template pairs every count with last quarter's number and what you changed.
For some clients, the review is also a record they can use. The FTC Safeguards Rule covers tax preparation firms, among other financial institutions. It requires them to periodically assess their service providers based on the risk they present. That duty has no small-firm exception; the rule's exceptions for firms with customer information on fewer than 5,000 consumers cover other parts. Your review gives the client facts to assess you with. The client does the assessment, and their counsel decides what it needs.
The MSP QBR Template
Ten sections. Brackets mark what you fill in. Sections 1 to 6 look back; sections 7 to 10 look forward.
QUARTERLY BUSINESS REVIEW TEMPLATE
A short summary for the client, plus the meeting agenda
Client: [company name]
Quarter reviewed: [quarter, start and end dates]
Meeting: [date], 45 minutes, [in person or video]
Attendees: [decision-maker], [day-to-day contact],
[your account lead]
1. LAST QUARTER'S ACTIONS
[Action] - [owner] - [done, in progress, or dropped and why]
2. SERVICE SUMMARY
Tickets opened: [ ] Closed: [ ] Open at quarter end: [ ]
Last quarter: [opened, closed]
Top 3 categories: [category: count, last quarter's count]
What we changed because of them: [one line each]
Client outcome: [one thing staff noticed]
3. SLA RESULTS
Sample: [tickets closed in the quarter, by priority]
Goal: [__]% on time, per priority
Response on time: P1 [ ] P2 [ ] P3 [ ]
Resolution on time: P1 [ ] P2 [ ] P3 [ ]
Misses worth discussing: [ticket, cause, fix]
4. HOURS AND CONTRACT
Hours worked: [ ] under the contract, [ ] billed outside it
Prepaid block: [ ] bought, [ ] used, [ ] remaining
Contract changes: [what, when, who approved]
5. DEVICES AND LIFECYCLE
Devices managed: [count by type]
Warranty ending in the next 2 quarters: [device, date]
Out of support or due for replacement: [device, reason]
6. SECURITY AND BACKUP
Patch status: [devices current of total]
Backup restore test: [date, what was restored, result]
Incidents: [none, or one line each]
7. THE CLIENT'S NEXT QUARTER
Changes coming: [hires, moves, software, deadlines]
Their questions for us: [list]
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
[Recommendation] - [why now] - [estimated hours or cost]
9. ACTIONS FOR NEXT QUARTER
Ours: [action, owner, due date]
Yours: [action, owner, due date]
Together: [action, owner, second participant, due date]
10. NEXT REVIEW
Date: [ ] Summary sent to the client by: [date]What Goes In Each Section, And Where To Pull It
Pull the numbers before you write a sentence. In one r/msp thread on QBR prep, a member who has taught classes on QBRs said: "What takes the most time is data analysis (reviewing tickets, issues, previous meetings, etc)."
| Section | What to put in | Pull it from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Last quarter's actions | Every action from the last review, with its status. Dropped items say why | Last quarter's summary, section 9 |
| 2. Service summary | Opened, closed, and open tickets against last quarter; the 3 biggest categories and the fix for each; one outcome staff noticed | PSA ticket report for the client and the quarter; last quarter's summary; the day-to-day contact |
| 3. SLA results | On-time share per priority against the contract goal, on one stated sample; only the misses with a lesson, each with its fix | PSA SLA report on closed tickets. Definitions: helpdesk metrics; goals: SLA template |
| 4. Hours and contract | Hours under the contract and outside it; prepaid hours bought, used, and left; any contract change | PSA time and contract reports; the signed managed services agreement |
| 5. Devices and lifecycle | Device count by type; warranty end dates; anything out of vendor support | Asset list for the client, warranty dates, vendor end-of-support pages |
| 6. Security and backup | Devices fully patched; the last restore test and its result; incidents | RMM patch report, backup console restore log, incident tickets |
| 7. The client's next quarter | Hires, moves, new software, deadlines; their open questions | A short email to the day-to-day contact a week before |
| 8. Recommendations | Two or three, each with the reason it's due now and an estimate | Sections 2 to 7 |
| 9. Actions | Each action with one owner and a date, split ours, yours, together; a joint action names one owner and a second participant | Agreed in the meeting |
| 10. Next review | The next date and the day the summary goes out | Both calendars |
Show prepaid hours as bought, used, and left, so a top-up never surprises anyone. A client who keeps running over needs a pricing conversation; see managed services pricing.
How To Prepare In Two Weeks
Four steps over two weeks keep the review short and the numbers checked.
-
Pull The Numbers, 10 Business Days Before
Run the ticket, SLA, time, and contract reports for the quarter, then the asset and patch lists.
Common mistake: pulling numbers the morning of the meeting, with no time to explain an odd ticket.
-
Ask The Client Three Questions, 7 Business Days Before
What's changing next quarter? What annoyed your staff about IT? What do you want to ask us? The answers fill section 7.
-
Write The Summary, 5 Business Days Before
Fill sections 1 to 8, one fact and one meaning per line.
Common mistake: pasting every chart the tools produce. Detail goes in attachments.
-
Send It, 2 Business Days Before
Email the summary and the agenda to every attendee.
Common mistake: showing the numbers for the first time in the meeting and spending 20 minutes on them.
A 45-Minute QBR Agenda
Forty-five minutes leaves room for the client to talk. The time split follows advice from the same r/msp thread: "If the review is 60 minutes long, take 10 minutes going over metrics." The rest belongs to the client's business.
| Minutes | Block | Who leads | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Last quarter's actions (section 1) | Your account lead | Each item closed, moved, or dropped |
| 5–15 | Service, SLA, hours, devices, security (sections 2–6) | Your account lead | Questions noted, not debated |
| 15–30 | The client's next quarter (section 7) | The client | Changes and dates written down |
| 30–40 | Recommendations (section 8) | Your account lead | Each one accepted, parked, or rejected |
| 40–45 | Actions and next date (sections 9–10) | Both | Owners, due dates, the next review on the calendar |
The same thread splits actions three ways. "Here's what the MSP needs to work on, here's what the company needs to work on, and here's what we need to work on together."
Send the filled summary with the agreed actions within one business day.
Filled-In Example: A Small Tax Firm
Example: Harbor IT supports Cedar Row Tax Partners, a 12-person tax preparation firm. The review covers the third quarter, July 1 to September 30, 2026.
| Section | Cedar Row Tax Partners, Q3 2026 |
|---|---|
| Meeting and attendees | October 20, 2026, 45 minutes, in person. Managing partner, office manager, Harbor IT account lead |
| 1. Last quarter's actions | MFA on all Microsoft 365 accounts (Harbor IT account lead): done July 17. New firewall (Harbor IT account lead): done August 7. Phone system quote (managing partner): dropped, the firm chose to wait a year |
| 2. Service summary | 96 opened, 101 closed, 4 open at September 30 (Q2: 131 opened, 124 closed). Scanning 22 (Q2: 41): replaced the scanner driver on 3 desks. Microsoft 365 sign-in 18 (Q2: 6): new MFA prompts, fixed with a 15-minute staff session. Tax software updates 15 (Q2: 14): no change yet, see section 9. Client outcome: no front-desk rescans since August 20, per the office manager |
| 3. SLA results | Sample: the 101 tickets closed in the quarter (P1 2, P2 30, P3 69). Goal 90% per priority. Response: P1 2 of 2, P2 28 of 30 (93%), P3 65 of 69 (94%). Resolution: P1 2 of 2, P2 27 of 30 (90%), P3 64 of 69 (93%). Misses: 2 P2 responses on July 6, after the office move; next move gets an on-call technician. 3 P2 resolutions waited on the tax software vendor; its escalation contact is now in the client notes |
| 4. Hours and contract | 41 hours under the contract (Q2: 52), including 14.5 from the project block, and 3.5 billed outside it for the after-hours office move. Project block: 20 hours bought in July, 14.5 used, 5.5 left. Contract change: 2 user seats added August 4, approved by the office manager |
| 5. Devices and lifecycle | 14 laptops, 1 file server, 2 printers. Warranty ends January 2027 on 3 laptops. 2 laptops still run Windows 10, which reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and the firm didn't enroll them in Extended Security Updates |
| 6. Security and backup | 13 of 15 computers fully patched; the 2 others are the Windows 10 laptops. Restore test September 11: one client folder restored from the file server backup, complete. Incidents: none |
| 7. The client's next quarter | Q4: get ready for 2 seasonal preparers who start January 5, before tax season. Question: what facts can Harbor IT give the partner for the firm's periodic service provider assessment? |
| 8. Recommendations | Replace the 2 Windows 10 laptops before January 5: about 4 hours from the project block, hardware on the quote. Renew warranty on the 3 laptops for one year. They run Windows 11 and are patched, and a mid-season swap costs more downtime. Estimate about $300 for the 3, to be confirmed by the quote |
| 9. Actions | Ours: laptop and warranty quote, account lead, by November 3. Ours: tax software updates moved to a Friday 6 p.m. window, account lead, from November 6. Ours: service and security facts for the partner's assessment, account lead, by November 30. Yours: approve the quote, managing partner, by November 10. Yours: seasonal staff names, office manager, by December 18. Together: seasonal accounts and laptops ready, owned by the office manager with the account lead, by December 31 |
| 10. Next review | Q4 review: summary by email January 22, 2027. Q1 review: meeting April 28, 2027, after tax season; summary sent April 26 |
The arithmetic stays visible: 28 of 30 P2 responses on time is 93%, above the 90% goal, and 27 of 30 resolutions meets it exactly. The block shows 20 hours bought minus 14.5 used, so 5.5 are left. The laptop job fits in the block.
Filled in, the summary runs past one printed page, so ticket titles, the patch list, and the asset register go as attachments on request. As one r/msp member said about exports: "You can export the data to excel. 99% of the times thats all the client wants."
Subscribe to the SherpaDesk Blog.
Get Tips for Running IT With a Small Team.
Loading form…
The form couldn’t load. Please try again.
Or start your free trial →SHERPADESK · FREE TRIAL
Resolve tickets.
Turn time into revenue.
Bring support tickets, billable time, and invoicing into one place. Built for small IT teams and MSPs.
- 14 days free
- No credit card required
After your trial, keep your first agent free forever.
SHERPADESK · LIVE DEMO
See tickets, time,
and billing work together.
Walk through ticketing, time tracking, and billing with a product specialist. See how SherpaDesk fits the way your team works.
- 15 minutes
- Your workflow, your questions
A live walkthrough tailored to your team.
Common QBR Mistakes
- Pair every count with last quarter's number and the change you made
- Send the summary two business days before the meeting
- Give each action one owner and one date
- Write recommendations down and quote them after the meeting
- Show ticket totals on their own and wait for the cost-per-ticket question
- Replay reports the client already got by email
- Leave the meeting with "we'll look into it"
- Turn the review into a sales pitch
Selling in the room. A review that ends in a quote every quarter teaches the client to skip it. The member who has taught QBR classes put it plainly: "If I always show up selling something, then I'm just sales, not an advisor or someone who architects solutions." Write the recommendation down, and send the quote afterward.
Strategy squeezed into the review. A three-year plan belongs in a separate strategy meeting. See vCIO services for how MSPs build and price it.
Run The Review From Your Helpdesk Data
How this works in SherpaDesk
Where The Numbers Live In SherpaDesk
Before each review, you need the quarter's numbers in one place. Schedule a custom report by email so it reaches you before you write the summary. Standard reports include the Executive Dashboard, Ticket Count, Time and Cost, and the Contract Detail Report, which shows prepaid hours remaining. The SLA report gives On-Time and Goal vs. Actual results on closed tickets. Every contract keeps a change log.
You assign each asset to an account, and custom reports can show labor and parts warranty expiration dates.
A helpdesk and PSA a small IT team can run alone. No contract. No implementation project. No dedicated admin. Base Camp is $45 per agent per month ($40 billed annually). Your first agent is free, forever, and you get 14 days free, no card. Asset Management is part of High Camp, $55 per agent per month ($50 billed annually).
Who this isn't for
MSPs that want a dedicated QBR or vCIO suite, with branded decks and budget planning built in. Sections 5 and 6 also lean on device and backup data. We don't build RMM. We integrate with yours, and the stack stays yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should an MSP hold a QBR?
Quarterly suits most managed clients: long enough to show a pattern, short enough to fix it. Small, low-change clients may do better with an emailed summary and a meeting twice a year. Keep the summary quarterly, so section 1 always has a record to check.
Who should attend a QBR?
The client's decision-maker, the day-to-day contact, and your account lead. The decision-maker matters most, because recommendations and contract changes need their yes. Add a technician only when a recommendation needs one, and keep it under five people, or the client's 15 minutes in the agenda shrink.
Can I send the QBR by email instead of holding a meeting?
Yes, for small clients who don't take meetings. One r/msp member moved to email-only reviews. They wrote: "For 2026 we're basically doing this for our entire customer base who's size is under 20 users." Send the same summary, and ask the section 7 questions in the email.
Can I use this template for a TBR?
Yes. Some MSPs call this client review a TBR, and members of the r/msp thread quoted above use both names. For a different cadence, replace every quarter reference. That means the title line, "Quarter reviewed", sections 1, 2, 3, and 5, and the plans in sections 7 and 9. Change the dates to match. The ten sections stay the same.
Is this different from a sales QBR template?
Yes. A generic quarterly business review template is usually built for sales and account teams: pipeline, revenue, and targets. An MSP review reports on service delivered to one client: tickets, SLA results, hours, devices, and backups. The forward-looking half, plans and actions, is the part both share.
Patrick co-founded SherpaDesk and has led it as CEO since 2013. He has worked with IT service providers since 1998, first on network projects for schools and government offices, then on the helpdesk software their technicians use every day.