Nearly every person in a room of about 50 MSP business owners raised their hand when asked if they planned to sell their business at some point, indicating a strong and eager market for mergers and acquisitions across the industry.

In a conversation with business consultants Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of the Kansas firm Growth Achievement Partners at Continuum’s Navigate conference in Boston, MSPs chatted about how to plan for an acquisition, or what to do if an offer is already on the table.

Morgan and Ryne are cofounders of their company, known as GAP, a consulting firm that advises businesses on strategy, operations, sales, organizational development, and the impact of emerging technologies on their operations.

Morgan, in a more-than 20-year career, built and successfully sold a regional technology services firm, and through acquisitions and organic growth, built a $400 million North American IT Services business.

Ryne’s career includes a successful track record in technology sales, operations, management, and strategic planning.

Morgan said the MSP industry is changing so quickly that owners looking to sell their companies in two years should start planning is now.

Hands shot up in the air with questions about the M&A process Tuesday. Both Ryne and Morgan said the best way to add value to a business in general is to invest in a solid salesforce.

“If you’re not prepared to build a sales organization, sell to somebody that has one,” Morgan advised. The GAP partners also encouraged attendees to try out an exercise on their plane ride home or whenever there’s free time to sit and think. He said they should to get a piece of paper and write what they’d hope their business would be like “someday.” Then, hone those ideas down to goals five years out, and then list strategies for the next year.

“As you look forward into the future, you’ll have to impart some new skills. That’s part of valuation for the business,” Morgan said.

He also noted not all businesses find themselves embarking on the M&A process. He said MSPs should watch out for what’s best for them, and to not take the first offer that comes either. If they decide to move forward, he encouraged the MSP to seek out and negotiate the best possible deal.

“You’re in a good spot, (in a healthy industry),” he said. “You don’t have to sell. If someone makes you an offer, make it a deal that you can’t refuse.”