MSP appointment setting in Tulsa: who to call first

8 things to know before prospecting MSP in Tulsa

1. 01731 IT services firms work the Tulsa metro (+32 in a year), 19% more concentrated than the U.S. as a whole.
2. 022.1 target businesses per IT firm ranks Tulsa #72 of 100 markets and #1 of 2 in Oklahoma.
3. 03The biggest buyer group is manufacturers: 379 sites with 20 to 499 employees.
4. 04Tulsa over-indexes on insurance agencies and brokerages at 1.65x the national mix, so build references inside that group.
5. 05Wholesale distributors added 109 establishments in a year: new sites without a managed service provider relationship.
6. 06Tier 1 is 368 sites with 50 to 499 employees among manufacturers and construction contractors; those deserve two or three contacts each.
7. 07Tulsa County holds 83% of the target businesses across 6 counties.
8. 08Wichita (131 miles) has more target businesses per IT firm, if your engineers can cover it.

These are the 12 industries Abstrakt's SDRs call for MSP work, with how many of each are in the Tulsa metro and who to ask for. Compared with the U.S. as a whole, Tulsa leans toward insurance agencies and brokerages (1.65x), architecture and engineering firms (1.47x) and accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (1.44x). Build the list around those categories. Nonprofits and member organizations is thinner than the national mix, so treat it as selective targets.

1. 01
   Manufacturers379

   Ask for: Owner or president 195 with 50 to 499 employees 1.23x U.S. mix -32 in a year
2. 02
   Construction contractors281

   Ask for: Owner or president 89 with 50 to 499 employees 1.18x U.S. mix +77 in a year
3. 03
   Medical, dental and outpatient practices275

   Ask for: Practice administrator 84 with 50 to 499 employees 1.17x U.S. mix +59 in a year
4. 04
   Wholesale distributors239

   Ask for: Owner or president 79 with 50 to 499 employees 1.30x U.S. mix +109 in a year
5. 05
   Nonprofits and member organizations102

   Ask for: Executive director 42 with 50 to 499 employees 0.76x U.S. mix +30 in a year
6. 06
   Architecture and engineering firms59

   Ask for: Principal or owner 15 with 50 to 499 employees 1.47x U.S. mix +13 in a year
7. 07
   Private schools and education providers53

   Ask for: Head of school or director 24 with 50 to 499 employees 0.98x U.S. mix +24 in a year
8. 08
   Law firms44

   Ask for: Managing partner 9 with 50 to 499 employees 1.29x U.S. mix +20 in a year
9. 09
   Accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms27

   Ask for: Managing partner 11 with 50 to 499 employees 1.44x U.S. mix -19 in a year
10. 10
    Insurance agencies and brokerages21

    Ask for: Agency principal or owner 7 with 50 to 499 employees 1.65x U.S. mix +14 in a year
11. 11
    Real estate brokerages and property management offices20

    Ask for: Broker-owner 6 with 50 to 499 employees 1.04x U.S. mix +26 in a year
12. 12
    Wealth management and investment firms11

    Ask for: Firm principal 0.98x U.S. mix +5 in a year

Businesses are establishments with 20 to 499 employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023), the small and mid-sized range MSPs sell to; the SBA Office of Advocacy counts firms under 500 employees as small businesses. Change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2.

Architecture and engineering firms and real estate brokerages and property management offices run smaller, so those groups need a seat-count question before a meeting is booked.

• Manufacturers are the largest group in Tulsa with 379 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, more than Oklahoma City has (279): more concentrated than nationally (1.23x), down 32 establishments in a year, and typical in size (35% with 50 or more employees).

• Construction contractors are the second-largest group in Tulsa with 281 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than Oklahoma City has (379): more concentrated than nationally (1.18x), up 77 establishments in a year, and typical in size (16% with 50 or more employees).

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices are the third-largest group in Tulsa with 275 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than Oklahoma City has (347): more concentrated than nationally (1.17x), up 59 establishments in a year, and typical in size (14% with 50 or more employees).

• Wholesale distributors are the fourth-largest group in Tulsa with 239 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than Oklahoma City has (284): more concentrated than nationally (1.30x), up 109 establishments in a year, and typical in size (18% with 50 or more employees).

• Nonprofits and member organizations are the fifth-largest group in Tulsa with 102 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than Oklahoma City has (152): less concentrated than nationally (0.76x), up 30 establishments in a year, and typical in size (20% with 50 or more employees).

• Architecture and engineering firms are the sixth-largest group in Tulsa with 59 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than Oklahoma City has (71): more concentrated than nationally (1.47x), up 13 establishments in a year, and smaller than across our 100 metros (13% have 50 or more employees, against 22%), so confirm the seat count early on the call.

After those six come private schools and education providers (53), law firms (44), accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (27), insurance agencies and brokerages (21), real estate brokerages and property management offices (20) and wealth management and investment firms (11), smaller groups to work by fit rather than volume.

Where a rule or a client review puts a date on security work in Tulsa: manufacturers (379, CMMC where they supply defense work), medical, dental and outpatient practices (275, HIPAA), law firms (44, client security questionnaires), accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (27, the FTC Safeguards Rule), insurance agencies and brokerages (21, carrier and state insurance data security requirements) and wealth management and investment firms (11, SEC and FINRA exams); together, 757 businesses where the first message can lead with the requirement instead of the service.

What leads in each core county

• Tulsa County: manufacturers (249), medical, dental and outpatient practices (238) and construction contractors (206) lead its 1,204 target businesses.
• Rogers County: manufacturers (54), construction contractors (26) and wholesale distributors (16) lead its 111 target businesses.
• Creek County: manufacturers (47), construction contractors (22) and wholesale distributors (14) lead its 92 target businesses.
• Wagoner County: manufacturers (14), construction contractors (12) and medical, dental and outpatient practices (6) lead its 35 target businesses.

Employee bands: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, establishments with 10 to 499 employees; suppressed size classes count as zero. Concentration and one-year change: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2. The 100-metro average is the same share summed across every market we publish.

731 IT services firms are based in the Tulsa metro. 32 more opened over the past year, so buyers are fielding new names. The IT services industry is 19% more concentrated than the U.S. as a whole. Business owners and office managers here already hear from managed service providers, and a specific reason to talk beats a generic pitch. 2.1 target businesses per IT firm puts Tulsa 72 of 100 markets, and 1 of 2 in Oklahoma. That is toward the crowded end, so growth here comes mostly from displacing incumbents at renewal. If you can serve Wichita, it has more target businesses per IT firm than Tulsa.

Tier 1 covers manufacturers, construction contractors and medical, dental and outpatient practices with 50 to 499 employees.

Tulsa County holds 83% of the target businesses across the 6-county metro. The other 5 counties split the remaining 17%, which is where Tier 1 accounts justify the drive and smaller sites do not.

A new office or location needs network, devices and security set up before people move in, and the provider who does that work is in the best position to support it after.

• Wholesale distributors: 109 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are an ERP or warehouse system change, a new warehouse, a cyber insurance renewal, an acquisition.

• Construction contractors: 77 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are office growth, a new branch, job site connectivity problems, a wire fraud attempt, a cyber insurance renewal.

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices: 59 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a new location, a HIPAA risk assessment, an EHR or practice management change, a security incident.

• Manufacturers: 32 fewer establishments than a year ago

  An acquisition puts a business under new owners, who usually review who runs IT and fold it into their own systems.

More questions for every prospect type, and how to follow up after the meeting, are in the MSP prospecting playbook.

If your engineers travel, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Dallas and Kansas City are the closest metros we track. Here are the same counts used above for Tulsa.

• Oklahoma City, OK

  93 miles away, with 1,759 target businesses and 1,043 IT services firms, or 1.7 businesses per IT firm (#81 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is construction contractors, and it over-indexes on insurance agencies and brokerages at 1.68x the national mix.

• Wichita, KS

  131 miles away, with 974 target businesses and 325 IT services firms, or 3.0 businesses per IT firm (#44 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers, and it over-indexes on insurance agencies and brokerages at 1.54x the national mix.

• Dallas, TX

  188 miles away, with 10,653 target businesses and 6,156 IT services firms, or 1.7 businesses per IT firm (#79 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is medical, dental and outpatient practices.

• Kansas City, MO

  223 miles away, with 3,289 target businesses and 1,655 IT services firms, or 2.0 businesses per IT firm (#76 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is construction contractors, and it over-indexes on insurance agencies and brokerages at 1.44x the national mix.