Computer Consulting Blog

New YouTube Video on PC Repair Job Secrets

2010-02-12T21:58:00.002-05:00

Are you tired of dead-end, thankless, revolving door PC repair jobs?
The one-shot deal is for amateurs. Professional insist on working with long-term clients.

Think like a business-owner and send surveys out to your prospects to build long-term client relationships.

This brief YouTube video presents tips that help you use each PC repair job as a stepping-stone to long-term clients.

Becoming an IT Consultant? Ask Your Prospects These 4 Key Questions

2009-10-28T14:14:00.002-04:00

One of the most important parts of becoming an IT consultant is making sure you know which type of small business clients you want to attract.

How can you find the prospective clients that will most benefit from your services long-term?

Look for companies that are big enough to need your services on a regular basis. So these potential clients are candidates for signing on-going service contracts, that bring you the steady revenue that will be the foundation of your business. Doing this successfully, as you are becoming an IT consultant, means you absolutely need to know the major qualifying questions inside out and backwards, like the back of your hand.

Geographically Desirable? Because most small business clients need a lot of hand-holding, potential clients need to be located nearby to you. Look for prospects located within a 30 - 60-minute drive from your location. If you live in a large urban area, for example, your service area may shrink considerably, as there will be a high concentration of viable prospects very nearby. Also think about proximity as you attend networking events and develop your marketing campaigns.
Big Enough, But Not Too Big? Think Goldilocks: not too big, not too small. As you are becoming an IT consultant, target clients that have 10-75 workstations. At this size, the prospect is big enough to need a real, dedicated server … but not so big that the prospect needs a full-time, in-house IT department. Another way to think about this is that the prospect will likely have $1 million - $10 million in annual sales, or your local currency equivalent. Know this type of information about your potential clients, so you can develop much more powerful, affordable, and cost-effective marketing strategies.
A Platform You Can Support? Before you get too far into the sales process, be sure to properly qualify prospective clients based on their installed platform of OS's and NOS's. For example, if your specialty is Windows-family OS's/NOS's and a prospect is 100% standardized on Mac's, you should refer that prospect elsewhere.
Serious About IT? If you come across a small business prospect for your IT consulting business that doesn’t have a dedicated server, because they're messing around with peer-to-peer ad-hoc networking, you probably want to run the other way. Before you spend too much time on a potential client, make sure the prospective client is really ready for your solutions.

In this short article, we talked about 4 simple, but very powerful qualifying criteria for prospective clients. By consistently asking these questions, you can more proactively manage the selling process and utilize your limited time more effectively. Learn more about becoming an IT consultant and attracting steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.BecomingAnITConsultant.com

Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course Preview Webinar

2009-10-20T09:46:00.003-04:00

Learn how you can get more of the best, steady, high-paying small business clients in your local area. This free live preview event is exclusively for those who are not currently owners of the Computer Consulting Kit™ Home Study Course. As no recording will be made available, this event is only available live. Registration is limited to the first 100, first-come, first-served.

Sign-up now so you don’t miss out!

Title:		Computer Consulting Kit™ Home Study Course Preview Webinar

Date:		Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Time:		8:00 PM - 9:30 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/239429297

Open a Computer Repair Shop with the Right Priorities

2009-07-08T08:47:00.001-04:00

If you are planning to open a computer repair shop, you need to remember that “slow and steady wins the race.”

When it comes to starting a repair shop, you can’t just go in there with guns blazing on Day 1 of business and expect to get instant clients just by being aggressive and talking about how great your services are.

What can you do to build trust among your customers and really get your business started on solid footing as you open a computer repair shop?

Remember Computer Repair Marketing is a Systematic Process.

Maybe you feel like you’re doing everything right when it comes to marketing your repair company. You’ve joined some organizations, gone to some networking meetings, met some non-competing business owners in the IT field, and have been giving out your business cards everywhere … but you’re still not getting any response.

What’s the problem? Likely, you haven’t given your efforts enough time to produce results. Merely joining an organization is not enough to get people through the doors of your shop. However, if you have been active with your marketing activities for six months and still nothing is happening, you probably need to try another organization and some other marketing approaches.

Your Computer Repair Shop is Built on Personal Relationships.

As you open a computer repair shop, take everything slowly with new customers and let relationships evolve naturally. You usually can’t expect to go to one or two meetings and make a $25,000 sale. And if you do seem to have that beginner's luck, go right out and buy a lottery ticket because the odds are just about the same. Sometimes an unexpected client project windfall will come up and literally land in your lap because your timing is perfect, but most of the time you really need to work on building the essential “know, like and trust” of personal relationships.

If you have a warm personality and are friendly and charismatic, you will be able to build great personal relationships. Working in computer repair means working with people; you can’t be a loner, or hide in the back room and expect to do well when you open a computer repair shop.

Also, remember that with personal relationships, first impressions are really important. You need to build a rapport with the people you meet by dressing professionally and working on building your business chemistry. Make sure to also send business their way if you find someone that needs their services.

In this short article, we talked about 2 ways to ramp up your computer repair marketing and customer relationships as you set the stage for a new business. Learn more about how to open a computer repair shop that will attract steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) OpenAComputerRepairShop.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repair Contracts that Keep You Profitable

2009-06-28T09:15:00.000-04:00

If you are trying to set up profitable computer repair contracts for your small business clients, you might have some questions about their real benefits, or at least how to clearly explain these benefits to non-technical small business decision makers.

Many small business technology providers choose not to use on-going agreements and build their business around customers that have short-term needs or need immediate emergency services. If you fall into this category, you need to start thinking about your business realistically and planning long term. Unless you intend to spend a lot of time and money on aggressive marketing tactics or hire a huge number of employees to handle thousands of clients every year, you’re just not going to build sustainable revenue. You need to be prepared to build a solid foundation for your business, and this means focusing on long-term, sophisticated repair and support needs that will require you to enter into on-going relationships with clients that will pay you predictably a certain amount of service revenue each and every month.

Consider the following 3 points when building a solid foundation for your business on computer repair contracts.

1. Computer Repair Contracts Are Essential to Your Business. On-going agreements formalize your working arrangement with clients and provide your company with very highly profitable recurring consulting revenue. This is nothing like the commodity-oriented managed services business that puts you into a low-margin "box-pusher" mentality. Repair agreements contribute to your longevity in a way that no number of quick fixes or short-term solutions can, because they represent your commitment to cater to the real long-term needs of your small business clients … and most importantly, your clients’ commitment to pay you regularly for your expertise and high-end premium services.

2. The Customer is Not Always Right. Just because a large potential client wants to have his/her attorney rewrite your entire agreement doesn’t mean you should go along with it. If you have done a really good job of building a relationship with each client, you will not likely run into this situation. Start out each new customer on some kind of mutual proving ground project to make sure the relationship will work before you present the idea of your computer repair contracts. And there will be a certain amount of faith and good will build up between the key people in your company and the key people in your client’s business. Most of the time, the only reason a client will ask for a contract revision is because he/she senses weakness and the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Of course if you focus on the legal niche, it often becomes a matter of price and ego for your customers to bully-you into adopting their one-side contract mentality. So unless your clients are power-hungry attorneys, just follow a set, step-by-step sequence for engaging with new customers and clients, and the issue of a client that wants and demands a total rewrite will usually be a moot point.

3. Be Prepared. You need to have your entire computer repair contracts package planned out and ready to go, because you never know when a new customer or client will be ready to sign. Delaying for a few weeks will not only kill your credibility, but it will also potentially make you miss a valuable opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot.

In this article, we detailed some important points about building a plan for long-term agreements with clients. Learn more about how to build compelling, mutually-beneficial, highly-profitable computer repair contracts that will attract steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairContract.com All Rights Reserved

Printer Service Business Tips for Service Company Owners

2009-06-18T09:31:00.000-04:00

Does your company provide printer service to small businesses?

And if so, would you like to build a recurring service stream from more long-term clients, rather than constantly chasing down one-shot-deal customers?

Many owners of printer service companies cringe when they think about the complexities of setting up payment policies, terms and credit/collections. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. Just make sure you take into account your own unique business model and the types of clients you serve when you are determining how to set up important items like credit and payment plans.

The following 3 pieces of advice will help you establish sound printer service payment terms.

1. Seek Help from Your Accountant to Set Up Credit Policies. Your accountant will be in a great position to help you set up a system to evaluate completed credit applications and credit reference letters. Make sure you have credit policies in place so you can safely extend credit to your clients and ensure that you get paid. In addition, be sure to discuss how you’ll arrive at, monitor and enforce established credit limits with your important clients. Writing off debt can be extremely painful, both financially and psychologically. So you really need to spend serious time discussing important credit issues with your accountant and setting up procedures and controls. Because credit and collections can also cross over into legal issues, you should also consult with your attorney before finalizing procedures.

2. Know How You Will Get Paid. Regardless of how you set up and communicate your payment policies for long-term printer service contracts, you must have a firm grasp on how you will get paid by your clients. Those in the computer business are literally all over the map when it comes to payment terms, credit policies and billing procedures. Some insist on cash-on-delivery (COD). Others trust their gut feel or a handshake and just assume all the financial risk. You need to have a really good plan for ensuring you get paid ... or you’re not going to last long.

3. Explain Your Payment Terms and Retainer Deposits. You’ll do fairly well with printer service contracts if you explain your payment terms and require up-front retainer deposits. Attach firm due dates to payments and make sure your clients understand that your policies and expectations are not just suggestions. Don’t even think about granting any substantial amount of credit to a client without first securing and processing a completed credit application. Your payment policies and retainer deposits need to be worked clearly into your contracts and discussed before you agree to work with any client.

In this brief article, we presented 3 tips to help you establish payment policies with your clients so you ensure you get paid on time and in full. Learn more ways to improve each printer service contract and attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) PrinterServiceContracts.com All Rights Reserved

PC Repair Price Best Practices for Those Billing By-the-Hour

2009-06-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

Are you trying to set a fair PC repair price that will also bring you enough revenue and profitability to grow and sustain your business?

PC repair prices vary from business to business, as there are a lot of different fee structure options. One popular choice is to use billable hours, sometimes called time and materials, to estimate and quantify your time spent servicing clients.

As you develop a more long-term relationship with your clients, you will definitely want to get their commitment to on-going services through a PC repair service contract, as this will ensure you get on-going, steady revenue for your business. And for your clients, they'll have peace of mind knowing that you'll be there to take care of both their urgent and ongoing PC repair and other IT-related needs.

But as you are starting out and doing initial projects to gain trust and establish a good working relationship, setting a sustainable, profitable precedent for your PC repair price and billable hours is important.

Consider these 4 tips and best practices to make sure that you select a PC repair price structure that's a mutually win-win for both your company and your clients.

1. Understand Billable Hours and Hourly Billing. Your PC repair price can be based on a variety of fee-structure options. If you decide to use billable hours, you need to do your homework. You need to ensure that clients find your rates fair, but also that you can sustain your business profitably on the rates you set. The basic concept behind billable hours is that you set an hourly rate for your work. When the project is completed, you get paid for the number of hours you spent on the project. This often works well for consultants because it abides by the philosophy that time is money (which it most definitely is in the PC repair business), and it helps ensure those that use this structure are compensated for their time. From your perspective, it's important to note that billing by-the-hour, again often referred to as time and materials, is by far and away the most popular option for most PC repair businesses with diverse client lists.

2. Know How to Start a Project Using Billable Hours. The most important tip to remember when you estimate a PC repair price to your clients is to be upfront about all costs. There should be no surprises. Before work begins, plan carefully and provide a written estimate calculating the amount per hour that will be charged. Also make sure you include a fair projection of the number of hours you will need to finish the project and be very clear. For instance, you could say, “Client agrees to pay $100 per hour for 6 hours of work.”

3. Be Prepared if the Project Goes Over Budget. Often a project is bigger or more time consuming than you originally expected. Before beginning work, you need to address this contingency in the written estimate and include it in your PC repair price estimate. A clause can be added that the client must approve additional hours. This is often called a “change order” and is critical to ensuring that you get paid appropriately for the time you spend.... especially if the client introduces additional requirements after the original PC repair price is quoted. When working on long-term projects, make sure you keep your client informed of your progress with a regular detailed report of any additional costs or schedule changes. This will help you build solid relationships and decrease the chances of disputes over fees.

4. Track Your Hours Well. Before you set a PC repair price in stone for a project, discuss all details with each client. Will you be charging for travel time, documenting time, research time and phone time? And regardless of which software or service you use to keep track of your billable hours, you need to keep careful track of your hours expended and make sure that you are taking into account all possible time and financial costs.

In this short article, you were introduced to how to manage a pricing structure based on billable hours. Learn more about setting a PC repair price structure that will be mutually beneficial for both your clients and you now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) PCRepairPriceSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repair Employment Ain't What IT Used to Be

2009-06-11T00:04:00.002-04:00

If you want steady computer repair employment, you need to understand that the game has changed in a big-time way.

Let's face it. Computer repair employment ain't what it used to be. This isn't 1999 or 1989 or 1985. And unless you have access to Marty McFly's DeLorean time machine and its cultural-icon flux capacitor, it's time to face reality.

Don't put your career in the hands of someone else. Take control of your own future. What's one of the best ways to do this? Take your hard-earned computer repair skills and build your own computer repair business around the needs of local small business clients.

Because unless you’re ready to really go head-to-head with computer repair giants, you need to build relationships with clients that will need you for on-going computer repair services and all of their other IT-related needs. This means you really have to get to the heart of their biggest business problems and IT needs.

If you want to build a strong enough business, so you never have to worry about computer repair employment ever again, consider the following 4 tips that help you learn about your clients' true needs.

1. Ask Clients about Their Top 3 Business and IT Problems. When you first meet with prospects, you need to get them talking about their top 3 business and IT problems. You might learn that the problems your prospects have are not the ones your business can solve. In this case, you will know immediately you are barking up the wrong tree and need to move onto better opportunities. The key point is to get your prospects talking.

2. Ask about Your Prospective Clients’ Preferences. You need to get prospects talking about what they like and dislike about past computer repair they’ve received. This process can give you a lot of clues about what they ARE seeking. Remember, most non-technical small business owners and managers have very little experience in computer repair employment-related issues. So you'll really need to take charge of the discussion if you want it to be a productive dialogue.

3. Find Out if There is an Emergency. When you first talk to prospects, you also need to make sure you find out if they have an emergency that has to be addressed in the next 24-72 hours. Or they might just be looking for something like an IT audit, site survey or technology assessment, but you have to find out in the first meeting.

4. Bring Your Prospects to the Next Step. You need to move your prospects from non-paying prospects to paying customers and clients. In order to do this, you have to make sure you don’t let them pick your brain too much in the first meeting. You need to get them to write a check to your company sooner rather than later, so you can make the most out of each prospect and not just provide a free advice session. If you don't take charge, it's almost like pro-bono computer repair employment. Make sure you have something ready to offer prospects that allows them to get started with you right away in a relatively low-risk setting for both parties. That's what a proving ground project is all about. If you want to be really prepared, you can bring blank forms with you so you are ready for them to sign on for your initial proving ground project at the end of the meeting.

In this article, we talked about 4 tips to help you build a profitable and sustainable computer repair business around the unique needs of local small business clients. Learn more about how to avoid dead-end computer repair employment by building a business with great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairEmployment.com All Rights Reserved

How to Start a Computer Repair Shop

2009-06-07T08:16:00.001-04:00

Many that are trying to learn how to start a computer repair shop wonder, “How can I do this when the economy has been so tough?”

Even before the recent economic downturn, the rules of computer repair and technology businesses have changed dramatically. It’s not enough to be a highly-talented repair person or technology expert anymore. You have to be on the lookout for new client business opportunities all the time.

Those starting computer repair shops face not only a tough economic client, but also a highly-challenging business environment. If you are trying to figure out how to start a computer repair shop, you do need to know that it’s going to be tougher for you to find new clients, but certainly not impossible. The flip side, the economic turmoil has also created a lot of new opportunities that didn't exist as recently as 12 months ago.

Finding new customers needs to be one of your top priorities, so you can not only survive, but thrive. You will need to stand apart from your local competition and constantly plant the seeds for future business development activities.

To help you organize your lead generation activities, use the following 5 field-tested, proven low-cost, high-impact tactics for starting a computer repair shop.

1. Think about Word-of-Mouth Referrals. In order to help you as you learn how to start a computer repair shop, you need to know how to get more word-of-mouth referrals. Think about how you will stay in touch with your existing contacts and get back in touch with those that have lapsed over months and even years. For a retail store-front computer repair shop, this almost screams for the idea of planning a super-cool, high-excitement launch reception or open-house event.

2. Uncover All Service Revenue Opportunities. Chances to grow service revenue for your computer repair shop surround you every day. You have to learn to look for networking opportunities and methods to help you provide better and better solutions to your valued clients everywhere you go. You should always be on the lookout for new clients and partners, and be proactive about building relationships... especially with those small businesses that need IT service on a regular, scheduled basis.

3. Make Your Marketing Materials More Response-Driven. As you're figuring out how to start a computer repair shop in difficult economic times, you need to prepare marketing materials that can dramatically boost the number of prospects you convert into lucrative clients. Focus on low-cost opportunities to attract ideal clients that will build long-term relationships with your firm. Work on creating a very strong brand and logo that communicates your unique solutions and for whom you provide these solutions. Then put together a Web site and business card that supports your overall business plan. Remember it's the problem-solving that clients pay the big bucks for, not the break-fix repairs, technical features, or IT buzzwords.

4. Learn How to Make Great Sales Calls. You need to make sure you avoid making common mistakes in sales calls as you think about how to start a computer repair shop. Avoid dwelling on the price of your services when you are talking about your solutions to clients and always outline the unique benefits you provide. This will put you on the right path to presenting yourself professionally and truly communicating the strength of your complete business solutions.

5. Always Remember Customer Service. You can really leave your competitors in the dust if you are mindful of providing great customer service. When you really show you care about your clients and helping them grow their businesses, you will gain their trust and loyalty and build the lifetime relationships that will bring you steady, on-going revenue for your new computer repair shop.

In this article, we talked about 5 concepts you need to grasp as you build your new computer repair shop. Learn more about how to start a computer repair shop with the best steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) HowToStartAComputerRepairShop.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repair Service Software is More About You than Bits and Bytes

2009-06-01T09:02:00.001-04:00

Are you looking for computer repair service software that will help you work more efficiently with your clients? If so, you need to understand that your ultimate success, or lack thereof, with computer repair service software depends a lot more on your business strategy than just some piece of code, or bits and bytes.

The truth is the type of software you use is not as important as the plan you implement for organizing your time spent with clients. A big way to organize your time and prioritize clients is to establish a very clear service contract plan and get every long-term client on that plan. If you don’t set clear boundaries for what you will and will not do or how you will work with clients, no software can help you organize your business. You need to have a way to clearly decide who will get services now… and who will have to wait until later.

In other words, if your business plan is either weak or non-existent, no amount of money that you spend on software will be worthwhile.

With that in mind, let's look at 4 ways to better organize and prioritize your day-to-day business activities, so you can deliver the best services no matter which type of computer repair service software you use.

1. Don’t Promise More Than You Can Deliver. Many small computer repair companies make the mistake of trying to deliver on promises like unreasonably quick response time with very sophisticated services, often without a real service agreement plan in place. One of the major reasons why this major business-planning mistake is made is a failure to identify real competitors in the marketplace. The truth is, if you run a one or two, or even five-person shop, a Fortune 1000 company is not your direct competitor. As a result, you need to focus on building long-term relationships with clients that will pay you high rates for specialized, personalized work. In other words, you need to fill in gaps in the marketplace that are being overlooked by bloated Fortune 1000 bureaucracies. This type of mindset combined with your computer repair service software will help you deliver high-quality solutions to the types of clients that will pay you for on-going work through long-term service agreements. In other words, focus on the relationship, not just the initial sale. Remember, your business needs to be profitable and sustainable, not just busy.

2. Manage Client Expectations. Most clients want instant results; however, their IT budgets can rarely afford this kind of service. To realistically accommodate this type of client and even exceed his/her expectations, make sure your service agreements for computer repair are lucrative. In other words, you need to set rates high enough so you can afford to provide this high level of prioritized service to your most valuable clients. You will also need to make sure you are appropriately staffed to handle the number of clients you take on, so you can really be on call to respond rapidly during service hours and make use of your preferred computer repair service software.

3. Tier Your Response Time. Tiering your response time with different modes of response as part of your service contract plan can help you handle response time issues. For example, during normal business hours, you might offer callback for emergency phone support within 30 minutes, remote troubleshooting within two hours and on-site response within four hours or the next business day. When you can really micro-manage who gets prioritized response as part of your service contract plan, you will help make more efficient use of the time you have available, regardless of whether or not you choose to use specialized software.

4. Partner with Other Local Computer Repair Specialists. When 90% of your clients all have network emergencies on the same day, even the most sophisticated computer repair service software won’t save you. You need to prepare yourself for this inevitability by partnering with other non-competing computer repair specialists in your area so you are fully supported and can continue to deliver on promises to your clients when everything hits the fan at once. If you don't think this could ever happen, think about earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, and other natural disasters that can hit thousands of small businesses simultaneously.

In this article, we outlined 4 tips to help you build a service contract plan that will help you deliver the best services to your computer repair clients, no matter which type of software you use. Learn more about how to use service contracts alongside your computer repair service software to get steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairServiceSoftware.com All Rights Reserved

Sales IT Strategies for Turning Prospects into Long-Term Clients

2009-05-28T07:42:00.000-04:00

Could you use some proven sales IT strategies that help you more easily and more rapidly turn your prospects into long-term clients on ongoing support agreements?

If you want to get more clients for your IT business, you need to be able to effectively and persuasively overcome prospect sales objections. In order to do this, you need to turn the tables on your prospective clients and ask questions that make them decide on their own that they need your help. Because after all, don't most ideas sound better when they are "your" ideas?!?

Now in order for your sales IT strategies to be successful, you need to convince your prospects that what you are trying to sell is both crucial and urgent. The following 3 tips can help prospective clients overcome their own objections and get on the road to being great new clients for the long-haul.

1. Suggest Potential Problems to Your Prospects. In order to get your sales IT strategy to work with potential clients, you need to set up in their minds that there are some potential problems with their current systems that they simply aren't aware of. You need to ask questions that will get them thinking. “When was most of our system infrastructure installed?” “How long ago was that and who did the work?” “Is that person or company still maintaining the systems?” After you ask these questions, your prospects will start to think, “Gee, it’s been a while since we had these installed, and I don’t even really remember who did it. No one’s been maintaining it for at least the past six months, if not more.” They will start to realize the need for more consistent, responsive, proactive professional support. And of course, if you have some client case studies and testimonial letters to support this all, don't be shy about flaunting your credibility enhancers.

2. Ask Questions about Maintenance. The next part of getting your clients to do the work with your sales IT strategy is asking questions about how often their systems are maintained. These questions will help you get a better idea of the current condition of their computers and technology assets, while also showing prospects that they are more disorganized than they believed and need your expertise. You have to rattle their cage a little, get them to second-guess their previous judgment and become a little bit borderline-obsesses about rectifying this severe oversight on their part. “What kind of maintenance is done and how often is it done?” “Do you have a log showing the maintenance activities and routine support requests?” “Do you have any support history, or do you have copies of some support invoices or something similar?” "What kind of encryption is being used?" "What's your automated data backup and restore plan?" "When was the last time your firewall was tested and updated?" "If your office was devastated tomorrow by a tornado, flash flood, or earthquake, could your business survive? Really? How?"

3. Get An Idea of How Many IT Professionals Your Prospects Have Used. To really get your prospects to buy what you’re selling and ease them along the sales IT process, you need to ask about the number of people that have been involved with their systems over the years. If they are like most typical business owners, they have had three or five different companies in the past several years. This means they probably have a very messy IT environment and a much bigger blob of blurred accountability and botched, highly-vulnerable infrastructure than they probably even realize.

In this short article, we talked about 3 sales IT strategies to help you turn the selling process around on your clients, so they can overcome their own sales objections. Learn more proven secrets about creating strong, profitable sales IT strategies that get you steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) SalesITSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repair Business Opportunity that Gets You More Great Clients

2009-05-26T10:33:00.001-04:00

Many that look for a computer repair business opportunity spend most of their time and energy thinking about the technology side and give relatively little thought to how they'll get paying customers and clients.

While computer repair certainly is an IT-intensive business, ultimately it's quality and quantity of your marketing campaigns and relationship-building that will be a much better predictor of your success in pursuing a computer repair business opportunity.

When it comes to building these long-term relationships, getting involved in local business-related organizations can be one of the most cost-effective ways to consistently generate very highly-qualified prospective clients.

By getting involved in organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club or even an IT Professionals User Group, you can meet people with common interests in a very personalized setting. These contacts can be great future partners or clients of your company. As you meet people through organizations, you will start to develop personal relationships that will be the very foundation of your business. When you join organizations and attend regularly, you can show people that you are dependable, trustworthy and worthy of their consideration.

The following three tips can help you make the most out of any computer repair business opportunity when you network through organizations.

1. Think about Trust. People look for computer repair professionals in the same way they look for good dentists, internists, attorneys or accountants. Yes, some people will go to the phone book for these highly-professional services or look in coupon packs or billboards. But most will find their trusted business advisors through referrals and other very personalized methods. The reason for this is because when people are looking for services involved with their personal health, personal well being or their businesses, personal word-of-mouth referrals carry a lot of weight. When it comes to computer repair services, business owners want to make sure they find someone that can be trusted 100% with their most important technology and business assets.

2. Become Well Known in Your Community. One of the best ways for you to seize every possible computer repair business opportunity is to reach important decision makers earlier on in the sales cycle, before they're even looking for a business like yours. To train key movers and shakers to know that your company is the only one to call, you need to raise your personal and business profile in your local community within your target market. There are a couple of ways you can do that, but you have to have a mature enough outlook to understand delayed gratification. Networking through organizations is one of these strategies and can make or break the success of any kind of computer repair firm. And networking is all about relationships. Even though you are in the technology business, you are really in the people business. So focus on your interpersonal skills and building trust.

3. Get More Personal Recommendations. You need to think about personal recommendations as you network through organizations and tap into every possible computer repair business opportunity. In order to get personal recommendations, you have to know more people who are either in a position to hire you and/or recommend you to others who can hire you. Plain and simple. Join organizations and attend events on a regular basis. It's not rocket science and it's not something that will break your budget. $100-$250/mo can go a very long way. You don’t have to go to every single breakfast, networking luncheon or business after-hours function under the sun. But you do have to go to key functions and really meet and get to know a lot of people. If you really participate in organizations, over time you will get very good at identifying the kinds of people that are best at leading you to great client opportunities.

In this article we talked about 3 ways to network through organizations, to grow your computer repair business. Learn more proven tips on pursuing the right kind of computer repair business opportunity and attracting great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairBusinessOpp.com All Rights Reserved

Starting Your Own Computer Business the Right Way

2009-05-23T00:52:00.001-04:00

Are you starting your own computer business? Do you want to make sure you launch it the right way, the first time around?

Then make sure you're aware of your new company's sales cycle.

If you are like a lot of other new computer business owners, maybe you don’t quite know how to sell your services or get long-term clients and predictable revenue. One of the first steps to building a successful computer business is knowing the sequence of the sales cycle and following it consistently every time you come into contact with a potential client.

There are six steps in the sales cycle, and often new or naive computer professionals think these are just the ideal of what they ought to be doing in a perfect world.

The reality is, the sales cycle is not just a hypothetical best case scenario. Following its steps is the only way for most to consistently sell the high-margin services you need to get steady, high-paying clients. Methods that are limited to selling products, canned solutions, and even managed services that are pretty much just commodities put lots of downward pressure on your profit margins and won’t help you build your business.

To keep you away from profit-destroying methods as you are starting your own computer business, follow the 6 steps of the sales cycle below.

1. Targeted Marketing Activities that Generate High-Quality Leads. As you are beginning the process of finding the best clients for your computer business, you need to plan and implement a whole bunch of targeted marketing activities that will find those most likely to benefit from your unique services and the solutions you provide.

2. Careful Lead Qualification. As you are starting your own computer business and building your potential client roster, you need to qualify leads to make sure they fit your criteria for what makes a good client. For example, are they geographically desirable? big enough to need steady weekly or monthly sophisticated technology services? small enough to not have a big in-house IT department? and invested in, or planning to invest in, a platform supported by your particular computer business?

3. Sales Calls as Mutual Interviews. Once you’ve qualified your prospects, you need to go on initial sales calls. You need to have a written-down, plotted-out agenda for these meetings, but also treat them as mutual interviews. They are checking you out as a potential service provider. But when you're prepared, calm, cool, and collected, you are also able to more proactively figure out whether or not they have the potential to become good clients for your company.

4. Proving Ground Projects Build Credibility and Trust with New Customers. This step in the sales sequence is often overlooked, especially when you are just starting your own computer business. If you did everything right up to this point, your next step will be selling a small billable project – an emergency service visit or a technology assessment. This project will act as a proving ground of sorts, during which your company will prove its value to new customers. And conversely, your new customers are proving themselves to your business as being able to work well with you and your staff.

5. Remediation Projects, Major Upgrades, Installations, and Rollouts. The fifth step in the sequence of the sales cycle only happens if the proving ground project works well. This step involves talking about fixing a larger problem... often a major upgrade of systems, a big installation, or some sort of rollout project. Naive computer business owners might try to sell this type of project right out of the gate, before the process of lead qualification or a smaller project have been completed. However getting impatient can be a big mistake if you want to build long-term relationships.

6. Annual Service Agreements for On-Going Maintenance. As you present the major project or installation, talk about how on-going maintenance will be handled and present an annual service agreement program of some sort. You really need to have this service agreement program in place as you are starting your own computer business, so you can create the framework for creating long-term relationships. This final step of the sales cycle will take some time to reach as you let relationships evolve naturally. If you start talking about this major commitment in the first sales call with your potential client, before you have even built trust or proven yourself, you will in nearly all cases sabotage that relationship. Make sure you don't propose marriage on your first date. Take time to let new customer and client relationships evolve naturally.

In this article we went over the 6-step sales cycle for new computer business owners. Learn more about starting your own computer business with the proven sales cycle that gets you great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) StartingYourOwnComputerBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

Voice and Data Cabling: 3 Tips for Outsourced IT Consultants

2009-05-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

If you are an IT consultant designing total small business solutions, choosing the right kind of voice and data cabling for your network application, installing it properly and verifying compliance with the necessary standards is the key to ensuring your clients get the most out of their technology investment.

If you take a casual attitude towards the design or installation, you could cost your clients unnecessary money and waste time with unnecessary long-term troubleshooting issues and devastating downtime.

When it comes to laying the proper foundation for a reliable network, voice and data cabling is as important as pouring a solid foundation for a building construction project.

But how can you ensure you give your small business clients the best voice and data cabling options that fit in with your overall solution ... especially if you are coordinating services with an outside vendor and acting as their outsourced IT manager or virtual CIO?

Consider the following 3 tips that can help you be a great “go-between” for your clients and ensure your technology solutions work well for them, even if you are working with outside vendors for voice and data cabling services.

1. Map Out All the Parts of the Project and How They Fit Together. First, you need to know how to get from Point A to Point B. But you also need to know all the intricacies of the steps along the way, even if they are not being carried out by you personally. You have to know exactly what Point A and Point B are. Then you have to figure out how the overall project can be broken down into phases and who will be doing what, including which outside vendors you will be using and what you will be able to do in-house. To be a real virtual CIO, create a technology roadmap for your clients and be in total control of how it is executed. And be sure to communicate regularly with any outside vendors you use throughout the course of any project so you are all on the same page.

2. Allow Ample Time for Voice and Data Cabling Projects. Smooth IT projects do not happen magically. Major systems upgrades are generally carried out over the course of several weeks and sometimes even several months. And when you are coordinating voice and data cabling with outside vendors, you have to do a lot of advanced planning and pay close attention to a lot of interrelated details. You also have to understand that while you might have a specific timeline in mind for completing a project, you can’t always expect that other vendors will have the same exact idea, or that your timeline will even be reasonable for them. As an effective virtual CIO, you need to be realistic about timelines and work with all members of your team to develop a definite plan before the start of the project.

3. Prepare for Potential Problems with Conservative Time and Money Budgets. Seasoned virtual CIO's and project managers learn to spot potential problems before they evolve into major catastrophes that can drastically increase budget and time spent. When you are working with other companies that provide voice and data cabling, you need to make sure any outside companies you use are doing their jobs in the agreed-upon amount of time and for the agreed-upon cost. If you are watchful of every component of a big project, even those pieces you are not doing yourself, you can handle most unexpected problems efficiently and expediently.

In this article, we discussed how you can work more effectively with outside vendors to oversee major network infrastructure projects, such as voice and data cabling. Learn more about how to provide great voice and data cabling options to better serve your steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) VoiceAndDataCablingBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

IT Marketing Plan Tips for Fine-Tuning Your Elevator Speech

2009-05-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

If you want to attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your IT consulting business, you need to develop a very solid IT marketing plan. Many in IT consulting naively believe that marketing is only something that merits attention when business slows down. The problem however is that because of the length of your sales cycle, most can't afford to back-burner their IT marketing plan.

An important marketing element many IT professionals neglect to fully develop is the elevator speech. The elevator speech is a short little description of your business, and is necessary to reach prospective clients in networking situations. You need to really practice it and make it a reflex as you are meeting prospective clients and partners that will be essential to the growth of your business.

An elevator speech, named for the amount of time you have to deliver your message between getting on and getting off the elevator, must be very concise -- 30 seconds tops, though 10 seconds is more ideal. Remember, if you're still blabbering away when the person you're sharing the elevator ride with exits, you're talking way too much.

If you have a well thought-out compelling business plan and unique problem-solution-benefit value proposition, writing your elevator speech is a piece of cake.

The following 3 IT marketing plan tips can help you fine-tune your elevator speech.

1. A Fine-Tuned Elevator Speech Helps You Compete with Other IT Professionals. If you go to an organizational meeting, like a Chamber of Commerce breakfast or Rotary Club luncheon, you will probably not be the only IT professional giving a 30-second commercial as you mingle around and meet others. If there are two or three other computer service companies there at the same event, you need to make sure your elevator speech resonates with those you meet that might be great candidates for your services. A huge part of success in IT marketing is showing how you are different from your competitors, and how only your unique solution can fully solve the problems of your target business prospects. An effective problem-solution-benefit elevator speech can often get your foot in the door, which is key to your success in your IT marketing plan.

2. Focus on Benefits and Problems Solved … Not Features. The key thing with an elevator speech is that you need to focus on the benefits you provide for a particular business as well as the problems you can solve. For example, “Hi, my name is Bob Johnson from Johnson Computer Solutions. We help small businesses make better use of their computer systems to grow their revenue, lower their costs and raise their overall productivity and bottom-line profits.” Your elevator speech needs to focus on what you can do specifically for small businesses in actual business language. It cannot just talk about how great you are, your laundry list of certifications or the technology services you provide.

3. Make Sure Your Elevator Speech is Sincere. Any IT marketing activities you do need to be 100% sincere. Therefore, as you are delivering your elevator speech, you have to come across as someone that can help business owners and has a genuine interest in hearing more about them and their most important issues. The general rule of thumb with networking is to try to let the person that you’re talking to do most of the talking. Make sure to use active listening and find the opportunity for you to help the business owner. Networking as part of an IT marketing plan is learning about prospects … not about hearing yourself talk.

In this article we discussed 3 quick tips to help you fine-tune your elevator speech to use effectively in networking situations. Learn more about how to develop an effective, results-oriented IT marketing plan tips that will get you great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ProvenITMarketingPlan.com All Rights Reserved

Information Technology Consultants Tips for Overcoming Sales Objections

2009-05-15T09:33:00.001-04:00

Many self-employed Information Technology consultants believe that they are in the IT business. The reality, however, is quite different. Being a successful Information Technology consultant often hinges on your ability to build and maintain high-value relationships.

And when it comes to getting the ball rolling during the sales process, Information Technology consultants working with small businesses should understand that overcoming sales objections is a critical aspect of sales. In order to be successful, you need to become an expert at learning how to get rid of fears surrounding paying for technology support and showing the value proposition of your sophisticated solutions.

The key to overcoming objections is to be quick. You need to convey confidence, professionalism, and know what you are talking about.

The ability to overcome sales objections is particularly useful when you are trying to sell an IT audit, also sometimes called a technology assessment. There aren’t really hard and fast rules when it comes to overcoming objections, but there are definitely some common objections you will hear.

The following are 3 common sales objections that Information Technology consultants often hear when selling to small businesses, as well as some pre-scripted objection handlers that you can use out in the field.

1. Your Prospective Client Says, “Isn’t Your IT Audit Overkill for a Company Our Size?” If you hear this objection, you can come back with, “If technology is important to you, think about this. Would you go on a long trip without checking out your tire pressure, oil level, and fuel gauge? Would you make a huge real estate purchase without having an independent property appraisal? You need an independent assessment of what’s going on with your IT systems, because often what appears to be the problem on the surface when it comes to technology is not at all the issue. In fact, for many small businesses, their previous Information Technology consultants did such a masterful job of disguising problems, that the IT audit becomes a huge eye-opener. And if you'll indulge me for moment, to help illustrate this I've brought along a few video case studies and testimonials from our clients, who were until very recently in the same situation as you.”

2. Your Prospect Asks, “Can’t You Just Throw It All Away and Start from Scratch?” If this kind of question appears, consider responding with similar like, “That might sound good, but there can be a huge danger in buying too much or buying too little. If you under-buy, it means you’ve underestimated your true needs and just picked the cheapest alternative. What happens in this case is that you have to throw away what you bought just a few months ago when you realize your system is big-time inadequate. On the flip side, over-buying means you will end up spending too much of your budget on technology that is not going to work best for your company. You need a needs analysis from Information Technology consultants that will be able to tell you exactly what you need to make your most business efficient, and give you the best for the buck from your IT investments."

3. Your Potential Future Client Says, “Can’t Our Internal Guru Do Some of This Work to Save Us Some Money?” When you hear this objection, you can reply with, “If this is how you want to do it, I can tell you specifically what you’ll need for an untrained person to do an IT audit, and you can decide whether or not your internal guru can handle it. You will need seven critical elements if you choose not to use trained Information Technology consultants: a complete, up-to-date system documentation; a maintenance history of what’s been done so far; a supporting call log; a list of the kinds of support calls that are being generated on a regular basis; a complete up-to-date asset inventory; a history of any recent projects that have been started or completed; a data protection vulnerability analysis. On top of this, you’ll need to give your internal guru an incredibly detailed list of exactly what needs to be done to bring you up to date. What we can accomplish in a few hours might take an non-IT professional literally weeks of time... and he or she will probably still miss a lot of key areas. It's like trying to train someone who knows how to do their own simple tax return on the intricacies of forensic accounting or tax planning for a $100M company.” This long list of items will almost always prove to your prospective client that he/she does not have enough time or the right resources or expertise to do this type of assessment alone.

In this article we outlined 3 IT audit-related sales objections you might encounter working in the small business space and how you can overcome them. To learn more about how Information Technology consultants handle sales objections and the sales process as a whole, sign-up for free proven tips on how to attract more great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) InformationTechnologyConsult.com All Rights Reserved

IT Support Contracts Build a Stronger Business

2009-05-13T01:36:00.000-04:00

Does your small business IT company offer IT support contracts?

Some small business IT professionals question the power of IT support contracts and whether they will really help them build a solid business. The truth is, as a small firm, you can’t afford to just rely on unpredictable pay-as-you-go customers that will only call you once in a blue moon. You need some sort of recurring service revenue and a guarantee that you will have a very specific amount of money coming in each and every month.

Otherwise, you will find yourself treading water and potentially hitting a dead end while trying to build your business before you really even get started. You need to build solid relationships with on-going, steady, high-paying small business clients that have signed IT support contracts and made a promise to work with you long term.

The following 3 tips can help you understand why on-going agreements are essential to building a solid IT consulting business and having fulfilling, mutually-beneficial relationships with your clients.

1. IT Support Contracts Are Mandatory for Building a Strong Business. Support contract agreements are an essential part of small business IT consulting. These agreements formalize the consultant/client working arrangement and provide your consulting firm with very highly-profitable recurring revenue that can keep you in business for many years.

2. Don’t Rewrite Your Offerings for High-Maintenance Prospects, Customers and Clients. You can’t be at the mercy of your clients’ every whim if you want to be perceived as a real, professional, necessary part of their business and IT plans. If you’ve followed a steady sales process and let your relationships with prospects, customers and clients evolve, you will use a very calculated sequence that will help build faith and goodwill between the key people in your company and the key people at your clients’ companies. If a client asks you to completely revise your support contract agreement the client probably sees a weakness or is trying to take advantage of the situation. Imagine if a client of an IT giant like Microsoft or Apple asked one of these companies to rewrite its standard contract just to accommodate him/her. You should see the essential details and terms of your IT support contracts as standard and non-negotiable, just like the details of the contracts of companies much larger than yours. If you are following the same sales sequence with each client and letting relationships evolve, a scenario where a qualified, lucrative client asks for significant changes in your basic contract will not usually arise.

3. Don’t Neglect Your Proving Ground Project. Your proving ground project is an essential part of the sales cycle, and you can’t forget about it as you build relationships with your prospects, customers and clients. You will have a very difficult time selling IT support contracts to small business owners that have never done any work with your company. You need to turn prospects into paying customers by getting them to agree to pay you for an initial small project to make sure you will work well together long term. This way, you and your new customers get to take your relationship out for a test-drive with a very nominal project commitment before you commit to each other for the long haul. Your proving ground project is an opportunity to find out whether or not you and a customer will be a good match for on-going work.

In this article, we went over 3 tips to help you understand the power of building your business around on-going IT support contracts. Learn more about designing IT support contracts that will get you great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ITSupportContractSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Business Ideas for Getting More Steady, High-Paying Clients

2009-04-18T12:48:00.001-04:00

Are you trying to come up with computer business ideas that will get you the stable revenue you need to survive, even in challenging economic times?

Many new and inexperienced computer business owners spend most of their time and energy chasing down one-shot-deal customers and keeping their fingers crossed that these clients will call them again in a few months or a few years. If you are relying on this same business model (or lack thereof!), you are headed down a dead-end street.

You can’t build a successful computer business around the needs and wants of one-shot deal customers. First of all, it is just not financially viable to spend all that time and money acquiring customers for one-shot deal transactions. But secondly, you are going to drive yourself crazy waiting for the phone to ring and constantly find yourself scrambling to make ends meet. The answer to your problems is to get steady, high-paying clients on lucrative annual service agreements.

Consider the following 3 computer business ideas about why service agreements are the way to go if you want a more stable, predictable, profitable client base and business.

1. Annual Service Agreements Give Your Business Stability. When you scrap the one-shot deal, short-sighted computer business ideas and pursue more lucrative annual service agreement clients, you give your business the recurring revenue, stability and predictability that it so desperately needs. Annual service agreements are also vital prerequisites to have in place when contemplating major expansion, such as hiring new staff or opening up a new office.

2. Service Agreements Help You Plan an Exit Strategy. You might think the beginning of the life of your new business is not the time to plan its end. But there is no more perfect time! If you ever want to be able to sell your computer business -- for example, if you move, get bored, get burnt out, or get disabled -- the list of your clients on annual service agreements become one of your company’s few tangible assets. Of course, the overall valuation of your company is best left to an expert, such as your trusted accountant. So make sure you do this as you start to set up your service agreement program and business plans.

3. Understand the Math Behind Service Agreement Clients. As an example, if your company has been averaging $200,000 in pure consulting revenue over the last three years and ¾ of that ($150,000) is locked in on annual service agreements, this is a pretty nice asset for someone looking to acquire at a multiple of your overall gross service revenue. As you consider other computer business ideas besides those based on on-going service agreements, think of the flip side of this concept: how much will a competitor pay to purchase a list of one-shot deal customers that only call once in a while? Even if your company has some decent revenue track record, without annual service agreements, you don’t have that $12,500 head-start on revenue each month ($150,000/year divided by 12 months). When you don’t have annual service agreements, you will be literally starting from scratch every single month.

At the end of the day, or the end of your interest in owning your own business, your list of service agreement clients becomes a very valuable, tangible asset and one that should be continually cultivated and strengthened.

With all the compelling evidence in support of service agreements, why would you possibly consider computer business ideas rooted in other concepts?

In this short article, we talked about 3 reasons why you should build your computer business around the needs of your clients on service agreements. Learn more proven computer business ideas that can help you get great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerBusinessIdea.com All Rights Reserved

PC Repair Price List Tips for Designing Your Rate Card

2009-04-15T21:50:00.001-04:00

Are you having trouble figuring out how to present your PC repair price list?

As someone working in PC repair, your best bet is to make sure you’re not setting yourself up as the source for “low, low prices” on repairs and related services. Why? Because you will only attract customers that are looking for rock-bottom prices right now and will leave you as soon as something cheaper comes along.

Instead, focus on small business clients that need on-going support. This will help you attract more steady, high-paying clients that are looking for higher-end, long-term solutions, rather than what appears to be the cheapest price. And your best bet for presenting an organized PC repair price list to your potential clients is to design an effective, high-compelling rate card.

The following 3 tips can help you set up your rate card so you can communicate your solutions and prices clearly to your new customers.

1. Know that Every PC Repair Specialist Struggles with the Task of Setting Prices. Many new computer repair specialists have trouble figuring out what they should charge clients. Many perceive presenting a PC repair price list as a big, hidden mystery of running a business. However, it is entirely possible to set rates for your services so that they will not only bring you a stable source of service revenue, but also help you build satisfying, mutually-beneficial client relationships.

2. Understand the Factors that Help You Decide on Prices. There are a number of factors, depending on your skill set and local marketplace competition, that can help you decide what to charge your PC repair clients. Make sure that you do your homework before you decide on a set PC repair price list. For example, be sure to Investigate what other equally-qualified professionals and firms in your area are charging, the demand for your services, as well as your own cost of doing business and monthly overhead.

3. Decide What the Goal(s) of Your Rate Card Should Be. A properly-designed rate card accomplishes many objectives that are critical to your PC repair business: it sets the tone for your level of professionalism; it fully discloses and clearly communicates your prices and shows how they are a critical investment; it ensures you are fairly compensated for after-hours and emergency repairs; it allows you to bill more for highly-skilled work; and it reinforces the value proposition of your on-going agreements with long-term clients. Some of these goals and objectives may be more important to you than others. But before you decide on your price list, be sure to think about what matters most to you and your business.

Establishing and presenting a PC repair price list doesn’t have to be a complicated process if you plan carefully and know the factors that go into setting rates.

In this short article, we introduced 3 considerations for establishing and presenting a strong PC repair price list. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients signed onto your PC repair price list now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) PCRepairPriceSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

How to Become a IT Consultant and Attract Great Clients

2009-04-02T11:22:00.001-04:00

Are you trying to figure out how to become a IT consultant, but you’re not at all sure where to start?

Before you run out to chat up every friend, family member and former colleague or print out fliers and take out ads in your local phone book, think carefully about who you want as clients. You also need to get ready for a lot of hard work pounding the pavement and honing your people skills.

Becoming a IT consultant can be very rewarding, but it’s not necessarily easy. You aren’t going to get your clients handed to you on a silver platter, no matter what your business model is or where you are located. Of course if you have several hundred thousand dollars or more in working capital, you could buy an existing IT consulting business. But there'd be no guarantees that you'd be as successful as the previous owner. And that option just simply isn't practical for 99.99% of those reading this article.

You also aren’t going to immediately attract great clients just because you have a real way with technology, or a deep roster of close friends that know, like and trust you.

The following 4 pieces of advice can help you understand why you need to engage in targeted marketing activities if you really want to learn how to become a IT consultant, attract great clients, and build a solid business.

1. Don't Get Complacent About Building Relationships and Keeping Your Sales Funnel Full. Many new IT consultants make the mistake of assuming that just because they have enough business today, they will have enough tomorrow, next month and next year. This way of thinking can be the death of even the most seemingly thriving IT business. You need to be diligently and regularly meeting new people through networking organizations and targeted marketing activities so you are prepared if one or more of your clients suddenly jumps ship, goes out of business or simply can’t work with you anymore. Make time for marketing activities and follow-ups... now.

2. Don't Rely on Co-Workers, College Buddies, Relatives or other Close Acquaintances. If you want to become a IT consultant, you need to be prepared to meet new people. You can’t rely exclusively on contacts that have taken years, decades or even a lifetime to cultivate as you build your business. While these people can be helpful in the beginning, they will not build a stable foundation for your business. Branch out and focus on continuously building your network of potential clients and partners.

3. When You Don’t Market, You're Threatening Your Company's Survival. Unless you have a never-ending supply of former bosses, former co-workers, college buddies, cousins or other relatives, you will sooner or later have to confront a harsh reality – you to be able to confidently and effectively market to strangers. You need to develop skills that will help you relate to people that don’t know you yet so you can continue to build a network that extends beyond just those that already know you.

4. Know the Great Results of Targeted Marketing. Be very aware of which types of clients will help you succeed at starting your own business. Develop a marketing message that speaks to those that will most need the IT solutions you are providing. When you can do this well, you will find targeted leads that will have the best possible potential of becoming your next, steady high-paying IT consulting clients.

In this article, we discussed 4 tips on how to become a IT consultant. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as you become a IT consultant now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), BecomeAnITConsultant.com, All Rights Reserved

Technology Assessments Sales Strategies

2009-03-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

Do you offer technology assessments to your new IT consulting clients?

If not, you're really missing the boat. Why? Simply put, technology assessments are a very important part of a well thought-out, step-by-step sales process.

These small initial proving ground projects show prospects that you know your stuff. And they help start real, long-term relationships with steady, high-paying business owners that will sustain your business long term.

However, technology assessments can be a difficult sell if you don't know what you're doing.

In order to overcome resistance from prospects, approach the sale from a features and benefits perspective, and be prepared to answer the important question, “Why do I need a technology assessment?”

Answering this question involves making sure you are explaining the benefits and not just generic features.

The following 3 pieces of advice can help you stress the benefits of technology assessments to your prospective clients.

1. Know What Features Are. Features are great, but they don’t get to the heart of why prospects buy technology assessments. Features are often loaded with technical jargon, a big turn-off to non-technical business owners that want to hear things in business-focused terms. Features of technology assessments include the following examples: “I will review your existing network;” “I will look at your PC configurations;” “I will examine your telco circuits;” “I will critique your IT policy;” “I will analyze your existing data security and data protection measures;” “I will tell you about some of the more common data loss risks.” Features will often leave your prospects saying, “So what?” They don’t answer the important question, “Why do I need a technology assessment?” Benefits provide a definitive and irrefutable answer to, "And this matters to me because?"

2. Know How to Present the Benefits of Technology Assessments. Some of the benefits you can present to your prospects include: “You’ll be able to understand what it is that you already own;” “You’ll become aware of the inherent limitations of what you own;” “You’ll understand the weaknesses in your systems;” “You’ll learn about untapped potential that you could be using more efficiently;” “You’ll be able to get stronger bottom-line benefits out of your existing IT assets;” and “You’ll be able to take steps to prevent expensive disruptions and unplanned emergency downtime.”

3. Emphasize the Benefits of Technology Assessments in Your Marketing Materials. Once you are clear about the benefits, be sure to clearly articulate these benefits in all of your marketing materials that you use to convert qualified leads into new paying customers. A benefits list is an excellent addition to fliers, postcards, e-mails and any other marketing collateral you use with your prospects. But first, you need to know the difference between “features” and “benefits.”

In this article, we discussed 3 proven strategies for more effectively selling technology assessments to your prospective clients. Learn more about how you can use technology assessments to attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), TechnologyAssessmentSecrets.com, All Rights Reserved

Opening a Computer Repair Shop Made Simple, Step-by-Step

2009-03-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

Are you opening a computer repair shop, but aren’t sure exactly what you’re getting yourself into?

Many technology professionals that decide to start a new business don’t know what to expect and don’t plan their company’s model or build real relationships. Thus, they end up without an organized business plan or a strategic method for finding high-quality, long-term clients and partners. And as you can probably imagine, going into any business venture blindly is a recipe for failure.

The following 7 best practices for opening a computer repair shop can help you understand what to expect as you start your business so you can build relationships with crucial clients, partners and subcontractors.

1. Small Business Clients Expect Your Firm to Be Knowledgeable. When you are opening a computer repair shop, your clients will often unrealistically expect you to be knowledgeable on every conceivable technology problem under the sun. To deliver on this want and need, focus on providing the complete solution to your clients. This way you can build long-term relationships that produce predictable recurring revenue, great reference accounts and ideal clients that are not as price sensitive as others looking for just a one-time purchase. To fill in gaps in your skills, you'll want to build-up your team with non-competing technology provider partners and subcontractors. (More on that in a moment ...)

2. When You Partner, You Retain Account Control and Appear Bigger Than You Really Are. When you partner with other technology providers as you are opening a computer repair shop, you give yourself access to varied skill sets and are able to pool resources. Thus, your firm will appear to have many specialties, as well as a deep ability to solve big IT business problems and engage in major projects.

3. Partnering with Technology Professionals Helps You Manage Clients’ Needs that Are Beyond Your Immediate Reach. You will help yourself succeed at opening a computer repair shop when you partner with non-competing technology providers in your area that fill in your skills gaps. For example, your potential partner might be intimately familiar with a specific client/server or industry-specific software application. Regardless of your specialty, look to find professionals that can help you manage major IT projects and better fulfill your clients’ needs, while you still remain each client's main contact and project manager.

4. Find Partners You Can Comfortably Work With and Trust. Make sure you consult an attorney as you are building relationships with potential partners. But remember that even the most thorough attorney can’t possibly cover every single contingency and scenario in an official partnership agreement. Gut feel and trust are important elements as you are opening a computer repair shop and building relationships with partners. Many that own repair shops like to start partnerships with smaller projects and gradually progress to larger projects.

5. Find a Hook. To stand out from the crowd, look to find a hook, or something special that differentiates you from the pack. You need to also know the hooks of your partners so you can go to clients with a full set of real skills and not just a load of marketing hype. Understanding these hooks will also help you know which partnerships are long-term viable and which potential partners are your direct competitors. As an additional tip, you can print up a second set of business cards geared towards potential partners, with your hook clearly described.

6. Understand the Difference Between Subcontractors and Partners. When you work with partners, you can potentially spend a lot of time trying to reach a common ground on whose billing and administrative procedures you will adopt. But with a master contractor/subcontractor relationship, you will handle most, if not all administrative and management tasks. This can be beneficial, because it saves time and lets you call all the shots.

7. Be Sure to Set Up Mutually-Beneficial Relationships. No matter what, as you are opening a computer repair shop, and throughout the life of your business, you need to set up relationships with clients, partners and subcontractors that are mutually beneficial. Set up relationships with long-term interests in mind. For clients, this means providing ample benefits that make them hesitant to switch computer repair professionals because of the huge potential for disruption and loss of continuity. For subcontractors and partners, this means showing them that working with them for just a single, one-time client project is too expensive for both of you when you figure in the screening, hiring and managing duties.

In this brief article we discussed 7 best practices to think about as you are opening a computer repair shop. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as you're opening a computer repair shop now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), OpeningAComputerRepairShop.com, All Rights Reserved

Information Technology Business Plan for IT Support Contracts

2009-03-14T02:21:00.001-04:00

If you are trying to come up with a good Information Technology business plan, you may be wondering about what your focus should be. Usually the top priority is creating a plan that will help you get great clients, so you can effectively manage and grow your business.

Many Information Technology consultants make the mistake of thinking they can just get by on one-shot deals and fly-by-night customers. But in reality, this type of approach just leaves you frazzled and worried about where you will get your next big project or next paycheck. You need to build a stable business based on on-going relationships with long-term clients that will pay you each and every month, and bring you predictable service revenue.

The best plan for developing a strong Information Technology business plan is to insist that every one of your clients sign a support contract. The following 4 tips can help you understand how to build your business plan on the solid foundation of support contracts.

1. Support Contracts Are Key for the Busy Information Technology Consultant. If you are like most IT consultants, your time is incredibly valuable. When you choose to base your Information Technology business plan on support contracts, you help better manage your time, particularly when you have many clients that all need service at once. When you insist upon support contracts, you maximize your utilization rate while still having enough time to deal with client emergencies when they occur.

2. Better Manage Emergencies. When you base your business model on support contracts, you can prioritize your clients’ emergencies. When you have a bunch of clients all with emergencies at the same time, you can’t be everywhere at once. You need to narrow down the list of who gets your immediate attention and who will need to wait. Basically, those people that have committed to you long term get the royal treatment and those that do not have to accept that you will get to them when you have the time to spare.

3. Force Customers and Clients to Make a Decision. You need to base your Information Technology business plan on support contracts in order to force those you are serving to make an important decision – are they “in,” or are they “out”? A solid plan based on long-term relationships with clients weeds out those that are just testing the waters and are not serious about working with you long-term.

4. Manage Expectations. A solid Information Technology business plan based on support contracts also helps you manage your customers’ and clients’ expectations more effectively. Those that have a support contract know they are top priority … and those that don’t know you have clients with support contracts and that they are the ones that will be responded to first.

In this brief article, we discussed 4 tips to help you create a strong Information Technology business plan, so you don’t have to stress out about being everything to everyone. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients with an Information Technology business plan built around support contracts now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), MyInformationTechnologyBusiness.com, All Rights Reserved

Start a Computer Business by Finding Great Clients from Day 1

2009-03-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

Are you trying to start a computer business?

Even if you are just starting out with basic desktop support level technical skills, you need to make sure you can get paying clients. Many computer professionals worry that they are not technically proficient enough to start their own businesses. But the truth is, you can start a computer business with a very basic level of technical knowledge. The key to starting up is to make sure your computer business gets some paying clients that are at your current technical skills comfort level. You can and need to work your way up as your technical proficiency and ability to work well with larger small business clients improves.

The following 3 tips can help you learn which types of clients to pursue first.

1. Start Small. In the beginning if you have weak technical skills, you may want to start working with home offices and small stand-alone businesses that have simple, really small peer-to-peer networks. This will give you some paying clients right away and some reference accounts, so you can continue to grow and also improve your technical skills. A successful computer business owner will not be able to continue working with this client size long term, but in the beginning these accounts can be incredibly useful.

2. Use Small Clients and One-Shot Deals as a Stepping Stone. While small accounts and one-shot deals can be great ways to start a computer business, you need to make sure that you move beyond them eventually. You want to have a successful small business computer consulting practice based on recurring revenue retainer agreements and sophisticated, dedicated server solutions. In the beginning, there is definitely no reason why you shouldn’t take on some smaller clients and one-shot deal customers to get great references and really get your feet wet. But you have to recognize that you are moving towards more sophisticated, profitable long-term client accounts.

3. Never Stop Learning. If you feel like your lack of technical training is holding you back from catering to the needs of larger small businesses that need sophisticated solutions as you start a computer business, put aside some time each week for training. Even two or three hours can make a real difference. Go through tutorials and resource kits. Install your not-for-resale (NFR) software. Then, break the installation and troubleshoot the setup process. Finally, reinstall the applications again and again until you get really comfortable with setup and troubleshooting. What you learn during this process can really help you respond to the long-term needs of great clients.

In this brief article we discussed 3 tips to help you you start a computer business. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as you start a computer business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), StartAComputerBusiness.com, All Rights Reserved

PC Repair Training: A Necessity or a Luxury for IT Pros?

2009-03-01T10:33:00.001-05:00

If you own a computer service or repair business, you might think that very technical PC repair training is needed to do a great job with clients. While you certainly need some level of technical expertise to work with your clients, even more important than training and certifications is being able to be an effective project manager, so you can build solid business partnerships and client relationships.

The truth is, to be successful at running a computer repair business, you need to be great at building mutually-beneficial relationships with your clients. When you get steady, high-paying clients that rely on you to manage their IT assets, you go beyond the basic break/fix mentality that comes from focusing too heavily on PC repair training and become a true asset to your clients’ businesses.

If you want to start building relationships with great, long-term clients, take to heart these 4 tips, so you can focus your business on total IT solutions, and stop obsessing over PC repair training and certifications.

1. Adopt a Real Marketing and Sales Plan. In order to go beyond just advertising your PC repair training credentials and certifications, you need to a real marketing plan for reaching prospective clients. Because small businesses are often resistant to change, you need to effectively and persuasively explain what you will offer them as part of an on-going, long-term relationship. You need to explain why they need to go beyond just hiring you to fix things that break and move towards adopting a whole new proactive, results-based, ROI-driven technology plan. Devise a plan that speaks to prospect hot buttons, so you can overcome objections and truly explain how working with you will help prospects grow their businesses and better serve their own clients. You need to adopt a real marketing plan and find a sales style that works for you, even if you initially hate the idea of selling.

2. Analyze Your Prospect, Customer and Client Needs. The bottom line is, your clients don’t necessarily need you to have fancy certifications and extensive PC repair training to meet their business needs. In fact, when you are working in the small business market, your typical client will not have a clue what different levels of training and certifications mean. They will expect you to help them maintain and support their IT infrastructure, and solve their IT business problems by showing them how to use their computer systems to their best advantage.

3. Make Sure You Are Selling to the Real Decision Makers. You need to know who you are talking to when you are selling your computer repair services to small business prospects. Sometimes the small business owner will not necessarily be the primary decision maker for the company. A lot of times the person you really want to sell to is the internal computer guru – some times the office manager, controller, vice president, owner’s spouse, etc. You need to know who is interested in the true bits and bytes of your prospects’ businesses and who cares how much it will bottom-line cost. If you are proposing on-going services to anyone but the person that understands the needs of the small business, no amount of business skills or PC repair training will matter, as you will be met by the ears of someone that doesn’t care about or know anything about the type of solutions you are proposing.

4. Understand Small Business Hot Buttons. Knowing the real hot button issues of small businesses in need of computer repair services has absolutely nothing to do with PC repair training. You need to really find out what worries your clients about running and growing their businesses if you are going to design the best solutions. And this often has nothing to do with training at all. Take the time to talk to your prospects and understand what drives them to make investments in technology and business solutions. When you meet with clients, make sure you get them to tell you about their top three to five IT business problems. Also find out what bothers them most about their existing technology or former technology provider. Get to the heart of small business challenges if you really want to provide effective, on-going technology support.

In this article we talked about 4 tips that can help you build important soft skills beyond basic PC repair training, so you can best serve your small business clients. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady clients by balancing PC repair training with crucial business skills now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), PCRepairTrainingHQ.com, All Rights Reserved

How Computer Shops Differentiate with Superior Customer Service

2009-02-14T20:54:00.001-05:00

Owners of computer shops understand that their industry is very competitive. How can you stay technologically up-to-date and still focus on customers?

The biggest mistake those that own computer shops make is spending too much time on gadgets and gizmos or the latest, greatest operating system or product. In order to run a profitable business, you have to focus on the relationships you build with your valued customers. Truly understanding your customer will help you provide better services. And when you can provide superior service, you will truly stand out from the competition.

The following 3 tips can help you provide excellent customer service, so you can stand out from the crowd.

1. Find Out What Makes Your Best Customers Tick... And Ticked. The more you learn about your customers, and their needs, and their frustrations, the better you will be able to serve them. Remember, a satisfied customer is more likely to become a loyal, long-term client.

2. Survey Your Former Customers. The term “lost customer” refers to a customer that has opted to go to one of your competitors. You can learn a lot from these people; often they can tell you exactly where you went wrong. Face your fears and confront these people. Why did you lose their business? Make sure you are keeping all old mailing lists so you can get in touch with those you lose. Send a survey card, do a phone survey or provide a toll-free number or e-mail address. Customers can give feedback on what was lacking in their experiences with you. This approach can help you make changes to keep more customers … and sometimes even bring some lost customers back to you.

3. Inspire Customer Loyalty. Loyal customers are very cost effective. Often these customer will refer other clients to your business who will also be loyal and high quality. These loyal customers are incredibly important and become your bread and butter, stable revenue-building clients. Focus time and money on keeping customers happy and inspiring them to stick with you. Ask them directly about their biggest computer and business problems. While competitors with computer shops might be able to duplicate your products, when you inspire your customers, you ensure these competitors can’t duplicate your level of service.

In this brief article, we talked about how computer shops can set themselves apart from their competitors by providing excellent customer service. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your computer shop now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ComputerShopSecrets.com, All Rights Reserved

Computer Shop Software Runs Your Firm Efficiently and Profitably

2009-02-06T18:15:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for computer shop software that runs your business more efficiently and profitably?

Time management is a challenge for many small business computer professionals. When you are running your own computer shop, you have a lot on your plate. You wear many different hats and handle everything from sales and marketing, to accounting and billing, to service calls and basic walk-in retail customer traffic.

If you use the right software, you can tackle many different time management issues head-on and free up more hours for more profitable, revenue-generating activities. The following 3 computer shop software tips can help you work more efficiently and more profitably.

1. Find Computer Shop Software that Helps You with Business Management. There is a lot of software out there that can help you manage client repair jobs and basic billing procedures. Many waste tons of time on inefficient methods of tracking pending and completed repair jobs, as well as invoicing customers and clients consistently and on time. In order to be perceived as a professional business, make sure you have a very set schedule for completing work. You also need to create consistent policies for invoicing and payment. The right software will connect the processes together, so you don’t miss any deadlines or appointments … or forget an important invoice, even when things get busy.

2. Use Diagnostic Software to Isolate Problems. Often computer repair technicians that don’t use consistent procedures and tools can waste hours identifying a system problem. Make the purchase of diagnostic computer shop software a part of your plan. This critical tool can help you quickly determine whether you are dealing with a hardware or a software problem, and can save you hours of unproductive time with hit-or-miss, manual diagnostic techniques.

3. Implement Point-of-Sale (POS) Software to Manage Sales Activity in Your Shop. If your business includes a retail computer shop, you should seriously consider using POS software to help you effectively manage walk-in traffic sales. POS software can help you quickly handle sales from end-to-end, so you are not wasting time at the end of the day catching up... and so you don’t end up working an 80-hour work week just to stay afloat. Just as important, most POS software will keep real-time track of your inventory.

In this article, we discussed 3 computer shop software tips to help you efficiently and profitably manage the different elements of your business. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients and grow your business with computer shop software now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ComputerShopSoftware.com, All Rights Reserved

Computer Service Tips that Build Your Client List the Right Way

2009-01-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

If you want to build a real client list, you can’t live in uncertainty. Building your computer service business around the needs of one-shot deal customers is a one-way ticket to nowhere. Spending all your time and money acquiring customers for one-shot deal transactions is just not a financially viable way to spend your time.

If you want to build a strong, steady client list, you need to move towards a business model based on annual support contracts. Take into account the following 3 ways to build your computer service business the right way.

Annual Support Contracts Give You Recurring Revenue. An annual support contract package gives you recurring revenue, which gets you the stability and predictability that you need to survive long term. When you have a support contract model in place, you know where you will get your next billable service call. This allows you to make predictable plans to expand, hire new employees, and update your benefits to meet the changing best practices associated with your clients’ industries.
Support Contract Clients Are Assets. When you build your client list with steady, high-paying clients that are paying you on a recurring basis, you create a great asset. If you ever want to sell your computer service business – if you move or get burnt out, injured or sick – your long-term clients committed to annual support contracts become one of your greatest assets. A potential buyer of your business would certainly not invest very much in a list of one-shot-deal customers that only call you in the case of an emergency.
Once You Have Clients, You Need to Cultivate Relationships. Beyond just attracting great clients, you have to be willing to work to keep them. You need to cultivate and strengthen important relationships at every stage of the sales cycle. This means you have to keep in mind the end goal of leading every single prospect and customer to towards support contract agreements. You need to know about their biggest business and IT problems. Then actively engage in follow-up activities such as phone calls, e-mails, and proving-ground projects.

In this brief article, we talked about 3 things to think about as you build your computer service client list. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying computer service clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ComputerServiceTips.com, All Rights Reserved.

Computer Contractors: Does it Pay to Specialize?

2009-01-14T12:49:00.002-05:00

Many computer contractors wonder how they can differentiate themselves from others in the marketplace so they can attract the best, steady, high-paying clients.

First, to set yourself apart from the competition and get small business owners to choose you, build a strong professional brand around a unique industry twist or a specialty.

If you really want to succeed as a computer contractor, you can’t go in flashing certifications or vendor logos and reducing yourself to just another commodity service provider. These features can be part of your background information (About Us Web page) and something to talk about with clients, but this shouldn't be your introductory sales pitch.

The following 4 tips can help computer contractors be proactive about marketing and selling their brands and the unique industry-specific value that they bring to the table.

Fulfill Unfulfilled Needs. To set yourself apart from other computer contractors, find an under-served local niche and really dominate that niche. Put some real work into finding local niches with real problems you can solve with your unique skill set. Discovering a good niche can be as simple as asking around and engaging in targeted, proactive networking activities.
Find Your Special Industry Twist. When networking through organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Rotary club, talking to prospects at B2B expos, or engaging in any other focused relationship-marketing activity, look for a big IT problem that is not being solved. When you spend some time really asking questions of small business owners, one day a light bulb will go off as you discover a twist that no one has ever thought of before in your local area. When you think of a solution that can really work for a lot of people in your area, you will find a great way to differentiate yourself and be a true IT specialist.
Make Sure You Identify Real Problems. Make sure you don't try to sell solutions to problems that don’t actually exist. Accept that you and your prospects might not agree on what their problems are. Do you want to waste time selling data security solutions to a small business owner that has no idea why data security is important? Computer contractors should certainly spend time educating prospects and future clients on IT security and other important small business IT issues. However, if your prospects just don’t understand what you’re selling or why you’re selling it, rethink your strategies to get to the heart of what matters most to your target prospects. There will certainly be other computer contractors just down the street that understand them and will be vying to take your spot as their IT professional. Identify real problems to offer real solutions.
Size Up Competing Computer Contractors. You need to know your local competition reasonably well. Find your four or five biggest competitors. Study their Web sites and brochures to see what they are up to. Figure out if they all look the same. By looking at materials from local competitors, you can figure out what you need to do to stand out as the ideal choice for your target prospects.

In this article, we talked about 4 tips to help computer contractors specialize and set themselves apart from their competitors. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as computer contractors now at the attached link.

IT Contract Work vs. Starting Your Own IT Company

2008-12-29T11:34:00.002-05:00

Have you been considering IT contract work, but you don’t know where to start? Before you start working piecemeal, contract-by-contract, consider opening your own IT contract business.

Many interested in IT contract work aren’t sure they have what it takes to start an independent business. But basically, if you have a good understanding of computer systems, strong problem-solving skills and a desire to help other people, you probably already have what it takes to consider going out on your own.

The following 5 points can help you build your own IT contract company and avoid the frustration of trying to constantly find revolving-door, thankless IT contract work.

Open Your Own IT Contract Business to Maximize Your Income. When you have a regular corporate IT job or even act as an IT contract worker in a corporate environment, your career opportunities, advancement possibilities, and the chance to earn a higher salary are restricted sometimes significantly by elements outside of your control. You are at the mercy of lazy or incompetent peers, ineffective management or a seniority system that rewards employees that don’t pull their weight and punishes new, aggressive, competent employees. When you start your own IT contract business, these career issues all but disappear, because you have control over your peers. If you don’t like your partners or subcontractors, you go find better ones. And if you don’t like your “bosses”, your major clients, you can look for new clients for your business. When you run your own business, you can also forget about being under-appreciated or unappreciated. No client will pay you or your consulting firm $100 per hour (or even more!) for your services if they don’t value your expertise. Even if your clients don’t constantly express gratitude, your bank account will reflect your hard work.
Enjoy Great Business Opportunities. The market for those that want to start their own IT contract businesses is diverse and steadily growing. Every company and organization needs some type of IT help and will get it from a variety of sources: internal employees, outsourced consultants or some combination of the two. The choice to start your own IT business can be the start of a successful, highly-profitable business. While there will be a lot of competition, competition is good for your IT contract business. If there were no other consultants succeeding, you’d have to wonder, “Is the industry even viable?” You wouldn’t want to be in an industry where no one else had been able to succeed. Many IT contract businesses are very poorly run and have big problems with customer service. These problems become your opportunity as you develop cost-effective solutions to exactly what small businesses need. Also as technology changes, the changes create huge opportunities. New small business technology problems crop up every day that you can help solve. The industry is constantly producing more prospective clients.
Know Which Skills You Need to Start Your Own IT Contract Business. As you think about how to launch your IT contract business, think about your skills. Start by listing your computer-related skills. If you are the person that everyone turns to when they have problems with their computers, you are probably off to a good start. You don’t need to be an expert in every detail and aspect of IT. Because the industry is so diverse and huge, you could never possibly know everything there is to know. You can bridge skills and service gaps by finding excellent partners and subcontractors to help you.
Think About the Transition from Employee to Business Owner. If you are already doing IT contract work, or you're working as an employee of a company in the IT industry, making the transition from employee to business owner will be a big decision. You may want to start out by moonlighting to get a feel for the experience of finding your own clients and owning your own IT contract business. You can also use moonlighting to make sure you know what to expect once you go out on your own, or to try out working independently before committing full time. Moonlighting is also a great way to build a client list and reference accounts that can give you a head start building your business.
Evaluate Your Non-Technical Skills. Remember, you need a lot of non-technical skills to be successful at starting your own IT contract business. There are some personality traits that will make working for yourself much easier: the ability to be self motivated; the drive to work independently when you have no employer looking over your shoulder; the ability to multi-task and wear many hats in order to run the accounting, marketing, sales, operations and other aspects of your business; good delegation skills. If you are weak in any of these areas, don’t be discouraged or overwhelmed. They are important to your business, but there are many ways to develop these soft skills and build relationships with people to whom you can delegate.

In this article, we talked about 5 reasons you should stay away from IT contract work and move towards starting your own IT contract business. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients for your IT contract business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ITContractWorkStinks.com, All Rights Reserved

IT Maintenance Conttract Tips Increase Your Profitability

2008-12-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

Are you offering an IT maintenance contract package as part of your computer consulting business?

Many small business computer consultants fail to understand how important a solid IT maintenance contract can be to building relationships with clients and developing a profitable, stable business. Therefore, many don’t choose to offer IT maintenance contracts right off the bat, instead settling for one-shot deal customers or low-paying, fly-by-night customers that leave them working way too hard for way too little money.

The following 4 tips can help you learn how to incorporate a strong IT maintenance contract into your business, so you can establish great relationships with your clients, increase your profits and provide a solid foundation for your computer consulting company.

1. Start Offering and Selling Your IT Maintenance Contract Services. Even if you are afraid or unsure of how you will package on-going services, you need to start offering them right away. Go slowly until you build up your confidence level. Confidence is not going to come through training, reading a report or preparing a template for a standard IT maintenance contract. You will only build confidence when you actually start selling on-going maintenance services and going out to clients to deliver them. This will in turn build stable, trusting and mutually-beneficial relationships with your long-term clients.

2. Start Small. As you are building your small business computer consulting firm on strong IT maintenance contract packages, start with relatively small accounts and ease into larger accounts. This doesn’t mean you should dismiss the idea of taking on a large account at the beginning if it happens to fall in your lap. But remember that accounts that are on the small side can be good for getting your feet wet and building your business responsibly, in a way that helps you manage growth.

3. An IT Maintenance Contract Package Requires Advance Preparation. In order to get anyone to sign up for an IT maintenance contract with you, you need to manage the sales process and let relationships with clients evolve naturally. But you also need to have a very strong plan for on-going services and a compelling contract offering ready to go as you move through the sales cycle. If you don’t have a strong IT maintenance contract ready to offer, you will stay in a perpetual state of reactive fire extinguisher mode. Your customers will call you when there’s a problem, but you will not have any recurring relationships. The IT maintenance contract connects you to a client in a way that gives you a relationship that is the business equivalent of a marriage.

4. Your IT Maintenance Contract Package is What Makes Your Business Profitable. You can’t build a stable computer consulting business when you are just waiting for the phone to ring or doing a couple of billable hours here and a couple of billable hours there. Your business will be easier to run and more profitable when you find the right kinds of clients that need the long-term hand holding, long-term oversight and long-term assurances. An outsourced Virtual IT department provides this all through well-crafted IT maintenance contract agreements. When you have a strong IT maintenance contract plan, your clients will know you are going to take care of long-term projects and upgrades, be the intermediary with phone companies, ISPs and Web hosts, as well as with specialty application developers. Clients want the peace of mind that you will be there to bail them out of IT emergencies, which comes naturally from the relationships built on the IT maintenance contract packages you offer to your loyal clients.

Without a strong IT maintenance contract, you will be keeping your fingers crossed that customers will keep calling you and that you will have a regular relationship with them. A contract for on-going services is what facilitates a long-term relationship.

In this short article, we discussed 4 tips to help you make your business more profitable with a solid IT maintenance contract plan. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients on your IT maintenance contract offering now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ITMaintenanceContract.com, All Rights Reserved

PC Repair Services: Provide Stellar Support for Your Clients

2008-11-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Most small businesses are overwhelmed by finding professional PC repair services to help them manage their technology. So how can you understand their needs and concerns to develop the best PC repair services and solutions to their business problems?

You have to remember that your prospects, customers and clients have many options when it comes to PC repair services. The key to making sure you become their best option is to provide exactly what your target small businesses need and truly distinguish yourself from the competition.

The following 4 quick tips can help you provide cost-effective, convenient and secure PC repair services to your valuable clients.

1. Most PC Repair Services Clients Will Also Want Remote Support. Remote support is the simplest and most effective, low-cost option available to small businesses. And it can often solve simple problems, while avoiding costly travel time and unnecessary on-site visits … so you can focus on more complicated, involved work when you go on site and maximize efficiency. Make sure you set your PC repair services business up so you can access your clients' computers and networks remotely.

2. Save Your Clients Time and Money. The right software and hardware can help you save your clients time and money when things go wrong. Desktop sharing software can help create a lot of options for remote support, which becomes a cost-effective way to solve minor problems. The time spent on PC repair services when your clients have easy-to-use software will be much less than without it, allowing you and your clients to get back to their work quickly. You need to advise your clients on the inexpensive nature of this software and tell them how it can improve important key parts of their technology infrastructure, and system up-time and reliability.

3. Don’t Try to Compete Head-On with Larger PC Repair Services Companies. On-site PC repair services may seem very expensive initially to small businesses; particularly because huge corporations like Best Buy and others are offering support through entities such as “Geek Squad” to home and business users at what appears on the surface to be rock-bottom hourly rates. Keep in mind, you are not in competition with Fortune 1000 companies. You need to sell the value of your services and not the low cost. As someone offering sophisticated, total business solutions through personalized PC repair services, you are in a totally different league. You are selling long-term relationships and your specific expertise.

4. Be a Professional Consultant. Small businesses are best served when they find a trusted local PC repair services company that can take end-to-end responsibility for all their technology assets. You need to make sure you are offering personalized, complex solutions. Many large retailers and national computer manufacturers will look to point fingers at problems outside of their control. What sets you apart from these large retailers is that you provide personalized solutions, peace of mind and high-quality relationships that will help your clients be a lot more efficient with how they use IT. A big selling point and benefit of your PC repair services is relationship equity. Build these mutually-beneficial relationships solid enough and you'll be rewarded with tremendous client loyalty.

In this article we discussed 4 tips to help you provide your clients stellar support as a PC repair services professional. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients for your PC repair services business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), PCRepairServiceTips.com, All Rights Reserved

Starting a Computer Business Step by Step

2008-11-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

When starting a computer business, most obsess over technology and certifications, and give relatively little thought to crucial business issues. Starting a computer business requires organization and careful planning. You need to make sure you have everything in order before you open for business. You also need to have a realistic plan for delivering end-to-end, complete IT solutions.

In a nutshell, you need to have all your contracts and agreements for clients and partners ready to go. This way, when you bring your very first client through the sales process, or build a relationship with your first partner, you know where you are going and exactly what you are doing. You have to know the steps of the sales cycle and be ready to approach your sales cycle consistently with each and every prospect, customer and client. And you need to know which benefits you will be offering that are going to set you apart from the competition.

The following 4 steps can help you get organized when starting a computer business.

1. Don’t Give Away Services for Free. As you're starting a computer business, you need to learn how to take your prospects through the sales cycle, from free to fee. Barring some extraordinary circumstances, you should not spend several non-billable hours on just an initial proposal. A typical sales proposal has no value-added uniqueness and will make your company look like a commodity broker. And when your services are seen as a commodity, you will primarily attract extremely price-sensitive buyers that will be hunting for the lowest bottom line, and not necessarily the best value or greatest potential return on investment.

2. Position Your Computer Business as an Outsourced IT Department. Think of the five or six different functions that small businesses need when you're starting a computer business: needs analysis; project management; training; desktop roll-outs; notebook fixes; server issues; etc. Build your business around these important functions. Think of your company as a single point of contact for clients. Present your value proposition as an outsourced IT department responsible for fulfilling your clients’ on-going IT needs and solving big business problems with IT.

3. Include Annual Service Agreements in Your Business Model. If you don’t propose service agreements to your customers and clients, your small business decision makers are usually not going to ask for them. You have to tell your clients even in the beginning, as you're starting a computer business, that service agreements are the main way you work with all of your clients on an ongoing basis. Well-planned service agreements help you build mutually-beneficial relationships where your company becomes an outsourced virtual IT department.

4. Tackle One Task at a Time. As you're starting a computer business, pick one thing a week for the next several weeks and just start working on it. It might be coming up with a couple of marketing ideas, or creating a service agreement to start offering to any existing customers. You just need to stay organized and get your plans in place. Build your network and have everything ready so you can hit the ground running. You need to get known as an organized, credible, professional business.

In this article, we looked at 4 important steps for starting a computer business. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients now when starting a computer business at the attached link.

Copyright (C), StartAComputerBusiness.com, All Rights Reserved

Computer Service Company Profit Secrets

2008-11-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

If you manage a computer service company and you're trying to grow your company’s profits, you need to learn how to focus on your bottom line.

Because so many owners of computer service companies fall in love with gadgets, they can get lured into focusing on products rather than offering sophisticated solutions that solve real small business problems.

To make sure you balance your clients’ small business IT needs against your own computer service company’s profitability challenges, use these following 3 strategies to build your computer service company, and keep both you and your clients happy.

1. Show Business-Savvy and Motivation with Your Computer Service Company Clients. You don’t want to be seen as just another tech geek. Therefore, you need to think of yourself as a Virtual CIO for hire. Your main focus should be continuing to find new solutions to solve your clients’ big business problems and not just fixing broken hardware and software.

2. Dedicate Yourself to Every Task and Pursue Continuous Improvement. Getting the best clients for your computer service company takes a lot of hard work and persistence. So you need to focus on lifetime customer/client value and not just getting one-shot deal sales. Remember that your proposed comprehensive business IT solutions are not just one-time fixes. You need to have long-term vision and plan diligently, which means you have to be dedicated to the future of your company and your clients’ companies.

3. Get Creative with Technology Solutions. Small businesses typically have modest budgets and no in-house technology staff. This means you often need to get creative with your technology solutions and really think outside the box about your computer service company business model and offerings.

In this short article we looked at 3 important secrets that can help you build a stable, long-lasting, profitable computer service company. To learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients, sign up for free Computer Service Company tips now at the attached link.

Copyright (C), ComputerServiceTips.com, All Rights Reserved

IT Marketing Proven Client Attraction Tips

2008-10-17T22:20:00.000-04:00

If you are like a lot of other computer consultants, you might not understand how important having a solid IT marketing plan is to the future of your business. You might think that your friends, family, colleagues and others in your circle will be a never-ending source of clients that will bring needed revenue to your business.

However, eventually your well of friends and family members will run dry, and if you haven’t established a set IT marketing plan with clear steps and diverse strategies, you will find yourself in a pretty big jam. The truth is, marketing is an on-going process that should never end, no matter how many prospects or clients you have. You can never stop thinking about forging new relationships if you want to run a successful IT company.

In this article, we’re going to look at 5 IT marketing plan tips proven to attract clients to your computer consulting business, so you can be assured of setting the stage for keeping enough prospects, customers and clients in your sales funnel.

1. Pick a Launch Date for Your IT Marketing Campaigns. Even before you make any definitive marketing plans, you should pick a launch date for your campaigns and write it down. Put it up in a place where you will have to look at it every day. While you may have to adjust as the process moves forward if you hit any legal snags or other unforeseeable delays, having a set date in mind can help you prioritize what needs to get done and when. When you know you have 5, 10, 12 or any other number of weeks instead of an indeterminate amount of time (I’m partial to planning IT marketing 13 weeks out, or a quarter-year at a time), you will find yourself more motivated to do things efficiently and in a logical order.

2. Update/Print Your Business Cards. Your business cards are one of the most basic – but also most important parts of your IT marketing materials. You never know when you’re going to meet someone that might be a good candidate for your services, even in unexpected, casual networking situations. You might meet people at your church or synagogue, at your children’s school functions, in line at the movies, at the gym … anywhere and everywhere could be an opportunity for you to talk to someone about what you do. Having a business card to hand out – the most basic of marketing materials – helps you show you are serious and professional. Don’t worry if your contact information or company name changes as you grow or refine your direction. You can always get more printed, but you need a business card to show that you are in fact “in business”!

3. Tell Everyone You Know about Your Business. You need to let all friends and family members know, “Hey! I’m starting (or re-launching) a computer services business!” as part of your IT marketing plan. You also need to get the word out into the community so people get to know you and associate you with what you do. Create a “buzz” about yourself by talking to those you meet in the community, again at church or synagogue, at the gym, at your children’s activities, in line at the movies, etc. Chances are you will find interesting networking opportunities everywhere you go. You never know where you might meet a great potential client!

4. Get Some Reference Accounts. A common question computer consultants have is, “How do I get a reputation when I don’t have any clients, and how do I get clients when I don’t have a reputation?” You need to get some reference accounts in the beginning to get the ball rolling and grow your business and your IT marketing plan. There are many ways to do this. Of course, you can do some work for friends or family members and have them write you a testimonial, or be interviewed for a case study, to add to your Web site and other marketing materials. But often an even better way is to volunteer for a respected non-profit organization in your area. Doing a set project with a well-defined beginning and end (because you don’t want to give too much away for free!) with a non-profit organization in your community about which you feel passionate will go a long way to building your credibility and making you visible. At the end of the project, make sure you ask for a testimonial, or for an interview for a case study, to show others the good work you do in someone else’s words besides your own.

5. Get Referrals. Referrals are a really important part of a good IT marketing plan because they are based on relationship marketing … and strong relationships are at the heart of any great computer consulting business. A reference from someone you know, like and trust is trustworthy and often pre-qualified, which can help you find better prospects and leads and save valuable time. Train your friends and family and any clients or trusted business advisors what to listen for when they are talking to their clients, friends or co-workers. Perhaps your accountant has been getting complaints from his/her clients about computers not working, systems crashing or a variety of other technology issues. This is a perfect time for your accountant to say, “Hey, I think I know someone who can help you” and then pass along your business card and information. Those in your network of trusted business advisers, friends, family and clients can become your extended sales force and take some of the work of IT marketing off your plate.

In this article, we talked about 5 critical IT marketing steps you need to take to develop a strong plan that will attract great clients for your business and make sure you have enough prospects, customers and clients in your sales funnel.

To learn more about how to create a solid IT marketing plan, sign up for free IT marketing proven client attraction tips now at http://www.ITMarketingKit.com

Copyright (C), ITMarketingKit.com, All Rights Reserved.

IT Freelancer: How Do You Start?

2008-10-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

If you are like many other smart IT professionals, as you move towards opening your own computer consulting business you will probably have to be an IT freelancer for a while before you can go into business full time. While many IT consultants choose to be freelancers in the beginning, you can’t afford to mess around with anything but steady clients.

As an IT freelancer, you have to stay away from one-shot deal customers that you will only hear from irregularly. How will you get into business full time when you can’t get steady commitments?

You need to focus on working with small businesses that have many and complex IT needs and need you at least a couple evenings per month or one or two Saturdays per month.

What do you need to do?

1. Watch your schedule! You need a schedule that allows you to really be an IT freelancer. If you already have an 80-hour work week, you just can’t do it! The ideal situation for you if you want to transition into a full-time computer consulting gig is a typical 9-5 job. You can take off a morning, afternoon or a lunch here and there.

2. Look for the right kind of IT freelancer jobs. You need to be seeking $1,000 per month clients that need you for one or two evenings per month, one or two Saturdays or Sundays and with some light phone support in between businesses. NEVER accept a client that gives you less than $500 per month.

Today we touched on how you can be an IT freelancer as a transition from your old job into your own business. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Start an IT Business with 5 Helpful Tips

2008-09-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

Before you start an IT business, you need to make sure you’re organized and know where you are going. Which steps do you need to accomplish your goal of getting started?

Tip 1: Print Your Business Cards

In order to start an IT business, you need to get business cards printed, even if you don’t think your company name or any other details will stick. If you decide to change your contact information or business name in six months, you can just get them reprinted. But you HAVE to get momentum going by handing out business cards to friends and family members.

Tip 2: Get the Word Out

When you are in networking situations as you start an IT business, you need to talk about your venture and hand out business cards. People at your church, synagogue, at the movies, at your kids’ soccer games, anywhere can become a part of your extended sales force, so you need to seize the opportunity.

Tip 3: Get Active in Your Business Community

You need to start getting involved in local organizations for business owners to give yourself organized networking opportunities when you start an IT business. Look for three or four fitting local trade groups such as your chamber of commerce or a related user group or industry-specific trade group.

Tip 4: What Do You Know?

When you are starting your IT business, you should start where you know and branch out from there. If you start with a niche you already know, you’ll have some credibility and an easier time creating a strong marketing message that really hits home. You will have an easier time being remembered because you won’t look like every other generalist and will offer something unique.

Tip 5: Think about Your Prospects

As you choose your niche, you need to make sure there are enough prospects in it to sustain you. For example, if you decide to focus on doctors’ offices in your local area, you need to research to make sure you have at least 500-1,000 prospects that fit into that category within an hour radius of your location. Another way to find-tune your niche and specialty and communicate it to prospects is to put an industry focus in your name, in this case, “health care systems,” “medical office systems” or “medical office technology.”

Today we talked about 5 tips to help you as you start an IT business. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Balance Your Computer Services Business Portfolio

2008-09-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

In order to have a strong computer services business, you need to balance your portfolio. What does this mean? Basically, you need to keep 70% (or more!) of your business sweet spot small businesses with 10-50 computers. You can keep a very small amount of your business geared towards home networks and consumers and a few larger small business clients, but you will achieve the best balance if you focus on the sweet spot small business side.

No Matter What, DIVERSIFY

No matter what you do with your computer services business portfolio, you need to DIVERSIFY. This means that no single one of your clients can account for more than ten percent of your computer consulting revenue.

What’s the theory? If you’re getting most of your money from one source and then lose that client for any reason, you could potentially lose a LOT of revenue and have a hard time bouncing back!

Fire Your Bad Computer Services Business Clients

While you may not think firing a client is a good idea, sometimes you just have to do it. There are some problem clients of your computer services business that will just not be worth the trouble. They will drive you and your staff crazy and you might even LOSE staff over the ordeal. These types of clients eventually need to be cut loose. But if you make problem clients too big a part of your roster, you will end up having a really hard time firing them.

Your Ideal Clients Are Your Focus with Your Computer Services Business

You need to make room for ideal clients and just say “No” to those that are verbally abusive, harass you, cause you too much stress and generally are impossible. If you have enough really good, long-term, steady, HIGH-PAYING clients you will be able to replace the bad ones much more easily and will not waste time “reforming” anyone.

Today we talked about how to diversify and balance your computer services business portfolio. To learn more about this subject, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Create a Good Computer Technician Job Description by Asking Key Questions

2008-09-16T21:11:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a technology professional to help your small business, you may feel overwhelmed at the prospect of creating a solid computer technician job description that will get you the best candidates. Many small business owners don’t have a lot of technical knowledge and don’t know where to start when it comes to figuring out how to handle their own IT needs OR how to find a qualified consultant that can!

Skills in a Typical Computer Technician Job Description

Here are just some of the duties a good technician will probably need to perform for your small business:

1. Installs, configurations and upgrades of operating systems and software (typically using Microsoft products);

2. Installs, assembly and configurations for computers, monitors, network infrastructure and peripherals like printers, scanners and other hardware;

3. Troubleshooting for computer system problems and problems with hardware and software, e-mail, network and peripheral equipment and making necessary repairs and corrections;

4. Acting as a technical resource to help users resolve equipment problems and data and performing some help desk functions;

5. Recommending hardware and software solutions that fit your small business needs.

6. Helping with planning, designing, researching and acquiring new or upgraded hardware and software and implementing them into total business solutions.

Ask Key Questions to Create a Computer Technician Job Description

If you want to get just the right candidates for the job of maintaining your IT assets and helping you create an efficient small business environment, you need to ask important questions. Here are just some examples:

1. “Are you a part-time or full-time computer technician?”

2. “Are you a solo computer technician or do you have other employees and contractors?”

3. “Are you a generalist or a specialist? Which software specialties do you have and in which markets have you worked?”

There are many more questions you will have to consider as you are interviewing candidates and also creating your computer technician job description. To find out what these important questions are … and much more … visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

A Computer Repair Class: How Can You Find One?

2008-09-08T10:33:00.001-04:00

While technical skills often are, surprisingly often not as important to starting a computer consulting business or computer repair business as business skills and people skills, they still are necessary in order to best serve your clients … but where do you find a computer repair class when you need one?

Many computer repair technicians serving small businesses mistakenly think they need to spend hours of time and a lot of money on expensive certifications and very formal classes. However, this is not often the case, as most small business owners will actually look down on extensive certifications and lofty qualifications; it means they will think they need to pay you more for your services or that you are overly qualified to handle simple problems.

Look at the Skills of Your Competitors before Seeking out a Computer Repair Class

Computer skills are important for you and the staff of your small business computer repair company, and when you are deciding which computer class to take in the time you have allotted for training and skills development, you have to look at which skills your competitors have.

What will a small business computer repair company need to know?

1. Some necessary networking platforms: Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS); Novell Small Business Suite or Novell NetWare; Linux (usually RedHat); Mac OS.

2. Advanced expertise in the following areas: Network Attached Storage (NAS); Storage Attached Networks (SANs); complex security solutions; CheckPoint firewalls; Citrix Terminal solutions; high-end Wi-Fi solutions; managed hardware.

Keep in mind that VERY advanced computer skills are only necessary once you start selling computer repair services to a real IT manager, which usually happens only the case of large small businesses. For the “sweet spot” of small business computer consulting (10-50 PCs), you really only need one or two entry-level certifications and to be working towards an MCSE or its equivalent.

Look for a Computer Repair Class

Once you decide what it is your clients need for their businesses and how your current skills fit into the picture, you can search for a computer repair class that suits you. Thankfully, there are many viable options that don’t involve going to a real “classroom,” such as on-line classes and seminars, tele-seminars and study courses that you can complete, even while sitting in your pajamas at home or between appointments with your customers and clients!

Today we talked about which skills you need and how to find a computer repair class that suits your needs. To learn more about this subject and many others related to business development, visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Tips to Get Your Computer Contract Air Tight

2008-09-03T15:46:00.001-04:00

Each computer contract you have that details the terms of on-going support for your clients is important to the health of your business. A computer contract requires advance planning to inspire confidence in your customers.

You need to know which benefits and prices you are going to offer ahead of time and do careful planning to create a compelling case for why each of your customers should be a client on a computer contract or on-going support contract.

Here are several steps you can take to ensure you have an air-tight computer contract with every client.

Tip 1: Make a Rate Card

A rate card is a simple, one-page document that shows typical prices vs. computer contract prices. It is basically a marketing summary of the benefits you provide to clients. You should brainstorm a list of at least a half a dozen compelling benefits for why someone should sign a long-term service contract with you instead of paying by the hour. You need to have your rate card ready before you go out on a sales call.

Tip 2: Carefully Consider Travel Time

When you think about developing on-going support contracts, you might have to re-think your service area. Competitors will be willing to travel 45 minutes or an hour for a good client on a computer contract, so you should figure out a way to do this affordably too. Usually you can enforce a minimum of an hour or a half day, depending on the situation.

Tip 3: Know When to Offer a Computer Contract

When can you offer a computer contract to clients?

1. Right after emergency service calls (when you’ve just saved the day and are at a high point!). This is a time when prospects and customers are very receptive to talking about how to prevent panic in the future, which is a HUGE benefit of an on-going support contract.

2. Once clients know, like and trust you. This means you need to give your relationships time to evolve!

3. After conducting IT audits. A computer contract is a logical next step once you’ve analyzed a customer’s systems.

4. When a customer expresses frustration with their other technology provider.

Today we talked about how to set up a strong computer contract. To learn more about this subject, visit the attached link!

Important Note: The blog post is not legal advice. This blog post is being provided for education purposes only. You are STRONGLY advised to consult a qualified local attorney to have your computer contract reviewed for appropriate to your personal financial situation, your business financial situation, your business entity type, your target client base and enforceability in your own local jurisdiction.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Repair Books: Encourage Your Staff to Read More and Learn about High-End Network Installations

2008-08-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

As a computer repair business owner, if you want your staff to be happier with their jobs, earn more per hour and stay with you long term, you have to encourage each member to read computer repair books and do other activities that will help them learn about high-end network installations.

Higher-end solutions are worth more per hour, so why wouldn’t your staff want to enjoy this perk that can be as easy as reading a little every week or practicing on not-for-resale software, etc.? Most of your technical staff will have the basic skills to set up small LANs, do troubleshooting, cleanup jobs and desktop rollouts. But you need to start booking some of their time to work on honing skills that will be useful for long-term projects.

Keep Your Staff Happy through Professional Gratification

When you encourage your staff to read computer repair books to help hone sophisticated skills, you move them towards advanced networking projects. “Techies” enjoy working on difficult projects that tax their knowledge and will be frustrated if they spend time getting certified and reading up on complex subjects and then have to just rescue lost Microsoft Office toolbars or tell people to reboot, disconnect and reconnect.

When You Challenge, You RETAIN

When you encourage your staff members to read computer repair books and take certification exams and then put new skills to use in the field, you have a lot happier employees. They are working at their technical peak and feel challenged and will enjoy working for you and not look elsewhere for better opportunities. Training becomes an excellent retention tool.

Encourage Long-Term Client Relationships

When your staff members have high-end technical skills obtained through reading and training, they will be ready to engage in long-term client relationships as part of complex projects and end up being more excited about what they do. They get to know clients very well, get attached and want to stay with you and your company.

Today we talked about how computer repair books and other types of training can help your computer repair business staff thrive. To learn more about this subject – and many more subjects – visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Three Important Computer Repair Tools for Your Business

2008-08-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

When you start your own computer repair business that serves the sweet spot of computer consulting (businesses with 10-50 systems or employees), you will come across businesses with different needs, which means you will have to come up with computer repair tools to help you solve your clients’ biggest problems. The following three types of computer repair tools for your business can help you best serve clients.

1. Know with which tasks your clients will need help. Typically you will need to have computer repair tools that help you deal with applications like Microsoft Office, Intuit QuickBooks, Interact ACT! and hardware upgrades. Clients will need help with their shared folder backup software and antivirus and firewall software. You might have to do work with PDAs, syncing them and helping the work with Microsoft Outlook. And of course, expect to help with networks.

2. Remember that your micro small business clients will have very different needs. If you choose to work with these small businesses that have less than 10 PCs, you won’t need to worry about having advanced computer repair tools or certifications. In fact, the more experienced you are, the more unappealing it will be for these clients because they will worry they are paying too much for simple tasks.

3. Think LESS about certifications with the sweet spot. You will only really run into people looking for advanced computer repair tools once you get past the sweet spot into businesses that have 50 or more systems. These clients will usually have real IT managers and will know what different certification levels mean. If you’re dealing with basic computer repair you will probably not run into this situation because these types of companies will be looking for deeply-niched experts and specialists and not more general work.

Today we talked about three computer repair tools you should think about when working with “sweet spot” clients. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Get More Computer Business Opportunities through On-Going Service

2008-08-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

Most IT consultants find they get the most results when they create computer business opportunities through on-going service and build their businesses on the concept of virtual IT. Providing this on-going service to clients gives you steady business and ensures you continue to attract and keep only the clients that understand the true benefits of your services and will be willing to pay you on a regular basis.

The Concept of Virtual IT and Computer Business Opportunities

Virtual IT is based on the idea of you acting as your clients’ outsourced IT department. Your goal is to become a virtual CIO, responsible for integrating technology into your clients’ companies to solve complex business problems. Virtual IT can create great computer business opportunities because it is a convenient, flexible, comprehensive technical services program that lets client get what they need when they need it without investing in full-time staff.

Creating Computer Business Opportunities through Virtual IT

You have to know about computer business opportunities and typical small business solutions to be able to deliver virtual IT successfully and earn a living. You have to know the traditional types of services you can sell to existing and future clients and which other computer business opportunities exist.

Virtual IT grows your relationships and adds value to your existing customers and clients’ businesses as well as the businesses of new customers and clients. It helps you be proactive and create on-going relationships that will be the bread and butter of your business.

Today we talked about creating computer business opportunities through the concept of virtual IT. To learn more about this subject and much, much more, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Your Computer Consultant Business: 5 Steps to Startup

2008-08-05T12:08:00.001-04:00

Before you start a computer consultant business, you have to get organized! The following steps can help you get ready to open your doors.

1. Print Your Business Cards. Even if you don’t think your cards are going to be good forever or if you believe you will eventually change your company name or any other information, you need to at least make a card with your information on it to get momentum going. Reprinting is always possible, but you have to be prepared to hand out some business cards to friends and family members.

2. Announce Your Computer Consultant Business. When you find yourself in networking situations, meeting people in any capacity, you will have a chance to tell them about your computer consultant business and even hand out business cards. These people can become invaluable to you, so you need to talk about your endeavor whenever possible. You never know who you’re going to meet!

3. Be Active in Your Business Community. You should get involved in local organizations where small business owners meet, like trade groups, etc. Find a few high-quality local trade groups like your chamber of commerce, user group or industry-specific trade group and start attending key events.

4. Start in a Place that Suits You. You should start where you know, pick an industry focus where you come from when choosing how to build your computer consultant business. If you start with a niche in which you’re already familiar, you will already have some credibility (which is critical!). You will have an easier time coming up with a marketing message that resonates and sets you apart from every other computer consultant business in the phone book.

5. Are There Enough Prospects in Your Niche? Focus your marketing efforts on your niche, but only after you decide you have at LEAST 500-1,000 prospects in a one-hour radius of where you are that fit your ideal qualifications for potential customers and clients.

Today we talked about some tips for starting your computer consultant business. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Jobs and How Trusted Business Advisors Can Lead You to Them

2008-07-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of ways to get IT jobs, but one of the best is through trusted business advisors.

Who does your business look to for advice? Basically, a trusted business advisor is someone like an accountant, attorney, banker or some other person that provides professional advice on business matters.

You can really use your trusted business advisors to connect you to IT jobs and get very qualified leads and prospects out of the deal. Start with asking your trusted business advisors a basic question: “Do you need help with your technology?” If you can help this type of person, you can get a lot of credibility through a testimonial or case study if you do a great job for him/her.

Even if you DON’T do work for your small business advisors, you should talk to them about their own clients and their clients’ computer problems.

Often, your accountant or attorney will get some questions about computer problems from his/her clients. This is your chance to find out about IT jobs you might be able to connect to through this person. You can of course return the favor as another trusted business advisor whose clients usually value what you have to say about other major business issues – health insurance, life insurance, accounting, etc. – by recommending your OWN trusted business advisor to handle specific requests.

Sometimes connecting to great IT jobs is as simple as talking to those you trust with your important decisions. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

How to Start a Computer Business: Tips You Can Use

2008-07-24T00:41:00.000-04:00

Do you know how to start a computer business? If you’re new to the idea but really interested, sometimes the most difficult part is just beyond making the leap – deciding which type of computer business you want to start in the first place.

Some Tips about How to Start a Computer Business

1. Decide whether you want to start an independent computer consulting business or be part of a franchise. Do you want to build a business completely by yourself or take some shortcuts? Just remember that with a franchise you’re going to have to be able to follow some rules and put in some real time and care.

2. Get ready to work! During the startup phase when you are trying to figure out how to start a computer consulting business, you’re going to have to work really hard to get it off the ground by really getting out there and getting your name known in the community. You won’t get lots of billable projects in the beginning. And this work won’t go away even if you buy into a pre-established franchise.

3. Everyone is different. The right choice for one consultant is not necessarily the right one for you. You need to think about your goals, your skills, your available time and how much money you have to spend.

Today we talked about some tips regarding how to start a computer business. To learn more about how you can start your own business and be successful, visit the attached link!

Submitted By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Audit Management

2008-07-14T21:16:00.001-04:00

Your first real “sales” step in the IT sales process is going to be an IT audit. If you’re not dealing with a prospect that has a major emergency that needs to be triaged, you have to move towards an IT audit … so you can go beyond that and start a relationship that will eventually lead to long-term support contract agreements.

Sometimes your prospects will have something in mind already that needs attention like a broken tape drive that needs fixing or some other immediate need, but for the most part, an IT audit – or a tech assessment where you go in and take notes on all their IT assets and start to create a plan of action for doing a “makeover” on their small business systems – is the way to go.

What is an IT Audit?

An IT audit is most of the time the best way to get the ball rolling with services for prospects and new customers. An IT audit is basically a half-day technology assessment. But how should you approach charging or performing this service to new prospects and customers?

Think about “Free”

One option for an IT audit is to do a stripped-down version where you go in for half an hour and give a basic list of what you find and charge them nothing to get a taste of the work you do. However, be very careful with this, as when you spend more than half an hour and start to look more deeply into hubs, switches, etc., you are moving beyond the realm of “free” and into something for which you need to be compensated.

Don’t Get Stiffed!

If you are spending more than half an hour and actually getting into how systems work with prospects in an IT audit-type situation, you need to make this service billable. You can come up with a rate that matches what other high-end professionals are offering in your area or set a limited-time discounted offer as part of a marketing campaign to a limited number of people to get some new qualified prospects on board.

Today we talked a little bit about how an IT audit works. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Your IT Consulting Business: Tips for Getting Your First Clients

2008-07-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

Looking for the initial clients for your IT consulting business can be a challenging task, but not impossible if you have the right plan in place and are following it very carefully. The following tips can help you out significantly as you start own company.

Tip 1: Create a Plan of Action to Get You Ready for Clients

You need to complete the following tasks before looking for clients for your IT consulting business:

1. Choose a start-up date;

2. Print business cards;

3. Tell everyone you know about your new IT consulting business;

4. Get some reference accounts;

5. Get strong referrals.

Tip 2: Volunteer to Get Clients

Getting your first clients can be as easy as doing a closed-end volunteer job with an organization in which you believe strongly. Just make sure you put a cap on the work you do, or you could get someone taking advantage of you before you’ve even really started your IT consulting business in earnest!

Tip 3: Make an Offer to an Organization

You need to make a compelling offer to an organization for a closed-ended volunteer job and make sure the two of you make an agreement to get something valuable in return. For example, say, “I’m going to really do a great job upgrading your PC or your Web site! Here’s what you can do for me – can you give me a reference letter and also be available to take the occasional phone call from prospective clients and be a strong reference for me? Also, could you introduce me to some qualified leads for my IT consulting business that are active in your organization and own their own businesses and might benefit from my computer services?”

A director or office manager for a non-profit organization will know which board members have been complaining about computer problems or any other technical issues.

Volunteering is a great way to get new clients!

Today we talked about some tips you can use to get your first IT consulting business clients. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Consulting Business Firms: What's Your Focus?

2008-06-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

When you are first starting a computer business, you might wonder which types of consulting business firms are out there for technology providers. What exactly are pure consulting business firms, and how do they work best?

Pure Consulting Business Firms and Technology Providers: A Definition

Many computer consultants decide to start pure computer consulting companies because they have no interest in reselling products because they believe they will not make a profit off product margin or for some other major reason. A pure computer consulting firm is one that provides solely technology business solutions for its clients and does not bother with reselling hardware, software or peripherals. These types of consulting business firms WILL help their clients decide which products to buy and tell them which specs they should look for and where they can buy quality products.

Many computer professionals enjoy great success with this business model because of the pure profit margins and the opportunity to really get in there and provide comprehensive business solutions without having to bother with messy product sales.

Alternatives to Pure Consulting Business Firms

1. Purchasing Agents: A purchasing agent does the buying for clients and then bills them for a couple hours for this. These types of agents review quotes, place and track orders and take the purchase to the end.

2. Hybrid Firms: With this type of business model, consulting business firms will resell just some products. A lot of times this means reselling a white box PC (a PC clone), which means selling non-branded desktops, servers and sometimes notebooks.

Today we talked about pure consulting business firms and how they differ from other types of computer consulting businesses. Ultimately you should choose the business model that works best for you, but be sure whichever you choose suits your specialty and goals.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Careers: 3 Tips for Computer Consultants

2008-06-25T15:11:00.000-04:00

Those computer consultants looking for real IT careers have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to build strong businesses with steady, high-paying clients. If you are looking for IT careers, the following tips can help you organize your services and skills as you start your business.

Tip 1: Your “Ideal” Clients will Need Help with Specific Tasks

Your ideal or “sweet spot” clients will need help with some popular desktop applications; Microsoft Office; Intuit QuickBooks and Interact ACT! will be important to know if you want IT careers. They will also probably need your expertise setting up shared folder backup software and updating antivirus and firewall software. You will also most likely run into PDA syncing tasks and work with Microsoft Outlook. Generally, your clients NETWORKS will be of the utmost importance as well.

Tip 2: Remember, Differently-Sized Businesses Have Different Needs

Micro small businesses (those with fewer than 10 PCs) will usually have peer-to-peer networks and very low-end computer needs compared to your ideal clients. You will NOT need certifications to work with this group, and they are often seen as negatives by small business owners that won’t want to pay someone who is overqualified.

Tip 3: IT Certifications Are Really Only Important to Real IT Managers

When you sell to a real IT manager in a larger small business (with 50 or more systems) as part of IT careers, you will be dealing with someone that knows more about certifications and will see them as important. However, this is probably not going to be your target market as a “generalist” computer consultant because these types of buyers will be looking for very deeply-niched specialists that can fill in skills gaps.

Today we talked about some tips for building and thinking about IT careers as computer consultants. To learn more about IT careers, visit the attached link.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Proposals: Should You Write Them for National Service Organizations?

2008-06-16T22:21:00.000-04:00

To put it bluntly, do NOT write IT proposals for national service organizations … unless you want to spend inordinate amounts of time getting certified and learning the latest and greatest platforms and technologies. Hardware repair is a commodity and a very low-margin business, and it’s becoming a real commodity as we move into the future.

Why are IT proposals for national service organizations a waste of time for small business computer consultants?

1. Computers are replaceable! When you’re dealing with a $600 consumer-grade PC (or even lower these days!) – which is what you can expect from national organizations on a budget – do you really think you’re going to get a call to repair it that is going to net you a huge amount of money from IT proposals. How much would anyone spend on this? It would be more advisable for these people to simply buy a new computer.

2. There are low labor allowances with national organizations for IT proposals. National service organizations in particular are going to be dealing with very inexpensive hardware, so they will not have a large labor allowance, especially not on a $1,200 notebook. So, you can’t expect much in the way of revenue for your efforts.

3. Consulting contracts and IT proposals sent to national service providers will NOT be profitable. If you are a subcontractor for a national service provider, you’re not going to be able to run a good consulting business. You’ll be in eight different offices every day and you won’t get to bill out $100-$150 an hour for high-end computer support.

Today we talked about why IT proposals to national service organizations just won’t work for the typical small business computer consultant. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

4 PC Maintenance Contract Tips

2008-06-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

When you are starting to build your own business based on the concept of the PC maintenance contract, you probably will get pretty overwhelmed with the amount of information you need to digest to get organized.

To get things started right with your computer consulting business and incorporate the PC maintenance contract into relationships with clients, think about the following tips.

Tip 1: Pick a Start-Up Date

Picking a launch date for your business seem really simple, but it’s something that many professionals fail to do and then stick to when they’re just starting up. You need to choose a real date for starting your business that is accurate TO THE DAY and write it down. No matter when it is, look at it regularly as you are managing your business and organize everything around it.

Tip 2: Narrow Down To-Do Lists

You need to have manageable to-do lists when you’re building a business based on having a PC maintenance contract with each client. Narrow down the list to just the top 10 priorities and start to do them in order. For example, you might have things like meeting with an accountant, getting a business resale license, opening a distributor account, etc. or things that seem simple like choosing a company name, coming up with a rough business card, etc. Manage your list before launch, and you will be more likely to complete them on time and successfully.

Tip 3: Organize and Order Your List

Once you get the top 10 things you need to do before launching your business based on the PC maintenance contract, rank them in chronological order and work on a manageable one or two per week. You can do this in Microsoft Excel or Word.

Tip 4: Get Together a Timeline

Think about it – if you’re launching your computer consulting business five weeks from now and you have 10 things total that are an absolute priority to get done, you’d want to do about two things each week. When you think of your tasks on a timeline, they will be much more manageable.

Today we talked some tips to get started building a business around the idea of the PC maintenance contract. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Marketing: It's about Diversification!

2008-06-03T11:56:00.000-04:00

When you think about IT marketing as a computer consultant, one of the most important words is “diversification.”

What does this mean? You need to make sure you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket; don’t rely on just ONE IT marketing technique to get leads, prospects, customers and clients … instead throw out a very targeted net in different directions to cover all your bases.

IT Marketing and “Targeting”

For example, when you do a direct mail campaign, you need to know exactly who you are trying to reach and come up with a very targeted message for this particular person or group of people. You can’t just send out a stock, generic message about your computer consulting business and expect to get results; you need to know the unique problems and business needs of those you are trying to reach and speak to these issues through your IT marketing message.

Diversification Can Be Overwhelming

If you are just getting started with your computer consulting business, you will probably feel a little overwhelmed when you find out there are about 30 IT marketing tasks you can do. DON’T do them all at once, by any means … instead pick four or five that look appealing and start working your way through the list a quarter at a time. The main point is, you need to have a few IT marketing tasks going on simultaneously to get the best results.

Some IT Marketing Tasks

Here is just a list of some IT marketing tasks you can try …

1. Outbound telemarketing;

2. Postcard mailings;

3. Follow-up mailers;

4. Direct mail letters;

5. Trade shows;

6. Seminars.

The Main Idea about Diversification

No matter what you do with your marketing, make sure you are hitting different areas and measuring and tracking your successes and failures.

Today we talked about IT marketing and how you can get more from diversification. To learn more about this topic, visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Tips for IT Training and Your Computer Consulting Business

2008-05-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

Many computer consulting entrepreneurs wonder how much training they should have when they start to get clients. Do you get IT training first and then look for clients or learn as you go?

The answer it simple – do both at the same time!

IT Training and Getting Clients: Some Essential Tips

1. You want to be doing both client recruitment and skill acquisition at the same time. You just can’t take six months off to get your IT training done, because you will not be able to pay the bills when all is said and done. You NEED paying clients or you’re not going to survive.

2. IT training is still very important! You might sometimes wonder, because clearly relationships are so essential to your computer consulting business, why you need to focus on extra skills development in the beginning at all. If you don’t keep skills sharp, you will at some point stop being able to take on high-end projects and will not be able to get the accounts you need to develop long-term relationships that will sustain your business.

The key with IT training is BALANCE. Today we talked about IT training and your computer consulting business. To learn more about how you can balance IT training and client acquisition visit the attached link!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Consulting Business: How Do You Make a Living?

2008-05-20T17:20:00.000-04:00

What is a computer consulting business? If you own or manage one, it might be something you have trouble growing into a profitable business. You need to focus on your firm’s profit and bottom line and avoid the pitfalls of “tech love” (falling in love with the latest and greatest) in order to create a good computer consulting business.

After all, the key word in computer consulting business really is “business.” You need to have a good business sense and a real plan in order to make sure your company will stay alive for years to come. Your love of technology, while a plus for running your own tech-based business, will not keep you afloat.

For more information about starting a computer consulting business – and growing your profits – visit the attached link!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Your Computer Business Plan: Helpful Tips

2008-05-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

As you develop your computer business plan, you need to be prepared to go to a lot of meetings, shake a lot of hands and make a lot of follow-up phone calls. You will also be developing display ads, direct mail pieces and doing a lot of targeted marketing activities.

You need to be realistic about your computer business plan and make sure that you prepare for the decisions you will have to make. The following truths and tips can help you think carefully about how to proceed:

1. Franchises don’t mean pain-free, easy startup or ready-made clients. You’re not getting a client list on a silver platter! You also lose some control because you have to do things a certain way, according to pre-set rules.

2. If you want clients with your business, you need to base your computer business plan on buying a current business, and this is going to cost you a lot more than buying a franchise. How much? A small, thriving IT consulting firm will run you between a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars.

3. Think about start-up costs as part of your computer business plan. Starting your own firm is possible for just a few thousand dollars, and you can work efficiently with just a home office. Make sure you are prepared for the little extras, such as business cards, legal licensing registrations, attorney and accountant fees, etc.

Today we talked a little bit about developing your computer business plan. To learn more about computer business plans and how you can decide on the right type of IT company for you, be sure to sign up for the free sample excerpts at the attached link from the Computer Consulting Kit!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Get to IT Sales with Your Elevator Pitch

2008-04-28T22:49:00.000-04:00

Elevator pitches can be great tools to get you to IT sales. You need to say something quickly that will be remembered by those that hear it.

The general rule of thumb to think about when creating a good elevator speech is the idea of getting into an elevator on the 20th floor with a potential prospect for your computer consulting business and being able to talk about your business and have him/her talk about his/her business by the time you get to the first floor.

Your elevator speech should answer the question, “What do you do?”

Examples of Elevator Speeches to Get to IT Sales

These elevator speeches can help you effectively get prospects that might need your computer expertise to give you a card and ask further questions.

“I work for XXXX, a company that repairs, builds and upgrades computers.”

“I’m XXX with XXX and we make it our business to help small and mid-sized businesses learn how to get the best benefits out of their computers, the Internet and networking productivity.”

“Our service team specializes in on-site business service and networking solutions. We also provide consulting in the areas of network development and on-going maintenance.”

Don’t Forget about Benefits

Getting to IT sales means talking about benefits. Make sure you outline the unique benefits you offer to those with whom you speak. You need to talk eloquently about your business services and the network consulting you do and how you solve problems.

At the end of your elevator speech, you can also think about offering a “call to action” by asking them for an appointment for a consultation.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Marketing: Who Are the Decision Makers?

2008-04-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

You have to know which decision makers you need to reach before you create a targeted IT marketing plan. How do you choose your decision makers?

First of all, if you target by a specific industry with your IT marketing campaign, knowing how to identify the decision makers will be easier than without targeting at all. When you know your niche, you will be able to choose trade groups, find lists, find conferences to go to and figure out major problems of your prospects.

So once you decide on your niche, how do you find a decision maker? What will the role and job title be for this type of person with your IT marketing efforts?

IT Marketing: Two Likely Contacts

In most cases with small businesses, there will be two types of main contact people. There will be the person you want to reach that signs the checks, purchase orders or contracts and purchase authorizations. This person is typically responsible for the profit and loss statement of the company. Sometimes this is the owner or a partner, especially when you’re dealing with small businesses.

The second important person to reach with IT marketing is the internal guru. This is the person that most people call when there are computer problems, even though handling computer problems are not this person’s main job. Often this person is an office manager or an executive or administrative assistant.

IT Marketing: When You’re in Doubt …

If you’re not sure who is who with small businesses, make sure you ask who wears which hat. Who makes major financial decisions? Who gets called when the laser printer jams or the Internet connection goes down? Who liaises with the tech vendor? If you can answer these questions, you’ll have a better idea about who you need to target with your IT marketing plan.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Consultants, Get Rid of Time Wasters!

2008-04-15T16:24:00.000-04:00

As anyone in IT consulting knows, when you’re in the business, you are selling your personality, charisma and business knowledge. But, more than anything else, you’re selling your time, and it’s too valuable to be squandered. You have to track every hour you spend, whether billable, sales, prospecting or administratively based. How do you gauge which service calls are worth your valuable time?

IT Consultants Need to Ask, “Is it an Emergency?”

If you want to get rid of those moochers and time wasters, you need to be able to figure out their sense of urgency when you hear from them, whether over the phone, via e-mail or in person. A server down issue that has 27 workers down and is destroying the company’s workday is VERY urgent.

But what is not urgent? Perhaps one person has a broken PDA connection. While this is important, it’s not an emergency and doesn’t affect anyone in the company but one person.

Ask, “What is the Budget?”

IT consultants can go far weeding out time wasters if they know what the budget is going into the relationship. If the small business has no money and none to spend on IT, it’s time to move on for the time being. You should put these types of people on a follow-up list and call them back in three or six months to check on the money situation, but as long as they have no money, you can’t afford to work with them.

IT Consultants Need to Use Tact

You can’t ask prospects directly, “Hey – are you broke?” To get an answer without being rude or obnoxious, ask your prospects where they are getting their computer consulting support currently. If they work solely with volunteers or moonlighters charging rock-bottom rates, you know they probably have a pretty small IT budget.

Sometimes you might discover as IT consultants that your prospects are working with another competing consulting company that is charging rates similar to yours. Then you can guess these prospects are not a waste of your time and proceed accordingly.

Another question IT consultants need to ask is how much pain prospects are in. If you can identify their pain and pitch an effective solution and they can afford you, you can forge a pretty solid relationship.

IT consultants can’t afford to give away time for free, so be very careful when deciding who to support!

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

IT Marketing: You Need Referrals

2008-04-08T10:22:00.000-04:00

Referrals are an essential and strong part of your IT marketing plan. But how do you ask for them?

Ask a Big Question

What is the big question you need to ask clients when it comes to IT marketing?

“Do you know anyone else in your circle of friends, family members, business associates, colleagues, vendors, etc. who could benefit from our services?”

Never forget this question and get very used to asking it.

How Can Clients Spot Referrals?

Part of your IT marketing plan should be training clients to look for signs that someone they know would be good referral material. Who needs your services? As an example, your client might hear a friend, family member or colleague constantly complaining about slow computers or email being down. Make sure this client knows you appreciate referrals.

A Client Survey

You should be surveying clients at least once per year and asking them to list people they think might be interested in your services. You can also provide a statement stuffer to put in with your invoices that talks about your IT marketing referral plan and the kinds of businesses with which you work.

Rewarding Referrals

If you want to get even more referrals, you can start a formal referral program that rewards clients for referrals that turn into customers. What rewards can you provide? You can offer $100 credit on a client’s account, $100 gift checks, $100 to the charity of a client’s choice … get creative!

When you reward clients for the referrals they provide as part of your IT marketing plan, you can get great referrals. Ask for them often!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

IT Sales: Sell What You Know!

2008-03-31T20:23:00.000-04:00

When you are engaging in IT sales and especially when you are selling to strangers, you can’t lead with products! Your point with IT sales is to sell you as a solution – “You, Inc.” – and sell your expertise.

How Can You Add Value to Solutions?

You can’t just sell ordinary products and rely on them to sell others on the true value of your company. And similarly, don’t sell only to customers that want to buy products and nothing else. When you don’t bundle in solutions and value-added services with product sales, you end up competing only on price. If you want to grow your company and be in it for the long haul, you need to figure out where, when and how to add value.

How can you change your whole attitude with IT sales so you are not reaching “customers,” rather potentially very long-term, high-paying clients that will need you for an extended period of time as an outsourced IT department? The solution is not in rock-bottom prices … it’s about being a specialist and not selling yourself as a commodity.

Your Expertise Differentiates You from the Pack in IT Sales

There are a lot of generalists in your area, but not a lot of specialists. You need to be a specialist and one of the few in your area (if not the only one!) that does exactly what you do. When you can do this, you put yourself in high demand and attract those that will want to pay top dollar for very specialized solutions.

Your Experience and Niche Determine High Rates

When you no longer have to deal with price-sensitive buyers, you can add to your margins, because your clients will expect to pay more for the value of your expertise.

Stop relying on products to drive IT sales … and start selling what you know!

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Computer Repair Business: Your Technical Staff Can Protect Your Business

2008-03-24T09:55:00.000-04:00

When you are building your computer repair business, you have to be very careful about hiring your technical staff. Otherwise, you might end up training and supporting someone that will be your future competition!

A Computer Repair Business Example

As an example, let’s say that your computer repair business hires a technical employee and pays for advanced training: Microsoft; Cisco; Citrix. This employee might gain incredibly sharp skills and get great experience in the field.

But what if the staff member of your computer repair business wakes up one day and decides he/she doesn’t want to work for your company anymore? The person decides to start a home-based computer consulting company and take clients along for the ride!

Your Computer Repair Business and Forecasting Disasters

You can’t put all your eggs in one basket and rely on just one technical staff member to carry your entire company. You have to make sure you are really entrenched in the sales process and in the services delivered. You may not be the person doing all the work, and you may not have the strongest technical skills … but if you make sure to always stay involved and let everyone know you’re the boss, you can keep your clients loyal and long-term relationships strong.

Contracts are Important with Your Computer Repair Business

You need to be sure to cover yourself when it comes to you technical staff. Have staff members sign contracts – non-compete clauses, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), etc. – when you hire them (NOTE: Talk to your attorney!). Make sure you have a strong plan for your computer repair business so you can deal with legal issues and employee issues before they happen.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

How Do You Overcome Computer Repair Business Sales Objections

2008-03-18T00:16:00.000-04:00

If you are running a computer repair business, chances are you face challenges when it comes to overcoming client sales objections.

There are some common sales objections you might hear when you are selling networks to small business prospects, customers and clients and dealing with the ins and outs of a computer repair business.

Where Does the Problem Begin?

Typically, you start to run into objections when you talk about network upgrades and sophisticated technology services. At this point, small business prospects for your computer repair business will start to really focus on how much it’s going to cost them.

But do they understand the soft costs of not investing early in a real, advanced network? There are dangerous consequences such as lost employee productivity that results from cutting corners, downtime and service costs from computer consultants when dead-end solutions are chosen just because they don’t cost a lot of money.

Even if you do a thorough job with your initial consultation, IT audit, site survey and reports, you are going to have to face some client objections before making that final leap into a long-term client relationship.

Why Does Your Computer Repair Business Have to Overcome Objections?

One minor concern can ruin a whole sale, so you have to have great business development skills to help you overcome any objections. When you have the right strategies, you will be less apt to get emotional, defensive or annoyed. You will be more focused and able to figure out how to best solve complicated prospect problems and close your sale so you can get paying clients.

Sales Objection 1: Apathy

If small business owners are apathetic about networks, you might face weeks, months or years before they feel urgent enough about their computer repair business needs to hire you. But, when you know the roots, you will be able to push the process along. (For examples, visit the link to the corresponding article at the end of this blog entry!)

Network Reliability Can Overcome Sales Objections in the Computer Repair Business

PC/LAN network reliability might be questioned when a P2P server randomly shuts down and restarts because a specific software setup program decided to reboot.

P2P networks do not protect data. If it isn’t protected with fault tolerant hard drives, a tape backup drive, a server-class UPS and regularly updated virus-protection software, a P2P network can be a real disaster. Sometimes this can work to your advantage when you are facing apathy by when some divine intervention happens and a lightning storm, blackout or other disaster happens to show prospects just how unreliable their current setups are.

Catastrophic Data Loss Can Be Your Best Friend

Catastrophic data loss is a horrible situation for prospects and clients, but can really motivate them to overcome their apathy and hire your computer repair business to help them with sophisticated server solutions. All of a sudden, the people that were wavering about accepting your help and solutions will be really interested in your suggestions about networking which features centralized security and data protection (the very thing that could’ve prevented their catastrophe).

Discontinued Technical Support and Your Potential Computer Repair Business Clients

You can also overcome apathy-related sales objections by talking about discontinued technical support, particularly when it comes to vertical, industry-specific software: niche applications designed for accountants; software for attorneys, physicians, realtors, auto body shops, restaurants, etc.

Eventually, an ISV selling this software will stop offering tech support, updates and patches, and then what? You can be the person that solves these problems for them by being the person that will take over that sort of maintenance and support.

The Main Idea about Overcoming Sales Objections and Your Computer Repair Business

If you are working with computers and small businesses, you need to have great sales skills to overcome sales objections.

Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg

Making Others Aware of Your Computer Repair Business through IT Marketing

2008-03-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

If you want to sell services with your computer repair business you need to build awareness of a problem. And once you define the problem for prospects, you need to make them aware that your computer repair business is the right one to solve that problem through skillful IT marketing.

Seminar Marketing

Seminar Marketing is a great way to get prospects in touch with the philosophy of your computer repair business because it makes them aware of what you are offering very efficiently. Instead of having to go out on sales calls and spend a lot of time talking about basics with individuals, you get a room full of prospects all in one place at the same time and at attention.

No Pressure!

Seminars with IT marketing are a much less intimidating way for your prospects to learn about your computer repair business. If you set up proper registration and follow-up procedures, properly qualify prospects and invite effectively you can get a lot of business through seminars held surrounding key technology issues for your niche.

IT Marketing and White Papers that Build Awareness

When you publish a white paper or an e-zine, you can also get great lead capture and follow-up results. If you are running a direct mail campaign, you can offer a white paper or an e-zine with a high value. You can develop the white paper yourself, outsource to a freelance writer or adapt something from a reseller program. If you do regular seminars, you can just offer an edited transcript of this seminar as part of your computer repair business IT marketing strategy.

IT Marketing and Building Awareness!

You can advertise your white paper through display ads or direct mail pieces. It will give prospects a reason to call your computer repair business, go online and request something. And then you can capture information.

The Main Idea about Building Awareness of Your Computer Repair Business

In order to show how valuable you are to prospects, make them aware of the problems they have and that you are the best person to solve it. Use seminars and white papers as part of your IT marketing campaign.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Use Your Computer Consultant Business Experts to Conduct Data Backups

2008-03-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

Many small business owners use their computer consultant business experts to conduct data backups, but a lot do not. Computer data backups are something everyone knows they need to do, but not all do them.

Not backing up can be really dangerous, which is why enlisting the help of a computer consultant business in your area is very important. You need advice about how to choose and maintain your computers and backup procedures. Without a full-time backup person, you need to make sure you have a good idea of what is involved in the process.

Make Sure to Monitor

You need to make sure, even without your computer consultant business experts watching, you test computer data backups and monitor log files. For maximum effectiveness, they need to be automated so every job is launched consistently and correctly. The computer data backup system also has to be monitored so it keeps working correctly.

Don’t “set it and forget it” when it comes to your computer data backup system. Make sure you follow advice from your computer consultant business and test now or cry later!

Test, Test, Test!

Whenever you install a new data backup system, you can’t just assume everything will work. You need to make sure you use your computer consultant business expert to help you restore folders and files from your backup media and make sure the data backup system is still working.
If you include a verify run with each backup job as part of your routine, preferably once a week, you will be able to make sure you keep important information protected.

Moving Parts and Open Design

If you are purchasing reliable, business-class computer backup systems, you may be wondering why all these precautions are necessary. The fact is, anything with moving parts is more prone to mechanical failure. Also, your backup device is open instead of sealed, so the inside of a computer backup data system may attract dust buildup very quickly.

Sample Restore Jobs and the Importance of Cleaning Your Tape Heads

You need to test a tape for a sample restore job and simultaneously clean the heads of the backup drive when necessary. Restoring 200-300 MB of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape will take you 15-30 minutes and is invaluable. Make sure you restore data to an alternate server folder path so you don’t disrupt shared folders.

Make a Checklist

When you have a crisis, the most important thing to ensure is that you get the data back onto your system undamaged very quickly. When you build your computer data backup system, you need to be sure to keep records of your test procedures in the form of checklists. Documentation can also help with cross-training and to prevent panic during emergencies when stress levels are high. This can help your computer consultant business work more effectively.

Watch Your Log Files

On top of running test restore jobs you need to look closely at your computer data backup system log files regularly. When your backup system is installed, you need to familiarize yourself with log files when everything is working. That way, when something goes wrong, you and your computer consultant business can figure out the problem quickly.

Make Remote Monitoring and Tape Backup a Reality

Many computer consultant business experts set up log files so they automatically are emailed to small business owners daily. That way, consultants can keep track of potential problems with the data backup system. Even without the help of experts, you should be monitoring proactively at both a centralized business location and other remote locations.

You can set up an e-mail alias to make the computer data backup system e-mail log files to you automatically or sent to a second-in-command as well as an external computer consultant so everyone is on the same page.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Starting Out in Computer Support Jobs

2008-02-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

When you are starting out as a consultant looking to get involved with computer support jobs, you might only have basic desktop support level tech skills. But you have to make sure you get paying clients – computer support jobs that fit your current tech skills comfort level. Which clients should you pursue first?

You need to start out working with home offices and small stand-alone businesses and companies with very small peer-to-peer simple networks. This way you will get some paying clients as well as reference accounts.

One-Shot Deals Can Lead to Better Computer Support Jobs

Even if you start out by doing one-shot deals, you have to go beyond. Your business will be successful when it is built on recurring revenue that comes from retainer agreements and very complex dedicated server solutions. When you are starting out in the process of getting computer support jobs you can take on smaller accounts. But you are going to have to move towards more complex, more profitable and long-term clients.

Keep up the Learning Process to get More Computer Support Jobs

If you think your lack of tech training is keeping you from clients that need a lot more from you, you should save some time each week for training, even if it is only just two or three hours worth. You can look at tutorials and resource kits and also install the not-for-resale (NFR) software and break the installation so you can continue to practice the setup.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

IT Sales Copy to Get You Going

2008-02-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

Effective IT sales copy is essential to any marketing plan. If you want to get customers to the next step, you need to get maximum impact with your copywriting.

If you create compelling text, long IT sales copy is fine; you can even have a letter that is several pages long and includes endorsements and testimonials. Just stay away from jargon and IT speak and focus on BUSNIESS, which is what your prospects will know.

You should also show with IT sales copy that your business guarantees satisfaction. Personalize your letter and create a common connection to make sure you are creating compelling reasons for prospects to get in touch.

Make Sure Your IT Sales Copy Gets Through

A lot of IT sales letters can end up in the garbage, because a lot of people read their mail near the garbage can. If your piece of mail is not eye catching, it will be trashed, and you will have wasted time and money.

You need to make sure part of your IT sales copy gives people multiple points of contact – fax, phone, Web site and e-mail address. You need to make sure prospects have options and can get in touch with you in the way they feel most comfortable.

Are You Creating a Sense of Urgency?

You need to set a deadline with your IT sales letter to create a real sense of urgency. If you don’t have a deadline, even if prospects ARE interested, they will file it away and forget about it.

Present a call to action or special offer that asks prospects to call before X date to book a free, no obligation security checkup or some other compelling free offer that is of value to them. Give prospects a reason to react to your IT sales campaign immediately!

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Tips for the Computer Specialist Hiring Process

2008-02-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Many small business owners don’t know the first thing about hiring and managing a computer specialist and therefore can find themselves in hot water with a bad match for their company’s needs when they finally hire someone. If you need the help of a computer specialist for your business, you need to be very careful about the hiring process. The following tips can help you screen and interview a local computer specialist to find the best fit for you.

Where Does the Problem Start?

Most small business managers know what to ask when it comes to internal staff members, but hiring a computer specialist is a little trickier than the norm.

Aside from handling the legal issues of hiring a contracted employee (CONSULT YOUR ATTORNEY!), you need to know how to ask the right questions of a potential candidate for tech work. These hiring questions can be put into a checklist and used each time you interview someone new.

Part-time or Full-Time Computer Consulting?

1. “Do you have a day job or are you a moonlighter?”

Solo Practitioner or True Computer Consulting Business?

2. “Are there other people working at your company, or is it just you?”

3. “Are the other people working for you employees or contractors? What are their names and backgrounds, and how long have they been with the company?”

4. “Will the other people at your company be involved with my account?”

A Small Business or Large Company Computer Consulting Experience?

5. “What size is your typical client, in terms of number of PCs, employees and annual revenue?”

Generalist or Specialist Consulting Company?

6. “In what industry or vertical markets have you been working?”

7. “Which software applications and technology platforms do you support?”

8. “Which products, services and platforms do you NOT support and service?”

9. “Do you work with a specialty hardware, software or services vendor?”

The Main Idea about the Computer Specialist Hiring Process

The above questions are just some you can ask of candidates for outsourced tech services for your business. You need to understand important aspects of cost and also be able to properly evaluate a computer specialist in order to figure out whether or not he/she will work well with you.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Repair Business: Focus on Customer Service

2008-02-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

When you are building your computer repair business, you need to think about what you can do from a customer service standpoint to sell more managed services and monitoring. Think about what the value would be to your clients if you could predict and prevent major issues before emergencies arise.

When planning how to market your computer repair business, think about specific situations. For example, if someone had $1,700 worth of virus-related services last quarter, what can you offer them that can prevent this in the future?

Which Services Can You Provide with Your Computer Repair Business?

Think about what you need to offer your clients. Do you need to give them more virus protection or just more end user training? Look at your service tickets for your computer repair business and identify patterns. When you really gauge what you need to do, you are providing excellent customer service because you are truly anticipating needs.

Be Proactive!

You and your computer repair business staff members need to be proactive about how you deal with relationships and anticipate your clients’ needs ahead of time. You should learn for what you should be looking.

You also need to provide rewards for the technical staff of your computer repair business and pass along opportunities. Compensate account managers and staff based on customer satisfaction ratings so you are constantly putting the focus on customer service.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Become a Computer Consultant by Focusing on Training and Client Acquisition

2008-01-28T17:39:00.000-05:00

Many people wonder when first starting to try to become a computer consultant whether they should focus on computer consulting training first or client acquisition. The correct answer is, “Do both at the same time.”

When I am helping people learn to become a computer consultant, I typically tell them how important it is to simultaneously focus on client recruitment AND skills development. You can’t feasibly take six months off to focus on training because six months later, you will find yourself broke. The truth is, you need paying clients at all stages of your business.

However, you can’t let six months go by while you are trying to become a computer consultant without keeping your technical skills up to speed. You will eventually be incapable of taking on advanced technical projects and you will not be able to confidently bid on a lot of small business accounts.

What is the “Ideal” Way to Become a Computer Consultant?

Most small business IT consulting firms typically balance training with client acquisition by spending a couple days a month or a couple weeks a year going to formal classroom training.

Additionally, many consulting firms set up labs for testing and training in their offices so they can work with basic, entry-level server hardware. These can provide someone trying to become computer consultant with informal, self-guided training regularly.

What about Programs?

You can join a lot of different programs that let you get copies of software for internal use. If your firm belongs to a partner program like Microsoft’s, you will get a certain amount of software to use internally. A lot of other vendors provide similar things as part of their partner benefits with annual membership fees.

Evaluation software can really help someone that wants to become a computer consultant keep skills sharp. When you run programs internally, your staff gets good at the software before it goes into the field.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Virtual IT and On-Going Service

2008-01-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

The most successful small business computer consultants work in the “virtual IT” industry. When you offer virtual IT services to your clients, you get steady business that benefits both you and your customers.

The Definition of Virtual IT

When you work in virtual IT, you essentially become your clients’ outsourced IT department. You’re not selling customers and clients products – PCs, routers, cabling, etc. – rather sophisticated technology-based solutions to major business problems. You become a “virtual CIO.”

Virtual IT gives you the flexibility of providing a total technical services program that gives small businesses exactly what they need without having to pay someone to do it full time.

Providing Services to Your Clients

In order to be successful at delivering virtual IT services, you need to know what typical solutions look like. Ask yourself a couple important questions:

“What are the traditional types of services I can sell to my current and future clients?”

“What other opportunities are out there for me?”

Virtual IT and Relationships

You need to keep adding value to relationships with your current customers and clients and also the future ones. You can’t just sell an initial project such as a network installation, etc. You have to provide in-going support and services to truly stand behind the work you do.

Don’t wait for customers to call you. Instead, offer virtual IT services on a regular basis and help clients avoid serious emergencies that will stall business and create stress for you!

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

IT Marketing and Attracting Your First Clients

2008-01-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

When you have some clients on your roster, IT marketing becomes an easy task. But how do you get your first clients for your IT consulting business?

A Revisitation of the Steps to Opening Your Computer Consulting Business

1. Pick a startup date for your business.

2. Print business cards.

3. Tell everyone you know that you are opening a business.

4. Get some reference accounts.

5. Obtain referrals.

IT Marketing: Volunteer to Get Some Initial Clients

You can do a volunteer job that has a definite end point for an organization in your area in which you believe in order to get some initial clients. When you are talking to organizations, offer your services confidently:

“I’m going to do a great job helping you upgrade your PC or Web site. I would love it if in return at the end of the half day or day, you could write me a letter of reference and take some phone calls every once in a while from prospects to help me with a verbal reference. If you could also introduce me to three people active in your organization that are qualified and could benefit from my services, that would be wonderful.”

A director or office manager from an organization will know which of their board members regularly complains about computer programs. Volunteering can get you both testimonials and references.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

IT Sales and Relationships

2008-01-08T19:21:00.000-05:00

If you want to create real relationships, you need to establish them with the IT sales process. Your ability to sell your IT services is not about the size of your customer list or revenue; it’s about long-term relationships you build with customers and clients as part of the IT sales process.

You need to keep in mind that the lifetime value of your clients could be in the six-figure range, so you need to really invest in relationships with them.

Manage Customer Expectations

If you are in charge of IT sales at the start of your business, you won’t have to worry that your salesperson will change regularly, causing you to start over again each time you meet with a prospect or customer. With IT sales, the amount of effort required is often underestimated by consultants. If you are not mindful and don’t manage expectations from the beginning, building a personal relationship with your prospects and customers, you will find yourself struggling later.

Train Your Own IT Sales Staff

Most consultants get really involved in generating leads and closing sales in the beginning stages of their businesses. When you establish a routine and have five or ten really good clients that are giving you $5,000 to $15,000 per month in IT services, you may want to think about having someone help you with IT sales. Don’t delegate it until you are sure you have steady, solid clients that will sustain your business.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Consulting: Use Proving Ground Projects

2008-01-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

If you want to see whether or not you will get along with prospective IT consulting clients you need to test them out with proving ground projects – essential steps on the road to long-term agreements with clients.

What Are Proving Ground Projects?

Proving ground projects are your initial IT consulting projects with new customers that are not yet steady clients. They are your chance to prove you know your stuff, are dependable and easy-to-get-along with and offer value-filled services.

Proving ground projects in IT consulting are also a chance for customers to prove that they have reasonable expectations, are compatible and that the customer wants to pay for professional IT services at top rates.

Be Observant

If everything goes well during the proving ground project phase of IT consulting relationships, you are on the right track to having a new steady client. But you need to be really observant during this phase to make sure you are not dealing with a nightmare client. Often an IT consulting professional will be so excited at the idea of getting a new customer that he/she will not see obvious warning signs with prospects, including the following harbingers:

1. Prospects change their minds constantly;

2. They are late for meetings;

3. They verbally abuse employees;

4. They don’t believe the rules of your business or of IT consulting in general apply to them.

The Main Idea about IT Consulting and Proving Ground Projects

You can’t rush into relationships without deciding whether or not the prospects are a good fit by engaging in well-planned proving ground projects.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Provide Outstanding Business IT Services with On-Going Support

2007-12-31T18:52:00.000-05:00

How can providing outstanding business IT services through virtual IT benefit you as a consulting firm? Well, most successful small business computer consultants position their companies as virtual IT departments because it gives them stady business that benefits both them and their clients.

Virtual IT and providing business IT services is about being an outsourced IT department. Instead of selling merely PCs to customers and clients or servers, routers, Wi-Fi, cabling and other “commodities,” as a virtual IT professional you spend time selecting and designing networks and looking at real business problems. You devote time to figuring out how to use technology to solve business problems and to being a part-time IT manager – a virtual CIO.

A Definition of Business IT Services and Virtual IT

Virtual IT is a flexible and sophisticated technical services program that gives small businesses what they need and when they need it in terms of IT help without the overhead cost of full-time, salaried IT staff.

Providing Virtual IT to Clients

In order to successfully deliver business IT services in a way that will help you profit you need to figure out how to spot opportunities and what typical business solutions will resemble. Ask yourself which types of services you can sell to existing and future clients and also what other opportunities might exist for you.

Grow Relationships

In order to continue to provide excellent business IT services and add value to both your existing customers and clients and new customers and clients, you need to start building relationships. Relationships are at the heart of your business. You have to go beyond selling the initial network installation, getting it installed, walking out and hoping everything works.

You can’t wait for customers and clients to call you. You need to proactively provide business IT services on an on-going basis to avoid major emergencies. When you provide virtual IT services, your business gets more profitable and you and your customers have less worries.

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

IT Marketing: A Study of Postcards

2007-12-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes your IT marketing strategies won’t give you the results you need. There are some common mistakes you can avoid with postcards that can help you maximize your success.

IT Marketing: The Postcard Story

A consultant sent out over 300 postcards offering general troubleshooting services, automated online data backup and wireless home networks. In terms of IT marketing, this consultant purchased lists of area businesses broken down by revenue, credit rating, years in business and # of PCs. The wireless home networks went to homeowners that were over $500,000 in purchase prices and the automated online data backup went to those that had a recent new business license. The general services postcards went to accountants, lawyers and small clinics.

The consultant reported not a single phone call or response of any kind. He wonders, “Are these the wrong lists? Are postcards the wrong media?”

IT Marketing and Expectations with Postcards

First of all, 300 postcards is not a lot. You need to send enough to give you a good guess on statistics but not too much so that you use your entire IT marketing budget in one shot. However, you can’t think that you are going to spend $180 (at 60 cents per unit) sending out 300 postcards and for this investment get rich.

What Your Postcards Should Include

The truth is, if you got results like those cited by the consultant above, you are probably not using the wrong lists. But you might be using bad copy. What are you offering? Do you have a good headline? Did you hit their painful points, use a deadline and use a compelling offer to get them to respond?

The truth is, postcards are not the wrong media for your IT marketing campaign. Postcards are great because your prospects don’t have to open anything and can more easily make a decision.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Consultants Secrets to Improved Postcard Response

2007-12-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

There are some computer consultants secrets that can help those overcome some common mistakes people make when doing postcard mailings. The biggest mistake people make is failing to create a sense of urgency. Basically, this means they don’t create a compelling reason for their targets to hire their computer consulting firm NOW.

But a prospect gets a mailing that says a company is offering a free system analysis to the first 25 people that respond, the prospect will be more likely to respond quickly.

Computer Consultants Secrets: Limit Your Response

If you don’t want to limit the number of people that respond to an IT marketing campaign, attach a set date. Urgency and scarcity helps with any direct mail or online marketing. You want a prospect to take action with a response that is measurable and that you can track, so you need to attach a deadline.

Computer Consultants Secrets: Experts Can Help

To put together a really great marketing campaign, talk to a direct response marketing expert such as a copywriter or someone retired from advertising. You can just ask for basic business advice from a business owner, but this will not help you. You need to talk to someone that comes from a mail-order background or has experience with direct mail, online advertising or with an ad agency that can help you get some computer consultants secrets about your own campaign and get better results with a compelling message.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

An IT Marketing Case Study

2007-12-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Many consultants think that an IT marketing campaign has to cost a lot of money and spend $1,000 or more on glossy advertisements or brochures.

No Poor Positioning

Often consultants will spend a lot of money on an expensive ad then have a horrible IT marketing position. For example, in a headline I recently saw for an ad was “Computer Repair, I Come to You.” “I Come to You” will not set you apart from the rest. If you are doing just retail business, that is a nice benefit. But most computer services firms don’t go after retail customers these days. Come up with a unique IT marketing message in your headline to grab attention.

IT Marketing: Don’t Talk about Price

The next part of the ad stated, “Computer Repair A+ and Microsoft Certified Professional, Repairs, Upgrades, One-on-One Lessons and Tutoring.” This statement is, again, nothing unique. But half of the ad also was big letters with a color screen behind it that stated “Don’t pay $40, $60 or $80 an hour for computer repair! Call us!” And a retail coupon next to the screen bragged about “$20 an hour, in-home service.” This IT marketing message is the biggest and most classic mistake in the business.

A List of IT Marketing Mistakes

1. There is no target. This company is trying to go after the local seven million small businesses. The ad is not narrowing it down to SMALL businesses even, and the company will go out and do anything for $20 an hour, no matter how simple or complex.

2. The business is advertising price. $20 per hour is not a sustainable price. Even with a 75% utilization rate, this company will not even break even. They will make MAYBE $600 weekly.

3. This company is unoriginal. As an IT consultant, you need to think about which qualities will make your IT marketing campaign unique and narrow down your focus on specialization.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

IT Marketing and Trusted Business Advisors

2007-12-17T18:08:00.000-05:00

If you want to succeed at IT marketing techniques that really get your name out there, you should try going through trusted business advisors. Small businesses look to these advisors for advice and put a great deal of trust in their recommendations. A referral from these experts can be worth a lot, whether they be accountants, lawyers or bankers.

How can you use trusted business advisors as part of IT marketing campaigns? Take an accountant for example. You can see if accountants need help with technology, and if you do a good job for them, they may recommend you to those that put faith in them.

Ask Your Accountant Questions

No matter what you do, you need to talk to your accountant about his/her computer problems and the computer problems of his/her clients. Accountants will typically get the following questions from clients:

1. “I need a good retirement account. Which vendors should I choose?”

2. “I’m finding it difficult to get health insurance. Who is good?”

3. “Where can I get a reliable checking account?”

4. “Where should I put my merchant account?”

5. “Do you know where I can find a good attorney? I’m closing on my house.”

Accountants often hear about clients’ financial, legal and computer needs. People trust accountants as a place to get good information about many small business needs, so they will be good people to use as part of your IT marketing campaign to get to the heart of prospects’ and clients’ problems.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Small Business Networking and Dedicated Servers

2007-12-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

When you are dealing with small business networking needs, you have to remember that PC-based servers and LANs are fairly new technologies. You will need to be responsible for handling configuration, customization, security and maintenance for the clients’ appropriate networking tools.

Real Servers for Real Small Business Networking

Many times you will find a new small business client that claims to be perfectly satisfied with a P2P network, even though you know it is really causing a lot of issues. The truth is, Microsoft Windows P2P small business networking is no way to run a successful small business. Maybe it would work for a two- or three-person company, but these are not going to be profitable clients for you.

Clients Need Real Small Business Networking

Clients will come to you because they need a reliable and cost-effective small business networking solution. You know the critical nature of flawless data protection, maximized uptime and security. These issues cannot be short-cut. Your job is to convince your small business networking prospects – even the skeptical ones – that they are big enough to demand a dedicated server.

No Cutting Corners

When you start talking about network upgrades, small business clients will often get caught up in the concept of money spent. They don’t think about how their current investment can save critical time and money later in the life of their businesses. They can experience lost employee productivity, downtime and support costs when a quick and cheap fix does not stand up long term.

The Main Idea about Small Business Networking

Many clients don’t know they have a networking problem until they encounter problems. You need to show prospects and clients the value of dedicated servers and help them see their investment is worth it for long-term solutions.

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Show Your Credibility with IT Marketing

2007-12-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

If you only have a few IT marketing-ready references, you can still establish credibility with your computer consulting business.

Strong References for Better IT Marketing

You have to make sure the references you DO have are strong, and that you have them in writing on your client’s letterhead. They should discuss very specific benefits: how you saved your client money; how your technology solution helps bring in more revenue; how you enabled your clients to close out the month faster; how you improved a client’s productivity; how your solution helped improve communication.

T create a strong IT marketing position, you have to get strong references, even if you only have a few.

Get Your First References for IT Marketing

If you still have no references, you can get them through volunteer work. Choose a non-profit organization or two about which you are enthusiastic and set up a closed-ended deal. You don’t want to volunteer services for a long time. As part of the deal, you can ask the organization to write a testimonial for you.

Asking for Referrals and IT Marketing

Many people have a hard time asking for referrals. They don’t want to push clients and they don’t want to look desperate. But testimonials are really important for IT marketing …

You should always ask for referrals when someone gives you a compliment. If you walk into an office and are finishing up a project and someone says, “This is amazing!” then it’s your time to act. Ask for an updated testimonial (or a fresh one if you don’t have one) and ask if they know anyone that might be in need of your services.

The Main Idea about IT Marketing

You need to ask clients for testimonials and referrals. They won’t mind giving them to you if you are doing good work!

Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg

Computer Consulting: Find Your Prospects

2007-12-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Finding your prospects among all your computer consulting leads can be a challenge, but there are some things you can look for that will help you narrow the selection process down significantly. Narrowing your computer consulting focus is one technique, but there some other big strategies.

Three Different Audience Sizes

How big should the companies you target with your computer consulting business be? One arena is the micro small business market – companies that just have a few PCs, a small number of employees. This size is challenging for computer consulting because these businesses are not typically looking for IT support.

The sweet spot of computer consulting is the nest step up and is typically the most popular target area amidst professionals. Computer consultants do well in this area of 10 – 50 PCs. At this size of company, professionals will find that downtime is more expensive and as a computer consulting expert, you can make a strong case when selling them on your services by explaining to them how costly technology problems can be.

The next step up is the borderline of the small business market and the bottom of medium-sized businesses. At this stage, you might find IT services bills that approach the same amount as a full-time, salaried IT manager. They will no longer need to outsource generalist computer consulting roles, because they will do better with an on-site person.

If you want to really narrow down your computer consulting focus and find good prospects, you need to define your ideal client and target.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Certification: Do You Need 20 Certifications?

2007-12-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

A lot of consultants think that collecting every computer certification under the sun is an important part of running a successful small business computer consulting firm. This attitude could not be farther from the truth.

Small Businesses Aren’t Ahead of the Technology Curve

The majority of small businesses will not care about computer certification. They are typically about 12-18 months behind the technology curve, and there will not be a CEO or corporate entity recommending an upgrade on systems every 12 months for no good reason.

Outdated Small Business Technology

As a small business computer consultant, you will most likely be working with a lot of outdated hardware, software and peripherals. Some of your clients’ equipment will be fine, other pieces of hardware will need updates and upgrades. You should not put a lot of stress on computer certification because small business owners don’t typically keep up with bleeding-edge technology, which takes away early-adopter stress.

Do You Have Skills?

Skills are far more important than computer certification in small business consulting. Do people come to you for advice on computers? Do they ask for help with software and hardware and peripherals? Are people coming to you for help simply because you have created a reputation as the type of person that knows more about PCs, notebooks and software than the average person? Do people know you as a good resource for computer problems? If the answer to these questions is “Yes,” then you probably already have what it takes to make a great computer consultant.

Computer Consulting Skills Vary

Computer certification and the level of your computer skills don’t really matter. There is a place for you in helping small businesses with IT problems no matter what your experience or skill level.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Consulting: Micro Small Businesses?

2007-12-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

The small business arena is really one of the best for IT consulting. But there are different small business sizes with many different needs. What do you need to know in order to provide services to micro small businesses?

Micro Small Businesses: A Definition

Micro small businesses in IT consulting have anywhere from 1 – 10 computers that usually use Windows operating systems. These companies usually have between one and ten employees and their revenues will be between $100,000 – a million annually.

The difference between micro small businesses and others in terms of IT consulting is that they don’t have a dedicated server. They are probably running a P2P server and are bringing you as an IT consultant in to help. You shouldn’t be confused about your skills in this arena. You will be able to start your IT consulting business easily by working with micro small businesses as a starting point.

Hardware for IT Consulting and Micro Small Businesses

You will need to know desktop PC support, notebooks, PDAs (palm-based) and Windows CD-based PDAs, printers, server set-up, dial-up modems, DSL and cable modems and how to deal with surge protection, data line protection and entry-level battery backup devices in order to work with micro small businesses in IT consulting.

Software for IT Consulting and Micro Small Businesses

Get to know the most popular desktop and notebook operating systems. But you will mostly use Microsoft Windows on the desktop, notebooks and on PDAs.

Micro small businesses will be looking for desktop office automation applications support, basic PC and notebook support on the family of Microsoft Office. They will also want to know about Intuits Quickbooks accounting software and the Best Software’s ACT management system.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Get Rid of Computer Consulting Time Wasters

2007-11-26T23:26:00.000-05:00

When you are working in computer consulting, you are selling your personality, charisma and business knowledge. But your time is at a premium and you can’t afford to waste it. You have to keep track of every hour, whether billable, sales-related, prospecting or administrative.

How do you figure out what is worth your time?

Is It a Computer Consulting Emergency

If you need to get rid of those that will waste your time and be more efficient, you have to know their sense of urgency. Is it a server down issue that is affecting 27 workers and destroying productivity? Then it’s a pretty urgent computer consulting need.

It could be something much less urgent, like a broken PDA or something that affects just one person. Figure out what the situation is and whether it is a good use of your computer consulting time or not.

Identify the Budget

When you know what a company’s budget is from the beginning you can figure out if you are wasting your time. If a prospect has no money, you should not be continuing the conversation about computer consulting. Put them on a follow-up list for three or six months to find out if they have money in the future, but otherwise, let it go.

Computer Consulting and Tact

You can’t ask someone flat-out whether or not he/she is too broke to afford your services. You can, however investigate by asking questions about current computer consulting support or how a prospect has received it in the past. If a prospect has only used volunteers or moonlighters previously, you can guess this person does not have the money to pay you for your services.

On the flip side, you might find out a prospect is already working with another VAR – a competitor even – at which point you know the prospect would be able to afford your services.

What is the Level of Pain?

You need to ask yourself how much pain a prospect is in, and if you can offer an effective computer consulting solution that will fix it. This will determine whether or not the relationship is worth it, and whether a prospect – or you – will be wasting time by pursuing a relationship.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Marketing: Direct Mail Pointers

2007-11-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

Whether you decide to create IT marketing direct mail in the form of a letter, a flyer mailer, a big postcard or a regular-sized postcard, you need to focus on your headline and make it really eye catching. The same concept applies to your message.

When you know your prospects’ problems well and what they really want for their businesses, you can best target your IT marketing direct mail pieces.

IT Marketing: Benefits

You need to make your mailings very benefits focused in order to be successful. For example, you can say, “Learn how our computer consulting company saves dental offices $10,000 per year in saved expenses.” If you are mailing to other dental office managers, they will want to contact you to hear more! This means action on their part, and that you need to give them something to do.

You want to encourage them to request a free tape, report, consultation, needs analysis or something else of value that speaks to their points of pain. And then you want to deliver once they ask.

IT Marketing: Prospect Focus

Your direct mail needs to be specific about the benefits you offer. Avoid talking about “features,” and all the great things YOUR firm is. Get away from the “Me! Me! Me!” and talk about your prospects. You want to solve problems, not talk about how great you are when designing your IT marketing pieces. Most prospects don’t care which certifications you have or your associated vendor programs.

Prospects care about their problems and what you can do for them. So you need to make your IT marketing materials about benefits and prospects to get a good response.

Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg

IT Audits and Your Prospects

2007-11-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

IT audits are the next logical step when you go on an initial sales call with a prospect. Unless your prospects have an emergency that needs immediate attention, you have to try to sell IT audits to get to the next level with IT services.

Prospects may have a very specific concern that is bothering them, at which point you have a place to start and an advantage because you have a potential emergency. However, many times when you go on a sales call, IT audits and half-day technology assessments are a good suggestion.

If It’s Fast, It’s Free

You can propose a very abbreviated version of an IT audit where you go in for half an hour and offer clients a basic list of items to look at further. But when you start to spend more than half an hour, look at hubs, switches, how the Cat 5 stuff is laid out, etc. you are extending yourself beyond free IT audits.

Longer Assessments Need to Cost Money

Longer assessments need to be billable and sold as IT audits or tech assessments. You need to arrive at an acceptable rate for these types of situations.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Finding Sweet Spot Computer Consulting Clients

2007-11-18T02:03:00.000-05:00

If you want to do great business with your computer consulting business, you need to decide to work with the sweet spot of small businesses.

But how do you decide who fits into this category? How do you really figure out which prospects will bring you enough recurring revenue to be real sweet spot clients?

What Are the Signs of Sweet Spot Computer Consulting Clients?

Sweet spot clients are located no more than 30-50 minutes driving distance from your home base. You want to be able to get plenty of face time with them and get there quickly in emergencies. You don’t want to have to sit in traffic and waste valuable billing hours.

Finding Local Sweet Spot Clients

To get great computer consulting prospects, you can rent direct mail lists that provide information on businesses in the range of 0 – 50 miles or 0 – 80 kilometers. You can also join local organizations located within a half an hour or an hour of your business.

How Big Are These Clients?

Computer consulting sweet spot clients have 10 – 50 computers, 10 – 100 employees and a million to 10 million dollars in sales. You can also find sweet spot clients by going through local accounting firms and other trusted business advisors. You are going to fall into this “trusted advisors” category too, so you should position yourself right in the middle of it from the beginning.

Well-Connected Businesses

Sweet spot computer consulting clients have strong relationships with other business advisors, typically through outsourcing. They will have relationships with attorneys, accountants, advertising consultants, graphic designers and others, and so they already value the type of relationship you are trying to develop.

Get to sweet spot small business clients in computer consulting by going through companies with which they will work at networking events.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting Kit

Choose the Right Handheld Devices

2007-11-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

If you want to advise your clients the right way when it comes to handheld devices, there are some tips you can follow that will help you avoid irritating tech support issues.

Handheld Devices: Be Smart!

You need to tell clients to be careful when they are thinking about buying new handheld devices that have yet to be proven on the market. There can be major design and software bugs that haven’t been fixed yet within the first three or six months after a product is released. Your best bet is to let someone else deal with the frustration of being an early adopter.

Also, get software, peripherals and accessories bundled with your handheld device purchase. This will save money and time on installation and improve your chances at compatibility.

What Are You Buying?

You should pay close attention to the vendor support options for handheld devices. Tech support and warrantees are not all the same. WHO you are buying something from is often as important – or even MORE important – than what you are buying.

Also advise clients to check for compatibility with their operating systems. If your clients’ offices are tied to a specific version of Microsoft Windows or any other operating system, you should advise them to buy handheld devices that can sync up their data well.

The Main Idea about Handheld Devices

You should insist that your clients purchase handheld devices that are well connected. USB interfaces are the easiest to configure and work with when you encounter problems and also offer the best performance. Steer clear of older, legacy serial interfaces when you can.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

Get the Computer Consulting Word Out

2007-11-10T17:32:00.001-05:00

Your current computer consulting business clients, friends and family have to know all about your business. They should know which kinds of companies you serve, what you do and also that you are very appreciative of referrals.

When you ask really good open-ended questions, you might find thyat a simple discussion turns into a $10,000 or even $15,000 opportunity.

What Did You Overhear?

Sometimes you might overhear conversations in your computer consulting work that tell you someone needs your help. You may get a client asking on behalf of someone in accounting at the same business that is having the same problem over and over again. This is your chance to snag a new opportunity.

The Best Questions Are Open Ended

You need to get customers talking in constructive ways about your computer consulting business. Instead of asking them, “Are we doing a good job?” you can ask questions that lead to more than a “Yes” or “No” answer. For example:

“How are we doing?”

“How else can we help?”

“What do you like about the service we’re providing?”

“How can we improve?”

Take Information to Improve Your Computer Consulting Business

Any information you get from customers and clients can be used to make improvements and create new ways of working in relationships that can benefit both you and your computer consulting clients.

Submitted By: Joshua Feinberg

What's Your Computer Consulting Business Client Criteria?

2007-11-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for high-quality customers and clients for your computer consulting business, you need to know some qualifying criteria.

Proximity

A prospect/customer/client for your computer consulting business should be within a 30 – 60-minute drive from your location. Proximity is also important to the networking events you attend and any part of your marketing campaign.

Client Size

When you are trying to find prospects for your computer consulting business, you need to find businesses with 10 – 50 PC’s. The concept behind this is that the prospect should be big enough to need a real server, which typically means the company has 10 – 100 employees and usually $1 million - $10 million in annual sales. You will need this information to help you with marketing activities.

What Should Prospects Use?

Potential clients should have their own e-mail domain, so you will want to know how computer consulting business prospects get and send e-mails in your first meeting. Ideal prospects will usually have a dedicated server or internet access and therefore, more sophisticated IT needs.

Are Prospects Serious about IT?

If you encounter a prospect without a dedicated server or Internet access or if they have a P2P server, you probably want to keep looking.

The Main Idea about Computer Consulting Business Prospects

Any prospective client you are targeting for your computer consulting business should be devoted to supporting his/her IT assets.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

PC Purchases: How Can CD-RW Drives Help?

2007-11-03T02:40:00.000-04:00

Your clients might be thinking about PC purchases of desktops or notebooks. But they need to think about the compatibility with a CD-RW drive, which accompanies any operating system and also most other pieces of hardware.

When you commit to a notebook, you are typically going to have to use parts that only work with a specific brand, make and model. If your clients want internal CD-RW drives with their PC purchases, they will most likely need to buy a specific brand and model directly from the manufacturer.

PC purchases that involve desktops give clients more options for adding the CD-RW drive. Regardless, getting the drives bundled with the PC purchases is the easiest way to manage it.

Think Ahead with PC Purchases

Your firm may be letting go of short-term revenue by recommending bundled PC purchases, but in the long run, your clients will prefer paying hourly rates for sophisticated work and not general installs, etc.

When you have the CD-RW drives installed at the factory, you and your clients can be sure they will work properly with the PC and the operating system.

The Benefits of a Warranty and Tech Support

Any good PC vendor should be able to stand behind the configuration that comes with a bundled PC purchase, and this means it will all be supported when clients need to call tech support.

One-stop shopping offers a great way to define responsibility and eliminate your clients’ pointing fingers at different people involved in more complicated PC purchases. The bundled CD-RW drive will be covered under a warranty.

Also, the cost of upgrading from a standard CD-ROM drive to a CD-RW drive when done at the time of the PC purchases is going to be negligible.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

IT Audits: Taking Care of Licensing Tasks

2007-10-29T16:36:00.001-04:00

When you are conducting IT audits, you will come across software licensing issues about which you have to talk to customers and prospects. You can approach this situation tactfully by telling them you found software that was questionably licensed and wonder if they have documentation to prove ownership. Any responsible small business owner will understand why they need to have the license agreements, invoices, end-user license agreements and original CDs to prove they own their products.

IT Audits: Never Negotiate Licenses

If your customers and prospects can’t provide you with software licenses during IT audits, you have to tell them they need to decide on a remediation plan immediately to avoid future problems. You can advise them on how to approach this.

Give small businesses a couple months after the IT audits to work on the problem, but don’t give them more. Licensing compliance is non-negotiable for your firm and should be in your service contracts.

It’s About Protecting Yourself

You need a paragraph in your support contract documents that discusses a client’s responsibility for software licensing. And you need to make sure these documents also state that if you find deficiencies during IT audits, they have to either remove the software or purchase it to fix the problem. You can’t work for anyone that is opposed to buying software legally.

Remediation Plans after IT Audits

Some businesses don’t use certain software programs on their PCs, and part of your plan can be to remove software using Add/Remove functions that is not being used anymore.

If the PCs are close to being replaced, you might want to consider telling them to upgrade their PCs and helping them install new, legal software after IT audits. You can also recommend they keep current equipment and buy the two-year site license with the maintenance, which gives them unlimited upgrades.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting Kit

Selling Virtual IT to Small Businesses with Joshua Feinberg

2007-10-27T17:44:00.000-04:00

For years, the concept of “virtual IT” has been growing into an important part of the small business world. As technology vendors focus more on relationships with small businesses and not just selling products, they have started to create programs that offer the opportunity to handle total business solutions that integrate IT resources completely into the growth and development of companies.

At the Computer Consulting Kit, we have been presenting the concept of virtual IT as crucial for years. An article appeared in a recent edition of Tech News World about the unmistakable trend to provide total solutions for small businesses quoting Joshua Feinberg on the growing importance of consulting firms – small business computer consulting firms and consulting firms for larger businesses – that stress relationships before products and commodities.

In the article Joshua stressed that, even though there are more resources being put into the virtual IT field, the diversity of the small business market makes designing technology and business solutions that work across the board is difficult. The discrepancy between how different professionals define “small business” also makes service challenging. Many vendors, in fact define small businesses as those with fewer than 10 employees, whereas others define them as any company with between 50 – 100 employees. However, Joshua stated that there is a need to really look at the differences between the businesses and what services they are providing as well as their industry in order to really get an idea of how to define them in terms of IT needs.

As Joshua has been stressing for years when advising small business computer consultants on ways to grow their businesses, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution because small businesses are extremely fragmented in their needs for small business technology support.”

He adds that in order for a small business owner to get the most from a virtual IT provider or any type of technology support vendor, the vendor must know the true business problems the client faces and not just the issues revolving around isolated hardware, software and peripherals.

The move towards a virtual IT universe for businesses of all sizes is obvious, and even large companies such as Dell, IBM and Best Buy are changing their business models to accommodate for companies and individuals in need of professional technology services that go beyond just products.

Feinberg believes that virtual IT is set to turn into the dominant model in the small business world and the business world in general and that outsourced computer consultants will be in charge of determining how to fit technology in with unique business needs.

For this full article about virtual IT and small businesses – which includes Joshua Feinberg’s quotes in their entirety and more information about virtual IT – visit the attached link.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

IT Marketing and Testimonials

2007-10-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

Testimonials are a critical part of your IT marketing campaign and can help you sell your business when used to their fullest.

Credibility is Essential to IT Marketing

If you want to have strong testimonials that lend to your credibility, they have to be real. This means they need to have a first name, last name, job title, company name and a city and state (at minimum).

Having real testimonials help you be more believable. People are going to believe third parties with no vested interest in your company more than they will believe your self-created IT marketing materials.

What Should Be Included in Testimonials?

Testimonials need to stress benefits to clients and be on clients’ letterhead. They should talk about how your company has helped them and give specific examples that include commentary on the following items: information on ROI; your company’s dependability and reliability; your response to emergencies; your understanding of specific business needs; your ability to work within time and budgetary constraints.

How Do You Get Testimonials?

1. Interview clients and guide them with specific questions.

2. Draft suggested testimonials and e-mail them to clients, then get them to put them on their company letterhead and sign off on them.

3. Put together five or six suggested bullet points for them to address in their testimonials (set it up like a survey).

4. Take clients out to lunch or breakfast and conduct an interview. Take notes, go back to your office, type it up, email it and then ask clients to review it and make sure it accurately reflects the conversation. Then get clients to put it on their letterhead.

The Bottom Line about IT Marketing and Testimonials

If you make the process of creating testimonials easy for prospects, you can get all the IT marketing materials you need.

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Locating Computer Consulting Sweet Spot Clients for Your Business

2007-10-20T16:36:00.002-04:00

If you want to get computer consulting clients that will spend $1,000 or $2,000 monthly on services, you need to evaluate each prospect and client.

Ask yourself the following computer consulting qualifying questions:

1. Is the prospect/client big enough for a real server, firewall, backup solution and offsite or online backup?

2. Does the computer consulting prospect/client need a focus on security, power protection and virus protection?

3. Does the prospect/client need an on-going, real professional for IT needs and network support?

Your best computer consulting clients will not be able to have simply volunteers or even a moonlighter. Small businesses that are sweet spot computer consulting clients will get larger, have more PCs and have a lot more revenue to worry about if systems crash.

Who is Able to Pay for Your Services?

Sweet spot computer consulting clients will be able to pay you consistently for on-going support. You will be on-site twice a month, get emergency support phone calls and conduct remote support. You will be an outsourced IT department.

What Does a Sweet Spot Computer Consulting Client Look Like?

Your ideal clients will have more than just a P2P network. They will need to be big enough computer consulting clients that downtime will be expensive and a major blog to their company.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

What Are Your Network Cabling Choices?

2007-10-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

When you are acting as an IT consultant for small businesses, you will have to talk about the differences between network cabling options with your clients and prospects.

Some Different Types of Network Cabling Choices

1. Traditional Wired Ethernet (CAT 5): Category 5 network cabling was the standard for all types of business LANs until recently. Today, there are many different types of enhancements to this product and also wireless solutions. You can get an estimate from vendors for CAT 5 cabling from a local data cabling vendor that can install a system to run to each office or desk.

2. Wireless Ethernet Based on 802.11b (11Mbps): This type of network cabling is a pretty advanced standard that offers up to 11Mbps service. Even though wireless networking hardware is much more expensive than wired, your clients end up saving on installation costs associated with regular wired services. Wireless Ethernet has some problems though, because the standards between products within the range are still new, so you can have trouble with connecting products from different vendors. And because security standards are still in progress, wireless encryption is pretty easy to hack.

Some Tips for Network Cabling Options

Make sure the network cabling job is done “to spec.” Most reputable Category 5 cable installers can give you hard copy reports of CAT 5 certification tests to make sure you did the job well.

In order to string together traditional wired Ethernet networks based on CAT 5 network cabling, your clients will need to buy a 10/100Mbps Ethernet hub or switch and a card for each PC. These products are inexpensive and can help you create great small business networks.

The Main Idea about Cable Networking

Even if your consulting firm doesn’t deal in network cabling work, you need to get involved in the design specifications and supervise the work to provide a streamlined solution for your small business clients.

Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Don't Live in the 90's with Computer Consulting Marketing

2007-10-13T11:44:00.000-04:00

In the 1990’s, certifications were really important in computer consulting. Many computer consulting professionals used their affiliations with major computer companies to sell their services.

Today, computer consulting professionals don’t lead off by talking about their important partnerships because they don’t want to be just one more person selling the company’s products. They want to be their own computer consulting companies.

No More Benefits of Major Partnerships?

In the 90’s, you got a lot of co-op advertising and other benefits when you were part of a partner program. But today, as the benefits disappear, there is really no reason financially to put logos for major computer companies all over the place. You want to spend time branding yourself instead of just focusing on your solutions.

Which Products Do You Know?

When you get new computer consulting prospective clients and are talking them through the qualification stages, you will want to recommend solutions that are within your comfort zone. If you are authorized to belong to a program, you will recommend that solution, but you don’t want to make this product or platform the focus of your marketing campaign.

You Are More Than a Commodity

If you start relationships with prospects by talking about platforms or products, you become just a commodity and you base your benefits on price. Why should prospects buy their NetWare license from you if buying it online or through mail order is cheaper? You don’t want to be part of a bidding war.

Don’t use 90’s-style marketing when working on your computer consulting business and instead think about what you can really do for clients.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

What about the Initial Computer Consulting Consultation?

2007-10-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

In computer consulting, the first meeting should have a mind-set of “pre-sales” rather than sales. You need to make yourself stand out amidst all the other computer consulting professionals by taking a real interest in prospects’ businesses and problems. Then you need to find out whether or not your type of solutions will work for them.

What’s the Deal with Your Prospects?

In some cases, you may find out some things about your prospects that makes having them work with your computer consulting firm a bad idea. You need to think of the first computer consulting meeting as an interview; you are interviewing your prospect and your prospect is interviewing you. If you find odd information out about your prospect during the course of your homework, you probably don’t want to get involved.

Time = Money

The first computer consulting meeting involves some time. You will need about a half hour or an hour to put together a packet of information for prospects. Then you will most likely have to drive to the site for about half an hour to an hour. And because you can expect your computer consulting meeting to start or finish later than expected, even with totally efficient practices, you should think of it as about two or three hours.

How does time equate to money? If you are billing $75 per hour for computer consulting, you can expect to invest about $225 in an initial computer consulting call prior to gas, mileage, parking and tolls. You need to be sure your computer consulting prospect is right for your business by qualifying and doing your homework.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit