Novell Takes Aim at Microsoft Small Business Server

Yahoo! News - Novell Takes Aim at Microsoft Small Business Server

I've been hearing about this one for years.
Of course Novell wants to take aim at Microsoft's SBS.
But will they pull it off?
It's always good to keep the SBS program managers and product managers on their toes with some healthy competition. But Novell has had SO many false starts in this area, will the critical small business VARs really take them seriously?!?

Perhaps the long-time NetWare supporters will...

But can Novell really win, or win back, the VARs that pledge allegiance to Microsoft SBS after brushing their teeth each morning. (Yes, they are THAT loyal.)

Respectfully submitted,

Joshua Feinberg
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

When You Start a Computer Consulting Business

Are you looking to start a computer consulting business?

If so, then you should go check out this article on
Get Advice When You Start a Computer Consulting Business

Best regards,

Joshua Feinberg

Avoiding the Computer Consulting Moochers

Have you ever wasted a whole bunch of time (and money) because of computer consulting moochers? You know those small business owners who are professional leaches, cheapskates, time vampires and moochers?

Over the past few weeks, many computer consulting business owners have written in to ask for advice on how to handle prospects that have unrealistic expectations of what professional computer consulting services should cost.

What it boils down to is...

You need to be able to convince prospects that hiring your firm is an INVESTMENT (not an expense) in their business.

In other words...

The tangible benefits of what your firm delivers must FAR outweigh the costs.

Think about it.

Would you make an investment in YOUR company if you didn't see how the benefits were greater than the costs?!?

Now because you're selling a highly specialized professional computer consulting service (i.e. "You, Incorporated"), your value proposition will be different than your computer consulting business competitor down the street.

However, you can DRAMATICALLY tip the scales in YOUR favor by paying attention to one REALLY universal way to avoid the computer consulting moochers.

Simply, look for small businesses that are used to paying for other professional B2B services... such as accounting services, legal services, PR services, marketing consulting, etc.

That means this kind of small business is already used to INVESTING in highly skilled $100+/hour professional services. The notion of having a professional services firm on a retainer arrangement, say $1,000/month or more, is NOT a foreign concept.

Remember, it's MUCH, MUCH easier to go after QUALIFIED leads and prospects than it is to try to talk an UN-QUALIFIED lead or prospect into needing something that the lead or prospect doesn't perceive to need.

And don't forget, that right in your local area, there are already TONS of leads and prospects for you that have REAL IT needs, are used to paying for professional services, and have at least semi-realistic expectations about the price-tag on professional computer consulting services.

So don't waste your time on those suffering from sticker shock. Don't waste your time on professional computer consulting moochers and tightwads.

Focus on those small businesses that are accustomed to paying for other professional B2B services.

To learn how you can develop an effective plan for reaching these small businesses, how to take them through the sales cycle, and how to move these small businesses from one-time-customer to long-term steady, high-paying client, be sure to take advantage of the free one hour computer consulting business training at
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

...so you can concentrate your resources on those small businesses that DO have realistic expectations and desperately need your computer consulting services.

Best wishes,

Joshua Feinberg, author
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Free Computer Consulting Training Seminar

Re: 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business

It’s really busy here today, so not much time to write.

But I wanted to call your attention to a great free resource that we have available to anyone in the computer consulting business... or anyone that wants to get into the computer consulting business.

It’s called 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business... a free one-hour pre-recorded audio training seminar.

And you can get immediate online access to it when you sign up at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

You’re going to learn how to

Find steady, high-paying clients
** Generate great leads
** Get paid for virtually all of your consulting time
** Easily command higher hourly billing rates
** Build lifetime client loyalty
** And much more!

So go sign-up now, while it’s still available free of charge at
5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Best wishes,

Joshua Feinberg

Why John Gafford the Computer Consultant Got Fired Tonight by Trump

Tonight, John M. Gafford, a computer consultant business owner and principal of Pattern Recognition in Tampa, Florida, got fired on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice.

So why exactly did Gafford got fired? For not aiming high enough… he left too much money on the table.

On this week’s The Apprentice show, each team was raising money for a pediatric AIDS foundation. To raise funds, each team had access to five well-known recording artists… including such HUGE names as Lil Kim, Moby, Simple Plan, Bare Naked Ladies, and Gene Simmons (KISS).

Gafford’s team essentially lost, because Gafford, supposedly a master negotiator, simply didn’t ask for big enough “experience” donations. (The opposing team got two of the artists to donate a “week on the road” experience for the charity auction.) In other words, the artists’ donations, that Gafford proposed and packaged, were simply not as big as the opposing team’s artist donations.

So Gafford’s "crime": he left too much money on the table.

Now knowing the computer consultant business model where Gafford comes from, there is a very striking parallel.

Imagine Gafford going in to sell a group medical practice on upgrading their office management system.

Gafford would walk out with a big smile on his face, because he got a new client signed up for say a $13,000 sale of semi-customized software and integration services.

HOWEVER, and this is a HUGE however…

The previous integrator this medical office had used had a $2,500 a month support contract in place with this medical office… valued in excess of $50,000 a year in total service revenue, including spin-off projects. But Gafford wouldn’t have known this, simply because wouldn’t have asked. (I don’t mean to pick on Gafford here. Maybe he has more vision with his business and maximizing the size of an account opportunity than he did for this exercise on Trump’s hit TV show.)

So while Gafford would be victorious in that he closed a $13,000 sale for a substantial project, he would’ve missed the point on the six-figure lifetime value of the client.

Of course, this situation is purely a hypothetical. But I see it happen often enough with computer consultant business owners like Gafford, that it’s worth pointing out.

You need to do your homework and let the other party do the talking AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. When meeting with a new client, whether it be Gene Simmons, Richard Simmons, or Simmons Mattresses, your job during the pre-sales phase is to ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS that get your prospect to open up… and most importantly give you the vital clues and ammunition you need to close as big of an IT services sale as possible.

After all, anyone can sell a server or software application… and sure it’s “valuable” to a computer consultant business.

BUT, it takes virtual IT sales mastery for a computer consultant business owner to sell the long-term outsourced IT relationship.

So hopefully Gafford doesn’t do this in his own computer consultant business at Pattern Recognition in Tampa, Florida… otherwise he’s leaving a LOT of money on the table.

And hopefully, you don’t do this either in your computer consultant business.

Because when it comes to maximizing the profitability of a computer consultant business, leaving big money on the table is just plain silly.

Make sure YOU see the forest through the trees… unless you too want to get fired by the Trumps of the World.

So to John Gafford and all the John Gaffords out there in the computer consultant business World: Don’t leave money on the table!

Best of luck to Gafford in his future endeavors

Respectfully submitted,

Joshua Feinberg for
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Computer Consultant Prospecting Tips

Are Computer Consultant Prospects Lying to You? Here’s how to tell…

Have you ever had small business prospects tell you that they don’t need service contracts... because THEIR computers only break down once in a while?!?

Since this always sounds a little fishy to me, let’s break this down and figure out what’s REALLY going on.

Possibility (A): These small businesses have AWESOME in-house IT departments or fabulous, gold-medal-quality computer consultants.

Possibility (B): These small businesses are either too small to afford professional IT help, or just frankly don’t care very much about IT or having a relationship with a computer consultant business.

Possibility (C): These small businesses are “bluffing” or “lying” to you. (Remember, don’t burn your bridges though. Because these days even the Pinocchio’s of the World consume a LOT of IT services.)

Now that you understand what’s really going on here, with possibilities, (A), (B), and (C), you’ll be better prepared to handle this “I don't need a computer consultant service contract” objection.

But it gets better….

There’s a way for you to not even hear this service contract objection most of the time.
(No, we haven’t started including ear plugs with the Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit .)

But, better targeting (with your marketing) and better qualifying of leads early on in the sale cycle, will almost always flush this crap out of your sales funnel, BEFORE the wannabe’s and liars start clogging things up.

Oh... and one more thing to be aware of...

Have you asked how this small business gets their IT support today? Or how it’s gotten IT support in the past?

Was support provided by ... ?

(a) a “freebie” source (son, daughter, spouse, cousin, etc.)... essentially a “volunteer”

(b) an internal guru (whose hourly cost for IT problems can also be remarkably low)

(c) a moonlighter with ridiculously cheap billing rates(because the moonlighter doesn’t understand his/her true expenses)

(d) professional services firm (VAR, integrator, computer consultant business, etc.)

Now if this particular small company is used to turning to IT support sources like (d)... probably a direct competitor... that’s actually GOOD, sometimes even GREAT news, as far as service contracts are concerned.

Why you ask?

Because someone else already did the “heavy lifting” with training this small business to expect to pay REAL money for professional services.

Now the other extreme...

If your prospect is used to bartering pizza or donuts for computer consultant support [option (a)], you’re going to have a MUCH more difficult time selling that all-so important computer consultant service contract.

Either way, if you need to build a more stable client base, you need to get your hands on the Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

So you can start working on improving your targeted marketing, lead qualifying, and service contract sales process today.

Best wishes,

Joshua Feinberg
Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Could a Computer Consultant be Trump's Next Apprentice?

Re: will John Gafford the Computer Consultant Be Trump's Next Apprentice?

For better or worse, computer consultants that tune into NBC’s hit reality TV show “The Apprentice” now have “one of their own” competing for Donald Trump’s highly coveted “job”.

John M. Gafford, a principal of Pattern Recognition, Inc. in Tampa, Florida has as of last evening already made The Apprentice “Top 10”, while 8 of his original 18 Apprentice competitors have received the now trademarked distinction of “YOU’RE FIRED!”

So the real question… does Gafford have what it takes to be Trump’s next apprentice? Or will his take-no-prisoners style rub too many, the wrong way… including “The Donald”?

Or will Gafford’s “life” at Pattern Recognition in Tampa just get back to “normal”... selling software, applications and networking services… like Web conferencing and medical office management systems?

Now bear in mind Gafford’s consulting firm Pattern Recognition (“PRI”), founded in 2003, is still a very new company. But regardless of whether Gafford ends up running one of Trump’s companies, or goes back to pitching IT consulting services in Tampa, any of his competitors in the Tampa/St. Pete area should take note: throughout the competition Gafford has come through as a tough fighter.

And regardless of how you feel about his style, either as a member of the “street smarts” Apprentice team “Net Worth” or as a principal in Pattern Recognition in Tampa, Florida, don’t underestimate John Gafford the computer consultant business owner. He’s definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Finally, as a side note, we of course are wondering what advice John Gafford would offer to computer consultants in extremely competitive bid situations… because it’s hard to imagine a competitive-bid IT project that would ever rival the extremely competitive situation faced under the microscope on “The Apprentice”. Of course, if we do hear from Gafford, we will be happy to share his thoughts here in the Computer Consulting Blog.


Joshua Feinberg
Computer Consulting Kit
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

More background on Gafford can be found at

• The Apprentice Blog
• The Aprentice Site on Yahoo
• His company's Web site for Pattern Recognition, Inc
  
  

Computer Consultant Service Agreements

Re: how computer consultants get more of their clients onto service agreements

Would you like to get more of your small business prospects and customers onto your consulting firm’s service agreements?

Are you tired of only hearing from many of your customers only when there’s an emergency?

If so, then you DEFINITELY need to be working harder, MUCH harder, at getting most of your prospects and customers to sign on for long-term service agreements.

Now normally, I'm the first one to tell you to stop working so hard and start working SMARTER. BUT this is different... WAY different.

Because without having clients on long-term service agreements, you'll have NO stability in your business. It's almost like you're starting completely from scratch EVERY single month.

While that kind of lame "I don't care" cop-out may be OK if consulting is your hobby, taking such a laid-back approach to this is certainly NO WAY to run a growing computer consultant business.

...Certainly not if you have employees that you’re financially responsible for.

...Certainly not if you have family members that you’re financially responsible for.

...And certainly not if you want to be in business next month, next quarter, next year... you get the idea....

So let's stop pretending that computer consultant service agreements are optional.

Because nothing could be further from the truth.

Ever want to be able to retire? Or sell your company?

Without service agreements, your “asset” won’t have much value.

What are you going to sell someone?

A list of 40-50 businesses that MIGHT call your computer consultant firm once in a blue moon?!?

C'mon. Let's get real.

If you're having trouble getting small businesses to sign on for your firm's service agreements, here's a few words of advice.

First, most of the small businesses that are strongly opposed to signing a service agreement are usually too small to need one in the first place.

What do I mean? You didn't qualify your prospect or customer properly.

If this sounds way too familiar, you probably skipped one of the most important steps of the whole sales process.

To make sure you know how to properly qualify small businesses, so you can DRAMATICALLY improve your service agreement sales batting average, you MUST get familiar with the kind of sales call preparation tools that are discussed
in the Sales Call/Initial Consultation module of the Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit. See http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

Remember, you’re generally wasting your time trying to sell service agreements to small businesses that are too small.

What’s too small? Usually, less than 5 PC’s and less than $1M annual revenue (or your local currency equivalent).

Once you brush those “crumbs” to the side of the road, for your more clueless “starving” computer consultant competitors, you’ll free up EXTREMELY valuable time that you'll need to concentrate on the RIGHT kinds of small businesses.

...the filet mignon and caviar of small business IT consulting

Small companies that have a LOT of PC’s...

...And that “get” the importance of system uptime

...And that “fear” system downtime

These are the small businesses that know how important IT is to their business. (You're not wasting time trying to convince them to use computers.)

These are the companies that need long-term partners... basically an outsourced IT department for a few hours a week (i.e. computer consultant virtual IT)

But remember these two extremely important issues:

1) It all begins with highly-targeted, highly-qualified leads.

2) You MUST be prepared to pounce on these opportunities when they’re in front of you.

You don’t want to be fumbling around for a week or two trying to come up with your service agreement program. Figuring out your value-added services, payment terms, bundled services, and paperwork.

And that's where the Ultimate Service Agreement module, its 10 related sample document templates, and 70-minute audio FAQs program can be your lifesaver... and literally save you weeks of trying to reinvent the wheel.
See http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

So you know EXACTLY what to do get to get more of your small business prospects and customers onto your firm’s computer consultant service agreement.

My challenge for you to start on TODAY:

Retire your “fire extinguisher”, cherry-picking customers.

And starting running your computer consultant company more like a professional that’s in it for the long-haul.

Don’t forget... You don’t have to be in this alone. These tools are available, for immediate download, to lead you by the hand at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

Best wishes,

Joshua Feinberg
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

Small Business Server Tips

Does your computer consulting business work with Microsoft® Small Business Server?

If so, then you definitely should stop by and visit this new site we’re putting together called Small Business Server Tips .

Although the site build out is still very much in the early stages, on Small Business Server Tips you can already find tips about Network Applications, Systems Configurations, Service Packs (SP's), Systems Integrators, and Computer Resellers.

Recommended Reading:

Small Business Server Tips

Computer Consultants Secrets

re: Computer Consultants Secrets.com

Here's a new site for Computer Consultants Secrets that has some helpful articles.

It includes topics like Computer Consultants Business tips and articles for Independent Computer Consultants. So you want to learn some of these computer consultants secrets for yourself, go check out http://www.computerconsultantssecrets.com

Best wishes for growing your computer consultant business!

Joshua Feinberg

Your Computer Consulting Business vs. Microsoft's Partner Agenda

This week's CRN cover story by Barbara Darrow reports, "The big question among partners at all levels of Microsoft's year-old Next Generation Partner Program is whether or not they can actually profit from selling and implementing Microsoft software."

See CRN Reality Check: Next Generation Gap

So at the end of the day, if you plan to continue to sell Microsoft software into your local SMB market, you must learn how to put your computer consulting company's financial interests first.

In other words, it's more critical than ever that you focus on seeking out the "Sweet Spot of Small Business Computer Consulting".

To learn more about how your computer consulting business can dramatically increase its profitability by focusing on the "Sweet Spot of Small Business Computer Consulting", go ahead right now and listen to the free training recording on 5 Easy Ways to
Grow Your Computer Consulting Business at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com .

Best wishes for great computer consulting success,

Joshua Feinberg, author
Computer Consulting Kit
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

How Computer Consultants Close More Sales

Re: how computer consultants can keep competitors away their best prospects.. and close more sales

Have you ever lost a project that you bid on to a competitor (i.e. another computer consultant)?

C’mon... be honest.

Listen, it’s no big deal to just lose a computer consulting project or two, a few times a year. No one, not even me, has a 100% batting average :-)

But what happens when we’re not talking about losing one or two projects a year? What happens when you’re losing one or two computer consulting projects a month that way? Non-sense you say?

Have you ever taken time to follow-up on EVERY computer consulting proposal or price quote you’ve put out there to your small business prospects?

While a significant percentage of your computer consulting prospects (perhaps 1/4 to 1/3) may be professional procrastinators and decide to do nothing...

The vast majority of your prospects will end up hiring someone’s computer consulting company to do the job. But do you know why someone else’s computer consultant company is getting that job instead of your firm?

One very simple reason...

Your computer consultant competitor cared enough to follow-up!

It's really that simple. Whether it was a phone call, an e-mail, a personal note, an impromptu visit...

Your competitor happened to be in the right place, at the right time... when your computer consulting prospect’s server went down for the 3rd time this month.

Now why didn’t your prospect, that you haven’t spoken to in 6 months, remember how hard you worked on that computer consulting proposal?

And why didn’t your computer consulting prospect remember to call you?

Like they say: Out of sight, out of mind. You snooze, you lose.

So if you want to make sure that your more assertive computer consultant competitors don’t steal away your best computer consulting prospects, make sure that YOUR computer consulting firm has at least a decent follow-up process. And for that matter a decent overall sales process.

To help you get a better grasp on the entire computer consultants sales process, from generating qualified computer consulting leads all the way through to signing up steady clients on computer consultant service agreements, be sure to take advantage of the tools in the Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit.

(It's like the next best thing to having me out there in the field with you, going out on computer consultants sales calls.)

And by the way, if you don’t yet own the Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit and you order yours today, I will be happy to share with you MY personal list of 29 Reasons to Stay in Touch. So you too can have a better, more thorough follow-up process, WITHOUT alienating the prospect.

Remember, you CAN’T just keep calling and asking, "Are you ready to buy yet?"

To get my checklist of 29 VALUE-ADDED reasons for you to stay in touch with your best computer consulting prospects and influencers over an extended period of time, just put a note in the comments field of your Order Form requesting a copy of “29 Reasons to Stay in Touch” http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

(But fair warning: I don't want too many people getting their hands on this checklist, because it will lessen its value. So we can only honor this offer of parting with “29 Reasons to Stay in Touch” for the next 10 computer consultants to order.)

So you won’t have to worry anymore about losing your best computer consultant prospects to your computer consulting competitors.

Here’s to YOUR great computer consulting success!

Joshua Feinberg, author
Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Computer Consulting Secrets

Here's a cool new resource on computer consulting secrets that I think you'll really enjoy.
Check it out when you get a moment.

Computer Consulting Secrets

Computer Consultants and IT Certifications

If you want to get into small business computer consulting and you're not yet certified, don't delay on account of having no certifications.

Otherwise, six weeks, six months or even more can pass...

and yes, you will have some pretty impressive certificates to hang on your office wall
(which clients most likely won't even visit)

...and you'll pick up some equally impressive-sounding initials to attach after the last-name comma on your business card.

But you still won't have any paying clients.

And let's call it as it is
...without paying clients, you don't have a business.


So, my advice, while you work on selling and servicing your first few clients, put some time aside to at least get an entry-level certification... which can be a great confidence booster if nothing else.

But by all means, don't let a lack of certifications hold you back from getting started in computer consulting.

In small business computer consulting, good "people" skills, solid technical skills and great references often count for MUCH more than just an impressive sounding credential on your business card.

So if you'd like to get out of the making-excuses business, and actually start profiting more fully from small business computer consulting, you should definitely get my step-by-step roadmap and start today. As a good starting point, be sure to listen to 5 Easy Way sto Grow Your Computer Consulting Business (a free 1 hour training audio) available online right now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com

Best regards,
Joshua Feinberg
author of Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

Reminder: Free Computer Consulting Teleseminar Tonight

Free Computer Consulting Teleseminar Tonight

http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

Just in case you missed this yesterday...
We're filling up fast and I don't want you to miss out.

The call's tonight (Thursday, February 17th) @ 9pm Eastern.

Topic: How You Can Find More Steady, High-Paying Clients

For: Small Business Computer Consultants, Network Integrators, Resellers and Solution Providers

Date: Thursday evening, February 17th

Time: 9pm Eastern (that's 8pm Central/7pm Mountain/6pm Pacific)

Cost: Complimentary Preview Call (It's just a regular phone call to our telephone bridge line vendor in Minnesota.)

Where: Attend from the comfort of your home or office

The only catch: the call's limited to the first 50 registrants, first-come, first-served.

So lock-in your seat now, while space is still available, at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

We hope to see you on the call TONIGHT (Thursday, February 17th) at 9pm Eastern!

Best wishes for tremendous success in your consultingbusiness,

Joshua Feinberg, Computer Consulting Kit

PS: If you already own the Computer Consulting 101Professional Kit, or most of its contents, this call may be a good review for you. However, this preview call is PRIMARILY intended for those consultants who have not yet invested in our premium business development resource kit... and need some additional sampling time and pre-sales guidance. http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

PPS: Do you need more steady, high-paying clients? Then join me at 9pm Eastern tonight for an information-packed teleseminar. Reserve your place now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

Free Computer Consulting Teleseminar

Free Computer Consulting Teleseminar...

this Thursday evening, 2/17 at 9pm Eastern

How You Can Find More Steady, High-Paying Computer Consulting Clients

Do you want to learn how you can get more steady, high-paying computer consulting clients? If so, then please clear your calendar and join us this Thursday evening, February 17th at 9pm Eastern for a free 60-minute teleseminar, where I'll reveal howyou can get more steady, high-paying computer consultingclients.

The only catch? Our phone bridge capacity maxes out at 50 registrants (first-come, first-served). So if you want to attend, just turn up your PC speakers, visit this page and lock-in your reservation right now.

http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

We hope to see you on the call this Thursday evening, February 17th at 9pm Eastern!

Best wishes for tremendous success in your consultingbusiness,

Joshua Feinberg, Computer Consulting Kit

PS: If you already own the Computer Consulting 101Professional Kit, or most of its contents, this call may be a good review for you. However, this preview call is PRIMARILY intended for those consultants who have not yet inve.sted in our premium business development resource kit... and need some additional sampling time and pre-sales guidance.

http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

PPS: Remember, our phone bridge capacity maxes out at 50 callers.

So register right now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/ask021705/

PPPS: You can even tell a friend about this free special event by clicking on the little envelope icon in the bottom right hand corner of this post.

Computer Consulting for Micro Small Businesses

(i.e. computer consulting for small businesses with less than 10 PC's)

We get a LOT of questions every week from both computer consultants and "prospective" computer consultants.

Many want to know where the best opportunities are in small business computer consulting. A lot of these folks too are worried about whether they're even "qualified" to be a small business computer consultant.

The inevitable question... can you be a computer consultant for small businesses, even if you're not yet certified?

YES! Absolutely! In most cases, you can be a VERY successful computer consultant to small businesses WITHOUT being certified.

But a lot of this depends on your target prospect or client size.

Here's what I mean...

Computer Consulting for micro-small businesses
(<10>ACTIVELY work on up-sizing your average client size to the next level.

Micro-small business prospects often don't value and don't want to pay the higher hourly billing rates of certified consultants.

If you're just starting out, and you're not yet certified, micro-small businesses can be a great place to get some real-World experience and some critical reference accounts.

Many larger computer consulting firms even retain micro-small business client accounts expressly for the purpose of training or "breaking in" rookie junior system engineers and technicians.

To learn more about the different levels of small business computer consulting, be sure to listen to 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business (a free 1 hour training audio) available exclusively at
http://www.ComputerConsultingKit.com

Best wishes,

Joshua Feinberg, author of Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
http://www.ComputerConsultingKit.com

Why client size really DOES matter

Has anyone ever told you that size matters?

No... get your mind out of the gutter :-)

I'm not talking about THAT.

I'm talking about YOUR small business client size that you choose to target... and why that single factor can have such an enormous impact (good or bad) on YOUR business.

You should at least know that a great many small businesses will WANT your firm's help, but will frankly be too small to be able to afford an arrangement that's profitable for your firm to deliver.

At the other extreme, very large small businesses generally start hiring in-house IT staff and take on the generalist work themselves.

So this means that very large small businesses typically don't need virtual IT (outsourced IT) departments. Rather, very large small businesses usually want deeply-niched specialists... such as the be-all, end-all expert on Cisco IOS in the local region.

Where does that leave your consulting firm?

If you want to tackle the most profitable small business client accounts, you need to remember that size really DOES matter! And don't ever forget it!


Best,

- Joshua


Joshua Feinberg, co-founder ComputerConsulting101.com
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

It's your time or your money

A lot of fellow computer consultants have written in to us during the past few weeks asking about promotional activities.

The common thread?

Most want to know what's the SINGLE best way to get more of the best small business computer consulting clients.

I'll tell you though...

What it really boils down to...

You can either spend a small fortune on traditional advertising activities, like a bunch of naive, over-capitalized dot-coms of the late 1990's...

And this mania still hasn't entirely subsided.

I know of a small computer services company in the midwest whose business partners INSISTED on burning through roughly $200,000 in business development funds BEFORE they came to us.

Our recommended business development plan for them, for a TINY fraction of that budget, DRAMATICALLY outperformed the traditional drunken-sailor approach to promotional activities.

It's a matter of working smarter, NOT harder.

Which DOES definitely take some time.

But you've got to have a decent plan.

So when it comes to promotional activities, you can't just throw money at these things blindly...

or you'll most certainly fail miserably.

And you can't just rely entirely on elbow grease and pounding the pavement. Most peoples' gut instincts here, when trying to market on a zero-dollar budget, are dead-on wrong.

What works?

You need to CAREFULLY assemble a well-planned mix of promotional activities that make the most of both your limited budget and time. (After all, your opportunity cost is around 100/hour, right?)


But none of this can start happening for you until you decide to make it happen.


Best,

- Joshua


Joshua Feinberg, co-founder ComputerConsulting101.com
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/

Like it's their last $250...

I don't know about you,

But you know what really burns me up?

Have you ever reluctantly taken on a small business customer, that's a little smaller than you'd usually like?

And to accommodate this smaller customer, you come up with the most low-budget, band-aid-like approach...

And the customer still won't stop complaining about the money they're spending with your firm...

as if it were their LAST $250 to their name?!?

Then to make matters worse, that customer calls you six-weeks later, blaming you for "breaking" something in their office that had nothing to do with what you were working on over there.

What a pain in the butt!

Like it was their last stinkin' $250!

But you don't need to put up with that crap.

Once you have a roster of steady, high-paying clients.

You'll have the independence to be able to pick and choose among the best small business IT services accounts.

And you'll enjoy the pleasure of being able to say, "Sorry, we have a _______ minimum."

Or, "I'm SO sorry, but our first available appointment is on the 12th of ______ (never!)"


Either way, once you have enough steady, high-paying clients using your firm as their virtual IT department, AND a way to keep your sale funnel continually filled up, you'll be in an entirely different position.

And then, you can even roll your eyes (when they're not looking, of course) when you smell the profit-rotting stench of a customer that's acting "like it's their last $250"!

Best,

- Joshua


Joshua Feinberg, co-founder ComputerConsulting101.com
http://www.computerconsultingkit.com/