Computer Consulting Kit

How to Become a Reseller of PC Hardware and Software (YouTube Video)

2010-02-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

Want to learn how to become a reseller of computer hardware and software?

Before you get too much product-focused tunnel-vision, learn 4 easy ways to add more lucrative value-added service revenue, as you figure out how to become a reseller, the profitable way.

PC Repair Job Tips for Landing Long-Term Clients

2009-11-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of the revolving-door, thankless PC repair job? There is a better way, and the path to get you there usually starts with refocusing your efforts on landing long-term clients and more entrepreneurial endeavors.

The one-shot deal is for amateurs. Professionals focus on long-term clients.

Now with that in mind, how can you easily and quickly get more great, steady, high-paying clients onto your client list? It's actually pretty simple: surveys.

Surveys of your prospects, customers, and clients can be a great way for you to ensure that every successful PC repair job turns into a long-term client. Surveys of your prospects can help you get invaluable information about their IT needs, as well as keep in touch and stay current about what is going on both before and after you make a sales call.

Your goal with marketing is to make sure that you are able to take every great PC repair job that comes your way and turn it into a long-term client relationship. Surveys can help you go beyond just making sales call after sales call, or sending follow-up letters to potential clients. Surveys are a non-obtrusive way to get to know potential clients.

When well-designed, prospect surveys are not pushy, and can help you find out about each prospect’s problems and long-term business goals. This way, you can find out if there’s opportunity to go beyond a one-shot-deal PC repair job and become more of their long-term IT solution. These surveys are centered on the prospect and don’t ask for anything more than candid participation. As an incentive, perhaps include a free time-limited offer for those that complete the survey, such as a free tip sheet or report – something that will be perceived as valuable to your repair company's prospects.

When you create a prospect survey for your PC repair business:

Keep your survey relatively short and simple.
Mail or e-mail your survey about four weeks after your initial sales appointment, most recent pre-sales conversation, or proposal delivery.
Send another survey again about six months later, and six months after that, to keep the dialogue open.
Include specific questions that get to the heart of who your prospective clients are, so you know what to expect.

Which questions should you include? Ask questions that identify current issues and gauge a prospect’s fitness for long-term IT services.

What’s the single biggest PC problem that you are having right now?
What’s the single biggest business problem you are having right now?
How are you currently dealing with these problems?
What do you think the solution to these problems might look like?
What is the single biggest obstacle that’s preventing you from moving forward with the project we have discussed?
Do you have any friends, family members or business associates that could use our help with their computer problems?

Be sure to offer an incentive for filling out and returning the survey by the requested date. And always end your survey with a “thank you” to show you appreciate your prospects’ help and feedback. A survey serves as a great follow-up letter for your prospects and customers that hire you for a PC repair job. It is another creative touch point you can use that does not require calling, nagging, or begging for a sale.

In this short article, we looked at how you can utilize surveys as very powerful prospect follow-up tools. This way, you don't have to settle for another revolving door, thankless, dead-end project. Learn more about how to turn each PC repair job into more steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.PCRepairJobSecrets.com

Computer Consulting Kit Video Critique Excerpt on Support Contract Comparison Matrix

2009-11-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

Looking into the Computer Consulting Kit? This sample critique video excerpt on the helps you market your support contract-centric business. Then get access to more Computer Consulting Kit tips now at http://ComputerBusinessTips.com

IT Contracts Business and the Value of On-Going Client Support

2009-11-17T16:41:00.000-08:00

Own an IT Contracts Business? This Short Video Explains Why You Must Build Real, Formalized Client Relationships For Long-Term Success. Then Learn More Proven IT Contracts Business Tips Now At http://ITContractsBusiness.com

Computer Consulting Kit™ Home Study Course Preview Webinar

2009-11-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

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:		Thursday, November 19, 2009

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

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/763734968

The Computer Consulting Kit Sample Marketing Tutorial Video Excerpt

2009-11-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

Looking for the Computer Consulting Kit? Watch brief sample video excerpt on How to Position Your Company to Close More Sales Faster. Then get more sample proven tips from the Computer Consulting Kit now at http://ComputerBusinessTips.com

Computer Repair Business Forms That Every Small IT Business Needs

2009-11-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Do you use computer repair business forms? This short video introduces 3 forms that build solid client relationship. Then learn more tips about computer repair business forms now at http://ComputerRepairBusinessForms.com

PC Technician Business Tips

2009-10-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Own a PC technician business? This short video helps you build client relationships through specific marketing techniques. Then learn more PC technician business tips now at http://PCTechnicianBusiness.com

IT Job Prospects Strong through At Least 2016

2009-10-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

Money magazine and PayScale.com have released a list of jobs that will see the most job growth in the USA during the next 6 years. (see Careers With Most Job Growth)

Cool news for the IT industry... big time. Why?

4 of the 7 jobs are titles you'll recognize well:

Telecommunications Network Engineer
Systems Engineer
Business Analyst, IT
Software Development Director

What does this mean for small business computer consulting companies, VARs, integrators, solution providers, computer repair businesses, managed service providers, an IT services companies?

Both hourly rates and demand will rise. Why?

Enterprise IT managers hire more Telecommunications Network Engineers, Systems Engineers, IT Business Analysts, and Software Development Directors.
This drives up salaries and simultaneously takes supply away from all IT services buyers (enterprise and SMB).
Because of more skills scarcity, SMB's are forced to pay more for both freelancers and outsourced IT vendors as there's a lot less supply of qualified IT pros available.

I don't think it's quite time to "party like it's 1999".

But overall this forecast bodes very well for most SMB channel partners.

How to Become a Reseller of PC Hardware and Software

2009-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

Want to learn how to become a reseller of computer hardware and software?

Good! You're on the right track, kind of, sort of.

Why only a half-hearted pat on the back?

Because becoming a reseller shouldn't be thought of in a vacuum. The days of being able to grow a successful business, purely on the basis of reselling PC hardware and software, has seen its better days.

Why? Because the profit margins on most PC hardware and software reselling run somewhere between anemic and non-existent.

Today, to become a reseller of computer hardware and software, you need to be thinking of additional related revenue streams such as installation, customization, training, and ongoing service.

That's not to say that if you're figuring out how to become a reseller that you absolutely must follow a prescribed business-salvation plan. But you need to be honest enough with yourself to recognize that reselling is a brutal business, it has been a brutal business since at least the mid-1990's, and that the only way for most resellers of computer hardware and software to survive and thrive is by getting involved in selling value-added services to their customers.

What kinds of value-added services? It largely depends on whether you try to sell to "everyone", or whether you're smart enough to focus primarily on B2B (business to business), where there's a lot more at stake with IT and the potential for loads of recurring revenue.

So if you want to become a reseller that focuses on the B2B segment, primarily local small businesses, consider offering the following 4 services.

Technology Assessment Services. Before you can make sound hardware and software product recommendations, you really need to spend some time getting to know your customers' true IT needs, what they already own, where their businesses are headed in the next 2-4 years, and what IT problems they currently face. As this is more of a consulting service rather than a traditional reseller role, you should most certainly charge a nominal fee for your Technology Assessment Services.
Systems Installation Services. While there's little value-added in just un-boxing equipment and plugging it in, there's tremendous value-add in the software patching, data migration, integration work, and customization. Again, as this is more of a consulting service, you should be charging extra for Systems Installation Services and strongly recommending them for any of your customers who don't have in-house IT support.
Training. While Fortune 1000 companies usually have formal plans for employee software training, small businesses rarely have this luxury. As a result, the only training employees often receive is from their reseller. Even if your customers can only afford to pay your company for an hour or two of ad-hoc one-on-one training with each employee, this training can make an enormous difference to your customers getting better utilization from their newly purchased systems. Again, add this to the list of easy incremental sales for most customers.
Help Desk. When your customers have how-to or troubleshooting questions, customers rarely have the expertise or patience to deal with multiple vendors each pointing the finger at each other. Solve this problem for your customers, with a single point of contact help desk. Once again, this is a relatively easy, high-margin incremental revenue source that's very conducive to selling on a subscription basis.

Most entrepreneurs, when thinking about how to become a reseller of computer hardware and software, just focus on what reseller programs to join. While you certainly do need to have your favored product lines, the harsh financial realities of becoming a reseller in this day and age demand that you diversify into higher margin value-added consulting services.

In this short article, we've introduced you to some simple strategies to take the brutally competitive, low-margin prospect of becoming a reseller and turn that into a much more lucrative value-added IT consulting business. To learn more about how to become a reseller of computer hardware and software the profitable way, be sure to sign-up for the free additional tips and business strategies now at http://www.HowToBecomeAResellerTips.com

Computer Consulting Kit Club Sample Excerpt on Prepaid Support Plans

2009-10-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Looking at the Computer Consulting Kit? This sample critique excerpt video on Prepaid Support Plans helps you focus on the support contract-centric business. Then get access to more Computer Consulting Kit tips now at http://ComputerBusinessTips.com

Computer Consulting Kit Preview Webinar: Thursday October 8th

2009-09-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Need more steady, high-paying clients?

Clear your calendar so you don't miss this information-packed free training session with Computer Consulting Kit author Joshua Feinberg.

5 Proven Best Practices for Getting More Steady, High-Paying Clients

Thursday October 8, 2009 at 8pm Eastern time
(that's 7pm Central/6pm Mountain/5pm Pacific)
Register now at
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/912306489

Learn how you can generate more consulting business and attract more of the right kinds of repeat clients.
Find out quick, right-to-the-point best practices for surviving and thriving in this challenging IT spending environment.
Discover simple, inexpensive, fast strategies for generating better leads and closing more deals.
Find out how you can get more long-term clients onto your client roster, so you can have that critical business predictability and recurring revenue each and every month.
And much, much more!

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 at
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/912306489

Small IT Business Start-Up Game Plan for Avoiding Distractions

2009-07-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

If you’re going to start-up a small IT business, you need a game plan for identifying freeloaders that will threaten your business … and getting rid of them before they do any damage. Hey, I hate to be the bearer of bad news ... but knowing how to get rid of distractions is really, really important.

Freeloaders, moochers, time vampires – whatever you choose to call them – are no laughing matter, can drain you time and energy and steal your focus away from selling services to legitimately interested small business prospects that can become the lifeblood of your small IT business.

Here are 3 tasks for your start-up game plan, so you can protect yourself against dangerous freeloaders.

Identify the Cause of the Problem.

Where does the whole freeloader problem start when it comes to IT business moochers? It starts when your prospects have unrealistic expectations about what professional IT consulting services should cost.

You have to be able to convince your prospective clients that hiring your small IT business is an investment and not an expense. Also provide proof that the tangible benefits of what you’re delivering are greater than any out-of-pocket costs. This proof would generally be in the form of case studies, testimonial letters/videos, or client references. Prospective clients will not invest in your services if they think the costs outweigh the benefits.

Focus on Those That Already Outsource Professional B2B Services.

When you are selling highly-specialized services, your sales message needs to be very different from those of your competitors to highlight your uniqueness. To tip the scales in your favor and avoid freeloaders that will waste your time, look for small business decision makers that are already used to paying for highly professional B2B services, such as professional accounting services, legal services, public relations services or marketing consulting.

Why? Because these small business owners and managers will already be investing in very skilled high-value professional services, so hiring you as an IT specialist will not seem like a bad idea or an unnecessary expense to them.

Work Smart.

You will have an easier time and be more efficient with your small IT business if you go after qualified leads and prospects than you will if you try to talk unqualified leads or moochers into something they don’t think they need.

In your local area alone, there are probably tons – hundreds … maybe even THOUSANDS – of qualified leads and prospects with real IT needs that are used to paying for professional consulting services and have fairly realistic expectations about what they should pay. So be sure to recognize the tell-tale signs of clueless-ness so you can focus your efforts on those small business decision makers that get what your value proposition is all about.

In this brief article, we talked about 3 ways to avoid wasting time on moochers, so you can focus on prospects that are used to paying for sophisticated professional services. Learn more about how build your small IT business and attract steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) SmallITBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

Computers Services Tips for Getting Past Small Business Sales Barriers

2009-06-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

Many computers services firm owners are great at talking to prospects … until it’s time to actually sell something, and then they crumple at any sign of doubt from potential small business clients.

Even if you have a great business model and have a strong handle on which type of business owner will be perfectly suited for your computer solutions, you’re not going to get anywhere if you can’t actually close the deal. And no matter how well you’ve set up your business, you’re going to get some questions from your potential clients during the sales process. Not all prospects will be immediately sold on the value of your computer services.

In order to be ready to tackle resistance from your prospective clients and make sales, you have to understand the nature of these barriers to sales.

What exactly is a sales objection?

Basically, a sales objection is any idea in the mind of a potential, future customer that is a barrier to closing the sale and getting your prospect to pay you for services.

A sales objection can be …

1. Rational or irrational,
2. Totally reasonable or totally ridiculous or
3. A combination of all of the above.

But if you want a prospect to become a paying customer – and hopefully a long-term, steady client that will bring you the revenue you need to stay in business – you have to overcome at least most if not all sales objections.

How can you flip the tables in your favor? There are a few strategies that can help significantly as you build your computers services company:

1. Always pause and jot down notes, so you can keep track of each objection raised.
2. Repeat and rephrase the objections you hear so you can make sure you understand each of them correctly.
3. Get past the B.S. and uncover hidden agendas by continuing to ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.”

The most important thing to remember as you are trying to close sales with small business prospects is that you must be focusing on selling the most compelling solution to their computer-related problems. However, you have to keep in mind that until you can gain the trust of each prospect, your opinion and what you say you can do will not mean anything. You have to focus on building relationships … and let these relationships evolve naturally as time progresses by following a consistent sales process if you want to break down the barriers to selling your long-term computers services.

In this short article, we talked about some critical tips that can help you get past objections your prospective clients might have to your technology solutions. Find out more about how to profitably provide computers services to steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputersServicesTips.com All Rights Reserved

Consultancy Business that Specializes in Small Business IT

2009-06-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

If you’re running a consultancy business in the small business IT space, you know that selling sophisticated IT services can be tough if you fail to prove to your prospects how valuable your solutions are to their businesses.

In the computer consulting business, dead-end solutions can be really expensive mistakes for your prospects … and mistakes that many may have made with less skilled, savvy technology providers. So, if you want to gain long-term, steady, high-paying clients that will bring you the revenue to sustain your consultancy well into the future, you have to prove that your proposed network solution, on-going maintenance and support services will be easy-to-implement and affordable. You also have to show how much more efficient and profitable your clients will be once they take your advice.

Here are 3 tips that will help you prove that the sophisticated IT solutions provided by your consultancy business are right for your prospective clients.

1. Communicate the Options. Discuss various technology options with your prospects and how these options will work with their companies existing IT infrastructure. Make sure to consider server hardware and OS/NOS selection. And detail how, as you add more memory, faster processors, fault-tolerance, and multiple processors, performance will continue to improve. Make sure to always explain options in non-technical, business-focused terms so you don’t alienate non-technical small business owners and managers. Then talk up available options down the road that focus on keeping IT investments in sync with each client’s long-term business goals.

2. Highlight the Growth Path. Show prospective small business clients, particularly those relying on simple peer-to-peer servers, how the sophisticated network solution proposed by your consultancy business will provide a very well-defined growth path to more application-rich platforms. Then, reiterate how a simple peer-to-peer server severely limits options. A peer-to-peer server might be enough for some limited file and printer sharing, but it’s not a great platform for adding high-performance relational database or messaging applications. Stress how, as your prospects’ companies grow and their needs evolve, the amount of files can spiral out of control … and how your networking solution that will help them stay on their growth path without any major glitches.

3. Stress How Networking Solutions Can Reduce Confusion. With a decentralized peer-to-peer network, your consultancy business clients may end up with multiple, conflicting versions of files in programs like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Whether these files are passed around on a disk or jump drive, or distributed on different users’ "servers," a well-designed, sophisticated client/server network with consistent naming conventions and a coherent share and folder structure, goes a long way toward preventing confusion. If you stress this de-cluttering benefit with your prospective clients, you can go a long way towards proving how valuable your services can be to them.

This article presented 3 tips to help you prove yourself as a valuable asset to your prospective clients, so you can sell them sophisticated IT networking services. Learn more ways to grow your consultancy business in the small business IT space and attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ConsultancyBusinessTips.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Shop Business Model is Fundamentally Flawed

2009-06-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

If you are starting a small computer shop, you need to understand an important reality – you can’t build your business on short-term services and one-shot deals if you want to stay profitable. You need to focus on ways to attract the attention of those prospects that will be interested in long-term services if you really want to build a profitable, sustainable business.

Many that start small computer businesses get it all wrong. They think they need to emulate huge companies that provide services to tens of thousands, or even millions of customers and clients per year in order to stay in business. These misguided retail start-ups focus on quantity of customers rather than quality clients, and find themselves with incredibly price-sensitive short-term customers and very low profit margins. As a result, these shortsighted newbies struggle to make ends meet and eventually go out of business. Now if you want to succeed as an owner of a small computer shop, make sure you focus on long-term relationships with clients that will pay you high rates for on-going services and appreciate your level of expertise.

Why? Because the traditional business model for computer retailers frankly hasn't been viable for a very long-time. Clinging to this fundamentally flawed approach to operating your business can be very hazardous to your long-term... even short-term survival.

The following 3 tips can help you fulfill the important needs of steady, high-paying clients as you build a business plan for your computer shop.

1. Focus on Proactive Maintenance Services. Are you tired of hearing from your customers only when something breaks … and finding out the problem had to be fixed yesterday? If you want to really fulfill the needs of clients that will be with you long term, you must get out of fire extinguisher mode and move into the role of proactive network manager. This means you need to build your shop around proactive maintenance services rather than just dead-end, low-margin one-shot deals.

2. Explain the Real Cost of Downtime. Before your prospective clients can really be sold on the value of long-term relationships and on-going maintenance, you will have to help them estimate and understand the real cost of their downtime. Your computer shop should be armed with the skills to calculate downtime realities for each and every client. To figure out this cost, simply take a prospective client’s net income or bottom line last year, then divide that figure by roughly 250 business days and 8 hours per day. So, as an example, if your small business client had a net income of $1,000,000 last year, your client will lose $500 ($1,000,000 divided by 250 business days, divided by 8 hours per day) in net income for every business hour of downtime.... or $4,000 per business day or $20,000 per business week. And a $1,000,000/year small business is a relatively small business. When you present these numbers to your prospective clients, they will be far less likely to object to a small investment each month to keep you on call and protect them against technology emergencies that can leave them high and dry.

3. Weigh Costs vs. Benefits. As you start your computer shop, be ready to weigh the costs of downtime and the benefits of on-going relationships. Properly planned, designed and installed networks are generally very reliable. But as you try to sell a potential client on the benefits of proactive network maintenance, you need to steer the conversation towards a cost/benefit analysis. First, quantify the concrete benefits you’ll provide to your clients – i.e., proactive planning and maintenance, emergency and after-hours service at no additional cost, etc. Then present a monthly recurring cost based on your estimated labor billing and required service margins. As an example, you might be able to profitably deliver services at $500 - $1,000 per month based on a two-year commitment. The real deal clincher will come however when you start to discuss the cost of doing nothing to prevent downtime (you can go back to that quick calculation in tip #2). When you’re talking about even as much as a $1,000 per month investment from your client and they know they stand to lose thousands of dollars a day if they don’t have a reliable computer professional on call, they will see clearly how hiring you will still make them come out ahead. And don't forget to bring along your testimonial letters and case studies that validate your marketing message.

In this short article, we talked about 3 tips to help you base your computer business on fulfilling the needs of steady, high-paying clients. Learn more about how to start a computer shop and attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerShopSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

Become IT Consultant Savvy by Building a Great Contacts Database

2009-06-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

If you really want to build a profitable, stable IT consulting business and become IT consultant savvy about the way you handle your clients, you need to figure out how to be memorable and stand out from the crowd.

Many trying to become IT consultants neglect one of the most important elements of marketing to clients -- creating a targeted marketing plan that attracts the best steady, long-term clients.

A really important part of this marketing plan is building a great contacts database and nurturing your in-house mailing list. When you build an in-house mailing list made up of really high-quality prospective clients, you are investing in the future growth of your business and building a tremendously valuable asset.

The following 4 tips can help you become IT consultant savvy so you can build a really strong, stable, profitable and sustainable business.

1. Use Your Mailing List for Better Direct Mail. Direct mail is definitely an important part of building an effective, diversified IT marketing plan. And you can use direct mail to keep your name in front of qualified prospects. For example, let’s say you decide you want to promote your technology assessment program next month, so you name the next month “Technology Assessment Month” and make all technology assessments half-price during the month. Now which type of mailing list would be most responsive to a postcard offering half-priced technology assessments? Certainly not a rented mailing list of 2,500 small business owners that have never heard of your company. Your in-house mailing list of 250 small business owners that already have a relationship with you as prospects (networking contacts, seminar attendees, trade show booth visitors, etc.) is always a much better option for special offers for services and represents a great chance for you to continue to become IT consultant savvy.

2. Know Why Those that Know You Will Be More Receptive to Your Services … and Why This is Efficient Marketing. When you have a mailing list made up of those that already know of your company and are not strangers, they will be much more receptive and responsive to any special offers you make. Also, it will cost about 1/10 as much money to reach this group as it does to reach those that are strangers and just come from a rented mailing list. Or to make things more concrete, if 1 stranger out of the 2,500 signs on for your $250 technology assessment, each name in that mailing was worth... $0.10. Good luck breaking even on that. However if 10 prospects out of the 250 that already know and like your company sign on for your $250 technology assessment ($2,500 in service revenue), each name from that mailing was worth $10 -- much better math!

3. An In-House Mailing List is Typically Under-Utilized by Your Competitors. The asset of an in-house mailing list isn’t often used by the average person that is trying to become IT consultant savvy. Why? Most competing IT professionals won’t realize how powerful it is. If you use this knowledge to your advantage, you can really stand out from your competition. Your in-house mailing list is almost like a money-printing machine. Any time you want to make more money, you just send out a compelling offer and you will almost always find at least some takers. What's the key? The offer must be targeted appropriately and COMPELLING.

4. Spend Weekly Time Building Your In-House Mailing List. If you want real longevity, you need to be continually building up and nurturing your list of qualified prospects for your in-house mailing list. You should be building this mailing list weekly, even daily. Why? Because just like your list of clients on annual IT service agreements, your database of qualified prospects that already know of your firm can be a really powerful, valuable, tangible asset to your business.

In this short article, we outlined 4 tips to help you build a great contacts database asset and in-house mailing list. Learn more about how to become IT consultant savvy and attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) BecomeAnITConsultant.com All Rights Reserved

Cabling Jobs for Small Businesses that Crave End-to-End Virtual IT

2009-06-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

If you're trying to run your entire business just on revenue from cabling jobs and finding yourself scrambling to make ends meet, this is your wake-up call. Think about how you can expand your business to get great, long-term clients that will bring you real ongoing service revenue, and not just one-shot deal projects.

The truth is, if you base your business around just cabling jobs or quick fixes, you will attract customers that aren’t really looking for long-term relationships. And you’re going to need a ton of these little one-shot-deal projects to bring in the kind of money that will keep your business afloat. While Fortune 1000 giants might be able to handle these high-volume logistically-complicated operations, a small business using just one, two or three technicians to provide services will never be able to serve the number of clients per year necessary to keep the company afloat on just one-shot-deal customers.

The solution is usually to combine traditional cabling jobs with more complete Virtual IT solutions, so you can attract steady, high-paying clients that will help bring you sustainable service revenue. Plus you and your staff will get the satisfaction that comes from working on complex business problems with the same businesses on a regular basis.

Granted, some cabling firms eventually add-on router configuration, DSL installations, wireless networking, and Voice-over-IP phone systems. However those cabling firms with the greatest long-term vision grasp that small business owners want and need... even crave... end-to-end, soup-to-nuts outsourced Virtual IT solutions from a single point of contact.

Consider these 4 reasons why you and your small business clients need to work closely together on more than just plain-old cabling jobs.

1. Small Businesses Want to Enjoy the Same Benefits as Fortune 1000 Companies. In a Fortune 1000 organization, the CIO or IT director is usually responsible for being the IT visionary. This person will spot trends and keep projects on track. This means that if you are providing merely cabling jobs to your small business clients, you need to rethink your strategy. In the small business world, clients rely on their trusted technology provider to act as an IT visionary in the same way as an IT director, but on a much smaller budget. This means you have to be a Virtual CIO providing all the oversight and maintenance services of a larger IT department but on an outsource basis. What's at stake if you don't choose this path? Your small business clients will find that single point of contact solution that inevitably already has a cabling firm partner.

2. Small Businesses Crave a Single Point of Contact for Technology Support. Most small business owners won’t want to call multiple people to take care of their technology needs. They don’t have the time or the budget. Instead of someone to just do cabling jobs for them, another to purchase and provide hardware and software, and yet another to provide on-going maintenance for their networks and systems, they need a single point of contact for all their IT support. This is why there is so much opportunity for you in the small business space if you choose to provide complete business solutions and not just quick installations. Your clients want you to be the hardware provider, software reseller, network integrator, application developer, Web site designer and IT manager. Your firm becomes the Virtual IT department for companies too small to hire their own full-time IT staff. So what are you waiting for? Start finding local specialists in your community with which to partner.

3. Small Business Clients Are Non-Technical and Thus Naturally Inclined to Think of Price First. Most small business owners will think of technology as buying a bunch of PC’s and software at the lowest possible price. Even the best clients might start out thinking this way, which is why you can’t be just a commodity broker providing cabling jobs to succeed in this space. One of your basic responsibilities as a Virtual IT organization is educating clients on the real benefits of different solutions … in business terms. Help them overcome price objections by showing them the value of planning, consistency, standardization, testing, training, on-going maintenance and regular re-evaluation of their needs.

4. Make Your Clients See the Big Picture. Many small business owners will be inclined to make small impulse purchases for computer hardware, software and peripherals. This piecemeal approach is usually very short-sighted. Planning should be a normal part of their technology acquisition and implementation process. Without proper planning, small business owners almost always make haphazard purchases that rarely work well together.

In this brief article, we looked at why simply providing cabling to small businesses isn't enough to satisfy clients' cravings for complete IT solutions. Learn more about how you combine basic cabling jobs with high-margin outsourced small business Virtual IT services, so you can get great steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) CablingJobsAdvice.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Consulting Kit Sample Excerpt of Mobile PC Repair Technician Flyer

2009-06-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Considering the Computer Consulting Kit? This sample critique excerpt of a Mobile PC Repair Technician Flyer from the Computer Consulting Kit shows you how you can get stronger bottom-line marketing results. Then learn more proven client-attraction and business-building tips from the Computer Consulting Kit now at http://ComputerBusinessTips.com

Service Level Agreement Templates 3-Point Checklist

2009-05-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Many successful IT consultants use service level agreement templates to streamline their businesses and make sure they are presenting themselves professionally and consistently.

Still, if you are just starting out as an IT consultant, or just starting to offer service level agreements to your clients, you may be confused about some of the basic features that should go into a solid IT consulting service level agreement document.

Disclaimer: Before you finalize your service level agreement templates, be sure to consult a qualified local attorney. I'm not an attorney. I don't play an attorney on prime time TV. And this article is most certainly not presenting legal advice.

Now with that out of the way, you need to make sure that you are taken seriously as a trusted business adviser. Which pieces need to go into your final service level agreement templates to make them appealing to your customers and position you as a professional IT consultant offering high-end services?

Consider these 3 service level agreement template components that can help you grow great client relationships.

1. A Cover Page on Your Company Letterhead. Many consultants don’t realize how important official letterhead can be to all aspects of their businesses. Letterhead serves many purposes, but accomplishes two important goals: letterhead provides important contact information that makes getting in touch with you easy for your customers and clients. Letterhead also shows that you are a legitimate company with a unique identity, a location, a phone number, a Web site address and e-mail address. Letterhead can help establish your identity and your unique brand in a way that will be memorable to your potential clients long after your service level agreement templates have been signed and filed away.

2. A Change Order Policy. Because inevitably something will almost always come up as an “Oh, by the way” from your clients during the course of a major project, you must make sure to establish your policies regarding these changes. If you don’t create a change order policy for your long-term clients and present it clearly as part of your standard service level agreement templates, you risk having your projects regularly derailed by things that are outside of your control. Change orders protect both you and your clients from unanticipated changes and help you both take responsibility for important projects.

3. A Section Detailing Principal Contacts for Major Projects. Both you and your clients need to know who is responsible for what when it comes to major projects. So as part of your service level agreement templates, include contact information for the main decision makers at both your companies . This should include the major financial, technical and billing contacts as well as any additional employees that will be involved in details of the project. This helps everyone involved take full accountability for their part in achieving project goals and also gives you someone specific to call when important decisions must be made.

In this article we talked about 3 parts of your IT service level agreements that will help you build professional relationships with your valued consulting clients. Learn more proven secrets about how to design effective, profitable, mutually-beneficial service level agreement templates that get you steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ServiceLevelAgreementTemplate.com All Rights Reserved

Information Technology Business Plans and Virtual IT

2009-05-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Many computer consultants struggle to come up with solid Information Technology business plans. The main reason for this is that many fail to understand the concept of Virtual IT and how using it as a business model can help them build profitable and stable companies.

In this short video, you'll learn how to fully integrate Small Business Virtual IT into your sales process and business.

IT Business Secrets for Getting Great Client Testimonials

2009-05-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

As you are building an IT business, you need to find many different ways to attract great, steady, high-paying clients. One of the best ways to get more great clients is to enlist the help of your best clients.

As you build your business, your best clients will not only become sources of steady, on-going revenue, but will also make up an extended sales force that will help you attract more clients just like them. One of the best ways that your existing clients can help you is by providing you with strong, specific, results-oriented testimonials that show others the real value of your services.

The following 3 tips can help you understand how to get great testimonials from satisfied clients so you can build an IT business on a solid foundation.

1. Testimonials Capture the Satisfaction of Your Clients. When done right, a testimonial speaks meaningfully about the specific, tangible benefits you've provided to your best clients through your IT business solutions. Testimonials capture a moment in which your clients were overwhelmingly satisfied and communicates that moment to other potential clients. Testimonials have much more power when giving specific, tangible examples of how you've helped clients save money, generate new sources of revenue or improve productivity.

2. Know Your Prospective IT Business Client. When you approach a prospective client, you have no relationship on which to fall back. The average prospect will be pretty skeptical and wonder if your firm is really capable of doing the job they need done... and if you are really worth the high hourly billing rate you are charging. Testimonials are a great way to show prospects why they'd be crazy to consider anyone else besides your IT business. When your service agreement clients provide testimonials, you also demonstrate the value proposition of long-term relationships. Obviously, you want every customer to sign a service agreement with you because you know your benefits are worth their weight in gold to your clients, and because service agreements give you stable, on-going revenue for your company … but you are not the one signing the document or the check every month. A handful of testimonials from satisfied clients can help persuade new customers that your firm is dependable and trustworthy, and that you really understand how to solve their specific IT business problems.

3. If You Want Testimonials, Just Ask. Negative feedback spreads faster than positive. But how do you actively get your clients to spread the positive word about your services to other prospects through testimonials? Just ask! Your happy clients will often be more than willing to provide you with written or even video testimonials if you just ask. Many IT business owners now will even keep a small handheld digital camcorder in their briefcase for just the occasion. Many clients may even be willing to allow your serious prospects to give them a call to chat for a minute or two about your firm’s services. Don’t be shy about asking for testimonials. When you can to turn your best clients into an extended sales force, testimonials become worth their weight in gold.

In this article we talked about 3 tips to help you get testimonials from your best clients. Learn more proven techniques on how to build your IT business and get more great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ITBusinessTips.com All Rights Reserved

IT Contractor Work Strategies for Teaming Up with Other IT Contractors

2009-05-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Often as part of your IT contractor work, you'll need to work with other IT contractors. Whether you consider yourself a team player or not, you really don't have much of a choice. It's relatively rare that the IT skill set that you bring to the table will be diverse enough to perform your work project completely by yourself.

So many times, you'll be either deliberately or accidentally be catapulted into the role of team leader and you'll need to recruit and team up with other IT contractors to get your own IT contractor work done.

Needless to say, doing a good job with all this is crucial to keeping your clients happy as well as to delivering projects on-time and within the available budget.

If you are trying to provide the best, most complete solution to your small business clients, you will probably have work with different types of IT contractors to fill out your offering and truly solve client problems. But you need to make sure you understand what working with other IT providers means and how you can do it most efficiently.

Before providing good IT contractor work to your clients through other technology providers, you have to make sure you have the time to do it right. You can’t just hire any old person or anyone with whom you don’t already have a relationship. You need to make sure the person you are working with is going to represent you and your company in a way that will get you repeat business ... and certainly not be a source of professional embarrassment.

Use the following 3 tips to choose IT contractors to work with that will really help enhance the services you provide to your small business clients.

1. Know Who Can Help You Provide IT Services Profitably. As a virtual CIO, your goal is to provide IT services profitably. This means you have to consider the many different soft costs and out-of-pocket costs that go into hiring others to do additional IT contractor work for your clients. When you are screening potential candidates, you must make sure they have the right skills and expertise to really add value to your services. And of course, you want to make sure they're presentable to clients and not just an arrogant geek or propeller-head.

2. Know How to Hire Potential Contractors. Hiring others to do IT contractor work for your clients alongside you is like recruiting and hiring employees. You need to follow a very specific process and stick to it consistently each time. You'll need to seek out contractors, identify good candidates, screen these candidates, create a short list of qualified contractors, verify references for those on the short list and enter into a formalized relationship with the chosen IT contractors.

3. Prepare to Spend Time Recruiting Those Providing IT Contractor Work. Don't overlook the time investment required to recruit good contractors. If you are a virtual IT provider, hiring others to fill out your services really is not prudent until you have a good base of steady clients that need on-going services and have signed some type of service agreement with you. Once you decide to hire additional contractors, you can expect to spend about four to eight hours on each candidate, at the minimum, as part of the qualifying and hiring process.

In this short article we talked about how to recruit others as a virtual CIO to help you provide your small business clients with a complete technology solution. Learn more about how to leverage IT contractor work and build your own IT contractor business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ITContractorWorkAlternative.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Consulting Kit Preview Webinar - Today @ 3pm Eastern

2009-05-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

5 Proven Best Practices for Getting More Steady, High-Paying Clients

Today @ 3pm Eastern!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT

Learn how you can generate more consulting business and attract more of the right kinds of repeat clients.
Find out quick, right-to-the-point best practices for surviving and thriving in this challenging IT spending environment.
Discover simple, inexpensive, fast strategies for generating better leads and closing more deals.
Find out how you can get more long-term clients onto your client roster, so you can have that critical business predictability and recurring revenue each and every month.
And much, much more!

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!

Starting a Computer Repair Shop that Attracts Great Clients

2009-05-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

If you are starting a computer repair shop catering to the needs of small business owners, one of your biggest tasks is going to be attracting and retaining great, steady, high-paying clients. But how do you do this while balancing the many other tasks you will have to accomplish to open the doors to your new business?

The truth is, customers aren’t going to come chasing you down. And while ideally you want to get long-term clients right away that will be with you for many years to come, the chances of these types of small business clients coming your way immediately on day 1 are slim. You have to start somewhere, so you can build your credibility, prove your expertise and create a solid network of relationships that will attract ideal clients.

The following 4 tips can help you get great clients as you are starting a computer repair shop.

1. Don't Overlook the Value of Stepping Stone Customers. It's OK if you don't get everything perfect on day 1 as you are starting a computer repair shop. But you still have to get paying customers… any paying customers. These customers you get in the beginning are sometimes called stepping-stone customers and will bring you early revenue. Stepping-stone customers will also help you start acquiring positive business testimonials that enhance your marketing efforts.

2. Know When to Get Selective. Six months after starting a computer repair shop, you need to get more selective when choosing your small business clients. For the first six months of your business, your accounts will most likely be smaller than you would like. But if you are confident as you begin that your smaller clients will eventually be replaced by more ideal, steady, long-term, high-paying clients, your business will be able to grow.

3. Know the Work You Will Be Doing When You First Start. The following is a list of some of the more commonly-requested services by non-technical small business owners and managers: network audits; training; upgrades; PC tune-ups; light Web site design; optimization and troubleshooting. Make sure you are prepared to handle at least most of these tasks and go into new customer relationships with confidence and expertise.

4. Focus on Your Personal and Business Networks. When you are starting a computer repair shop, your personal and business networks are critical to your success. These valuable contacts will be the ones that refer you to new clients. As you complete new projects, word will spread about your services. And shortly, more referral business will start flowing in as a result of the relationships you foster with those in your networks.

You can’t afford to ignore any business. You also can’t get discouraged. Starting a computer repair shop is an exercise in patience and diligence. You never know where one of your small customers might lead you.

In this short article we discussed 4 tips to help you build your computer repair client roster as you begin a new business. Learn more about starting a computer repair shop and how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) StartingComputerRepairShop.com All Rights Reserved

My Computer Repair Business and Developing Contingency Plans

2009-05-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

If you’re saying, “It’s time to get my computer repair business off the ground,” then you need to think seriously about contingency plans.

When hearing the phrase contingency planning, many in the computer repair business and small business IT industry automatically think of hot spares, off-site business continuity, data replication, and diesel generators. And sure these are all important areas for you to work on with your clients. However what about protecting your new computer repair business from even more certain non-IT-related business-interruptions?

Contingency plans are absolutely critical for first-year business success. If you have a contingency plan, you’ll be able to deal with the curve balls that get thrown at you; because even if you do great research and plan diligently, you’re going to encounter a mixture of good and bad surprises.

You don’t want to get caught without a contingency plan. Positive and negative things will happen, and you need to be able to weather the ups and downs of your business. The more thought and time you put into a contingency plan, the more you will be on track for success and be able to avoid getting derailed as you make the definitive choice and say, “I am ready to start my computer repair business!”

Now normally this kind of contingency planning is part of writing a business plan, under the heading of Risks. However since writing a business plan gets the kind of procrastination typically only reserved for the elliptical machine you bought for your family room, that's now serving as a coat rack. Or the vacation home you splurged on that sits empty 53 weeks a year. It probably makes sense to tackle your contingency planning right now.

When you create a plan to handle business curve balls, you need to list out anything you can think of that will negatively impact or threaten your business. A thorough contingency plan address 15 - 20 reasonable possibilities that could affect your ability to remain profitable, or even in business and are outside your control. The following are 4 of the areas that must be included in a solid contingency plan.

1. Changes in Your Niche. Most computer repair professionals find great success when they focus on a specific industry niche and solving its unique IT problems. But what do you do if your niche dries up or turns out to be unable to support your business? Think about VARs focusing on real estate as the market imploded in 2008 ... or solution providers catering to automotive dealers that are currently on government subsidized life-support. You need to have an alternative plan of action to roll with the punches if you can’t find sufficient client projects within your originally-chosen niche or niches.

2. Labor Market Issues. If you’ve said, “Now’s the time to start my computer repair business,” you need to think about who will help you deliver your services to your valued clients as your company grows. You have to plan for a lack of availability of contract workers or employees. You need to be able to continue to provide solutions to your clients, even if you find yourself short staffed.

3. Comfort Level with Software. What do you do if you decide to work with a specific type of business that uses a particular software… but then find out this particular market does not really need the solutions you provide? You need to be able to branch out into different target markets if one of your chosen specialties ends up not being a great profit center. This means you need to include working with other types of clients in your contingency plan, which often will mean knowing about more than just one type of software.

4. Strategic Alliances Between Competitors. While you need to focus on the concept of “my computer repair business,” you also need to pay attention to your competitors. How will you keep your business alive if there are mergers or alliances within your industry that affect your ability to attract clients? You need to think about your competitors as you develop a plan for the future of your business and be prepared when the business climate changes.

In this article we discussed 4 items that should be included in a contingency plan for your repair business. Learn more about what you can do when you decide, “I want to start my computer repair business” to get great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) MyComputerRepairBusinessTips.com All Rights Reserved

Become an IT Consultant by Partnering with Accounting Firms

2009-05-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Do you want to become an IT consultant?

Then you may want to partner up with other trusted business advisers to help build a strong business and get great clients. Many consultants neglect to seize the opportunity to work with other trusted business advisers in their community like accountants, attorneys and non-competing technology providers. These consultants fail to enjoy the many benefits that come from establishing relationships with others that provide high-end professional level services to business owners… and that already have established relationships and a foot in the door with the exact same kinds of prospective client small business owners that you’re trying to reach out to.

The following 3 tips can help you become an IT consultant by leveraging partnerships with accounting firms in your area.

1. Partner with Accountants as Trusted Business Advisors. You can certainly use your accountant partners as a source for great, highly-qualified reference accounts; but you also even may be able to develop a formal revenue-sharing arrangement where your accountant would have a financial interest in connecting you with his/her existing clients. You can provide incentive through one or more of the following methods: a finder’s fee; a referral fee; subcontracting you out; bartering services. If you want to be less formal about incentives, you can also offer items such as gift baskets, sporting events tickets or a lunch or dinner. No matter which option you choose, make sure to work these ideas into your IT marketing budget as you look to become an IT consultant.

2. Find Out if Your Accountant’s Clients Need Your Services. Ask if your accountant gets regular requests from clients for IT-related help … and how he/she handles them. If your accountant says, “We really don’t have anywhere to send our clients,” then this statement is your cue, and you need to propose a marketing partnership or joint venture that makes sense. Part of becoming an IT consultant is developing real relationships with trusted business advisors and proposing activities that can help both of you and your clients, such as educational seminars. Find a time of year that works for both of you and start to plan ways to cross-pollinate your clients by co-sponsoring events so you can both benefit from your relationship.

3. Know How Joint Educational Seminars Work. A joint educational seminar is an event that is sponsored by both you and a trusted business advisor. Some suggested seminar topics are ways businesses can better use their accounting systems or how businesses can better protect their accounting systems by putting efficient controls in place. On the business side, the accountant can talk about the accounting issues, and you can represent the IT side and talk about technology issues. Your main goal is to plant the seeds about computer-related issues in the minds of your trusted business advisors’ clients as you become an IT consultant, so you can build your list of potential clients. You need the personal referrals that can come from working with accountants and other trusted business advisors to help get a solid roster of highly-qualified prospects, customers and clients.

In this short article we discussed 3 tips to help you build partnerships with accounting firms and other trusted business advisers. Learn more about how to become an IT consultant and get great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) BecomeAnITConsultant.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repair Business for Sale? Planning Ahead is Key for Sellers

2009-04-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking about putting up your computer repair business for sale?

Or are you on the other side of the table and looking to buy an existing computer repair business for sale?

Either way, don't let this major transaction be an afterthought. Planning ahead is key for buyers and sellers alike.

Future planning and especially having an exit strategy is something many computer repair business owners don’t necessarily think about as they build their companies. However, you have to think about how you can make your business not only profitable, but also appealing to future buyers once you decide it’s time to move on, for whatever reason.

The following 3 tips can help you develop an exit strategy so you are ready once you decide to move on and put your computer repair business for sale. And if you're looking to buy an existing business, consider this a quick checklist of what determines tangible value.

1. Set Your Prices Right from Day 1. Many new and inexperienced owners make the mistake of charging too little, often WAY too little, for their computer repair services. One of the biggest causes of this is a copycat billing rate structure. New computer computer repair business owners often will find out what a competitor is charging down the street and will simply charge the same, without looking at the company’s business structure or whether that rate really works for their specific type of business. Also, how do you know this competitor knows what he/she is doing when it comes to setting prices? And do you know anything about this competitor's technical competence? You need to determine your own pricing structure based on sound financial projections and your value proposition. And make sure that your pricing structure makes your business profitable and thus appealing to future buyers once you decide it’s time to put up your computer repair business for sale.

2. Focus on Getting Clients … Not Customers. New and inexperienced computer repair business owners often spend a lot of time chasing down one-shot deal customers, keeping their fingers crossed that these people will call them in a few months or a few years. Your business is not going to be successful or appealing to future buyers if you base your services on the needs of one-shot deal customers. Spending all that time and money acquiring customers for tiny, unpredictable projects is not going to be financially lucrative. A computer repair business that offers on-going service agreements will grow a stable client list and have recurring revenue and predictability, as well as the ability to hire more staff. And all of these benefits will make the business very appealing to those that might want to buy it when you need to or want to get out.

3. Create Curb Appeal for Your Computer Repair Business for Sale. If you've ever watched one of those real estate TV shows that detail how they fix up a home about to be sold to make it more appealing, you've probably heard the term "curb appeal." However it's also easily applicable to a computer repair business for sale. If you ever want to be able to sell your computer repair company – if you move, get bored, get burnt out, get injured or pass away – the list of your clients on annual service agreements will become one of your few tangible assets. For the overall valuation of your computer repair business, you of course need to consult your trusted accounting advisor. But, as an example of how valuable on-going service contracts are, if your company has been averaging $200,000 per year in pure consulting revenue for the past 3 years and ¾ of that ($150,000) is locked in on annual service agreements, you have a pretty nice asset for someone thinking about acquiring your business at a multiple of your overall gross revenue. On other hand, how much do you think a competitor would pay to purchase a list of one-shot deal cheapskate customers that just call once in a while? Without on-going service agreements, you are starting from scratch every single month. You need to cultivate your list of service agreement clients to prepare a very desirable computer repair business for sale... one with curb appeal.

In this article we talked about 3 ways to make your business more appealing for sale and plan for an exit strategy. Learn more about how to succeed on either side of the table with a computer repair business for sale that attracts great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairBusiness-ForSale.com All Rights Reserved

How to Start an IT Business

2009-04-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering how to start an IT business, there are some things you need to know before you start providing services to your new clients.

Many IT consultants miss important concepts about being successful in their industry and end up struggling to make ends meet and get clients. Why? They fail to create an organized business plan based on planned growth.

So, what does it take to understand how to start an IT business that will be successful far into the future? The following 6 success factors can help put you on the right road.

1. Understand Your Business Model and Target Audience. You can’t be all things to all people. But you can be all things to SOME people. As a new IT consultant catering to small businesses, you won’t have the advertising budget to market to everyone … or the staff to provide services to everyone. Find a specialty group and focus your marketing efforts on these people. Figure out which services you will and won’t provide and which type of small business clients will be the best fit for these services.

2. Be Proactive about Finding the Best Clients, Staff and Partners. Whether you are looking for prospects, customers, staff, contractors or partners as you learn how to start an IT business, you need to be working on the process regularly. If you procrastinate, you risk taking on nightmare clients, having unreliable employees or just making bad decisions in haste. The time to make important decisions is when you are NOT in crisis mode. Be on the lookout for people that can help you grow your business.

3. Quality Trumps Quantity. Your goal is not to get the biggest customer list. 50 great customers is better than 100 bad ones. When one-person IT companies learn how to start an IT business and do it right, they can actually make very healthy livings with just 5 or even 6 steady clients that need service at least a few times a month. Focus on getting profitable and stable customers on your client list. And don't be afraid to fire your money-losing, time-draining customers.

4. Teach Your Clients How to Treat You. If you set rock-bottom rates, waste huge blocks of unpaid time, tolerate verbal abuse from your customers and clients, accept late payments and let your clients cherry-pick you rather than committing to ongoing service contracts, you are teaching your clients not to respect you and your time. Set policies in stone from the start of your business and stick to them, and you’ll be on your way to understanding how to start an IT business on the right foot.

5. Prepare and Plan for Future Success. A full-blown business plan is ideal from Day 1; but if you need some time to develop it at first, a weekly business development “to-do” list will help you get started. Include three columns, aside from the name of the task itself: (a) how much time you will spend; (b) how much money you will spend; (c) your start and end dates for tasks. Make sure you fill out this form regularly so you know how you are spending your time and how much money is coming in and going out of your business. Analyzing the results will help you understand how to make your business more profitable.

6. Remember that Time is Money. If you want to understand how to start an IT business successfully, treat your time as your inventory . You wouldn’t give your inventory away in any other business that was selling products, so why would you give your inventory away when it is time? Know where every 15 minutes of your time is going every week and put it into three categories: (a) billable to a client; (b) management/administration; (c) sales/marketing. If you can’t put all of your time into one of these three categories, you need to reevaluate.

In this article, we introduced 6 secrets to success for you to think about as you learn how to start an IT business. Learn more about how to start an IT business and get great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) HowToStartAnITBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

Running a Computer Repair Business and Attracting Great Clients

2009-04-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

If you want to succeed at running a computer repair business, you need to focus on business development and attracting great clients. There are lots of things that can get you off track, but if you watch out for them, you will be able to concentrate on what matters most.

Remember when you are starting out in the computer repair business, you are not strictly in the technology business. Technology is certainly a big part of your business, but in the early stages especially you need to be focusing on building relationships and acquiring clients. You can’t let other activities or time wasters distract you from your business development goals.

These 5 tips can help you with running a computer repair business so your client growth and business growth goals don't get derailed or sidetracked.

1. Avoid Spending Too Much Time on Technology Training. Especially when you are working with small businesses, you are probably six to 18 months ahead of what small businesses in your area need. Because small businesses are late adopters, you can afford to slack a little on technology training in the beginning while you work on building relationships with potential clients. To fill in any skills gaps, look to recruit competent subcontractors.

2. Don’t Spend Too Much Time Reading Computer Magazines. If you’re like most new consultants, you probably spend several hours per month in this reading black hole. Instead, consider reallocating this wasted time toward more productive business development and client attraction activities.

3. Stay Away from Most Channel Programs. When you are running a computer repair business for small companies, don't get seduced by an aggressive sales person twisting your arm to join a channel program. You also can’t get drawn in by technology gadgets that don’t fill an immediate need with your paying clients. When you spend money on these things, you take precious resources away from business development and building your client list.

4. Avoid Freebie-Mooching Sessions Disguised as Sales Calls. When you go out on a sales call, make sure you are not there for endless hours of brain picking that goes nowhere. Running a computer repair business successfully means knowing exactly which kinds of prospects to focus on at all times. This way you can drive your lead qualification process and contribute to long-term business development.

5. Network in a Smart Way. Know which kinds of prospects you should be talking to at networking events. Find out what they do, what their company is like, whether or not they have and use computers, and how many computers they have. These are the four key questions that can help you determine very quickly whether you’re talking to someone that has a future as your prospective client, or whether you are completely wasting your time.

In this article, we introduced 5 tips to help you focus on critical business development tasks and client attraction while you are running a computer repair business. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients while you are running a computer repair business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) RunningAComputerRepairBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

How to Start Your Own Computer Business and Get Great Clients

2009-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to figure out how to start your own computer business and find great clients?

Starting a new business can be really challenging, and finding clients is no easy task either.

Customers aren’t going to come calling on you right away, and the ones you get at the beginning will not necessarily be candidates for long-term services. But even if you have to start with less than ideal customers as you build a viable company, you do have to start somewhere. Really.

Consider these 4 tips on how to start your own computer business and get clients so you can start to move towards profitability.

1. You Don’t Need to Get Everything Perfect to Start. There is always some risk involved in starting a new business, and part of overcoming obstacles is moving forward, even when you don’t have all the answers yet. At first you need to get customers... any paying customers. The type of customers you will start with are often called stepping-stone customers and will bring you some early revenue. They can also give you valuable business testimonials, even if they don’t end up being more than one-shot deal customers or have on-going computer needs.

2. Get More Selective with Clients as Your Business Grows. When you are first learning how to start your own computer business, you will have to accept many customers that might not be with you long term. But about six months into the life of your business, you need to get more selective. Just trust in the fact that smaller customers will naturally be replaced by larger clients that will have more long-term potential, as long as you are diligent about gathering testimonials and engaging in high-quality marketing and awareness-generating activities.

3. Understand What Clients Need. If you are learning how to start your own computer business, you probably are wondering which tasks you will have to do for new customers and clients. The types of work you will probably be doing in the beginning include network assessments, training, upgrades, tune-ups, light Web site design, optimization, and basic troubleshooting.

4. Build Your Personal and Business Networks. When you are figuring out how to start your own computer business, your personal and business networks are critical. These contacts will be the ones that refer you to new clients when you don’t yet know anyone. As you complete these new projects, word will spread about your services. And who better to talk about you positively than those that already know, like and trust you? Not long after starting this process, more referral business will start flowing in, and you will find your company growing.

In this brief article, we talked about 4 areas to think about as you learn how to start your own computer business. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) StartYourOwnComputerBusiness.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Repairs Business Pricing Advice for Smart Owners

2009-04-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

For many computer repairs business owners, pricing their services can be a tricky endeavor. You have to consider pricing very carefully if you have your own business, or you risk not being taken seriously because your rates are too low. Or perhaps you're attracting price-sensitive clients looking for rock-bottom prices on commodity-type products and not real value-added services.

When it comes to setting pricing, the time for action is now. If your back is up against the wall because your business cannot make a profit or worse yet, is unable to make ends meet, you more than likely procrastinated too long.

When you don’t figure out pricing early on in the life of your business, you may also be seen as wishy-washy when you change your prices too frequently.

So If you want to have a successful as the owner of a computer repair business, make sure you price right the first time around so you can make a profit. The following 4 pieces of advice can help you price wisely so you can make a profit.

1. Consider Your Pricing Strategy Before Start-Up. Your pricing strategy should not be an afterthought, nor should it be taken lightly. It is not something you can easily change later on, so making sure you have the correct pricing is absolutely critical even before you open the doors to your business.

2. Your Pricing Should Be Something That Your Clients Can Count On. Part of building a strong computer repairs business is building trust with your customers and clients and showing them that you will be there to solve their problems and respond to their needs. If you change your mind on your hourly billing rates or how you are charging, your customers and clients are likely to resist and your credibility could be threatened. If your prices change too much, you may lose valued customers and clients altogether.

3. The Economy is Important to Pricing. In a good economy, annual increases of five to fifteen percent are about as much as you can pass through without being seen as going overboard. If you really make a mistake on pricing when you start your computer repairs business and find you need to pass along more than a $20 - $25 per hour increase to stay alive, you will probably be better off just replacing your customers and clients and starting from scratch. Why? Unless you're exceptionally lucky, even your most loyal customers and clients will strongly resist a large hourly rate increase that seems out of left field.

4. Understand the Cost of New Client Acquisition. If your pricing absolutely must be changed in order to remain profitable, you will have to find new clients. Don’t underestimate this great task. New clients for your computer repairs business will have to be brought on board under the new pricing strategy … but at what cost? Rather than incurring unnecessary costs, begin with the correct pricing strategy so you can pass along minor increases the same way any other type of business does.

In this article, we talked about 4 simple but crucial computer repairs business pricing tips. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients for your computer repairs business now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) ComputerRepairBusinessSecrets.com All Rights Reserved

Computer Franchise Opportunities Tips for Building a Stable Business

2009-04-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for computer franchise opportunities? Before you start your business, you need to be prepared to build it on a strong foundation.

Many jumping into computer businesses of any type make the mistake of not creating a solid business plan before they start and jumping into it head-first without thinking. Regardless of which type of technology business you are starting, you need to know where you are going next, so you can offer stellar service, attract great clients and plan the growth of your company.

The following 3 tips can help those looking into computer franchise opportunities build a solid foundation for their business and sell more to high-quality clients.

1. Consider Your Sales Cycle for the Average Project. As an example, if you are selling the installation of a small business LAN, and you know it will take between 45 and 90 days from when you prepare a project plan to the time you see a check, you will know you need to work on a plan to bridge cash flow differences. With computer franchise opportunities, you also need to remember you will have some fees to pay to your franchiser as well as special business expenses like royalties not necessarily attached to other types of computer businesses. Therefore, you need to be very careful to conservatively estimate when to expect to close sales with your clients. If you underestimate selling time you can really disrupt your cash flow position. You also need to create a sales projection worksheet and update it monthly, so you know exactly where every client and customer is in your sales funnel and can plan appropriately for the future.

2. Think About Your Selling Season. When you are considering computer franchise opportunities or any other technology business opportunity, think about which seasons are best for selling. For example, you may have a difficult time getting clients to commit to starting large projects during July and August due to the slow summer months (in the Northern hemisphere at least) and November and December due to holidays. These times will seriously affect your cash flow and abilities to build your business. You need to be prepared to sell very little during those months and engage in more aggressive marketing activities during your prime selling seasons.

3. Be Mindful of Your New Customers’ and Clients’ Credit Histories. As you get into the computer business, you need to know how to weed out deadbeat clients if you want to build a stable business. The simplest way? Don’t take them on in the first place. You need to be able to tell the difference between a potentially good client and a big credit risk. The best way to do this is to make sure all your new customers and clients fill out a basic credit application. Then go ahead and verify your new clients’ trade and bank references. As you are thinking about your clients and computer franchise opportunities, you want to seriously consider, when granting a large credit line, purchasing a business credit information profile from a business reporting company such as Dun & Bradstreet.

In this article, we discussed 3 tips to help turn computer franchise opportunities into strong businesses. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as part of computer franchise opportunities now at the attached link.

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

Printer Service Contracts Tips for IT Service Providers

2009-03-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Do you offer printer service contracts as part of your computer repair, IT service or computer consulting business?

If so, you need to know how to structure these arrangements so you get paid appropriately for your time. When it comes to service contracts and particularly bundling in any type of hardware or peripheral repair, many new IT service providers lose their shirts when it comes to phone support. They want to offer high-quality service, so they make remote support via phone part of their printer service contracts… but often end up not charging enough and essentially giving away this valuable benefit free of charge to their clients.

The following 4 tips can help you structure printer service contracts so you’re not giving away too much free phone support.

1. Charge the Same for Phone Support as for On-Site Time. When you are billing at an hourly rate, make sure the hours you spend providing phone support are also billed at the same hourly rate. And when you are figuring phone support into your printer service contracts, do the math properly so your total cost per month is representative of the potential hours you will be spending with your clients both on-site and remotely. You can expect with remote support that your clients will be contacting you by phone, on your cell phone, and through e-mail. You can expect to be doing a lot of it, so you need to be compensated appropriately. If you aren’t correctly factoring in phone support, clients will take advantage of the convenience of instant advice and use phone support when it is not needed or in lieu of on-site time.

2. Remember that Phone Support Takes a Lot of Time. Phone support takes as much time as other types of support, even for something as simple as printer troubleshooting. If you don’t include phone support as part of your printer service contracts, your hourly rate for printer troubleshooting by phone will be $0.00. Profitable businesses don’t charge $0.00 for their services. And if you think, “I can just give away phone support to my good clients,” or “I can just give it away this one time and everything will work out fine,” you’re fooling yourself.

3. Giving Away Phone Support Hurts Your Overall Billable Service Revenue. When you give away free remote support with any type of service contracts, you take away your clients’ incentive to call you for billable on-site visits. Why would they pay you $100 on-site to handle printer problems when they can just call you up, get a few instructions and not have to pay anything? These clients will not stay good clients for long. Any person in their right mind will take advantage of and abuse the chance for free phone support. It’s just human nature to want to save money.

4. Value Yourself. The information you provide over the phone is just as valuable as any other type of work you do on-site through printer service contracts. Giving away phone support will not boost your business, nor will it make good clients more loyal. Even your best clients over-use free advice and you’ll start to hemorrhage money.

In this brief article, we discussed 4 tips to make sure you set up your printer service contracts properly and profitably, so you get paid appropriately for all types of support. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients with mutually-beneficial printer service contracts now at the attached link.

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

How PC Repair Service Firms Get Great Business Clients

2009-03-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you are trying to start a PC repair service, you need to know exactly how to build your business and attract great clients that will bring you steady revenue. Why?

Because if you think your PC repair service can survive by catering to one-shot-deal customers, home users, and residential customers, you are to put it mildly... delusional.

Many entrepreneurs in the technology field feel lost as they are trying to start a PC repair service business, particularly when they work with small businesses and are running a one-or-two person operation. If this describes you, you know you will have to wear many different “hats” at the beginning, playing the role of bookkeeper, accountant, marketing coordinator, salesperson and of course computer repair person doing all the work in the field.

To help you start your PC repair service efficiently, consider the following 6 critical business-building ideas.

1. Understand Your Business Model and Target Audience. Remember that it’s not practical to be all things to all people. But, you can absolutely be all things to some people. As a small business PC repair service owner, you will not have the advertising budget to market to everyone. So instead, find a very targeted audience and focus your efforts there. And be sure to figure out which services you will and won’t provide.

2. Find the Right People with Proactive Techniques. Whether you are looking for prospects, customers, staff, contractors, or partners, you need to spend time on marketing weekly. Procrastinating will only lead to nightmare clients, unreliable employees, and hastily-made bad decisions. The time to make important decisions is when you are not operating in crisis mode and likely to make mistakes. Be on the lookout for people that will help you get where you want to be.

3. Remember Quality, Not Quantity. Your goal as a PC repair service is not to have the biggest customer list. If you have 50 great customers, you are in better shape than someone with 100 bad customers. Many technology professionals make very healthy livings with as few as five or six steady clients. Aim to have only the most profitable and stable customers on your list. And don't be afraid to get rid of money-losing, time-draining customers.

4. Teach Customers How to Treat You. If you decide to charge rock-bottom rates, waste big blocks of time, tolerate verbal abuse from customers, accept incomplete payments, and continue to service customers that are habitual late-payers, you are teaching customers not to respect you. Set policies in stone from the beginning and stick to them to be a happy business owner.

5. Plan for Your Future Success. A full-blown business plan is what you ultimately need. But in the beginning as you are deciding how to create this, at least work on a weekly business development to-do list. Create a document with the task in one column and three more columns for each task: how much time you will spend; how much money you will spend; your start and end dates for the task. Be religious about filling out this document to track where you are spending your time, and how much money is coming in and going out. Analyzing this regularly will help your business be more profitable and help you create a more formal business plan structure.

6. Know Time is Money. When it comes to your PC repair service, your time is your inventory. If you owned a store that sold products, would you give inventory away? Of course not! Because your time is like your inventory when it comes to your repair business, you can’t afford to give time away either. You need to know where every ¼ hour block is going each and every week. Your time should fit into one of three categories: (a) billable to a client; (b) management/administration; and (c) sales/marketing. If any of your time can’t be put into these three categories, re-evaluate how you are spending it.

In this article we discussed 6 critical points for starting a PC repair service the right way. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying PC repair service clients now at the attached link.

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

Computer Contractor Tips for Determining Small Business Client Responsibilities

2009-03-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

As a computer contractor, do you often wonder what to expect from new clients when you start a new major IT project?

Before you get started, take time to ask about and understand the responsibilities your clients will take when it comes to helping you manage their computers and systems. The truth is, sometimes what you expect your clients to do to help will not be what your clients will be willing … or even able to do.

As you approach a client you really need to know first and foremost that, particularly in the small business space, you are dealing with a non-technical business owner. Your client will not understand the latest, greatest bleeding-edge technology and will often not even understand his/her own IT assets at all. Your job as their computer contractor will be to increase their understanding and efficiency so your clients can better run their businesses.

No matter what, you need to understand the different types of small business owners you will encounter and what your role will be with each. The following 4 pieces of advice can help you work more efficiently on major IT projects with new clients.

1. Understand the “Hands-On” Small Business Client. As a computer contractor, you might come across a small business client that wants to take a very active role in their major project. This type of person will listen intently on your every word, will read and re-read your written documents about deliverables multiple times, and have some well thought-out questions waiting for you at each and every meeting. This type of client will be a pleasure … but don’t expect most small business owners you meet to have this hands-on philosophy.

2. Be Prepared for the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Small Business Client. At the other extreme, you might find other clients that don’t want to know any details about what you are doing to help them with their IT systems. Whether their philosophy is fueled by them feeling overwhelmed by technical details, or just the result of them being too busy running other aspects of their business to deal with IT issues, they will expect their computer contractor to just make systems work with their businesses. Because these small business owners will want to take a totally hands-off approach and tell you, “Just send me the bill,” you need to tread very carefully. Can you really develop a mutually-beneficial relationship with someone that wants you to work this way?

3. Aim for the “Just Right” Client. Almost like the Goldilocks client, most small business owners will want to take on a role that is somewhere in between completely hands on and totally uninvolved. They will want a computer contractor to tell them what is going on and learn about technology issues to a certain degree. But they recognize that certain tasks are best left to the experts. Because these clients will sometimes be neither here nor there, make sure they are aware of what you are expecting from them in the relationship besides a prompt payment, so your solutions can have maximum impact and really work to solve their biggest business problems.

4. Establish a Single Point of Contact. No matter which type of client a small business owner is, one of your biggest responsibilities as a computer contractor is making sure you designate a single point of contact at your client site. Once you get deep into a big IT project, you will not have the luxury of being able to solicit everyone’s opinion. You need a go between to avoid the “too many cooks” syndrome. Once you settle on a main contact person, stick to taking all your orders from this person at all costs. To solidify relationships even further, you might also consider contractually obligating your small business clients to designate a single point of contact. Without a designated single point of contact, you run a major risk of getting conflicting and often contradictory instructions from different people at your client site.

In this brief article we discussed 4 pieces of advice that can help you manage your relationships with small business clients. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients as a computer contractor now at the attached link.

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

IT Reseller Speaking Engagements that Get Great New Clients

2009-03-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

Are you an IT reseller looking for better ways to market your business? Speaking at business organizations can be an excellent way to connect with prospective customers and clients and is a necessary part of any comprehensive marketing plan.

If you have decided to resell products as part of your company’s services, you probably find it challenging to present yourself as a professional services provider and not just a commodity broker or box-pusher. As an IT reseller, you have to be very careful about how you market your company so you don’t just attract price sensitive buyers looking for bargain basement prices. Speaking engagements can be a great way to showcase your technology solutions expertise and show that you offer much, much more than competitive prices on products.

Use these 4 tips to attract high-quality customers and clients as a result of your B2B speaking engagements.

1. Speak at Organization Meetings. You need to find a way to get involved in networking organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, user groups or other similar organizations, so you can get access to a captive audience of small business owners and managers. The organization does all the marketing work for your talk to fill up the seats. By inviting you to speak, the organization has indirectly endorsed you. Your job is deliver great content that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and highly motivated to take follow-up action immediately on your suggested steps.

2. Select Topics that are Important to Your Audience. As an IT reseller, you need to customize your speech to address a subject that matters to attendees and is business focused. Avoid spouting acronyms like “IT” or any other highly technical terms. Unless you're speaking to a group of IT professionals, be sure to keep your speech low-tech and jargon-free. You also want to choose to speak at business organizations that have similar demographics to that of your ideal customers and clients. You can find out this information by talking to an executive director or office manager, which you will do as you seek out speaking opportunities.

3. Give a Free Seminar. Another way to really get your name out there as an IT reseller is to give a free seminar. Even though you are ultimately in the business of reselling solutions, stay away from seminars that are glorified-product-demos. Your audience craves content that teaches them how to solve nagging problems. For example, you could speak about protecting computer systems from viruses, security breaches and blackouts. The tricky component of seminars is executing them. Make sure you feel comfortable with the delivery and the subject matter. You can also split up the speech between two different people in your company or partner with a trusted business advisor such as an accountant to make the speech more interesting for listeners.

4. Generate Demand for Your IT Reseller Seminars. How can you generate demand and RSVP’s for your free seminars or speeches at organization events? When speaking at an organization's meeting, they'll do most of the work to fill up the event. That's the beauty of giving talks to organizations. When you're promoting your own events, you'll need to do your own marketing. Typically the easiest, least-expensive and most-responsive group will be your in-house mailing list or your partner's in-house mailing list.

In this brief article, we talked about 4 tips to help you use speaking engagements to market yourself as an IT reseller. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying IT reseller clients now at the attached link.

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

IT Contractor Jobs and Using Moonlighting as a Stepping Stone

2009-02-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

If you are a moonlighter, finding IT contractor jobs can be difficult because moonlighters are mainly available when most small businesses are already closed for the day and week. You need to be flexible enough to carry out moonlighting jobs during the evening and on weekends, but many small businesses will not be very comfortable with this arrangement. They want to interact with their consultants on their time and want you to work around their schedule … not the other way around.

What’s the Solution?

A great way to secure small business IT contractor jobs as a moonlighter is to target businesses whose hours naturally fit with your schedule. Businesses that are open in the evenings like restaurants, health clubs and call centers can be great target markets for moonlighters. So can businesses that run second or third shifts, and even those that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But What are the Downsides of Working with These Types of Businesses?

These clients are not really ideal, full-time clients unless you enjoy getting called in at 2:00 a.m. on a regular basis. The truth is, while moonlighting can be a great way to get your feet wet with IT contractor jobs, you probably don’t want to fill up 90% of your client roster with after-hours businesses that are convenient for moonlighters. If you want to go beyond moonlighting and think more long-term, you'll need to make yourself available to small businesses on their terms.

Stepping Stone IT Contractor Jobs Require Flexibility from Your Day-Job Employer

Even as you are in the moonlighting stage of your business, think about building a solid base of 9-5 clients. Once you go full-time, you will probably not want to continue sacrificing nights and weekends. As you build your client base, make sure that you keep your day-job schedule flexible, so that even though you are primarily available on evenings and weekends as a moonlighter, you can attract some clients that need you from 9-5.

To solve this Catch-22 issue, so you can get more desirable 9-5 IT contractor jobs, use vacation days, personal days and sick days to work with clients. Being able to take long lunches, go in late and leave early are critical to your ability to secure small business clients that will take you beyond just moonlighting and help you make a real career out of IT consulting for yourself. In order to go beyond moonlighting, your current day job needs to have a significant amount of flexibility built in. If you are serious about working for yourself and getting great clients, take every opportunity to work with small businesses during the regular business day, even when it presents a tough juggling act with your day job.

In this short article, we talked about how you can use moonlighting as a stepping stone to get long-term IT contractor jobs that can help you build a real career. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients and get the best IT contractor jobs now at the attached link.

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

IT Maintenance Contracts Create Win/Win Partnerships with Your Clients

2009-02-19T05:39:00.000-08:00

Many small business computer consultants don’t understand how critical IT maintenance contracts are to long-term business success. If you don’t base your IT business around long-term contracts and relationships with steady, high-paying clients, you will find yourself scrambling to make ends meet … and probably will never enjoy the stability or predictable revenue that can help you really enjoy your job and grow your business.

If you want to enjoy a long career as a small business computer consultant, offer IT maintenance contracts. But how should you package them? Of course, you need to think about whether or not you are going to make your long-term contracts fixed price, retainer based or pre-paid blocks of time. Each different type of contract has its own pros and cons, so you have to be very careful as you are constructing the perfect package for you and your valued clients.

The following 4 tips can help you create a strong IT maintenance contracts package, so you can best fulfill your clients’ biggest business needs.

1. Think Carefully When Offering Fixed-Price Agreements. When you offer fixed price service agreements , you can run into a tricky situation. Fixed-price agreements force you to forecast what people will need and want. Most small business consultants don’t have the level of skill necessary to accurately predict needs. Regardless of how you price your agreements, make sure you set up a package that ensures that your firm gets paid what your services are worth, and also gives long-term clients an incentive and a discount above and beyond your normal rates, so they feel they are also getting value.

2. Consider Factors Involved in Packaging Your IT Maintenance Contracts. Think about what goes into a client-consultant agreement. You need to have a strong, compelling package ready to go before you’re out on sales calls, presenting your proposals to your prospective customers and clients. Think about big items such as your rate card, your letter of engagement and your actual agreement. Make sure you consult with your trusted business advisers – specifically your accountant and your attorney – to make sure you are creating financially-sensible and legally-binding documents, that really protect you and your clients. Most importantly, think about tangible, compelling benefits you will offer to your clients. These are the extras and perks that will make signing agreements a no brainer for your customers and clients.

3. Know Which Benefits to Offer. There are a lot of benefits you can present to help sell the value-proposition of your IT maintenance contracts to clients. One of these benefits has to do with response time, whether response time for on-site service, response time by phone or response time for remote support. Another important benefit is proactive maintenance. To really get customers off the fence and show them that being on an on-going contract is preferable to a pay-as-you go plan, present benefits such as hourly discounts, waived premiums for after-hours service, emergency service discounts, and response time guarantees.

4. Remember, One-Shot Deals Are for Amateurs. Professional computer consultants insist on IT maintenance contracts. Put your best foot forward with a strong agreement package for your long-term clients. Otherwise, you will have a whole bunch of non-committal customers calling you once or twice a year, while you sit and wait for the phone to ring. And without on-going contracts, you are probably doing nothing proactive to really solve big business problems through strategic planning, or make your clients’ networks more reliable so they can improve their ROI and grow their businesses. On-going service agreements ensure that you have stable sources of ongoing service revenue, that your clients have a trusted source for ongoing IT support, and that you can build real relationships for your professional computer consulting business.

In this article we talked about 4 tips to help you base your computer consulting business on mutually-beneficial, win/win client partnerships with IT maintenance contracts that deliver the total package and help build great relationships with your clients. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your IT maintenance contracts now at the attached link.

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

Service Level Agreement Template Tips for Building Solid Client Relationships

2009-02-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

Do you use a service level agreement template to more efficiently manage client relationships? Templates are essential to running an efficient business with repeatable solutions, and can save you a lot of time and money.

Many computer consultants try to over-customize certain elements of their business. When you spend time re-inventing the wheel for each and every customer and client, instead of customizing already-working templates, you waste a lot of time and miss out on important business-building recurring service revenue streams.

Many computer consultants also mistakenly believe that templates will hurt client relationships because they will be too formal and rigid. But templates done right actually help nurture great relationships because they provide a solid, professional framework, while ensuring that your company gets paid on time, every time, and earns steady recurring service revenue.

The following 4 tips can help you understand the importance of having an effective service level agreement template program in place.

1. Understand Each Element of a Well-Designed Service Level Agreement Template. There are at least 9 important pieces of a comprehensive service level agreement (SLA) package. To make your business efficient, you should have templates in place for (a) annual service level agreement; (b) rate card; (c) non-disclosure agreement (NDA); (d) credit application; (e) credit reference letter; (f) change order form; (g) purchase authorization form; (h) client feedback survey; (i) contract renewal notice.

2. Templates Make You Look Professional. When you consistently use the same templates for all your clients to handle your service contract package, you show you really know what you are doing and that you are a legitimate computer consulting business. And when your clients see you can be trusted to organize and manage important information, they will see you as a credible provider of technology services and be more likely to enter into long-term agreements with your firm.

3. Don't Forget to Have Your Templates Reviewed by Your Attorney Before You Use Them. You must get any official agreement or document you use as part of your computer consulting business reviewed and approved by your lawyer before you use them. Otherwise you risk expensive legal mistakes, and compromising or destroying important relationships with clients. To avoid paying for your attorney to learn on your dime, at a cost of potentially several thousand dollars, consider writing your own first draft that takes into account the marketing and business issues that are most important to you. That way when you go to your attorney, you're mainly just paying for an hour or two of review time. And be sure to ask your attorney for their opinion on whether your service level agreement template is appropriate for (a) your personal financial situation, (b) your company's financial situation, (c) your business entity type, (d) your target client type, and (e) enforceability if needed.

4. A Service Level Agreement Template Protects You from Problematic Clients. Of course a professional computer consultant will have an attorney review any template for his/her business … but no amount of documentation will completely protect you against the “World’s Worst Client”. You can’t build a firm around one-shot deals. Service level agreements are the exact opposite of that concept. When you have a template in place for service agreements that clearly states your expectations of client relationships, you ensure you only work with those that will follow through and follow the rules.

In this article, we talked about why a service level agreement template package is essential to building a solid, stable computer consulting business. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your service level agreement template program now at the attached link.

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

Computer Repair Franchise Ownership is Still Hard Work

2009-02-05T21:10:00.001-08:00

Thinking about buying into a computer repair franchise? If so, make sure that you have both eyes wide open.

Many choose to buy into a franchise because they think it will be easier than starting from scratch. However, they neglect to understand a major downside of franchise ownership: the extreme costs attached to start-up and fulfillment of contractual obligations to the franchiser.

The following 4 tips can help you start your computer repair franchise off on the right foot so you can focus on building client relationships and providing comprehensive solutions.

Carefully Weigh the Pros and Cons of Starting a Computer Repair Franchise. Think about the positives and the negatives before you decide. The pros include the convenience of being part of a larger company, having an immediate peer support network, having access to pre-set tools and resources, and having some people already in place to help you with problems. However, just because you have these resources does not mean you won’t still have to work hard to keep your sales funnel filled up. And of course, you’ll need a lot of money for startup and you will be paying a percentage of your revenue as a royalty every month to your franchiser. Also, you will have some restrictions when it comes to branding and the direction and scope of your business.
Never Lead with Products. You can’t lead off your sales pitch with products, even if you are selling products as part of your computer repair franchise. When you are doing any sort of IT sales, particularly when you are selling to strangers, focus on the bottom-line measurable value of your solutions. Your goal is to sell “You Incorporated”, your special twist on IT services and your expertise.
Add Value to Solutions. You can’t sell ordinary products and expect to automatically sell high-margin services… just as you can’t rely on the wishful-thinking of a “ready-made” client or customer list as an excuse to neglect marketing. Don’t sell to customers that want to buy products and nothing else. Instead, bundle in solutions and value-added services with every sale. Change your attitude by focusing on selling solutions with real benefits, so you can attract long-term, high-paying clients that need you for an extended period of time as an outsourced IT department.
Your Expertise Sets You Apart as a Computer Repair Franchise. In any given area, you will find a lot of IT generalists, but not a lot of specialists. Even when you’re running a franchise, stress your specialty to personalize your business, catapult yourself into high demand, and attract those that will want to pay top dollar for specialized solutions. And when you are in high demand, you will no longer be stuck with price-sensitive customers. This allows you to add to your profit-margins, because clients demanding specialized skills expect to pay more for your specialized, rare expertise.

In this article, we looked at 4 ways to run a computer repair franchise profitably. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your computer repair franchise now at the attached link.

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

Computer Repair Jobs that Aren't Just One-Shot Deals

2009-01-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

If you are an IT professional looking for computer repair jobs, you are probably wondering where you should start.

There are a lot of different options for someone looking to get into IT repair work and many opportunities for you in the small business space. A big question you probably have is whether or not you should get training first and then look for a job, or the other way around. The answer is really to always be doing both simultaneously.

The following 4 tips can help you balance what you need to find good computer repair jobs while keeping your skills up-to-date.

Look to Balance Training and Client Recruitment. In order to find great computer repair jobs, you have to know how to do client recruitment and IT skills development at the same time. You probably can’t afford to take 6 months off just to train, because you won’t be able to pay the bills. Most in your position balance the perpetual challenge of training and obtaining clients simultaneously by devoting a couple of days a month, or a couple of weeks per year, to taking formal classroom training. Others configure in-office computer labs where they can work on testing and training with basic, entry-level server hardware. Planned properly, this can provide cost-effective, hands-on, self-guided training regularly.
Find a Partner or Reseller Program to Help You with Training. There are a lot of different partner and reseller programs that will provide discounted software or hardware for you to use internally, to help you build the skills you need to get great computer repair jobs. If you are part of a formal partner program, you will typically get a certain amount of software for your internal use as part of your annual program membership fee. This software can help you keep your technical skills sharp. And because you are running these products internally, you can get proficient conveniently in your spare time before you go out into the field.
Know Which Training is Available to You. As someone looking for computer repair jobs, you should be familiar with various operating systems as well as the common software applications you will find in business environments. You also will need to know how to work with computer hardware and set up peripherals such as printers, routers, and other items. You can find courses at a local community college or trade school if you feel you want to learn more about the broad range of technologies in a formal setting.
Don’t Get Too Hung Up on Certifications. When you are looking for computer repair jobs in the small business arena, don’t worry too much if you don’t have advanced technical computer skills. You can build skills quickly by just putting a little time each week into self study. A lot of smaller small businesses will actually frown upon a computer repair technician that has too many advanced certifications and will think of that technician as too advanced and expensive to meet their simple needs. As long as you know the basics, you will be well-equipped to get a lot of simple computer repair jobs and start to build a good client list.

In this article, we talked about 4 tips for getting good computer repair jobs in the small business space. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients and computer repair jobs now at the attached link.

IT Support Contract vs. Prepaid Time Blocks: Avoiding Dead-Ends

2009-01-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Many small business computer consultants don't fully understand the difference between an IT support contract and a prepaid time block. But which business model works better for the typical small business IT firm?

At the very least, you need to build your IT business around more than just one-shot deals. This means you need to clearly define your IT support contract package, so it delivers tremendous value and includes all of your sophisticated business solutions.

Consider the following three ways to differentiate between a prepaid time block and an IT support contract, so you can build better relationships with clients and a stronger, healthier, long-term business.

A Prepaid Time Block is Very Different from an IT Support Contract. An IT support contract is specific about the types of proactive, on-going work you will do for your clients: for example on-going maintenance, emergency support, long-term planning, and upgrades. A prepaid time block is just time spent with your firm with no real on-going relationship once the time purchased runs out. For example, let's say that your normal hourly rate is $100 per hour. In return for prepaying 20 hours of time, you may offer a $10 per hour discount (effectively $90 per hour). But what happens when those 20 hours are used up? Once that happens, your client has effectively downgraded back to being an inactive customer... about the exact opposite of what you'd want to happen. A prepaid time block is not a long-term agreement, because there is no real long-term relationship or contract once the hours are used up.
An IT Support Contract is an Agreement In Writing. When you create an air-tight IT support contract agreement, you promise your clients among other things a single point of contact, proper software licensing, and confidentiality that protects both you and the clients you serve. All of these factors will be included in a long-term agreement. In return for clients committing to a year’s worth of services, they get loads of benefits and discounts. As part of your account management plans, be sure to set up a renewal notice, to be sent out before the end of the year, that continues to sell the ongoing benefits of the program. With an IT support contract, you get the promise of cash flow on an ongoing, monthly basis for at least a year. You also get recurring revenue that will help build your IT business and give you more definite, long-term revenue, as compared to a more limiting dead-end transaction from a prepaid time block.
Provide Valuable Service with Your IT Support Contract. Make sure you are always proactive with your IT support contract relationships. Stay in touch on a regular basis to make sure you are taking care of ongoing security and data protection, and continuing to solve clients' business problems. Make sure backup systems are running well and that you are documenting the small things happening within your clients’ offices. This way, you'll be prepared to provide the premium levels of service that your clients expect. An IT support contract works so well because it cannot ever be confused with a one-shot deal or a short-term project. Moreover, it represents a true agreement between you and your clients, and sets the stage for long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships.

In this article, we outlined 3 reasons why an IT support contract builds long-term relationships much better than a prepaid time block. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients to your IT Support Contract program now at the attached link.

Computer Consulting Business Credibility-Building Secrets

2008-12-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

As you are growing or starting your computer consulting business and trying to get great clients, you might wonder, “How do I establish credibility if I only have a couple of references and am just starting out?”

References are incredibly important to effectively marketing your computer consulting business and establishing credibility, so you need to seize all opportunities to build relationships with those in your network that can help introduce you to qualified prospects. There are many ways to maximize and magnify the effect of any references you have and get new ones, even if your business is relatively new.

The following 4 secrets can help you make the most of your references as you build your computer consulting business.

Make Sure You Have References in Writing. In order to make your references as strong as possible, you need to get them in writing on your client’s letterhead. You need to make sure your references look professional, so that others know they come from legitimate small business owners. Prospects will be much more inclined to believe the recommendations of small business owners just like themselves with similar IT problems, so you need to make sure that your references look legitimate. Part of the power of a strong reference is that it comes from a third-party, that is unbiased. So you need to make sure that the sources of your references are as clear as possible.
Computer Consulting Business References Should Talk About Benefits. Your references should speak about the specific benefits you provide to your clients: how you save them money; how your technology solution generates more revenue; how you enable clients to close out the month faster; how you improve overall productivity; how your solutions help clients communicate with remote workers, suppliers and vendors more seamlessly. Strong, irrefutable benefits can be an incredibly important part of great references and will make your client references more powerful, even if you only have a few client references.
Be Creative About Getting Your First References. If you have no references for your computer consulting business, volunteering can be a great way to get references. Choose a non-profit organization about which you feel passionate and set up a deal with very set parameters. The key is to give a volunteer project a clear beginning and end, as you can’t afford to give free services forever. As part of the deal you strike, ask the non-profit entity to write a testimonial for you. Because non-profits are usually well-known and also well-respected, their recommendations can be very powerful to your marketing campaign.
Know When to Ask for References. Many computer consulting business owners are shy about asking for referrals. After all, you don’t want to push your clients too hard or look needy. But, you must ask for referrals, so when is the best time? First of all, ask for a referral when someone gives you a compliment. Pay attention when you walk into an office and are finishing a project and your client says, “This new system is great! I can’t believe I can do all this now!” or “I can’t believe how much money we cut out of our expenses in the last few months because of this great new system ugprade!” This is your time to act. When you hear glowing compliments, ask for an updated testimonial, or a new one if you don’t have one from that client yet. Also, be sure to ask if the ecstatic client knows anyone that might benefit from your services.

In this article, we talked about 4 secrets for your computer consulting business that can help you build credibility and get great references that can lead to even greater clients. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients for your computer consulting business now at the attached link.

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

Information Technology Business Plans and Virtual IT

2008-12-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

Many computer consultants struggle to come up with solid Information Technology business plans. The main reason for this is that many fail to understand the concept of “Virtual IT” and how using it as a business model can help them build profitable and stable companies.

If you are like most consultants trying to devise Information Technology business plans, you probably are aware of the idea behind Virtual IT. However, you most likely are not using it to its full advantage as part of your philosophy of solving your clients’ biggest IT business problems.

The following 4 tips can help you embrace the concept of Virtual IT and build strong Information Technology business plans that will best serve your interests and your clients' interests.

1. Understand What Virtual IT Means. Virtual IT is really all about becoming your clients’ outsourced IT department. Instead of just selling your customers and clients PC’s, servers, routers, Wi-Fi, cabling and other physical products, you spend your time selecting and designing their networks, looking at business problems, figuring out how to apply the technology to big business problems and bringing all the resources together into one nice, seamless package. With Virtual IT, your firm acts as a client’s part-time IT manager or Virtual CIO. Virtual IT is a convenient, flexible and comprehensive technical services program that gives small businesses access to what they need, when they need it without the financial and logistical burden of a full-time, salaried IT person.

2. Know How Virtual IT Benefits Your Business. Most successful small business computer consultants position their companies as IT departments because of the many benefits this concept provides. Positioning your firm as a true Virtual IT department for your clients helps you retain high-paying, steady clients and build long-lasting relationships. And when you base Information Technology business plans on this important concept, you can provide comprehensive solutions to big IT business problems... which makes your firm indispensable to your clients.

3. Figure Out How You Can Provide Virtual IT to Your Clients. As you build your Information Technology business plans around Virtual IT, you need to incorporate Virtual IT into the services you provide to clients. For you to deliver Virtual IT successfully and profitably through strong Information Technology business plans, you need to know what the opportunities are and what typical Virtual IT solutions look like. For example, what are the traditional types of services that you can sell to your existing and future clients? Which other opportunities exist for you?

4. Remember That Virtual IT Grows Real Relationships. Be sure that you are always continuing to add value to both your existing customers and clients, and new customers and clients. This is what Virtual IT is all about. You don’t just sell the initial network installation, and cross your fingers and hope that everything works. You also can’t wait for your customers to call you. Be proactive and provide Virtual IT on an on-going basis so you and your clients can avoid major emergencies. By providing ongoing Virtual IT services, your business will be more profitable, and both you and your clients will experience fewer headaches. Plus, your clients will be relieved that they have a trusted re for long-term small business IT support.

In this short article, we discussed 4 tips to help you use the concept of Virtual IT to build strong Information Technology business plans. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients through well-designed Information Technology business plans now at the attached link.

Copyright (C) MyInformationTechnologyBusiness.com, All Rights Reserved

Computer Business Names that Attract Great Clients

2008-12-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Many technology professionals starting their own businesses underestimate the sheer power of computer business names as a marketing tool for more easily selling IT services to steady, high-paying clients.

Choosing the right name for your company can be challenging and must be well thought out before you open for business. There are many factors to consider as you are thinking through computer business names. To target the best, steady high-paying clients, your marketing materials and branding must communicate exactly what you do to solve small business technology problems.

Use the following 4 tips to decide on an appropriate computer business name that showcases your unique value proposition and target client base.

Think About Your Specialty and Niche Market. Do you have a specialty? Perhaps you are an expert at accounting or medical software. If so, you can use this specialized knowledge to your advantage when building your company's identity. Also think about how your specialty relates to any niche market. Your proficiency with accounting software or experience working with accountants in a previous job might lead to you marketing yourself as an expert in that particular industry. If you choose a specialty and niche, make sure your name reflects this to attract the clients that will most benefit from your services. For example, you can add the term “accounting solutions” or a similar phrase to your computer business name.
Consider Your Location. Often your location can be a real benefit to prospects, customers and clients. When you are geographically close to your small business clients, they know they can count on you for important benefits such as faster response time, service guarantees, and a more competitive rate structure. As you are thinking through computer business names, seriously consider adding location to better communicate your identity and the strength of your services. This also helps to pre-qualify your potential clients. As an example, computer business names such as “[Your City or Your Region] Technology Solutions” will let your prospects know more about you and who you serve than simply “Technology Solutions.”
Keep Your Computer Business Name Short and Descriptive. When you are thinking about names, remember to make your company name short and descriptive. To get maximum impact with marketing materials and make yourself memorable to prospects, you should choose a name that can be easily made into a domain name for your Web site and become part of your e-mail address. That way when prospects are trying to get in touch they only have one thing to remember.
Make Sure Your Computer Business Name is Unique... At Least Locally! In most cases, a simple fictitious name search for similarly- or identically-named business entities or DBA's in your city, county, or state/province is adequate. However to truly cover all bases, or if you have national (or even global) aspirations, consult with a qualified legal expert on trademarks and servicemarks. This will usually be an intellectual property attorney or solicitor.

In this article we talked about 4 critical tips that can help you think through different computer business names. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients and find the best computer business names now at http://www.greatcomputerbusinessnames.com/

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

Start a Consulting Business: The Right Skills and Knowledge Are Key

2008-11-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to start a consulting business? Do you wonder if you will be expected to know everything that could possibly go wrong with your clients’ problems and potential problems?

The fact is, you don’t need to know absolutely everything in order to start a consulting business. And the notion that you would even be able to know everything when it comes to technology is very unrealistic. The following 3 pieces of advice can help you learn which skills and what type of knowledge you need to have to start a consulting business the right way.

Understand the Balance Between Technical Skills and People Skills. In order to successfully start a consulting business, you need to be really well organized, friendly and someone that enjoys helping other people. Focus on being resourceful and not just a technical genius. When you try too hard to be a technical genius as you build your client base, you can hold yourself back. Computer consulting is about communicating with people and building real relationships. If you have strong technical skills but still need some help working a room, you can get better at socializing, networking, and schmoozing with practice.
Find Out If You Have the Right Skills. How do you know if you have the right technical skills and business skills to start a consulting business? First of all, don’t let lack of certifications hold you back. Advanced technical certifications are not important to the average non-technical small business owner or manager. You can do very well without ever selling to companies with an IT director. Focus on your ability to build strong relationships and solve real business problems with sophisticated IT solutions. You will do just fine without racking up a lot of certifications that will probably be overkill when it comes to working with most small businesses.
Remember that Small Business Owners Want Total Business Solutions and Complete Accountability. Typical small business owners and managers are not looking for just credentials or technical skills. They are buying you and your business expertise. They are buying your comprehensive business solutions and the security of engaging with a consulting business that knows how to work with other companies like theirs.

In this brief article we talked about 3 tips that can help you as you start a consulting business. To learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients, sign up for free tips on how to Start a Consulting Business now at http://www.StartConsultingBusiness.com

Technology Assessments: A Checklist

2008-11-20T05:38:00.001-08:00

As a computer consultant, technology assessments are an important part of your sales cycle. These assessments help gauge your new customers' needs, so you can develop comprehensive solutions and strengthen future client relationships.

The following checklist can help you get started fast with your technology assessments, so you can easily and rapidly create an appropriate, semi-customized plan for each and every new customer.

Physical Security. Make sure the right physical controls are in place to secure all servers, networking and telecommunications equipment to prevent unauthorized access.
Logical Security. Ensure that appropriate software security controls are in place so you can prevent viruses and unauthorized data access.
Logistical and Environmental Controls. All technology assets have to be housed in facilities that offer the right environmental conditions – temperature and dust regulation, furniture, racks and physical equipment organization.
Configuration Management. Ensure systems are installed and configured according to established requirements and standards.
Systems Administration Procedures. Security systems and administrative procedures need to be well-defined and assigned to specific staff members.
Hardware Inventory Management. You need to make sure all hardware is properly inventoried and that the warranty and maintenance records are diligently updated and tracked.
Software Licensing. Make sure all software usage complies with licensing agreements and that these records are well-maintained.
Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Procedures. Data backups must be made and tested on a regular basis so that important information can be recovered in case of systems failure, data loss or any other disaster.
Documentation. You must make sure that systems, procedures and policies are well-documented and regularly updated. Also, make sure that your clients maintain systems reports, error logs, help desk records, and other related problem logs.
Performance and Capacity Planning. All systems must perform according to required levels. Think about uptime, system availability, bandwidth, data storage and archiving older data files.
Change Management. You need to be sure that all major changes are documented, tested and verified before they are implemented.

In this article, we introduced you to a short checklist that can get you started faster with your technology assessments for small business customers. To learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients, sign up for free tips on how to sell more Technology Assessments now at http://www.technologyassessmentsecrets.com/TechnologyAssessmentSecrets.com

Video on IT Marketing Proven Tips on Building a Client List

2008-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Want better IT marketing results, so you can get more great clients?

In this video, we’ll look at 5 IT marketing planning tips proven to attract clients to your computer consulting business. This way, you can be assured of keeping enough prospects, customers and clients in your sales funnel at all times.

Video on How to Become an IT Consultant

2008-10-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Learn How to Become an IT Consultant. 5 Crucial Strategies for Becoming a Successful IT Consultant. Find out more with free proven Become an IT Consultant tips now at http://www.BecomeAnITConsultant.com

How to Become an IT Consultant

2008-10-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Would you like to become an IT consultant, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Or are you looking into how to become an IT consultant on behalf of a friend, family member, or colleague, and want to make sure he or she is on the right track?

Either way, the decision to become an IT consultant is not one that should be made lightly or impulsively. There’s a lot that goes into becoming a successful IT consultant.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 crucial business development issues you should be thinking about as you consider how to become an IT consultant.

Becoming an IT Consultant is a Lot Like Launching a Professional Services Business. While some mistakenly try to copycat the business models of large retail stores, large computer manufacturers, or skilled trades people, the business of being a successful IT consultant is more similar to that of a B2B (business-to-business)-focused accountant, attorney, or management consultant. So be sure to take time to carefully plan your professional image, so you come across as a trusted technology advisor...not a glorified computer repairperson.
Embrace Time Management. As an IT consultant, your time is essentially your inventory. You sell your technical expertise, business savvy, and time to those small business owners and managers that need sound professional technology advice and ongoing support and oversight. So you better get a handle on how you manage your time. To do so, consider diligently journaling where every 1/4 hour of your business week goes, so you can analyze what percentage is (a) sales and marketing, (b) billable client work, and (c) administrative and operations.
Proactively Select Your Target Prospects with Both Eyes Open. Many new IT consultants make the nearly-fatal mistake of trying to market to “everyone” or “small businesses”. Both of these target markets are way too broad for most IT consultants. Consider narrowing down your focus by region, industry, company-size, and existing technology platform.
Focus on Long-Term Quality Client Relationships. Most new IT consultants spend way too much time and energy dealing with one-shot-deal, transaction-oriented customers, with very little potential for substantial repeat monthly business. Make sure you focus on those small business clients that value the ongoing support and oversight that you bring to the table, and have the needs and budget to consult with you on a regular basis.
Get to Know Other Trusted Business Advisors in Your Community. Because so many IT consultants copycat the wrong business models and target the wrong prospects, IT consultants often get burnt out and discouraged long before they’ve even scratched the surface on the best, repeat source of new clients around. Make sure you get to know and befriend other non-competing technology providers, accountants, attorneys, and management consultants in your area. Remember, these professionals already have a foot-in-the-door with the same decision makers you’re trying to reach. Take other trusted business advisors to lunch or dinner. Get together for coffee or breakfast. Play a round of golf. Invite them to a baseball or football game. Whatever comes naturally to you. But make sure you get to know other trusted business advisors in your community. This way you can start building those crucial business-nurturing relationships that your IT consultant business absolutely, positively needs as soon as possible.

In this brief article, we introduced you to 5 crucial business development issues you need to be consider on how to become an IT consultant. This way you can get your launch underway the right way, the first time around.

To learn more about how to successfully become an IT consultant, sign-up for free proven tips on How To Become an IT Consultant now at http://www.BecomeAnITConsultant.com

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

IT Service Agreement Templates Overview - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-10-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

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Do you sell IT Service Agreements to your small business clients? This quick overview briefing video introduces you to the power of IT Service Agreement Templates. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

IT Skills Assessment Worksheet for Computer Consulting Businesses

2008-10-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

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Looking for an IT Skills Assessment Worksheet for your computer consulting business? This Computer Consulting Kit briefing video describes the IT Skills Assessment Worksheet. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Free Phone Support? Are You KIDDING Me?!?

2008-09-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been hearing from an alarming number of computer consultants that are getting roped into, bullied into, whatever you want to call it... providing FREE phone support for customers.

Are you TRYING to become a non-profit organization?!?

Or did you leave your assertiveness "hat" back in 2005?!?

Look... even in the best of times, many of your customers will avoid scheduling a PAID service call if they can mooch a FREE phone support call. That's why EVERYTHING that the Computer Consulting Kit(tm) Home Study Course teaches strongly advises against giving away free phone support, or even discounted phone support relative to on-site service, remote management, or other off-site projects.

I don't care how much business they've given you in the past. Or how much they "intend" (pretend? promise? what's the difference!) to give you in the future. (If you need a refresher, head on over to YouTube and listen to Janet Jackson's 1986 still G-rated hit "What Have You Done for Me Lately")

Free phone support doesn't work.

If customers insist on overstepping boundaries like this, and they're too small to be on an annual support agreement, sell them a prepaid time block.

If the thought of prepaying $500's worth of phone support sends them running for the hills, so be it.

Your time is your inventory. Stop allowing it to be "shoplifted".

Your time needs to be spent primarily on

Billable work
Marketing/sales so you can recruit more billable work
Management and administration

Providing free phone support doesn't fit into any of those 3 priorities.

How are YOU dealing with this issue? Or were you smart enough to deal with this issue YEARS ago like we've been telling you all along?

Computer Consulting Kit Briefing Video on IT Contracting, Subcontracting, and Partnering Templates

2008-08-27T07:03:00.001-07:00

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Are you new to IT Contracting, Subcontracting, and Partnering? This Computer Consulting Kit briefing video lists 7 proven templates for better, more profitable IT Contracting, Subcontracting, and Partnering. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Computer Consulting Fees Rate Card Overview - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-08-27T06:22:00.001-07:00

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Wondering about Computer Consulting Fees and Rate Cards? This quick overview briefing video introduces you to why you need a Rate Card to explain your Computer Consulting Fees. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

IT Marketing & Targeted Lead Generation Intro/Tips from Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course

2008-08-27T06:17:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the IT Marketing & Targeted Lead Generation Module for the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course? Get a quick intro to its content. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Computer Consulting Kit - IT Audit Consulting Report - Template Briefing Video

2008-08-27T06:14:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the Computer Consulting Kit? This short Briefing Video describes the Summary of Findings Report for Small Business IT Audit Consulting. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Managed Services - It Ain't an ALL or NOTHING Proposition

2008-08-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Following up on the post last week on "Managed Services Hype, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt", I wanted to share with you an interesting, thought-provoking article that I saw a few months back from Michael Vizard.

Vizard, as you may know, is a very well-respected, former CRN top-dog editor and veteran InfoWorld editor.

So when he wrote a piece on managed services for eWeek's Channel Insider, it caught my eye.

Go check it out and let me know what you think.

Solution Providers Need to Appreciate a Diversity of Business Models

Managed Services Hype, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

2008-08-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Are you getting tired of being told that if you don't reinvent your business and become a managed services provider that you'll be "extinct"?

And then ground up into fossil foil?

What a load of you-know-what!

Many people in the computer consulting and more broad IT services industry are being fed a complete load of self-serving baloney by PR people, ad agencies, and disguised spokespeople (even some that I might loosely consider "colleagues")... become a Managed Services Provider or small businesses will no longer want you.

There are a few problems with that.

To afford the R&D to develop your own managed services product line, that completely replaces time & materials based Small Business Virtual IT consulting, you typically need a seven-figure business to have a big enough client base to support that heavy five-figure annual R&D.

Providing limited scope managed services to non-technical small business owners creates an enormous managing-expectations challenge. Hey it's not a server problem, it's a workstation problem. No buddy, it's not the workstation hardware, it's the OS. No way, no how, it ain't the OS, you gotta call your ISP. Welcome to human ping-pong ball syndrome. A really bad way to develop trust and long-term relationships with small business clients.

If you resell someone else's managed services, there goes your profit margins. Remember back when you could make a few bucks selling produts?!?

If everything, or just about everything you do, can be delivered without face-time, why do your small business clients need you. There are certainly lower-cost providers ready to deliver managed services facelessly in lower wage nations. (which supposes of course that non-technical small business owners would even "take the bait"... most wouldn't... relationships are everything)

And you might even have to give up account control. They say one of the reasons you study history is so it doesn't repeat itself. I still remember aggressive account enroachment issues like the kind that caught CRN's attention back in 2001. Do you really think human nature and greed has changed that much among ISV's, IHV's, OEM's, ASP's, and MSP's? Watch your back!

Is Your Spouse Poisoning Your Business?

2008-08-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Over the last several years, I've noticed a distributing but relatively commonplace problem.

This problem rears its head not only in the small business computer consulting industry, but in all kinds of small business startups.

The problem you ask?

A spouse is not "on board" with your business, and directly and indirectly sabotages your business.

It's usually a lot more than just career interference.

The problem usually starts because of a vast difference in training and exposure to life experiences.

So if you want to avoid well-intentioned, but ill-informed opinions from not only from your spouse, but from other family members, make sure they are FULLY involved in the planning of your business and don't just act like Monday-morning quarterbacks.

Computer Consulting Business Billing & Credit Tips - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-08-03T12:32:00.001-07:00

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Does your Computer Consulting Business need help with its billing and credit/collections procedures? This quick overview briefing video gets you started. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

IT Sales and Lead Qualification Training Intro/Tips from Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course

2008-08-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the IT Sales and Lead Qualification Training Module for the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course? Get a quick intro to its content. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Computer Reseller Business Purchase Authorization Tips - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-08-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

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Does your Computer Reseller Business have billing, credit and collections problems? A proven Purchase Authorization may be exactly what you need. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

IT Consulting Marketing Letter of Engagement - Computer Consulting Kit Template Briefing Video

2008-08-03T12:12:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the Computer Consulting Kit? This short Briefing Video on IT Consulting Marketing describes why you need a well-planned and proven Letter of Engagement to close more sales faster. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Is Your Support Agreement Offering Ready?

2008-07-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

When a customer or client of yours is ready to sign your support agreement, the last thing in the World you want to do is put them off for a few weeks while you figure things out.

This not only creates friction in the sales process, that delay can really destroy your credibility.

Make sure your support agreement offering is ready to go ASAP... proactively!

IT Leads/New Client Profile Qualifying Template - Computer Consulting Kit Template Briefing Video

2008-07-19T06:49:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the Computer Consulting Kit? This short Briefing Video outlines the idea behind the IT Leads New Client Profile Qualifying Template. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Computer Consulting Kit - Information Technology Assessment Employee Questionnaire - Template Briefing Video

2008-07-19T06:02:00.001-07:00

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Looking at the Computer Consulting Kit? This short Briefing Video describes why you need an Information Technology Assessment Employee Questionnaire. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

The Expense vs. Investment Paradox

2008-07-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever spent an hour or two courting a new prospect... a GREAT potential customer... only to find out they got sticker shock when they heard you charge $100/hour?

And this prospect can't understand why he can't just hire a teenage computer geek for $15-$20/hour to manage their 30-workstation, 2-server, 3-location, Microsoft Small Business Server-based network.

You almost want to DARE him to take the cheapskate approach.

Let the inexperienced kid royally screw things up.

After all, it'll be a bigger bill for YOU when you come to ride in on your white horse for emergency service at a 50% rate premium.

And in case you think we're immune from hearing from cheapskates and shortsighted small business owners, we get them too.

Only they're consultants, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and wanna-be managed services providers.

These are the folks that'll think nothing of blowing $2,500 on a coupon-pack ad that pulls ONE lead for a $99 service call with a one-shot-deal home user.

But invest in their education to further their business?!? A foreign concept.

So let me ask YOU a question.

Have you held off on investing in your Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course because you **think** it's "expensive"?

Then you probably fall into one of two camps.

How much does your average customer spend with you each year? $300 you say?

Well THAT's your problem. Most consultants, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and managed services providers that we train have steady, high-paying clients that spend that with them just about every week, month after month, year after year. So they have lifetime client values that are at least 50 times higher than yours. So they don't waste all the time and money you do banging your head against the wall 80 hours/week with ingrates, cheapskates, tire kickers, cherry pickers, deadbeats, and software pirates.

How much is a good customer worth to your company? $10,000 to $50,000 right off the bat you say?

Oh cool, you're one of the smart ones... I think. Because you've learned how to work smarter, not harder. Then I'm sure you can see why all you need to do is pickup just ONE more new client from what you've learned from the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course and you'll have recouped your entire investment in the course the very first month you're working with that new client. Get four, or five, or six new clients from what you've learned from the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course and you'll start to make us wonder if we should've charged you more for the course :-)

So now more than ever, in these times, you can't afford to mess around with your company's future, your career, and your financial livelihood.

Cutting back on your training that you need to improve your client acquisition skills is the last thing that any rational person would want to do.

Stop deliberately sabotaging yourself. And make a promise that you will get more of the best, steady, high-paying consulting clients in your area onto your client list.

And the shortest path to get you there is by empowering yourself with the field-tested, proven system that's already in use in all 50 United States, 8 Canadian provinces, all over the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and many other nations around the globe.

It's even backed up by our great 10 Times Return on Investment Money Back Guarantee.

So the only way you can lose is by inaction. (You know being lame, apathetic, a couch potato, a professional excuse-maker, a professional procrastinator... whatever you want to call it.) And settling for a customer list that's a bunch of ingrates, cheapskates, tire kickers, cherry pickers, deadbeats, and software pirates.

There's no reason in the World (at least no rational reason) for you to have to do that.

Show your friends, family members, colleagues, prospects, customers, clients, partners, and contractors that you've got what it takes to be outrageously successful in computer consulting.

Go get started with your Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course right now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.net/order

Small Business Computer Consulting Sales - Computer Consulting Kit Templates Briefing Video

2008-07-19T05:25:00.001-07:00

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Looking for the Computer Consulting Kit? This short Briefing Video describes the 6 Sales and Technology Assessment Templates for Small Business Computer Consulting. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Are You Aiming High Enough?

2008-07-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Many consulting firms, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and managed service providers waste a lot of time and money trying to market their services to prospects that are simply too small.

A good general rule of thumb...

If your prospects aren't big enough to need and afford a real dedicated server, they're probably not big enough to service profitably.

Remember, there's no law that says you have to accept every potential customer that comes your way. After all, it's your business. Don't let it accientally become a "non profit".

Indepedent IT Contractor Profile - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-07-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

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Are you new to Hiring And Managing Independent IT Contractors? In this Computer Consulting Kit briefing video, learn about the proven Independent IT Contractor Profile. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

IT Request For Proposal (RFP)/Request For Quote (RFQ) - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-07-16T18:20:00.001-07:00

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Are you new to IT Request For Proposal (RFP) and IT Request For Quote (RFQ) documents? This Computer Consulting Kit briefing video gets you started. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008) Release Date

2008-07-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Just heard the news...

Microsoft will be releasing Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (EBS 2008) and Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008) on November 12th...

yes, that's November 12th THIS year!

This news is important because many who use the Computer Consulting Kit specialize in installing and supporting the Small Business Server platform.

Direct Mail Formatting Recommendations

2008-07-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Often we'll be asked about putting together a mailing, that' supposed to generate interest in either a technology assessment or seminar.

And just the fact that the consultant is thinking about measurable end-results from the direct mail campaign, as opposed to lame institutional me-me-me advertising, is a huge step in the right direction... although not necessarily the total answer either.

The concept of a soft offer is something that everyone should be looking to embrace.

It’s very difficult to take someone who has never heard of you and try to immediately sell them on a $350 technology assessment, or try to immediately sell them on a $25,000 LAN upgrade, or try to immediately sell them on $1,000 a month maintenance agreement.

You’re going to, in most cases, fall flat on your face because you need to get over that know-like-and-trust hurdle before you can capture their attention. You need to prove that you know what you’re talking about. You need to prove that you understand their problems and that you can provide a solution to that.

So, everything in your early efforts with generating demand should be around some kind of soft offer. In terms of generating interest for a technology assessment, or a seminar, what mailing format works best? I’m partial to the postcard. There are a couple of reasons why.

Using a postcard forces you to be extremely concise, which is really important because you don’t have a lot of time or a lot of attention with people that have never heard of you on the first inbound contact.

You don’t have to worry about the envelope being opened – it’s already open.

Postcards minimize your printing and postage costs.

What should you do in terms of the mechanisms to get it to work the best? If you’re just going to do a very simple 4x6 type of postcard, you probably want to have them fax back their business card with the postcard on a piece of paper or some kind of response.

If you’re doing a larger postcard, you typically can have space for them to write in their information and fax that back.

You may want to drive them to a custom web landing page that’s a modified version of your contact form.

There are a couple keys best practices for best results.

Get your qualified questions answered there.

Make sure that you’re using some kind of tracking mechanism – a cookie-based mechanism, or analytics package - so you can see out of how many clicks that you got how many resulted in your contact forms being filled out, and that was ultimately used to either register for interest in a technology assessment or sign up for a seminar. A lot of people have used 24-hour voicemail boxes successfully. You basically want to phrase it that way because what you want to do is make sure that the people you’re trying to contact, the non-technical small business owners and managers, understand they’re not going to need to talk to a salesperson that early on in a sales cycle.

Put yourself in their shoes. When you’re first researching something new or you've have something that crosses your desk, is the first thing that you say, “Gee, I want to sign up so that I get a phone call from a sales person every single week nagging me and asking me when I’m ready to buy.” Of course not!

They want to be somewhat anonymous. They want to capture this information early on so they can have it to mull over. The whole idea here is you want to get to someone much earlier on in the sales cycle, long before they’re out price shopping, or long before they've just made a commodity purchase.

Remember, the huge benefit of the postcard is the envelope equals a barrier.

A key thing to keep in mind is that the copy – the words that are on your postcard – are going to be infinitely more important than image, or any kind of pictures, or any kind of ego-trappings that you may think about putting on there.

Don’t worry about bragging about certifications or channel program affiliations, or anything like that. You want to focus on their problems and your solutions to their problems, whether it is in the form of a seminar you’re holding, or a technology assessment that you can do for them, or a special report, or a white paper.

The key thing to keep in mind is that a postcard has a lot of tremendous benefits over doing anything that’s going to be stuffed into an envelope.

Remember, focus on selling the soft offer (seminar, white paper, guide, etc.) and make it so your recipient can reply without having to talk to a salesperson.

IT Partnering Planning Worksheet - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

2008-07-03T12:50:00.001-07:00

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Are you new to IT Partnering? This Computer Consulting Kit briefing video describes the IT Partnering Planning Worksheet and discusses how to partner more successfully and profitably. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Small Business Virtual IT Project Scheduling Template - briefing video

2008-07-03T12:49:00.001-07:00

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Do you provide Virtual IT services for Small Business clients? This Computer Consulting Kit briefing video gets you started with SMB Virtual IT scheduling tips. Learn more when you sign-up for free tips now @ http://www.computerbusinesstips.com

Flickr

2008-07-02T18:07:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Improve Your PC Repair Business Advertising Results

2008-06-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Most PC repair businesses struggle to find advertising and promotional avenues that are cost effective and that work.

This short video on PC Repair Business Display Ads gets you started on improving your bottom-line advertising and marketing results.

Technorati Profile for the Computer Consulting Kit blog

2008-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Will Circuit City Survive?

2008-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

In recent months, consumer electronics giant CompUSA called it quits.

But Circuit City is insisting that it's in it for the long haul. And fiscal year 2009 will be the year that Circuit City gets profitable again. (Dow Jones Newswires)

In a tough economy, is there really enough for Best Buy and Circuit City to survive?

Only time will tell.

IT Service Level Agreement - Video Critique Excerpt

2008-06-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Need help improving your IT service level agreement offering, so you can attract more great, steady, high-paying computer consulting clients?

This short video critique excerpt gets you started.

Attracting Qualified Leads with 10-50 Workstations

2008-05-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

We're often asked, "What’s the best and quickest way to identify companies that have between 10 and 50 PCs, in other words, qualified leads?"

The goal is to primarily market to those small businesses that have between 10 and 50 PCs, in other words, companies that are qualified leads for Sweet Spot Clients™.

These companies are just beyond the micro-small business, and not large enough to likely have a large in-house IT department.

In every initial contact that you make, you need to ask the basic qualifying questions.

It doesn't matter whether you ask these questions by phone or on a contact form that’s on your website, but you should be asking things like:

Where are you located? (to weed out geographically undesirable prospects)

How many computers do you have? (to weed out prospects that are too small... mainly)

What platform do you predominately run? (You may want to ask what type of software they run as opposed to what platform because non-technical, small business owners generally won’t know what an operating system is or what a platform is. )

But, if you ask them what type of software they run and you give them a dropdown list, they can probably pick out from a lineup things like Windows, or Netware, or Linux, or Mac, or something like that. You want to make sure that there’s a good match there.

How have you gotten support in the past?

Who’s supporting your IT needs right now?

Those types of questions should be on a web-contact form. If you have a receptionist or someone else who answers your inbound calls, that should be on his or her inbound calling script – those five key questions as they’re gathering information - because it’s a much more efficient way of doing things.

If you have some kind of faxable info gathering form that you either have people download from your website, or that you fax out to people that you speak with, or that you email out to people that you speak with – a PDF, or something like that that they’re going to complete and fax back to you, those kinds of questions should be in there.

There’s a great time-saving template in Module 2 of the Computer Consulting Kit™ Home Study Course that you really need to embrace, modify and adapt for your business to make sure that you’re capturing these key pieces of information, so you’re working as efficiently as possible in your marketing.

If you’re going out to an expo and you’re doing some kind of drawing for a door prize, you can certainly ask a limited subset of questions.

If you’re having a seminar – some kind of informative seminar, either like this, a teleseminar or webinar, or even better yet, a live seminar – you can certainly capture some of this information on live seminar registrations and end-of-session feedback surveys.

Besides improving your lead qualification, if you belong to a Chamber of Commerce, they should certainly be able to point you in the right direction for the number of employees because most Chambers of Commerce organizations base their membership dues on how many employees a particular company has.

Another option for looking at size issues... Talk to anyone that’s involved in the mailing list industry, like mailing list brokers, or mailing list compilers.

It’s very important with all of this that you remember your qualifying questions at all times.

Now, you want to make sure there’s a good platform match.

You want to make sure that you can take care of them geographically and that they’re not too far away from your central location so you’re not burning up a lot of non-billable time, or low-billable time driving around.

And, you want to find out how they’re getting their support today, and how were they supported the past.

To learn more about Attracting Qualified Leads with 10-50 Workstations, be sure to sign-up for the free sample tips and excerpts now at http://www.computerconsultingkit.net/

6 Most Important Things You Can Do to Pick up Business in Computer Consulting

2008-05-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here on the Computer Consulting Kit™ team, we often get asked if there's a "magic pill" or "silver bullet"... where you can do just ONE thing and everything will be "perfect".

If only it were that simple!

Each year at the end of the year, we ask some of our most successful Computer Consulting Kit graduates, if there was "one" single thing that made the most difference to their business during the past year.

Through good times and bad, all over the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and around the World, we tend to hear the same 6 themes over and over again.

If you need to pick up more business for your firm, consider the following:

Understand Your Business Model and Target Audience: It’s not practical to be all things to all people. But you can be all things to some people. You can’t possibly have the advertising budget to market to everyone. So, find a specialty group to which you can market and focus your efforts there. While you’re at it, figure out what services you will and won’t provide.
Be Proactive in Finding the Right People: Whether it’s finding prospects, customers, clients, staff, contractors or partners, work on these activities weekly. If you procrastinate, you may take on nightmare clients, unreliable employees or just generally make bad decisions. The time to make important decisions is when you’re not operating in crisis mode; those in crisis are likely to make mistakes! Constantly be on the lookout for people that can help you get where you need to be.
Realize Quality Always Trumps Quantity: It’s not about having the biggest customer list. 50 great clients are better than 100 bad customers. Strive to have only the most profitable and stable local businesses on your client list.
Teach Your Customers How to Treat You: If you pick rock-bottom rates, “eat” big blocks of time, tolerate verbal abuse from customers, accept late payments and allow your customers to pay you for 15 minutes of your time instead of signing a support contract, then you’ve taught your customers it’s okay not to respect you or your time. Set your policies in stone from the beginning and you will be a much happier business owner.
Plan for Your Future Success: A full-blown business plan is ideal, but if that’s asking too much, have a weekly business development “to-do” list. Include three columns:
(a) How much time you’ll spend
(b) How much money you’ll spend
(c) Your start and end dates.
Make sure you fill this out and track where you’re spending your time and how much money is coming in and going out. Analyzing it will help make your business more profitable.
Time Is Money: Your time is your inventory. If you owned a brick and mortar store, would you freely give your inventory away? Of course not! You shouldn’t give your time away either. So know where every ¼ hour block is going every week. It should fit into one of these three categories:
(a) Billable to a client
(b) Management/administration
(c) Sales/marketing.
If you cannot put every piece of your time into one of these three categories, you need to re-evaluate how you’re spending your time.

The Bottom Line: Success Doesn’t Happen By Accident
Use the six time-tested, proven tips and your computer consulting business can dramatically increase its chances of making even this year a great year. The idea is to grow a highly profitable, stable computer consulting business, serving Sweet Spot Clients™ in your unique specialty and finding the right people to help take you to the top. To learn more about how the Computer Consulting Kit can help you get there faster, be sure to sign-up for the free tips and sample excerpts at http://www.computerconsultingkit.net/