.: Joshua Feinberg Profile and Articles
Display by: Popularity | Title
1). Computer Consultants: The Benefits of Self-EmploymentWorking as computer consultants for small businesses can be very financially rewarding and very gratifying. In this article you'll learn about some of the benefits you'll realize as computer consultants.
You Can Pick Your Work
As computer consultants, you have so much flexibility that you're not likely to get bored. You choose what you want to do.
2). Computer Consulting 101 PC Troubleshooting Advice
While most small businesses really do need to find a good local computer consulting business to take care of their computer problems, there are some computer problems that are simple enough for even a technophobe to handle. At Computer Consulting 101, we've found there's one very simple piece of advice that often doesn't get communicated to non-technical small business end users: When in doubt, reboot first.
3). Computer Consulting Businesses: What Your "Sweet Spot" Clients Are Looking For, Part One
When providing B2B service, computer consulting businesses' ideal clients, or “sweet spot,” are companies with 10-50 PCs and 1-10 million in revenue. These “sweet spot” small businesses typically look for four things in their computer consulting businesses.
1. Response Time
2. Knowledge (Business and Technical)
3. Customer Service
4. Price/Value
In this article we will focus on the top two items, response time and business and technical knowledge.
4). Computer Consulting Profit Secrets
Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are you having trouble growing your computer consulting company's profits?
If so, then you must learn how to focus on your computer consulting firm's profit and bottom line.
In this article, we'll look at 7 profit secrets and strategies you can use in your computer consulting business, to ensure that you are able to balance your clients' small business IT needs against your own computer consulting company's profitability challenges.
5). Computer Consulting Proving Ground Projects Are a Good First Test
A great way to see if you and potential clients are a good fit is by first trying "proving ground projects." In this article, you'll learn how proving ground projects are essential before signing any long-term agreements for computer consulting.
Proving Ground Projects Defined
Proving Ground Projects are the first projects computer consulting professionals complete with a new customer who hasn't yet become a client or a steady client.
6). Computer Consulting Time Constraints
Where can you find time to do it all? How can you devote time to finding long-term B2B computer consulting clients when you're already working 60, 70, 80 hours a week? There's no easy answer. In this article, you'll learn some possible options for finding long term clients in computer consulting.
Do a Time Study
Really looking at where you spend most of your time and figure out if there are some things that you're doing that you can afford to delegate (or automate or eliminate).
7). Computer Consulting Training: Should you get this or clients first?
A big question when starting out is comparable to the chicken and the egg dilemma. Do you get computer consulting training first and then look for clients? Or do you look for clients and then get the relevant training. In this article, you'll learn why it's best to do them both at the same time.
How About Both?
When guiding owners of new computer consulting firms, my general preference is to do both client recruitment and skills development at the same time.
8). Computer Consulting: A Business of Time and Sweat Equity
Building a computer consulting business requires a lot of time. It involves going out to meetings and it's shaking a lot of hands. You'll need to make a lot of follow-up phone calls. Display ads and direct mail drops and similar marketing efforts do not replace calling up a potential client to try to establish a person-to-person connection. Because of the required hands-on time, you should be realistic about what it takes to get your computer consulting business going.
9). Computer Consulting: Do Your Homework
Beware of vendors who ask you to explain what you do in your business. Instead, give a basic explaination of what your computer consulting business is all about so a client can determine if he has any product or service that’s in your picture. Rather than be reactive, go to the interview being proactive! Know what they are doing before you go in and be prepared to help them with their needs.
10). Computer Consulting: Find Paying Clients during Start-Up
Even if you are just starting out your computer consulting practice with rather basic desktop support level technical skills, make sure that your computer consulting firm gets some paying clients who are at your current technical skills comfort level. In this article, you'll learn which types of clients to pursue first.
Start out by working with home offices and very small stand-alone businesses and companies with really, really small peer-to-peer simple networks.
11). Computer Consulting: Finding Prospects Among Your Leads
How do you narrow down your leads and find your prospects? In this article, you'll learn some criteria that will help you narrow down your computer consulting leads and take them to the next step.
One is finding your industry focus. You must laser beam your target market. You need to stand out tremendously from the crowd because everyone other computer consulting professional is chasing after the same hardware services, LAN, and the exact same advertising.
12). Computer Consulting: Finding Your Prospects Among Your Leads
Some signs are important to look for when looking for your sweet spot computer consulting clients. Most of these businesses will be doing at least a seven-figure annual sales volume with 10 to 25 employees. In this article, you'll learn how to use additional criteria to pick out your sweet spot computer consulting clients.
Computer Consulting: The Good Signs and the Bad
Some industries tend to be more IT-intensive than others.
13). Computer Consulting: How Do You Find Sweet Spot Clients?
Where do you find clients that are going to spend $1,000 to $2,000 a month on IT computer consulting services on an outsourced basis? You need to evaluate each client. Are they big enough to need a real server, a real firewall a real backup solution and offsite or online backup? Do they need to emphasize security, power protection, virus protection? Do they need a real professional for their IT needs? network support and LAN-WAN support? Your ideal customers can’t rely just on volunteers, someone’s nephew, a college buddy, or a moonlighter.
14). Computer Consulting: Should You Buy a Franchise?
You can approach the decision whether or not to buy a franchise in many different ways. There are many pros and many cons with franchise organizations. In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons with franchise organizations in computer consulting.
The Pros
o You get the trappings of being part of a larger company.
o You get a peer support network that's built into the organization.
15). Computer Consulting: Should You Moonlight While Starting Up?
A tremendous number of people are able to earn sizable supplemental income by having a moonlighting computer consulting business. But even more importantly, by moonlighting, you can figure out if you enjoy computer consulting before you take the plunge into building a full-time computer consulting business.
Learn True Billable Hours
Moonlighting as a computer consultant will also give you an appreciation of true billable hours.
16). Computer Consulting: Take Some Action
Before you open the doors to your computer consulting business, you need to get your ducks in a row. You'll need to pick a company name and get your business cards printed. Then you'll need to consider what types of customers you want to pursue and where you can meet them. In this article, you'll learn how and why you need to accomplish these steps.
17). Computer Consulting: The Initial Consultation
You have to think of the sales process as more of like a pre-sales consultation and with an emphasis on consultation. You really want to convey your professionalism and stand out from the other computer consulting "professionals" out there who want to act like used car salespeople.
In this article, you'll learn that this can be done by taking a sincere.
18). Computer Consulting: Weeding Out Time Wasters
When you’re in the computer consulting business, you’re selling your personality, you’re selling your charisma, and you’re certainly selling your business knowledge. Most specifically, however, at the end of the day, you are selling your time. You can’t afford to waste it. You need to be able to account for every hour that you spend, regardless of whether it’s billable, whether it’s sales function, whether it’s prospecting, or whether it’s administrative.
19). Computer Consulting: Which Business Is Right for You?
Some people decide they want to open up an independent doughnut shop instead of buying into one of the really large doughnut shop companies. If you want to make submarine sandwiches, you can do it on your own or you can buy into one of the big, extremely well known franchises. If you want to start a computer consulting business, you can be independent or part of a franchise.
20). Computer skills: Which ones do your competitors have?
Computer skills are important for your virtual IT business. But with so many possible skills, which ones do you really need in your business? In this article, we'll address which computer skills your competitors may have so you know what you're up against.
Necessary Networking Platforms
Most of your competitors who are doing well with sweet spot clients.
21). Computer Skills: Which Ones Your Staff Needs
Don't worry too much if you lack advanced technical computer skills. A lot of that can be remedied by just putting in a little bit of time each week in doing some self-study. In this article, you'll learn which computer skills are necessary to serve your sweet spot small business clients.
If It Works, Break It
You can do something as simple as getting a not-for-resale (NFR) copy of a product that you want to sell, install, and support and then working with the product in your lab.
22). Consulting Contracts with National Service Organizations- Good idea?
Don't do it. Why not? You'll spend a lot of money and a lot of time getting certified and learning all the latest platforms and technologies. But the reality is that hardware repair is a commodity - a low margin business. And it's becoming more and more of a commodity service every year as the components become more disposable and more replaceable than repairable.
23). Consulting Firms: Should You Be a Product Reseller?
In this article, we'll explore the two schools of thought on whether computer consulting firms should resell products.
Pure Computer Consulting Firms Defined
Some consulting firms want to be pure consulting firms. They believe that they are never going to make a penny off product margin and that there are potential conflicts when reselling products.
24). How a Computer Consulting Business Can Help Your Company
While many small companies only call in a local computer consulting business when something computer-related breaks, there's a lot to be gained by forging a proactive, long-term relationship with a local computer consulting business in your area.
Consider Getting Advice from a Computer Consulting Business
If you need to get advice once-in-a-while on how your computers can be better utilized, or you have a specific computer-related problem that needs to be solved, a computer consulting business is generally the way to go.
25). IT Audits: A Checklist
IT audits need to be as comprehensive as possible. To ensure you hit every area you need to during your IT audits, review this checklist.
• IT Audits - Physical Security:
To ensure that appropriate physical controls are in place to secure technology assets (servers, networking and telecommunications equipment) preventing unauthorized access.
• IT Audits - Logical Security:
To ensure that appropriate software security controls are in place to prevent viruses and unauthorized data access.
26). IT Audits: Capitalizing on Current Events
Worms and viruses are actually a good thing for your marketing. When they are mentioned in the news, there’s an excellent chance that the small businesses that you’re targeting are feeling the pain and feeling the pinch. There’s nothing like a massive blackout to raise tremendous awareness!
Events like these raise awareness of the need for power protection and orderly shutdowns and backup generators.
27). IT Audits: Documenting Licensing Issues
One of the biggest issues you will run across during IT Audits is software licensing. If you find any such issues during IT audits, note them in your report. You might want to say something like: “These are deficiencies that I have found. Do you have the documents around to prove you own it?”
It’s that simple, and any small business that is dealing on the up and up recognizes that.
28). IT Audits: How Long Do They Take?
Keep IT audits to within a half a day as a starting point. If there’s more exploratory work that needs to be done, that should be an added fee and done at a later time.
Keep IT Audits Short and Sweet
Generally within four hours on-site for IT audits, you usually figure out exactly what’s going on, what should be done next, how to prioritize it, and what hardware and software and services, peripherals and other similar items they need to buy.
29). IT Audits: How to Price Them
How do you go about pricing IT audits? In this article, you'll learn that it should be based on your rate, but you will also want to give a discount to get your foot in the door.
Use Your Hourly Rate as a Guide
For IT audits, you’re going to have to take your hourly billing rate, and figure that you’re going to spend two or three hours there. You’re going to probably spend another hour back in the shop writing up the reports for the IT audits and writing an estimate.
30). IT Audits: The Next Step
With most of your clients, once the relationship is established and IT audits are complete, you should move into a project plan mode where you set up a spreadsheet and organize it on a monthly basis.
During IT audits, you’re going to find that some things have to be done this month; some can wait until next month, and many things should be added to a wish list.
31). IT Audits: What are Your Clients Looking For?
When you conduct IT audits, you will want to see what you can solve for your clients. You will want to see what problems they have and what you can do about them. In this article, you'll learn the kinds of questions that they will want answered during IT audits
Questions Lead to the Needs Analysis
What are potential new clients looking for? This hasn’t changed in a long time.
32). IT Audits: Your Existing Customers
Look among your existing customers to determine who are good candidates for IT audits. You can do this based on the number of PCs they have. Generally, businesses that have more than five systems are really good possibilities for IT audits.
You will be checking around for UPSs and data line protection, real surge protectors, the right number of antivirus software licenses, good, active, valid subscription for the licenses to keep their antivirus and firewall up to date.
33). IT Audits: Your Prospects
IT audits are really where you’re going with the sales call to a new prospect. Unless they have an emergency that needs urgent attention and they’re really specific about it, you need to “push” IT audits. That will get the ball rolling with IT services.
Now, if they say, “We think our tape drive hasn’t been running in six months and we’re terrified that we’re one blue screen or a server crash away from losing everything.
34). IT Certifications: Are They Important?
Most of your sweet spot small business clients are just starting to gain awareness of the value of certifications. But most sweet spot clients don't know enough about IT to appreciate and pay for the differences in different levels of certification. In this article, you'll learn what your clients are looking for with your IT certifications.
What Do.
35). IT Certifications: What Types of Support Do Your Clients Need?
Sweet spot small businesses have distinct support needs-strong desktop support skills and light LAN skills. In this article, you'll learn what skills and certifications are most important to your sweet spot business clients.
What Specific Tasks Will Your Clients Need Help With?
These sweet spot clients are looking for help with popular desktop applications like Microsoft Office, Intuit QuickBooks, and Interact ACT! and help doing hardware upgrades.
36). IT Emergencies: How To Plan For Them
In a perfect world, there should be no IT emergencies, but it doesn’t work that way. Handling IT emergencies are critical to maintaining your customer base and a great opportunity to acquire new business. You cannot afford to staff up to every peak, nor can you afford to fail to meet the needs of an existing client.
Don't Overschedule Your Staff
Generally, you want to schedule at about 75 percent capacity for technical people that don’t have sales responsibilities or management responsibilities.
37). IT Emergencies: Use Them as Ice Breakers
When prospective clients have IT emergencies, you have an opportunity. In this article, you'll learn that two important factors come together during IT emergencies
How IT Emergencies Help You
First, the customer feels the threat of having neglected IT issues. Often a new, widespread, and deadly virus hits, and the customer discovers that renewing the anti-virus license was overlooked or there were no procedures for updating the virus definitions.
38). IT Marketing Sales Copy That Delivers
IT marketing requires effective copywriting in order to get your prospects to the next step. In this article, you'll learn some tips on how to maximize the impact of your IT marketing materials.
Long sales copy is fine if you're writing a letter as long as it's a compelling read. In fact, you can go on for several pages. Also include endorsements and testimonials.
39). IT Marketing Secrets on Seminars and White Papers
In order to sell a solution, you have to build awareness that there is a problem. Once you have built that awareness, you need to build awareness that your firm can solve that problem. Then you need to build awareness that your solution is relatively pain-free, seamless, affordable, and gives companies good return on investment. This article will show you ways to do that.
40). IT Marketing: A Case Study
I was flipping through one of those junk mail advertising circulars that landed in my mailbox a couple days ago, and I noticed a colorful, full-page glossy advertisement on page two. This ad must have cost big bucks. Knowing what I know about advertising costs in my area, this must have been close to a $1,000 outlay (or more).
Avoid Poor Positioning with IT Marketing
But, it was one of the worst ads for positioning that I've ever seen.
41). IT Marketing: Benefits Focused Sales Letter
No matter what niche you're in, you should write a benefits-focused sales letter. In this article you'll learn how this letter can improve your IT marketing.
Your high school English teacher probably told you that when you're writing a business letter, keep it nice and short and sweet. Put that advice away. (Your high school English teacher probably.
42). IT Marketing: Direct Mail Tips
Regardless of whether you're doing a letter, a flyer mailer, a big oversized postcard, or a standard-sized postcard, make sure that your headline hits them right between the eyes. Your message must do the same thing. In this article, you'll learn that you have to know what's causing your potential clients pain. You have to know what their deepest desires are.
43). IT Marketing: Establishing Credibility
How do you best establish credibility if you only have a couple of references and you're just getting started in the consulting businesses? This article will show you how to maximize the effect of the references you have and to get new ones.
For starters, make sure those references are as strong as possible and that you get them in writing-on your client's letterhead.
44). IT Marketing: Find the Decision Makers
The best way to grow beyond your customer base is to do some more IT marketing by getting out there in the community and meeting other people that are the decision makers. The key thing is to find the people that are most likely to be your decision makers. In this article, you'll learn how to connect with decision makers for your IT marketing efforts.
45). IT Marketing: Finding Prospect Lists
After you write your long sales letter, you need to know who to send it to. In this article, you'll learn where to find an advertising list and trade organization listings to help with your IT marketing efforts.
Advertising Lists
For list selection, you have many choices. If you're looking for recommendations, especially in the U.S., it's really simple.
46). IT Marketing: Finding Your First Clients
Once you have some clients under your belt, IT marketing becomes easier. In this article, you'll learn the best ways to find the crucial few first clients to help your IT marketing. Here are the steps to this point:
o You want to pick a startup date.
o You want to print your business cards.
o You want to tell everyone that you know
o You need some reference accounts
o You need to get referrals
IT Marketing: Volunteer with a Catch
Do some kind of closed-end volunteer job, with an organization that you feel some affinity for.
47). IT Marketing: Get Your Expertise Across
Two powerful tools to influence your target audience are case studies and your website. These tools show your potential customers that you are their best solution. In this article, you'll learn how to use case studies and websites to help with your IT marketing.
Case Studies
A case study is a really fancy testimonial. It usually has the picture of the client with their logo, their full name, address, and other contact information.
48). IT Marketing: Good Elevator Speeches
IT marketing requires you to give “elevator speeches,” or short little descriptions of your business. In this article, you'll learn how to get the maximum effectiveness from your elevator speech.
If you go to a chamber of commerce luncheon, you might find yourself (and everyone else) having to give their 30 second commercial. If there happen to be two or three other computer service companies there at that same event, you want to make sure that your elevator speech resonates to make this aspect of IT marketing effective.
49). IT Marketing: How to Ask for Referrals
Referrals are a great way of IT marketing. In this article, you'll learn how to ask for them.
The Question
The key IT marketing question to ask your clients is “Do you know anyone else who could benefit from our services?” Write it down on your hand. Write it down on your PDA. Look at it every morning before you talk to clients. Get very, very used to asking that question.
50). IT Marketing: Improving Postcard Response
One of the biggest mistakes that I see when people are doing postcard mailings is there's no urgency. What does that mean? That means that even if I'm interested in hiring you, there's no compelling reason to do so now. I will just file your card away with my other computer related stuff.
Now if I got that postcard and it said this company is offering a free system analysis to the first 25 people that respond in the greater Anytown area, then I may have more reason to respond.