(Retired) Computer Consulting Kit

Wow! It's been a while since updating the Computer Consulting Kit blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:20:00 +0000

Have you missed us?

Make sure to check out our new home over on the Small Business Computer Consulting Blog.

How PC Repair Service Firms Get Great Business Clients

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:34:00 +0000

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 Business Names that Attract Great Clients

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:51:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:45:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:38:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:05:00 +0000

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.

IT Service Agreement Templates Overview - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Click to Play

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:33:00 +0000

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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?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:35:00 +0000

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 Fees Rate Card Overview - Computer Consulting Kit briefing video

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:22:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:17:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:14:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:17:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:48:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:37:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:32:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:27:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:14:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:12:00 +0000

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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?

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:41:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:49:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:02:00 +0000

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:27:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit preview excerpt videos) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:25:00 +0000

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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?

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:37:00 +0000

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".