Computer Consulting Kit

PC Technician Business Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:59:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:04:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:01:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:15:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:30:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:05:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:29:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:07:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:10:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:14:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:56:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Sat, 30 May 2009 03:08:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:02:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:06:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:43:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:02:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:32:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:28:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:58:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:43:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:49:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:40:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Computer Consulting Kit Preview Blog) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:38:00 +0000

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