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Most Recent Articles
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- Helpful Tips For Starting A Small Business By : Morgan Hamilton
Do you have plans of owning your own business? You may have a friend who has become successful through his own business and you would really like to make it big like him. Well, it’s not too late. Just imagine the possibilities of being self-employed and the potential improvement it could bring to your life.
Starting a small business can have its advantages and can be quite rewarding. For starters, imagine being your own boss. No more pressure from supervisors and there will no one to order you around. You’ll be able to work on your own time and meet your own deadlines. - Tips For Starting A Cleaning Service By : Morgan Hamilton
I have come to realize that people rarely make their fortunes while working for someone else. If I want to strike it big, I realize that I need to work for myself. The problem is, I'm not what you would call entrepreneur material. I really don't have the next brilliant idea on how to make big and my tolerance for risk isn't all that great. I don't have much capital to begin with, but at the same time I don't want to put my house, car, and the future security of my family on the line in order to get my company off the ground. So after doing some homework I came to the realization that starting a cleaning service would be my best bet.
Starting a cleaning service is one of those things that practically anyone can do as long as you are healthy and have reliable transportation. You don't need a lot of business savvy right off the bat, you don't need to have a lot of high-powered contacts in your network, and you don't need a lot of seed money. In fact, all you really need for starting a cleaning service is motivation, a couple hundred bucks for basic supplies, and some form of transportation. When I was looking into starting my own business I came across this story woman who had only the bare essentials and took the bus to her various jobs. She never let the fact that she didn't have a great deal of seed money stop her from starting a cleaning service, and now she has a very successful business -- with a fleet of vans and several employees working for her. - Overcoming Obstacles To Succeed In Business By : Stacey Moore
One of the keys to success in business is learning to overcome obstacles-even managing to turn apparent failures into commercial success.
One of the most noteworthy tales is of a researcher named Spencer Silver, who was working at 3M in 1970. Silver was trying to develop a superstrong adhesive, but he didn't succeed. What he ended up with was a superweak adhesive, one that stuck to objects, but could easily be removed. - 401(k) Plans: Not Just For Big Businesses Anymore By : Stacey Moore
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 401(k) plan, now the most widespread retirement savings plan in the U.S., with more active participants than all other private pension plans.
What many Americans may not know, however, is that you don't have to be a big company to set up a 401(k) plan. - A High-tech Way To Stay In Touch By : Stacey Moore
Technology is making a big difference for small businesses that want to stay in touch with customers. A growing number of companies use the Internet to enhance communication, strengthen existing relationships and provide a personal touch.
One example, electronic greeting cards-eCards-can be used to inform customers of new services, thank them for their patronage or simply stay in touch. - Money Tracking By : Stacey Moore
Getting a small business up and running is no easy task, but it can be made simpler by following a few expert tips. For example:
• Get and keep a competitive edge. Some ways to get this edge are by making a product that is hard or impossible to imitate, being able to produce or distribute your product more efficiently, having a better location, or offering superior customer service. - Even For The Smallest Of Businesses, Incorporating Has Big Advantages By : Stacey Moore
Congratulations! You've started a small business. If you're among the 26 million small- business owners in the U.S., you know that there's little time to celebrate your accomplishment. As your business grows, you'll face new challenges that come with success.
One you may not have already considered is how to best protect your personal and business assets as your business grows. - Small Steps For Small Businesses To Improve Their It Infrastructure By : Stacey Moore
For the more than 8.2 million small businesses in the United States alone, developing a comprehensive IT infrastructure is not always a first priority given their budget and resource constraints. But with the current Internet threat landscape, small businesses cannot afford to assume they are a small target. In fact, since today's hackers are now more focused on financial gain than notoriety, their current goal is to find the path of least resistance.
Small businesses, categorized as having 10 to 99 employees, usually have less of an established security infrastructure than larger enterprises, making them an increasingly attractive mark for unscrupulous hackers. Plus, with small businesses growing at a rate of 15 percent over the next four years, they will continue to be a target for online security threats. - No Small Business Ever Fails Because It Runs Out Of Money By : Stacey Moore
No small business ever fails because it runs out of money...small businesses fail because they run out of time.
Think of your business as a parking meter. A certain amount of money buys a certain amount of time. When the meter expires, you don't say that the "money expired," do you? So it is with business. The capital you bring to the business buys you an amount of time to get the business on its feet, to develop positive cash flow, to make it successful. Successful businesses get it all done before the meter expires. - Cash Flow Notes Making Business Ownership A Reality By : Stacey Moore
While small businesses have a big effect on our economy, becoming an owner can be difficult, since securing bank financing to purchase a small business can be challenging. Typically, the collateral for a small business purchase is the business itself, which can present a unique set of challenges. The selling price of a business is usually far greater than the cost of the capital or inventory involved. Many businesses may have a few thousand dollars invested in equipment, but the value of the business is much higher, since the owner will want to be compensated for cash flow, customer base and projected profits.
That leaves a bank in a precarious situation. If foreclosure becomes necessary, it would find itself in control of a business that it has no expertise or staff to operate. As a result, it is sometimes hard to secure a loan for the purchase of a small business. - The Technology Of Making Tissues By : Stacey Moore
When it comes to toilet and facial tissue, the past two centuries have seen great leaps forward in terms of convenience and comfort. Simply consider the unhygienic nature of shirtsleeves and handkerchiefs-the forerunners of the modern facial tissue-and it's easy to see that this progress is nothing to sneeze at.
Today's tissues are technological marvels. They must be strong and absorbent, but inexpensive. Toilet tissue comes textured and premoistened with aloe and vitamin E. Facial tissues come with lotion, scented or unscented, even with menthol and eucalyptus to help unclog stuffy noses. - Small Biz: Breaking The Home-office Barrier. Five Reasons To Move Out In 2007 By : Stacey Moore
It could be a barking dog or an overflowing file cabinet. Whatever the reason, you've decided your home-based office just isn't working out. Before you give up on your small-business dream, it may be time to consider "real" office space.
"Too many small businesses mistakenly assume they can't afford to leave home," said Mark Dixon, CEO of The Regus Group, the world's largest provider of outsourced workplaces. "But today's fully furnished and equipped business centers give entrepreneurs a professional place to work, for a fraction of the cost of leasing traditional office space." - Getting Great Images And Video For Small Businesses And Personal Projects By : Stacey Moore
As the Internet gains sophistication and online photo and user-generated video sites gain popularity, there's increasing pressure for everything online to look good. Consumers are demanding that even small businesses and personal blogs look as polished as some Fortune 500 companies. However, most of us just don't know where to start. People wrongly assume that adding images or video is difficult or expensive.
It's no surprise that people have this misconception. Finding and buying images and video was once a complicated, difficult process. Royalty structures were confusing and expensive and the $200-plus price tag kept ordinary people from utilizing images. - Holiday Shoppers Flock Online, Small Businesses Follow By : Stacey Moore
U.S. small-business owners expect consumers to spread holiday cheer with their purchases this year-and many will do it online.
According to a recent survey, 62 percent of U.S. small businesses said they anticipate a strong holiday season. That's a slight increase over last year's 60 percent. To better serve the expected high turnout of holiday shoppers, 68 percent of small businesses will run seasonal promotions-mostly online. - Wireless Technology A Boon For Business By : Stacey Moore
There are never enough hours in the day to get it all done. The mobile computer may be the answer to getting back a few precious hours each week.
A recent study shows that notebook computer users report an average of 10.8 hours each week of additional productivity over users of desktop computers. Frequent travelers reported almost 15 more productive hours weekly. - U.s. Teens Want To "mind Their Own Business" By : Stacey Moore
When it comes to a career in business, U.S. teens believe that success in the classroom can lead to success in the boardroom. According to a recent poll, more than nine out of 10 teens believe that a college education will help them successfully start and grow a business.
Overwhelmingly, the majority of teens indicated they would like to start their own business someday, with over 70 percent affirming their interest in becoming entrepreneurs. The students' responses provided the key findings of the fifth annual JA Worldwide Interprise Poll on Entrepreneurship. The poll was administered online in early 2006. - The New Small Business Market By : Stacey Moore
The global marketplace isn't just the realm of big business. Small businesses have found ways to capitalize on it, too.
In fact , the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that there are about 225,000 small businesses in America that export goods or services overseas. - Financing Options For Small Businesses Make New Technology Compute For More Companies By : Stacey Moore
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking to put the brakes on high IT costs have followed the lead of millions of American car buyers.
The companies now use credit lines, loans and leases to finance new office technology. The result is that many SMBs have increased their competitiveness while expending a minimal amount of capital (leasing alone can triple an SMB's buying power). - Helping Small Businesses Survive And Thrive By : Stacey Moore
Finding the necessary funding is a big problem for a number of small businesses. That's according to a recent online member poll by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).
A majority of micro-business owners surveyed (57 percent) initially fund their businesses using personal savings, and many (40 percent) continue to use personal savings for ongoing financing. - Small Business Goes Global By : Stacey Moore
A number of small U.S. companies have made it their business to reach foreign markets-and the results have been encouraging. In 2005 alone, U.S. companies exported more than $1.2 trillion worth of goods and services. Much of that came from the 225,000-plus small American businesses that work with clients overseas.
Many of these small companies were able to increase sales and reduce their risks by using financial tools that help them compete in foreign markets. Here's a closer look: - Many Small Businesses Get Cash Advances By : Stacey Moore
A growing number of small businesses that have previously faced obstacles getting working capital now have a practical solution they can bank on. They're taking a cash advance on future credit card receivables. This method of getting needed capital is gaining momentum, particularly in light of the inundation of Small Business Administration loan requests during recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast.
The cash advances taken by these credit-worthy businesses are called Merchant Cash Advances and are completed without the time, documentation and availability issues associated with a traditional loan. - Business Agreements For Quality Referrals By : Joshua Feinberg
Business agreements with other IT companies can be an excellent way to secure high quality referrals. When you are dealing within a B2B context, the referrals you get from non competing IT businesses tend to be ones that will turn into long term service contracts. This is exactly the kind of business you want.
The question becomes though, "What kind of fee should I give to the person I have such a business agreement with?" - IT Services Outsourcing When You Don't Know Everything By : Joshua Feinberg
IT services outsourcing is what you need to do when, not if, your prospects ask for products and services that you are not able to deliver. Many new business owners think they need to know everything. They fear not being able to offer every service under the sun.
The great thing about the computer industry is that there are plenty of people you can use for IT services outsourcing. When you first start up, your concentration needs to be on getting business. You need to spend time networking and relationship marketing. - IT Consulting Services: 3 Factors For Choosing What to Offer By : Joshua Feinberg
IT consulting services are offered at different levels and types in almost all the virtual IT businesses you encounter. Deciding which IT consulting services you should offer is a key consideration when starting your business.
The IT consulting services you choose to offer should be driven by three main factors:
What your prospects want
What’s out there in the marketplace
What your competitors are offering - IT Consulting Services: 3 Factors For Choosing What to Offer By : Joshua Feinberg
IT consulting services are offered at different levels and types in almost all the virtual IT businesses you encounter. Deciding which IT consulting services you should offer is a key consideration when starting your business.
The IT consulting services you choose to offer should be driven by three main factors:
What your prospects want
What’s out there in the marketplace
What your competitors are offering - Product Ideas: How To Determine What to Offer By : Joshua Feinberg
Product ideas or services that your computer business will offer are not as easy to decide upon as you may think. When you start a new business this part of business planning is often taken for granted.
Deciding upon a product idea or service to offer typically starts with an assessment of your technology skills. Once you know what you are good at, it is easy to come up with a service or product idea that interests you. Therein lies the problem. - Successful Entrepreneurs: Do You Have The Characteristics Needed? By : Joshua Feinberg
Successful entrepreneurs in virtual IT have a certain set of personality traits and characteristics. Without these attributes, the chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur in this business are limited.
Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
A successful entrepreneur is someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it. - Computer Service Contracts - Moving From Customer To Client By : Joshua Feinberg
Computer service contracts are the butter of a computer services business. The difference between having a computer service contract and not having one, is what defines the difference between a customer and a client. As a business owner you want clients - people who are on long term computer service contracts.
Your goal is to move your customers into computer service contracts and begin a long term, stable relationship with them. The customers that you are in contact with several times a year should be very receptive to at least a small computer service agreement. - Sales Pipeline - Know Where Your Contacts Are At By : Joshua Feinberg
Sales pipelines are an important concept in business marketing. At any one point you will have different people in different phases of the buying process: your sales pipeline. How you market to these people varies. When you know who, and how many, you have in your sales pipelines you can plan your strategies effectively.
Essentially there are two different categories of sales pipeline: - Referral Programs - Create Incentives To Get Referrals By : Joshua Feinberg
Referral programs are a great way to boost your Network Consulting Business. Typically a referral program provides service credits to those clients who send you new business. If you offer a referral program you provide your clients with an incentive to pass your name onto other businesses.
These types of programs generally lift your response rate significantly. When putting together a referral program there are a few things you should keep in mind: - Contact Management Systems Track Your Marketing Efforts By : Joshua Feinberg
Contact management systems allow you to track which marketing techniques are working and which aren't. With an effective contact management system in place you can see at a glance how much time you are spending with leads and from which sources you are getting the best leads.
A contact management system is like a mini Profit and Loss Statement. In it you track your activities and results for different marketing channels: referral marketing, seminars, direct mail, joint ventures, etc... For each lead source you should track the following type of information: - Starting A New Business - Get The Word Out To Everyone By : Joshua Feinberg
Starting a new business requires creativity. You need to think of innovative ways to entice people to give you a shot when you are starting a new business.
Often times early paying clients come from friends of the family and other family members. When you're starting a new business it is best if you can avoid this type of business. It's very difficult to do business when you don't have an arm's length. When things go bad or expectations get out of control, dealing with friends and family is very difficult. - Moonlighting - Do You Need To Let Your Clients Know? By : Joshua Feinberg
Moonlighting is one of the most common ways computer consultants start their own businesses. It offers the distinct benefit of having access to a steady income while you are building a business.
The problem with moonlighting is the hours. When you work for clients while moonlighting you will only be able to get to their businesses on your off hours. Very often your off hours are their off hours too. So the question is then, "Do you let your clients know you are moonlighting?" - Business Contact Information - What To Track By : Joshua Feinberg
Business contact information is a necessary requirement for pre qualifying potential clients. There are certain attributes that you want to look for in business contacts so you need to capture and track that information.
Every prospect's file should have a list of his/her business contact information. It doesn't matter how you get the information, it simply matters that you get it. Two common sources for acquiring the necessary business contact are through phone calls and through web site information request forms. These forms can be printed out and faxed to you or sent via pdf. - It Consulting: More Than Technical By : Joshua Feinberg
Although technical skills are essential for IT consultants, there are many other things you need to know when running your own business. Here is a list of a few of the most important things you need to learn when running your own business.
Learn How to Say "No" - Moonlighting Jobs For A Small Business Computer Consultant By : Joshua Feinberg
Finding good moonlighting jobs can be difficult for computer consultants working with small businesses because you are usually on duty when these companies are not. You need to be able to conduct moonlighting jobs in the evening and on weekends, and many small businesses will not respond well to that concept because they want you to work on their schedule.
The best way to get small business moonlighting jobs is to pick businesses that fit naturally with your schedule. Restaurants, health clubs and call centers can be perfect choices for you as a computer consultant as well as businesses that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and those that have second and third shifts. - The Computer Consulting Business And Client Issues With Cost By : Joshua Feinberg
In order to ease clients through the process of accepting your solutions in the computer consulting business, you have to stress value and return on investment (ROI) instead of presenting your services as an expense. Even though each client will have different ideas of what is “expensive” or “affordable” with your computer consulting business, you need to make sure they all understand, regardless of their ideals, that your networking solution is worth it.
An Example - Business Startup Funding Readiness By : Joshua Feinberg
Business startup funding is a concern for most professionals starting their own businesses. Many wonder if they have enough money to begin and when they can quit their other jobs to focus entirely on the new business. The key to launching a business is making sure you've studied your business startup funding needs. If you find yourself presented with the opportunity to speed up your launch date, you need to be ready.
Personal Finances - It Consulting Roads To Success By : Joshua Feinberg
You need to be ready for challenges before you start your IT consulting business. The following steps can help get you started.
Make A Database Of Contacts That Includes Everyone You Meet - Computer Consulting Services Is About Selling Peace Of Mind By : Joshua Feinberg
For many small business clients, your computer consulting services will be an important part of an insurance policy. Your service agreement will tell them what is covered as part of this policy and what is not and will give them boundaries. Each month, quarter or year you will collect a deposit from them that is like a premium payment.
Computer Consulting Services And Value - Small Business Networking: An Overview By : Joshua Feinberg
Small business networking is very important to success. You, the computer consultant, are entrenched in the professional services business, which revolves around relationships and thus networking with a large number of people.
You need to make small business networking of the utmost importance when starting your business and take things slowly. You will not get a large number of clients, nor will you get clients that need you immediately when you go to your first big networking event, even though you could come away with five or six really good prospects. - Handling Customer Fears In The Computer Consulting Business By : Joshua Feinberg
Internet security is an important element in the computer consulting business. As a computer consulting professional, your clients will need you to explain Internet security by describing how your networking solution will work with firewall, antivirus and encryption techniques.
Acknowledge Client Concerns - A Good Website Is Critical In The It Consulting Business By : Joshua Feinberg
When you are just starting out in the IT consulting business, you need a website. Potential clients will know whether you are full time and in the IT consulting business for the long haul or just trying it on for size by the quality of your website.
Simplicity Is Key - Spotting It Consulting Sweet Spot Clients By : Joshua Feinberg
Having a sustainable IT consulting business is intricately linked to the sweet spot of small businesses. But where do you look for these small business clients, and how do you know they will actually be a source of lucrative recurring revenue?
Identifying A Sweet Spot Client - Helping Small Business Consulting Clients In Denial By : Joshua Feinberg
As a consultant involved in small business consulting, your clients may sometimes ask you why they need the more powerful or larger network you are recommending. Many may say their networks work great … most of the time.
Selling Small Business Consulting Clients Fear - It Consulting: What Defines A Sweet Spot Client? By : Joshua Feinberg
While there is no set definition in IT consulting of a sweet spot client, there are some signs that will tell you whether a prospect is a candidate. Ask the following questions to determine which of your clients will be long-term relationship material:
1. Is the client's business expanding? When the company opens another office, they will need PCs, servers and telecommunications capabilities, giving you as an IT consulting expert an excellent opportunity.
2. What communications technology does the prospect have? Does the client have a specific phone system, such as PBX? You can develop good relationships with phone retailers that might lead to referrals and IT consulting partnering opportunities. If the company has an e-mail domain and is looking to improve spam filtering, firewalls and other security issues, you have a huge IT consulting opportunity on your hands. If the company also has a dedicated server and dedicated Internet, even better. - Extended Warranties And Notebook Pcs By : Joshua Feinberg
Unlike with regular desktop PCs, you should think about recommending that your clients buy the maximum extended warranty coverage on any notebook PCs they purchase. The cost of replacing any item on notebook PCs can be extremely expensive, and the financial threat of having to deal with a hard drive failure or replacement of the LCD screen is enough to make warranties worth the cost.
Replacement Costs - It Consultants Should Lead Customers To Small Business Pc Hardware By : Joshua Feinberg
Most IT consultants know that in the early and mid-1990s, many leading vendors started to divide their product lines into two or three different levels in order to handle different types of consumers.
Both the domestic and global market demand for desktop PCs notebooks and servers started soaring in this decade, and vendors including Compaq (now HP), Dell, Gateway, HP and IBM wanted their PC products to be relevant to many different needs and budgets. - Computer Service Business: Resources For Recruiting Personnel By : Joshua Feinberg
You will need to recruit computer service business personnel not only at the start of a business but continuously after that. There are many resources available to those in the computer service business looking to hire employees, and a computer service business manager able to think creatively will attract better candidates. Advertising, referrals, promotions and the Internet are excellent sources for computer service business managers looking for new personnel.
Ads - Computer Consulting Business Tools for Getting Good Customers By : Joshua Feinberg
If you want to be financially stable and have a successful and legitimate computer consulting business you have to work on honing your intuition skills and focusing on a specialty. You also need to be good at uncovering the best small business clients.
Small Businesses - IT Consultant: Hardware Selection for Customers By : Joshua Feinberg
As an IT consultant that has been around for a while, you have most likely dealt with thousands of different PC hardware systems, and you have probably formed many strong recommendations for clients regarding the very best PC hardware specs. But in order to truly sell clients on the importance of your opinion as an IT consultant regarding hardware, you have to be able to communicate the benefits well.
The Right Choice The First Time - IT Spending: Protecting Your Clients from PC Vendors By : Joshua Feinberg
If you have been in the computer consulting business for a long time know that one of the most important services you can provide for your clients is advising them on choosing products. Your clients rely on your computer consulting firm to point them in the direction of technology solutions that are cost-effective and reliable. They also rely on you to help them avoid bad products and ineffective IT support services.
It Spending: Newer Does Not Mean Better - Establishing Criteria for Clients in the Computer Consulting Business By : Joshua Feinberg
In the computer consulting business there are several ways you can best qualify clients to ensure you get the best accounts to help grow your business.
Proximity - It Consultation: Do You Have The Required Business Skills? By : Joshua Feinberg
In the IT consultation world, there are many business skills you need beyond computer skills to succeed. Before you start your own IT consultation firm, you need to become aware of the following required business skills: marketing skills; networking skills; financial skills; written communication skills; and presentation skills. While you don't need to have all these skills initially, you need to be prepared to learn them for the future to make your IT consultation firm work.
Marketing - Using Recruiting Resources In The Computer Service Business By : Joshua Feinberg
In the computer service business you will have to recruit employees both at the business start-up and throughout the life of the business. There are many available recruiting resources available to computer service business managers, and the manager able to get creative with these resources will have more of a chance of recruiting qualified employees. The following resources will help computer business service managers with the hiring process: advertising; referrals; promotions; and Internet recruiting.
Advertising - Using Recruiting Resources In The Computer Service Business By : Joshua Feinberg
In the computer service business you will have to recruit employees both at the business start-up and throughout the life of the business. There are many available recruiting resources available to computer service business managers, and the manager able to get creative with these resources will have more of a chance of recruiting qualified employees. The following resources will help computer business service managers with the hiring process: advertising; referrals; promotions; and Internet recruiting.
Advertising - Partnering And The Prospecting List By : Joshua Feinberg
Creating a partner prospecting list will help you with your partnering goal. A prospecting list can be created quite easily. Simply write down the next 12 months on a piece of paper, starting with the current month. For each month, write down the following:
1. The name of a person
2. The name of a company
3. The type of role the company or person plays. - Do You Have The Personality For It Consultation? By : Joshua Feinberg
The industry of IT consultation is very competitive and requires very specific personality traits of its professionals. Before you begin a new IT consultation career, you need to make sure your personality fits the trade. A good consultant is a risk-taker with strong people skills. He can handle insecurity and has a good and steady support system along with the most important personal quality of integrity.
Do You Take Risks? - Partnering: Extending Your Network By : Joshua Feinberg
In partnering, you can look beyond other technicians for opportunities. Many times non-IT business providers like management consultants have the dilemma of needing to refer their clients to other professionals. This can either be done as a favor to a client, or set up as a form of revenue sharing.
Accountants - It Service And Prepaid Time Block Management By : Joshua Feinberg
A prepaid time block is not the same thing as an IT service agreement. The agreement will give specific details about things you will accomplish for a client such as maintenance, upgrades and others, whereas the prepaid time block is nothing more than time. One example of this is a customer that knows your normal hourly rate is $100 per hour, and that in return for prepaying for 20 hours, they will get a $10 per hour discount.
Written It Service Agreements - Obtainable Projects For Information Technology Consultants By : Joshua Feinberg
There are many jobs for information technology consultants available today, and the field can be extremely lucrative. Many projects, some that do not involve computer work are out there for information technology consultants that consider their specific strengths and find projects that fit their abilities.
Computer Jobs - Computer Service Repair Business And Providing Customer Service During All Aspects Of A Sale By : Joshua Feinberg
Customer service is a crucial part of the computer service repair business, because computer service repair is about working with customers to solve problems. All aspects of computer repair should be focused on the customer and his problem. There are three phases of customer service, and very often the first and last are ignored. The most important phases are customer service before the repair, during the computer service repair and after the service.
Pre-Sale Customer Service - Measuring Success As An It Consultant By : Joshua Feinberg
IT consultants are highly coveted these days, and it is easy for an IT consultant to believe that simply having a great number of profitable jobs will guarantee success. Succeeding as an IT consultant is about more than money, and involves several other categories, including important personal and professional factors. It is these important elements that will determine long-term success.
Financial Accomplishment - Partnering: Establishing Weaknesses And Strengths By : Joshua Feinberg
The first step in partnering is determining your strengths. You need to know what you do best, what your store enjoys, what is financially viable and what you will do in the future. When you consider these elements, make sure you won't be partnering with someone who will be directly competitive with you either now or in the future.
Your Specialty - Computer Service Company Motivational Tips By : Joshua Feinberg
Praise is very important to master for computer service company managers. When it is not used in the right way, it can be detrimental to a computer service company. There are five tips to help managers effectively deliver praise: use praise sparingly; be sincere; specify; ask for advice; praise in public. As a computer service company manager, you want to deliver praise in a way that will be perceived by employees as honest and inspiring.
Using Praise Sparingly - Computer Repair Franchises: Evaluating A Site By : Joshua Feinberg
Computer repair franchises need a good location to enjoy success. Finding the best site involves several factors, and many franchisors are happy to help prospective owners weigh different criteria and use all available resources before choosing a site.
The following factors are critical to location choice for computer repair franchises: population density; traffic; competition; appearance; and visibility. A realtor might help potential buyers in the search, and could be a good investment. - Credibility Boosters For It Consultants By : Joshua Feinberg
Credibility is an important factor that will be weighed by your prospects. As an IT Consultant you should be actively thinking about ways to build your credibility. Whether it is through building your credibility at the local level or going for a more national reputation - the credibility factor is an important one to develop.
Your marketing activities need to center on building your credibility and making sure people hear your name. Think about how different your business would be if prospects came to you as opposed to the other way around. Credibility is the element that will get you to that place. - Small Business Development: A Must For It Consultants By : Joshua Feinberg
Small business development is a make or break activity when starting out as an IT consultant. You need to get your name out there as much as you can. Business won't drop into your lap - you need to use proactive small business development techniques to get things moving.
The foremost method for small business development is reaching out to business organizations. You should try to blanket your entire region. To get this kind of coverage, your small business development takes time. - Service Contracts: The Best Business Model For Consulting By : Joshua Feinberg
Service contracts are key for the busy computer consultant. They will help you to manage your time when you have many clients all needing service at once. By setting up computer service contracts you will be able to maximize your utilization rate while still having enough time to deal with client emergencies when they crop up.
When you have a bunch of clients who all have an emergency of some sort you can't be everywhere at once. To deal with this you need to narrow down the list of who you are obligated to respond to emergencies for. You do this by creating computer service contracts. - Mobile Office Kit - What To Take With You On The Road By : Joshua Feinberg
Mobile office kits are absolutely essential for computer consultants. Beyond the technical equipment you need to carry, if you work out of your vehicle you need certain supplies on hand.
Essential Items for Your Mobile Office Kit - Time And Billing - Three Methods, Three Results By : Joshua Feinberg
Time and billing issues can cause the single fastest way to put yourself out of business overnight or put yourself in the position of financial strain. Many people neglect to manage their time and billing properly and they pay for it in the end.
Time and billing entails payment tracking and invoicing. If you do it right you will get paid well and get paid fast. If you do it wrong, well, you might not get paid at all. Each of the following common time and billing methods have pros and cons as follows: - Business Merchant Account - Get One By : Joshua Feinberg
Business merchant accounts are critical to have if you want to accept credit cards. Business merchant accounts are not limited to those computer consultants reselling products either. They are a good idea for any sale, especially when you are selling to new clients.
If you have a business merchant account you will not have to chase down outstanding debt. The cost is not that high and you don't have to buy traditional credit card processing equipment. Now they have what is called a lab terminal, which allows you to use your web browser to manage the transactions. The systems are completely secure and most business merchant account providers team up with larger companies that offer great advantages. - Consulting Salary - Are Your Rates Salary Equivalent? By : Joshua Feinberg
Consulting salaries are very closely related to the hourly billing rates that you charge and the salaried equivalents that you can afford to pay both yourself and others down the road. The consulting salary you expect must be affordable given your hourly billing rates. This consulting salary must also be enough to attract sales and technical staff as your business scales up. If you don't set your rates at an appropriate level then you won't be able to offer competitive salaries to future employees and your business growth will falter.
The Consulting Salary Equivalent of $75 an hour - Small Business Startup - The 90/10 Rule By : Joshua Feinberg
Small business startups require a lot of work. You might however, be surprised by what type of work should be taking up the majority of your time. Computer consultants, when they contemplate small business startups, tend to focus on the technical aspects of the business. The rational is that they want to offer a decent service and must have great technical skills before anyone will be willing to pay them.
In fact, the 90/10 Rule tells us that during small business startups, 90% of your time should be spent on direct marketing activities and only 10% on building technical skills. The type of small business startup activities to spend 90% of your time on include:
prospecting
lead generation
going out on sales calls
preparing proposals - Business Journals - A Strong Business Planning Tool By : Joshua Feinberg
Business journals, or diaries, are an excellent way to record your business growth and progress. Business journals are extremely valuable in providing you with some amazing insight. By recording what you have done you can reflect and see where your time is going, where your growth spurts have occurred, what’s working and what’s not.
Plotting your course in a business journal lets you see opportunities with ease and clarity. It's hard to see what is right in front of us but when you revisit what you did a week or a month ago, your perspective on the situation is often different enough that you can analyze the situation much more effectively. - Legal Issues At Start-up By : Joshua Feinberg
Legal issues at start-up are often confusing. Mary times this will be your first foray into the business world. There are two main places where legal issues should be explored with an attorney.
Legal Issues With Business Type - Consulting Rates - Can I Charge Premium Rates? By : Joshua Feinberg
Consulting rates vary from business to business. Some people start up their own computer consulting business right out of school. Others have worked in the industry for many years before deciding to head out on their own. The reality is, not all computer consulting businesses are alike and not all consulting rates are alike either - their owners have different skills sets and experience levels.
Some owners of computer consulting businesses have bachelors degrees, some don't. Some have years of experience, other's don't. Some are in their 20's, some are in their 60's. Given this disparity, the question that begs to be answered is, "How do I know if customers will pay premium consulting rates for my services? - Work Scheduling And Efficiency By : Joshua Feinberg
Work scheduling is one of the most time consuming aspects of a consulting business. First you have the issue of work scheduling that goes into your evenings and weekends and then you have to juggle which clients to schedule when and for how long.
When you first start out, work scheduling for evenings and weekends may be a necessity. You have to pay the bills and if that means supplementing 9-5 clients with the occasional evening or weekend job that's ok. When you find most of your work is scheduled for evenings and weekends, then you have a problem. - Small Business Networking By : Joshua Feinberg
Small business networking is absolutely critical to your business success. As a computer consultant you are in the professional services business. This industry is all about relationships and relationships are built through networking.
You will need to make small business networking your priority for the first few months of operations. This is a process that can't be rushed. You're not going to go to your first network event and get six clients who all need network upgrades next week. But if you do participate in a small business networking event there’s a good chance that you will come away five or six quality contacts. - Benchmarking and Best Practice - Utilization Rates By : Joshua Feinberg
Benchmarking and best practice is a way for you to measure your success against others who have made the leap into computer consulting before you. By measuring your own performance against industry benchmarks you get an idea of what you need to work on to be successful.
A key element in your benchmarking and best practice is to look at utilization rates. Your utilization rate is the ratio of how many hours you bill clients compared to how many hours you work in a given period.
Utilization Rate = Hours Billed / Hours Worked - Moonlighting Jobs as a Computer Consultant for Small Business By : Joshua Feinberg
Securing moonlighting jobs as a computer consultant for small businesses is difficult because you're typically working when the small businesses are closed. You need the flexibility to carry out your moonlighting jobs during the evening and on weekends and many small businesses are not going to be comfortable with that arrangement. These business owners want to interact with their consultants on their time and prefer you to work around their schedule rather than vice versa.
A straightforward solution for securing small business moonlighting jobs as a computer consultant is to target businesses where there is a natural fit between your time frame and their schedule. Businesses that are open in the evenings like restaurants, health clubs and call centers are one source of moonlighting jobs. Others include businesses that run second or third shifts and even those that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. - Small Business Networking: Overcoming More Client Objections By : Joshua Feinberg
In dealing with apathy toward small business networking, discontinued technical support is another powerful counterforce, especially when you’re talking about vertical, industry-specific software, such as niche applications designed for accountants, attorneys, physicians, realtors, auto body shops and restaurants.
Providing Support - The Computer Consulting Business: Communicating The Benefit Of Using Your Services By : Joshua Feinberg
In the computer consulting business, dead-end solutions can be very expensive mistakes for your prospects or clients. So, start by pointing out how scalable your proposed network will be.
Communicate the Options - Small Business Networking: Overcoming Client Objections By : Joshua Feinberg
When you begin talking about a small business networking upgrades, prospects and clients will often dwell on cost. They neglect to consider the soft costs of not properly investing in a network, such as lost employee productivity when imprudent corners are cut, downtime when fault-tolerance is an afterthought, and service costs from computer consultants when difficult-to-support or "dead-end" solutions are selected primarily because of their low price tag.
Addressing Client Objections - The Computer Consulting Business: Overcoming Client Risk Aversion By : Joshua Feinberg
In the computer consulting business, risk-averse small business owners are very similar to small businesses that are apathetic about moving forward with your proposed small business network.
Apathetic small business owners know they have a need, but they’ll just keep putting the project with your computer consulting business on the back burner; indefinitely, if you let them! - Small Business Consulting: Overcoming Client Denial By : Joshua Feinberg
When working in small business consulting, your clients may ask, "Why do I need something as big and powerful as the network you’re recommending? We’re just a seven person company and our network works great, at least most of the time."
"Sell" Fear - Small Business Networks: Getting Past Small Business Networking Myopia By : Joshua Feinberg
Many small businesses mistakenly think that they’re too small to cost-justify a "real" client/server small business network. However, because small businesses want, and in most cases, need, the same technology tools as their larger competitors, deploying a peer-to-peer network doesn’t usually make small business sense (except for the tiniest small offices).
Don’t Let Clients Underestimate Technology Requirements - It Consulting: More Steps To Success By : Joshua Feinberg
Before starting your IT consulting business, make sure all your ducks are in a row. In this article, learn some more of the steps you should take before beginning your IT consulting practice.
Step Thirteen. Volunteer if You Can't Get Paying IT Consulting Customers - Small Business Consulting: Overcoming Unrealistic Expectations By : Joshua Feinberg
If you’re new to small business consulting, you may think there is no such thing as a prospect or client being too enthusiastic about jumping headfirst into a major IT project. Enthusiasm is a good thing when it comes to signing your firm’s small business consulting contract, right? Well, not always.
Manage Clients’ Optimism - Starting An It Consulting Business: The Importance Of A Website By : Joshua Feinberg
It is very important to have a website when starting an IT consulting business. It is easy to tell who is working full time at starting their IT consulting business and who’s not just by looking at their website, or lack thereof.
Keep it Simple - Small Business Networks: Are Your Clients Using The Right Tools? By : Joshua Feinberg
Since the vast majority of small business prospects and clients that you encounter will likely be running some version of Microsoft Windows, it is a good idea to educate small business managers on the differences between the "current" versions of Microsoft Windows.
Versions of Microsoft Windows - It Consulting: 3 Steps To Success By : Joshua Feinberg
Before starting your IT consulting business, take the steps that will lead to your success. In this article, learn about three steps you should take before beginning your IT consulting practice.
Step Seven: Arrange Your Telecom Services - It Consulting: Steps To A Successful Launch By : Joshua Feinberg
Before starting your IT consulting business, be prepared. In this article, learn some of the steps you should take before beginning your IT consulting practice.
Step Ten: Start a Simple Contact Database of Everyone You Meet. - It Consulting: 3 Steps You Need To Take By : Joshua Feinberg
To begin your IT consulting practice, there are 21 steps you should take before you hit your first day on the job. In this article, you'll learn about three of the steps you should take before entering the business of full-time IT consulting.
Step Four. Engage Professional Services - It Consulting: Steps To A Gradual Business Launch By : Joshua Feinberg
In IT consulting, you need a step-by-step plan to launch your practice. There are 21 steps that will take you through the first 90 days of beginning your IT consulting business.
Preparing for your gradual launch will lower the risk associated with starting a business because you will have already prepared. - It Consulting: Seasonal Selling Trends By : Joshua Feinberg
In IT consulting, you should be aware of your seasonal selling trends. The general rule of advice is don’t expect anyone to make a major buying decision for a small business IT project in the late summer or during the holidays; unless it’s an emergency.
Avoid the Typical Vacation Months - It Support: Setting Rates By : Joshua Feinberg
With setting your IT support rates, there is no ethical dilemmas. You need to charge what is going to make you have a successful, viable business. You are not going to make a living at $50 an hour. It’s that simple.
Many Micro Small Businesses Need Qualified IT Support - It Consulting: Search For Sweet Spot Clients By : Joshua Feinberg
There are some clues that will tell you if a prospect will make a good sweet spot client for your IT consulting business. In this article, learn some of the tip-offs that a prospect is a good fit.
Does the Company Have a Website? - It Support: Don't Work Too Cheaply By : Joshua Feinberg
If you set your IT support rates too cheap, you're going to have to work like crazy. The last thing you want to discover at the end of the quarter, after you've entered everything in QuickBooks or Excel, is that you've provided IT support for free.
Be Sure To Make a Profit! - It Consulting: Sell Services, Not Products By : Joshua Feinberg
A successful IT consulting business should be focused on selling your consulting services and not selling products. At this stage of the game of starting an IT consulting business, you should not be looking to be a dealer for someone or an authorized solution for someone.
You can get those things if you think it will help your business a little bit, but don’t build your IT consulting business around that. It’s not a product driven economy anymore. It's about the services. It's about the solution.
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