Joshua Feinberg .net

I often get asked to give advice about IT consulting as part of articles and other published pieces for not only consultants but also small businesses.  One of the biggest questions a lot of small business owners ask is, “How do I know if I’m ready for a real small business server?”

I spoke with StartupNation online about how small business owners can decide when they are ready to set up a real, dedicated server.  

The following steps can help you decide if you’re ready for a real server and to start using IT consulting services:

1.    Recognize the signs that it’s time;

2.    Understand what a server can do for you;

3.    Cost it out;

4.    Don’t be afraid to get help (IT consulting help!).

To learn more about this IT consulting article (and get more details about the different ways to decide whether or not you need a small business server for YOUR business) visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Many IT consulting professionals think they need to take every job that comes their way.  After all, why would someone turn away potential business while trying to build their IT business?

You Have to Turn Away IT Consulting Work

Turning away IT consulting work is an important part of having a successful, profitable business as a pro services provider.  But in order to get to a point where you CAN turn away work, you have to have better opportunities in your sales funnel all the time.  

What Do You Do When You Have to Turn away Work?

Sometimes you just CAN’T take on new IT consulting work.  When this happens, you have to call the prospect back right away and tell him/her.  You can also give the prospect some options and a respected colleague to call that you know would have time and be a better match.  This protocol will help you build your reputation in the community and give good word of mouth, even when you aren’t taking on someone as a client.   

An Informal Network is Important

You should set up an informal network of consultants that do what you do but don’t compete directly.  This will help you cross refer IT consulting prospects when you have to because of skills and specialty OR capacity.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Do you want to know how to re-invigorate your computer consulting business?  The following tips can get you started:

Tip #1:  Boost Marketing and Sales

Many involved in computer consulting don’t spend enough time on marketing, sales and business development.  These important tasks are not only critical when things slow down, but all the time throughout the life of your business.  Because the sales cycle for large consulting projects can be very long, waiting too long to get started with marketing, sales and tending to your business can be fatal errors.  

Tip #2:  Think about Time Management

Making your computer consulting business more efficient is often very much about time management.  Every consultant needs to track his/her time and be able to label every single hour as one of three things:  billable computer consulting work; sales/marketing/business development; administrative work.  

Tip #3:  Take Accountability for Marketing

A really crucial part of computer consulting is taking accountability for marketing.  This means that every hour and dollar invested in each campaign needs to be tracked and analyzed.  If you join and get active in a local organization, you might spend $1,200 over the course of the year and 20 hours of time.  When the year ends, you need to be able to say definitively how many leads, clients and dollars were generated from that $1,200 expenditure and 20 hours of time.  You need to do the same thing with direct mail, display ads, trade show attendance, booths, etc.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Many computer consulting business owners wonder if they should hire an accountant or use accounting software to manage their finances.  The answer is not about choosing one or the other.

Small businesses (clients’ businesses and computer consulting businesses) that are too small to have an in-house accountant on payroll should always use an outside accountant and back it up with accounting software.  

Which Accounting Programs Work Best for Your Computer Consulting Business?

Intuit QuickBooks and other similar programs can help small business owners with little accounting experience understand invoicing and bill payment.  A more advanced expert in accounting – such as the outside accountant you hire to help you – should be called at least two – four times per year in order to do end-of-year tax projections and tax return preparations.   

The Disadvantages of Outsourcing Completely

When you send all your accounting and bookkeeping procedures to an outside person with your computer consulting business, you can run into some problems.  This process can be very expensive, but it can also totally separate you with the daily financial realities of running your computer consulting business.  

The Bottom Line about Accounting and Your Computer Consulting Business

Your best bet when it comes to accounting is to use a combination of in-house accounting software and an outside accountant to help you manage your computer consulting business affordably and efficiently.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg