Joshua Feinberg .net

As someone that believes in the power computer consultants can bring to businesses when they create stable networks, I often agree to be interviewed in articles designed to help small businesses improve their IT systems.  A couple years ago I worked with Network Computing online to create an article on “How to Juice Up Your Network.”  

A lot of small business owners (both those working with computer consultants and those NOT working with computer consultants) don’t realize how important a speedy network is … or how easy it can be to change a sluggish network into one that is incredibly productive and helps facilitate business.  

Four Quick Small Business Networking Tips for Cutting the Clutter:

1.    Invest in new equipment – out with the old, in with the new;

2.    Look closely at bandwidth availability and pricing;

3.    Don’t skimp on storage;

4.    Keep “hardening” your network – make sure it’s protected against malicious hackers, spyware, Trojans and other security threats.

For more on these four tips and some advice from other computer consultants provided in this important article, visit the attached link!

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Are you a small business in need of hiring a great computer consulting firm?  The following questions can help you evaluate a computer consulting prospect and figure out how to determine experience and credentials … even if you have little or no technical knowledge!

Reseller, Pure Computer Consulting Company or Hybrid Tech Provider

1.    “Does your company resell technology products such as hardware and software?  Is it a profit center, or can we shop for our products elsewhere?  If we shop elsewhere, can we still buy your needs analysis and procurement services?”

2.    “Are there any other vendors – ISPs or telephone companies – that your company works in conjunction with?  Do you accept commissions or referral fees for bringing business to certain agents?”

Costs, Hidden Charges and Billing Processes

3.    “What are your payment terms, rates and hourly billing minimums?  What do you consider billable and non-billable?”

4.    “Do you have hourly rate billing premiums for after-hours or emergency service?  How do you define these terms?”

5.    “Do you charge for travel time, telephone support, e-mail or online and remote support?”

6.    “Do you have support contracts?  How much do they cost and what are the benefits?”

Client Reference Accounts, Case Studies, Testimonials

7.    “Tell me about one of your long-term small business clients.”

8.    “Tell me about a recently signed-on client.  And tell me about one that didn’t work out, and why it didn’t work out.”

9.    “Do you have references?”

Research and Development and Keeping up Skills

10.    “How do you stay abreast of new advances in technology?”

11.    “For which things do you bill clients, and for which do you absorb internally?  Are there ‘gray areas’?”

Training, Etc.

12.    “Do you do hand holding and in-depth user training?”

13.    “What kind of user training do you offer?”

14.    “Are you willing to train our internal computer guru to be more self sufficient, even if this function takes away from some additional billable hours?”

Ask these questions about computer consulting, and you are more likely to find someone that fits in well with what you need to support your small business.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Once you finish preparing your sales letter as part of your IT marketing plan, how do you know where you should send it?  The following three places are great ways to find your prospects.

#1:  Advertising Lists

Advertising lists are great IT marketing tools.  The U.S. is a really easy place to find prospects through advertising lists.  Companies like Zap Data and Info USA can get you started. 

If you are looking for places outside the U.S., the following can make good IT marketing tools:  Accountable List Brokers (Australia); List Angels (The United Kingdom); InfoUSA (search for Canadian lists). 

If you want to go further, you can look at local Chamber of Commerce organizations and industry trade groups to help you get additional information for your lists.  Local newspapers and business journals can also give you leads.

#2:  Trade Organizations

It will take some time, but you will eventually get an IT marketing client list that will have people on it that have things in common.  For example, you may have more than one dentist and experience setting up small LANs and networks and X-ray, digital imaging software and all the patient chart management for dentists’ offices.  At this point, you can look for other prospects that are just like these dentists and have an easier time selling your services. 

#3:  Where Your Clients Hang Out

In order to reach prospects, look around for trade groups within the occupation or industry you’ve chosen.  Go to meetings and conferences and take out tables at local expos.  You can get active so you can be a panelist at a technology-related event or write an article for an industry publication.  Get referrals!

No matter what, you need to keep it simple.  You can’t join more than two or three industry organizations simultaneously because it will take too much time to keep up to speed.  Ease into your involvement over a course of months until you are reasonably good at all these IT marketing techniques.  But don’t let any of them eat into your job as a computer consultant (i.e., don’t get on the board of directors, etc.).  But you need to go to meetings at least a few times per year.

The Main Idea about IT Marketing

You need to find prospects to know where to send your sales letters.  In order to build your prospect list, buy or rent advertising lists and go to industry events.  Get active in organizations and hang out where your clients hang out to help with your IT marketing efforts.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

You need to encourage your computer consulting staff to get to know about high-end networking options because they are usually worth a higher hourly rate.  Most computer consulting professionals will naturally have skills to set up small LANs, troubleshoot and do cleanup jobs and desktop rollouts.  But high margin projects are really critical as well!

Your Computer Consulting Staff Will Be Happier When Challenged

When you give your computer consulting staff more advanced projects, its members will be happier and feel more professionally gratified.  Those involved in technical jobs prefer to work on projects that test knowledge.

Challenges Help with Job Retention

Computer consulting staff will be getting more professional gratification when challenged, so training is a great tool for job retention.  If your technical staff is working on projects that are not at all challenging, they might choose to work with your competitors.  

More Networking Projects Mean Long-Term Client Relationships

When you create long-term client relationships you are going to help make your staff feel more gratified.  Your computer consulting staff will have the opportunity to work with clients over a long period of time and get to know clients very well.  They get to have real relationships and develop attachments, which helps them be enthusiastic about continuing to work for you and stay loyal.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit