Small Business Computer Consulting Blog

Running a computer shop business is a rather different proposition to running an IT support firm or consultancy.

Once you launch your software consulting firm, a key to establishing a sustainable client base is to build up your credibility. People want to do business with either someone they know or someone that they can trust.

Some IT marketing strategies that cost you very little at all, from a monetary perspective, can be highly effective. In fact, you’ll find that raising awareness of your business locally and on the Internet using these four methods can be highly effective and rewarding.

TechEd Europe 2012 was a sell-out. Any IT service provider who left it to the last minute before booking for the Amsterdam conference may well have had a hard time squeezing in.

SP Home Run Weekly Update Newsletter

August 29, 2012

Marketing Consulting Services? 4 Ways to Attract Great IT Clients (Screencast)
When marketing your services, it's very important to know your end-goals so you can plan your campaigns around reaching those goals. Way too many marketing novices waste way too much time and resources chasing after vaguely defined objectives. Unless your company has a bottomless marketing budget, you need to work smart. Consider these 4 ways to attract great IT clients when marketing consulting services.
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Technology Sales Jobs and the 5 Skills that Can Make/Break Your Career
Never thought you'd find yourself in technology sales and feel a bit out of your depth? Not to worry. Many people are faced with exactly the same issue when they first take on a sales role. This is even more likely when they are running their own business for the first time. To help you make sure that your IT sales strategies run as smoothly as possible, here are 5 skills that you need to work on to be successful.
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4 Computer Repair Service Agreement Ingredients for Great SMB Clients (Screencast)
If you own a VAR, MSP, IT consultancy, or PC repair shop, there are a lot of different ways to design a service agreement program. For most technology providers that strive to offer a complete solution to their SMB clients, a service agreement needs to, by necessity, be much more comprehensive than just computer repair. With that in mind, what are the essential ingredients for attracting great SMB clients?
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How to Start a Computer Consulting Business: 6 Proven Ways to Build Your Initial Client Base (White Paper)
Are you starting an IT business? Are you trying to build your client base? Learn about eleven key steps to take right away to get established professionally in business (pages 3-5). Find out seven ways to keep your expenses low as you ramp up (pages 7-8). Build your initial client base with a simple, very low cost nine-step plan for getting in front of the right decision makers (pages 8-10). Fortify your IT startup with four sources of revenue so you don't put all your eggs in one basket (pages 10-11).
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PC Consulting - Are Home Users More Trouble Than They're Worth? (Screencast)
When you first start your consulting business, you will probably be glad for any paid work you can generate, even if some of it consists of very small jobs from home users or small one-person businesses. This is fine if you've made the decision to target the home market. However, if your primary aim is to carry out more lucrative work for businesses, it could be better to focus your energies on those prospects and avoid the home market altogether. Here are three reasons why.
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Start Your Own Computer Repair Business and Remember to Brand It! (Screencast)
People don't want to deal with gray, faceless businesses. They want to deal with a person. This means that when you start your own business, make sure that you brand it properly and inject plenty of personality into it. Strong branding from the outset is vital in order to stand out from the competition. Discover 4 tips for getting your branding right.
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10 IT Channel Conferences for SMB VARs and MSPs in September
Here's a quick rundown on the conferences and tradeshows coming up in September that are either directly targeted at the IT channel or would be of great interest to the IT channel.
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Dell Storage Forum Sets Out to Redefine Data Centers
A few weeks ago in Boston, the Dell Storage Forum promoted Dell products and redefined the way people think about data centers.
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The ASCII Group Finds Out What IT Reseller Clients Really Think
Even if it's not always what they want to hear, IT resellers need to get honest opinions back from their customers about how well they have been served. The problem, apart from motivation, is often one of time and resources. The ASCII Group offers a solution to its members.
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Cloud4SMB Expo Leverages Benefits of Cloud Computing
The Cloud4SMB Expo is a cloud computing event that focuses on the needs and expectations of SMBs. Many of the delegates include technology providers who work with small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and who wish to keep up with the latest cloud computing developments.
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• 4 Marketing Tools That Won't Break the Bank

When choosing from among new computer repair business names, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding names that are unique. You don’t want to end up with a name that could be confused with local competitors.

When you operate an IT maintenance contract, it is important to build the right relationships with clients on-site to help the day-to-day running of the contract go smoothly.

While “September” 1978 has special meaning for Earth, Wind & Fire fans, September 2012 may prove equally exciting for SMB VARs and MSPs looking for great IT channel conferences to attend.

Microsoft SharePoint partners are continuing to do well. SharePoint is a remarkable success story with over 700,000 IT developers building on it. What's more, SharePoint 2010 has 65 million licensed users. Joining the partner program could lead to a profitable boost in revenue.

If you hold an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator accreditation, you will probably wish to keep it up to date—both for your professional credibility and for your own technical knowledge.

If you’re starting a computer repair business, consider some free help on your basic start-up processes. The SCORE.org website features an article about a company that provides 10 templates you can customize for your computer repair business. The service, at WickedStart.com, is free. In addition to the documents, the service will prompt you to set deadlines and email reminders to follow-up on initial steps.

Fast-Teks has been providing quality IT services since 2003. Their franchises have helped numerous businesses and individuals all over the USA and Canada, and have made a respectable name for the company. Their on-site services are some of most convenient, affordable, and swiftest in the industry.

MSPWorld is at the Austin Convention Center, Austin Texas, from October 3rd to 5th. The purpose of the event is to provide analysis and discussion of the most urgent channel and end-user issues MSPs face.

When you first start your PC consulting business, you will probably be glad for any paid work you can generate, even if some of it consists of very small jobs from home users or small one-person businesses.

People do not want to deal with gray, faceless businesses. They want to deal with a person. This means that when you start your own computer repair business, make sure that you brand it properly and inject plenty of personality into it.

The Fusion-io VAR program has a clear purpose: To help VARs and MSPs integrate the company's products into the data center servers of OEM partners. These partners include Supermicro, Dell, IBM, and HP.

When marketing consulting services, it’s very important to know your end-goals so you can plan your campaigns around reaching those goals.

You’ve got your IT startup going and a few clients engaged. If you’re thinking you’ll get around to organizing your “books” (bookkeeping) later, think again.

Never thought you would find yourself in technology sales jobs and feel a bit out of your depth?

SP Home Run Weekly Update Newsletter

August 22, 2012

If you own a VAR, MSP, IT consultancy, or PC repair shop, there are a lot of different ways to design a computer repair service agreement program.

As a Microsoft Partner UK company, a technology provider can gain a commercial edge. This advantage can help meet the demands of the UK market for Microsoft products and services.

Will Windows 8 rekindle the market for PCs? How much will it help the IT channel to recover revenue and profits?

When you’re wondering how to start a consulting business from home, successful entrepreneurs will advise you to formalize an office. Make sure you have a space where you can separate your business from your home life. An article on the SCORE website provides some tips on setting up a home office, which we’ve adapted for a consulting business:

How much control do you have over the IT sales process that you face with prospective clients?

The Cloud4SMB Expo is a cloud computing event that focuses on the needs and expectations of SMBs. Many of the delegates include technology providers who work with small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and who wish to keep up with the latest cloud computing developments.

Once you have been providing technical support contracts for a while, you begin to hear a standard set of complaints that customers typically have about IT companies. Often, these complaints are in reference to the service of a previous support provider who you have been brought in to replace. (For details, see How to Win a Computer Consulting Contract from a Competitor.)

When you start marketing IT services for your new business, it is unlikely that you have a large budget. So how can you successfully implement IT lead generation strategies on a limited budget?

Even if it’s not always what they want to hear, IT resellers need to get honest opinions back from their customers about how well they have been served. The problem, apart from motivation, is often one of time and resources. The ASCII Group offers a solution to its IT reseller members with a service for conducting live calls to gauge customer satisfaction, going beyond web-based surveys.

Often, the owner of a small, value added reseller (VAR) has some tough choices to make when it comes to deciding which platforms to invest in and which brands to represent.

The Siemens IT channel partner program has a specific goal: To promote PLM software solutions for SMBs around the world.

When you start an IT consulting firm, be receptive to receiving feedback.

A CMIT Solutions franchise provides its owners the advantage of the patch management services niche. As malware discovers new ambushes in innocent application programs, the need to beef up software security is more vital than ever.

Hyper-local marketing is a recent buzzword.

SP Home Run Weekly Update Newsletter

August 15, 2012

Is Your Computer Service Flyer Confusing Your Audience?
So, you've decided to start a marketing campaign that includes computer service flyers. Have you thought through WHAT you are asking your audience to do? Many flyers fall flat because they are confusing and ask the reader to do too many things.
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MSP Marketing Starts by Managing Your Marketing Mouth
Do you understand what customers want in terms of managed services? Have you organized your company to provide those services? But MSP marketing also includes communicating the happy state of affairs back to your market. If you want to come across as credible and coherent, you'll need to manage your "marketing mouth."
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7 IT Sales Secrets for Attracting High-Lifetime-Value Clients (White Paper)
Close more IT sales faster with seven simple steps (pages 3-5). Learn how to dramatically boost your closing rate while improving your company's cash flow at the same time (pages 5-6). Find out how to virtually eliminate credit risks that can interfere with your IT sales compensation (pages 8-10). Discover five key steps for closing more recurring revenue IT sales faster and with higher margins (pages 12-14).
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How Computer Support Services Can Sell Against "Best Buy for Business" (Screencast)
Locally-owned computer support services face a variety of competitors; some of which are easy to beat at their own game. Others, such as national competitors, are more challenging. For many, the nationally-owned competitor is one of the more feared battles. Learn how to sell against "Best Buy for Business" with seven points that should come in quite handy the next time a prospective client asks, "Why should I hire your tiny little company when I can contract with Best Buy for Business?"
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4 Technology Sales Pain Points When Focusing on the Cloud
"Stop spending money and use the Cloud!" was the rallying cry from Business Box during its seminar at Business 2012. Your technology sales could achieve a massive boost by adopting this IT sales strategy.
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Running a Technical Support Agreement? How to Deal with Problem Users
If you work on the basis of a technical support agreement with your clients, you are likely to have encountered "problem users" on some of your sites. It's wise to have a strategy to deal with these problem users, who can become an unfair drain on the time that you allocate. Here are a few ideas.
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5 Steps a Small Business Computer Consultant Must Take To Compete
The small business consulting sector is very different than the corporate world. As a small business computer consultant, you need to think carefully about what your service offering is going to be. When you first start up your new IT business, it is easy to overlook pinning down the fine details of what you are going to offer. Here are five steps that you should include in order to ensure that you position yourself optimally.
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Starting a Computer Repair Business - Do You Need an Office? Pros/Cons
If you are starting a computer repair business, you need to decide whether to operate your company from a dedicated office premises or from home.
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Information Security Forum (ISF) Gets On the Case of Slow Movers in IT
Lagging behind in software updates leads to security holes and added costs. That's the message from the Information Security Forum (ISF).
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D&H Distributing Company Helps Resellers Tackle the BYOD Issue
Companies are being confronted with an increasing demand for employees to be able to use their own computing devices, instead of what their employers offer. This is a problem and potential IT channel opportunity that D&H Distributing Company has heard loud and clear.
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• IT Lead Generation on a Small Budget

When planning IT services marketing campaigns for a startup, especially a VAR or MSP, the first inclination is often to start with the popular cookie-cutter shortcuts:

When setting your IT consulting rates, are you charging too little? If you work too cheap, you’re simply setting yourself up for failure. 

End-user companies are being confronted with an increasing demand for employees to be able to use their own computing devices, instead of what their employers offer. This is a problem and potential IT channel opportunity that D&H Distributing Company has heard loud and clear.

Dreamforce '12 is set to provide a host of opportunities for MSPs to learn the latest developments in cloud computing. The event also intends to show how social enterprises are changing the business world. This could be particularly useful for any IT service provider who wants to enter the social enterprise market.

If you are going through IT certification training, it’s important to get as much out of the courses as possible.  This will give you the best chance of gaining the accreditation you desire.

System builders and computer resellers take note. The Microsoft OEM Partner channel on YouTube can help you get up-to-speed fast on pre-installing various Microsoft Windows operating systems and related software applications on the systems that you assemble.

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) exists to help put better IT data storage solutions in place. But what can the SNIA do to assist in the deeper issue of which data should be stored in the first place?

The small business consulting sector is very different than the corporate world. As a new small business computer consultant, you need to think carefully about what your service offering is going to be.

If you are starting a computer repair business, you need to decide whether to operate your company from a dedicated office premises or from home.

Are you itching to start a computer repair business, but not sure you have the entrepreneurial chops? An article on Entrepreneur.com provides some tips from Bruce Judson, the author of Go it alone! The secret to building a successful business on your own. Judson now offers his advice online at GoItAloneActionPlan.com.

Locally-owned computer support services face a variety of competitors; some of which are easy to beat at their own game. Others, such as national competitors, are more challenging to surpass. For many, the nationally-owned competitor is one of the more feared battles. This is especially when prospective clients are non-technical small business owners that are smitten over a nationally-recognized brand, and have relatively little experience in purchasing outsourced computer support services.

“Stop spending money and use the Cloud!” was the rallying cry from Business Box during its seminar at Business 2012. Your technology sales could achieve a massive boost by adopting this IT sales strategy.

If you work on the basis of a technical support agreement with your clients, you are likely to have encountered “problem users” on some of your sites. These users always seem to have a problem with their PCs while everyone else’s works fine. These are the users who will send a print job to the printer ten times before looking to see if the paper has jammed.

MSP marketing means understanding what customers want in terms of managed services, and organizing your company to provide those services.

SP Home Run Weekly Update Newsletter
August 8, 2012

5 Tips for Positioning Your Computer Repair Marketing
The computer repair market is a mature and saturated one. You need to think carefully about how you are going to position your computer repair marketing in order to compete. Learn five tips that will help you in marketing your IT services effectively in a tough market.
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3 Technology Marketing Tips for Communicating on a More Personal Level (Screencast)
What, get personal about building a technology products or services supply business? Absolutely! Find out three suggestions for your written technology marketing communications.
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Top 10 IT Marketing Strategies for Consistently Attracting New Business Clients to Your Small IT Business (White Paper)
Need more clients? Find out eight very low-cost ways to draw in new business. Uncover four little-known secrets for locating the most highly qualified prospective clients. Learn how you can consistently attract more high-paying clients. Discover five easy-to-apply tips for marketing high-margin, small business computer consulting services.
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You may think that your computer consulting firm is too small for a risk management plan, but think again.

So, you’ve decided to start a marketing campaign that includes computer service flyers. Have you thought through what you are asking your audience to do?

A $3 billion industry, video conferencing is one of the most promising computer franchise opportunities available today.  With only a few big players and bottomless demand, video conferencing is an ideal niche for small and medium franchises to explore.

The Asus Partner Program promotes products such as PCs, notebooks, displays, tablets, and motherboards.

At the 2012 European Vendor Summit in Barcelona, Spain, in June, GTDC CEO Tim Curran forecasted that partnerships will now be the priority for technology distributors. This assessment from the Global Technology Distribution Council builds on a number of observations. This includes the move towards cloud solutions, as well as the need for distributors to supply multi-vendor solutions and unified invoicing, with credit management and global channel reach.

If you’re a network design consultant, you might be finding it difficult to build your business’s reputation. It’s likely that it is not because of your lack of knowledge or skills, but because network design is not well understood by the public.

All-inclusive IT consultant rates may be preferred by clients. While these types of rates may be easier to manage for your company, they may limit your profitability. The tips below will help you understand the differences between all-inclusive rates and charging for your expenses independently. This will help you make the best choices for your company.

ITEXPO West comes to the Austin Convention Center (Austin, Texas) from October 2nd to 5th. Billed as the world's largest communications and technology event, the conference promises a program of product launches and insights.

Lagging behind in software updates leads to security holes and added costs. That’s the message from Michael de Crespigny, CEO of the Information Security Forum (ISF).

It can be difficult to fit in everything that you need to do as an IT business owner. One of the first things that we eliminate from our schedules when we’re busy is training.

Prospective customers may find all-inclusive IT support contracts a tempting proposition. By suggesting an all-inclusive monthly price, you allow them to budget effectively. This may make your support proposal more attractive than one from a competitor.

A good software reseller program can boost profits for VARs, system builders, and IT consultants. With this in mind, the PC Tools program is worth a look.

What, get personal about building a technology products or services supply business? Absolutely! Moreover, fostering positive personal relationships as part of your technology marketing may be the one thing that allows you to beat rivals who offer the same products and services, allows you to lower your prices, or both.

The computer repair market is a mature and saturated one. You need to think carefully about how you are going to position your computer repair marketing in order to compete.

Sometimes, when considering IT business ideas, it’s good to go right back to basics and think about some of ways that people make money in the industry. This article suggests five simple and popular IT business ideas to help you evaluate what kind of work is right for you.

6 Computer Repair Flyer Template Ideas for Versatile Campaigns (Screencast)
Following up on the recent article on how to design your computer repair flyers for maximum impact, we've assembled a collection of versatile ideas, easily adaptable to a computer repair flyer template, to help inspire your campaigns.
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IT Services Company Nails Anti-Marketing Hype Website Copy
In the course of a month, I typically see hundreds of different IT services company websites. The sites pretty much run the gamut--all different shapes, sizes, levels of marketing sophistication, and degrees of uniqueness.
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VAR Marketing and the Importance of a Beachhead at the Start
Starting or extending a business is often a moment of great temptation in VAR marketing. With all the opportunities available, it's difficult not to want to chase all of them. However, certain IT marketing principles need to be observed. One of these principles is the need to first establish a strong beachhead for a business start-up or expansion to succeed beyond the short-term.
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From June 11th to 13th in Boston, the Dell Storage Forum promoted Dell products and redefined the way people think about data centers.