File formats are an area you can explore as an opportunity to provide valuable service to your clients.  Because most of your small business clients don’t have sophisticated in-house IT departments (if they have a dedicated IT person at all), many things related to technology can become a complete “mess” real fast.  

There are tremendous opportunities in helping your clients straighten out a variety of these “messes”. One opportunity, that’s particularly universal and fairly simple to tackle for you (as the objective, professional outsider), is standardizing software application file formats.

Standard File Formats Bridge the Gap

  • By standardizing on a common set of applications and file formats company wide, your clients can drive down their help desk costs – and free up their technology budget for projects that will generate a more rapid and meaningful ROI. Coincidentally for you, these high-level, more strategic projects also tend to be more profitable and more professionally gratifying.
  • In large companies, this very subject of standardizing file formats can stir up hours (even weeks or months) of heated internal debate. However, don’t overlook a huge benefit of advising small businesses: It’s a lot easier and quicker for your clients to make across-the-board changes, and much easier for your clients to keep everyone on the same page, figuratively and literally.
  • In many companies, it’s fairly common to find several different word processing and spreadsheet programs. It’s also highly likely your clients run at least two, possibly three or more, versions of Microsoft Office programs. Unlike Microsoft’s upgrade from Microsoft Office 95 to Microsoft Office 97, which introduced major changes to the underlying document file formats, the upgrades to Microsoft Office 2000 and Microsoft Office XP bring much more subtle, conservative changes.
Bottom Line on File Formats
Standardizing file formats is typically a very necessary operation for your sweet spot clients.  When they have standard file formats they can work more efficiently and save money doing it.  For you, issues with file formats present great opportunities to generate revenue.  

In this article, you’ve been introduced to File Formats. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about File Formats, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.