Small business development is what you need to concentrate on when you first start out as an IT consultant.  There are a myriad of things that can get you off track, but, if you watch out for them, you will be able to remain focused on small business development.

Here is a list of the most common ways small business development gets derailed:

  • Avoid spending too much time on technology training.  You’re probably six to 18 months ahead of what small businesses in your area need. They’re not early adopters, they’re late adopters. Put your small business development needs ahead of your need to feel like you’re keeping up.
  • Avoid spending too much time reading technology magazines.  If you’re like most new consultants you probably spend hours a month in this reading black hole. Take all this time and apply it to your small business development instead.
  • Avoid channel programs.  Do not get seduced by an aggressive sales person twisting your arm to join a channel program. Don’t get seduced by tech gadgets that don’t fill an immediate need with your paying clients. When you spend money on these things it takes away precious resources needed for small business development.
  • Avoid “freebie mooching sessions” disguised as sales calls. Make sure when you go on a sales call that you are not there for endless hours of brain-picking that leads nowhere. You need to know exactly which kinds of prospects to focus on at all times. This will drive your qualification process and will help you with your long term small business development.
  • Network smart.  You need to know what kind of prospects you should be talking to at networking events.  Find out what they do, what their company is like, do they have and use computers, and how many computers they have.  These are the four key questions that will determine, very quickly, whether you’re talking to someone who’s got a future or whether you’re completely wasting your time.

Bottom Line on Small Business Development
The basic rule when starting out in IT consulting is this:  Remember that you are not in the technology business. Yes you are an IT tech firm but in the early stages of your business, you are in the client acquisition business.  Do not allow other activities or time wasters distract you from your small business development goals.

In this article, you’ve been introduced to Small Business Development. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about Small Business Development, 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.