Small Biz Tech Talk ™

In March, Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) announced the new Mobile Unified Communications Channel, which will be sponsored by D2 Technologies as the newest channel program for Technology Marketing.  This program will promote and monitor mobile convergence software as it evolves.  

The program is still in development, but includes a patent-pending interface with the company’s VoIP software platform that will help solution providers deliver better mobile solutions.   

Technology Marketing Corporation is known for its resource-rich channel programs and has more than 70 channels on various topics from mobile technology to IT services.

For more detailed information on this developing Technology Marketing story, please visit the attached link.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has become increasingly important in the business community in the past decade.  Many consultants, systems integrators and value added resellers have decided to bring this product to their clients.  The following three tips can help those working with Small Business Server.

Tip #1:  Most Small Businesses Don’t Know about Small Business Server

There might be hundreds or thousands of small businesses in your area that could benefit from Small Business Server.  However, you can’t assume that non-technical small business owners will understand what it is.  

If you want to make the most of your computer consulting profits, you need to lead off with a non-product-based offer with prospects such as elimination of viruses, anti-SPAM plans and other security issues.  

Tip #2:  Sell Small Business Prospects on Your Company

Using Small Business Server to gain revenue is not about reselling the software.  To make money, you need to sell the relationship you will make with a small business.  You need to focus on becoming a company’s outsourced IT department.  

There is no small business owner that will decide suddenly he needs Small Business Server, but there will be those that will lose sleep worrying about their computer systems.  Once you develop relationships, you will have a chance to sell software.  

Tip # 3:  Microsoft Does Not Always Think about Computer Consultants

Microsoft Small Business Server was developed in 1996 and released in 1997.  The original code name for the product was “SAM” because it was supposed to be sold at Sam’s Club warehouse clubs and entirely bypass the consultant channel.  

The original creators of the product wanted to make it so simple that small businesses would not need the help of computer consultants to get it up and running.  

However, after the first version shipped, Microsoft decided that the most cost-effective way to get to small businesses with it was to sell it through resellers.

Still, today you will find 5-user versions of Small Business Server in retail stores.  Microsoft is not betting on consultants selling the product any more than it is betting on warehouses selling it.  So you should not put all your eggs in the Microsoft basket.  You need to sell small businesses on YOUR company first.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

On Friday, California-based vendor Firesky Media Corp. made an important announcement for solution providers; it has a new business plan that will concentrate on electronics hardware and computer components.  The company expects to target small-to medium-sized solution providers and VARs.  Initially, it will change its name, adopt a new management team and a new board of directors to start its change.  The hope is that this under-served segment of the industry – and particularly solution providers working in this sector – will gain new resources that will help make business more efficient.

Currently, Firesky is based in Irvine, California.  As part of its restructuring to be more geared towards solution providers for small- and medium-sized businesses, it has stopped all prior real estate and media activities.  It is in the process of reorganization and will continue to provide updates to solution providers periodically as changes are made.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

You need to make sure computer consulting clients, friends and families know how you define your business.  Do they know the type of companies you work with, the things you do and how much you appreciate referrals?  If not, they need to know!

If you ask the right kind of questions, you can often be surprised when your computer consulting contacts start talking about a possible $10,000 or $15,000 services opportunity because they suddenly thought of something based on what you said.  

An Example of What You Might Hear

“There is a woman in Accounting that is typing in the same data over and overf again.  Is there a way to set up links in Access that would cut short this process?”  This, among many other stories you may hear is a great chance for computer consulting services.  

Use Open-Ended Questions

You want to use questions that are open ended to get your computer consulting customers talking to you in earnest.  For example, instead of “Are we doing a good job?” (a yes or no question) you can ask …

1.    How are we doing?
2.    With what else can we help you?
3.    What do you like about the support we provide?
4.    How could we improve?

You can take the information you get from computer consulting customers to suggest new ways to work together that will benefit your relationships.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Computer business IBM announced recently that it would be expanding its partner program to include new tools and incentives to help with resource sharing and help foster best practices.

The SOA Business Partner program began in June of 2005 and was designed to help connect consultants, systems integrators and resellers into a computer business community.  The professionals are able to share SOA tools and resources and have grown into a community of 4,200 members.   
IBM’s SOA Business Partner program was set up in June 2005 to bring together consultants, systems integrators and resellers into a tight-knit community by giving them shared access to SOA tools and resources.  In the past 2 years, the computer business has expanded its usable Web resources to 4,600.

The computer business added the user interface of the Web 2.0 collaboration and other tools.  As part of its computer program it now offers customer ratings and reviews in order to help offer partners and sales reps better exposure.  

Also part of the computer business’ new partner program is its WebSphere Knowledge Center which boasts that it offers a single location for all SOA tools and strategies.  It offers Webcasts, Podcasts and demos courtesy of IBM.

As part of its expansion, the computer business has also decided to partner with some organizations to offer “localized SOA events.”  The workshops will be one day in length and be held under the idea of “Impact Comes to You” at more than 65 global locations.

For more information on this computer business story, visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

In order to find the best clients for your small business computer consulting firm, you need to be basing your search on the number of PCs they have and their annual revenue.  Your ideal clients will have 10-50 PCs and make between $1 million and $10 million in annual revenue; these numbers are what define the sweet spot of small business computer consulting.  (If you are outside of the U.S., you can convert the dollar amounts to your currency to determine your ideal clients.)

Be Careful with the High End of the Sweet Spot

When you start dealing with small business computer consulting targets with more than 50 PCs or more than $10 million in annual sales, you will typically find real IT people on payroll and thus competition for your services.  Your client will start to add up services invoices and figure out if they can do a cheaper job in house.    

Your Small Business Computer Consulting Clients Should Have Real Servers

The sweet spot will be big enough to have “real,” dedicated servers.  If businesses need a real server, they will need lots of professional services to manage it and will likely not be able to handle this management without the help of an outsourced IT department.  

Find Companies with Multiple Locations

Sometimes a sweet spot small business computer consulting client will only have one location.  But other times, it will have a main office and some other offices.  Branch offices give your small business computer consulting firm additional opportunities for support because they will need the ability to share data in real time and increase communication between offices.

The Main Idea about the Sweet Spot

Qualify your small business computer consulting clients carefully to find out if they fit the criteria for the sweet spot, and pave the way to increased opportunities for your firm.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

The skills of one IT consultant are often very different from the skills of other IT consultants.  But a successful IT consultant typically has the following traits.

IT Consultant:  Management Skills

In your first year of business, you will most likely have to hire some subcontractors before you hire employees.  You will have to make hiring decisions and even firing decisions.  Therefore, as an IT consultant you need to be decisive and swift.   

IT Consultant:  Diplomacy

As a successful IT consultant, you should be able to teach technology to computer phobic individuals in a way that is not at all condescending.  If you are accustomed to working with highly skilled users, you have to also learn to put that aside and have patience.  Your job is to do what it best for your client and your own business.  If you are worried about this with certain clients, you may choose to walk away.

IT Consultant:  Empathy

You should be able to empathize with your client and know what he/she is going through so you can offer a good solution.  Listen and understand a client’s issues so you can help calm him/her.  This calming process will be necessary for you as an IT consultant often before you even think about providing treatment for the symptoms or working on the problem.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Despite recent layoffs by computer business players Lenovo and IBM, the companies keep hiring employees.  However, many seeking employment are finding the process of getting hired difficult.

Computer business IBM worked together with Lenovo two years ago to revamp its personal computer business and both also signed an agreement that stated they would not take each other’s workers during the start-up phase.  While that agreement ended on May 1, 2007, reportedly the two companies are still following it.  

Both computer businesses state they will try to not recruit each other’s employees for positions.  This means they will not specifically seek out employees from the other company without first looking at other candidates for open positions.  According to Lenovo spokespeople, this means current employees of IBM will not get preferential treatment during the hiring process.

According to computer business experts, no-pirating agreements are fairly standard.  IBM and Lenovo signed the agreement in 2005 in order to protect Lenovo’s $1.25 billion investment in the computer business.  One of the assets purchased was the skill and expertise of employees at the IBM PC division.  These employees crossed over to the new company, but employees currently trying to cross over find themselves up against a brick wall and an agreement that seems to be designed for the benefit of the employers rather than any current or future employees.    

For more information on this computer business story about Lenovo and IBM, visit the attached link.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

With helpful tools and resources about IT marketing and sales strategies, administrative techniques, critical service contract templates and other legal documents necessary for starting an IT services business the Computer Consulting Kit has been chosen by many in the IT industry as a map to growth.  

The Computer Consulting Kit stresses the importance of relationships in the IT industry.  An IT consulting firm is first and foremost about selling services, not commodities.  This means the foundation of any successful consulting company is relationships with clients, subcontractors and business people within the community.

The Computer Consulting Kit and William Patterson of Applied Data Systems

William Patterson owns Applied Data Systems, a San Antonio, Texas-based IT consulting firm that offers computer-related services to those in his area.  Like many consultants just starting out, William found reaching out to others in the face of perceived risk a challenge at first.  The Computer Consulting Kit helped him organize his business plan and gave him strategies that allowed him to take on a leadership role within his community.  With the help of the Computer Consulting Kit he was able to proceed with confidence to establish valuable relationships and communicate the strength of the solutions he provides.

 
William said, “I learned to work with other contractors and to act as a lead contractor as well as a subcontractor.”

He also added that he was able to better manage his relationships and move forward.

“I am learning to partner and coordinate relationships.    The Computer Consulting Kit gave me confidence to move in the right direction and advice on how to approach and cooperate with other contractors in my field without being intimidated.  I feel I understand the benefits of partnering even when it seems that it is a risk.  The Computer Consulting Kit helped me earn $10,000 in additional revenue.”

The Bottom Line About the Computer Consulting Kit and Building Relationships

The Computer Consulting Kit provides a framework for business owners like William Patterson that want to build stronger relationships with clients, community partners and subcontractors.  Join the many IT professionals that are using the Computer Consulting Kit as a resource to build a better, more lucrative business.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

The Computer Consulting Kit is helping those in the IT services industry accomplish great things by giving them helpful tools and templates to create the best IT marketing and sales strategies, time management systems and provide the best solutions for clients.  

One of the most valuable tools the Computer Consulting Kit provides is information about how to attain clients that will engage in long-term relationships with a firm and help build consistent revenue and a mutually beneficial partnership that will sustain the small business and the computer consulting business for the long haul.

The Computer Consulting Kit and Douglas Clause of HR Data Com

Douglas Clause is an IT professional in Chesapeake, Virginia with his own consulting business, HR Data Com.  He has used the Computer Consulting Kit to establish a strong spot in an industry niche and secure the ideal clients to fit the solutions he is so good at providing.

Last year, Douglas said he was able to “merge with a local cabling/phone system company, so now I can do anything a Small Business would need to have done.”

“I have put many of the things I learned from the Computer Consulting Kit to use and have earned clients and won quotes that I would not of without the knowledge heard here.  It told me the type of clients I should be after (Sweet Spot Clients!) and how to earn them and helped me get $15,000 in additional revenue.”

The Bottom Line About the Computer Consulting Kit

Join business owners and consultants like Douglas Clause that have integrated the lessons presented by the Computer Consulting Kit to strengthen revenue streams and establish high quality relationships with high paying clients and community members.  

To get the same edge as those using the Computer Consulting Kit, visit the provided link that also offers free tips and tools for IT professionals.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

PC Tools, a software vendor specializing in security solutions recently created a global web portal for value added resellers to ease the process of purchasing products on the Internet.

Troy Vertigan, the vice president for the new value added resellers global business stated that the new portal will be automated so that the resellers can experience real-time purchases and get registration codes instantly emailed to them.

Value added resellers can place orders in their offices or at a customer’s site and download the software from the website as well as register the full version with the ordered license.  

PC Tools features security tools that fight against spyware and malware and presents two types of software licenses – single and multi-user.  Value added resellers can buy individual activation codes and also get access to the latest software, PC Tools CheckUp that can help detect computer issues.

The software creates a report that easily displays the problems.  PC Tools was excited to create a closer connection with value added resellers, computer retailers and repair shops.  The goal of the company’s latest initiative is to get 5,000 value added resellers involved world-wide in the coming year.

Value added resellers that sign up in February for the new portal will get five free Spyware Doctor activation codes.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

The Computer Consulting Kit provides IT professionals with important tools they can use to get the most out of their businesses and plan for a successful future.  While obviously general best business practices are integral to running the finer points of any business, what makes an IT consulting business uniquely “IT” is its connection to technology.  Many have used the technological tips in the Computer Consulting Kit to help them integrate technology into their own business and the businesses of their clients.

The Computer Consulting Kit:  Timothy Rogers and PC Services and Consulting, LLC

Timothy Rogers is an IT consultant based in Milford, Connecticut.  With the help of the Computer Consulting Kit he has been able to fully use technology to make his daily business operations more efficient than ever before and also use his knowledge of technology to better serve the sophisticated needs of his clients.

By learning how to work with local partners that provide high-end technology solutions to fill in the gaps of his service, Timothy has been able to diversify his offerings and increase his client base.  He continues to use the ideas in the Computer Consulting Kit to fine-tune his business practices and expand the breadth of the solutions his company, PC Services and Consulting, LLC delivers.

Timothy Rogers’ Thoughts on Partnering with Technology Providers and the Computer Consulting Kit

Timothy Rogers recently shared how he was able to partner with technology providers to grow his business.

“My biggest accomplishment last year was integrating high-speed scanning, faxing and document archiving for a high-volume title-searching company.  This involved integrating a Windows SBS 2003 server, Windows 2003 server, Document Archiving server and an enterprise fax server.  From one interface, the customer is now able to retrieve a document and print, fax or email it to customers.  Since all the company’s customers are attorneys, there is a lot of pressure to ensure maximum uptime.

This was an exciting project and hit on many of the key areas in the Computer Consulting Kit, like working with local technology providers … I am looking forward to applying the techniques [of the Computer Consulting Kit] to leverage my experience into more business.”

The Bottom Line About the Computer Consulting Kit and Technology Partnering

Timothy and many other IT consultants have used the ideas in the Computer Consulting Kit about using technology to improve service offerings and boost business.  In just a few months, putting the concepts in the Computer Consulting Kit to work can provide measurable results.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Hewlett-Packard is preparing to start a national ad campaign that will feature the work of value added resellers in the small business community.  The campaign will start on January 16 and feature ads in the Wall Street Journal.  It will focus on products within the HP Personal Systems Group, including workstations, notebooks, desktops and other products.  The theme will be personalized computers for businesses and ways that value added resellers can help create this type of environment for small businesses.

The main line of the advertisement will be “What can be more direct than face to face?”  HP hopes that the ad will prompt prospective clients to contact value added resellers within their communities to help them with IT needs.  The intention of the new advertising campaign is to stress the importance of face-to-face service of value added resellers versus buying products over the phone.  This concept targets rival Dell with its phone-based sales and customer support and service tendencies.

Value added resellers are excited about the new campaign because it acknowledges their support of HP over the years and honors a healthy relationship between solution providers and the computer company.

HP will increase the visibility of the ad campaign in February by posting ads in local business publications across the United States.  The ad campaign will eventually feature specific value added resellers with contact information.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Computer business Apple recently filed its financial reports last minute on the heels of a problem with backdating stock options.  The computer business stated it was charged $84 million for misdating its options, some of which had been appropriated to the head of Apple Steve Jobs.

Apple insists there was nothing underhanded about the mistake, but has admitted that, like many other computer businesses, has some stock options with changed dates awarded to executives.  This type of change has the potential of making stock options more profitable when they are cashed in, particularly if the date offered a lower price.

There have been over 150 computer businesses accused of backdating that are currently being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Computer business Apple has been cooperative by providing the SEC and the Department of Justice with the details of its own internal investigations.  

Computer business Apple also reported results for the year ending in September 2006.  The report showed that the company experienced a 39% increase in sales.  Mac laptops experienced a 43% sales increase and iPods 69% sales increase, which were the two main forces in the increase in sales.  Profits were up 50%.

When the computer business filed on December 29, spokespeople stated confidence that the company has fixed problems with its stock options.  Similarly, the company reiterated its faith in Steve Jobs and the senior management team of Apple.  The filing confirmed findings of an October internal investigation that was set up by a special committee; there was no wrongdoing on the part of current computer business management.  However, 15 stock option awards between 1997 and 2002 do reveal grant dates that come before the approval of the grants.  The investigation conducted by the computer business, while clearing top executives did uncover some potential issues with two former unnamed executives.

The cause of the problem with computer business Apple and its stock options remains unclear, but the incident affected Apple’s share price for the day following the announcement.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Recently computer business Hewlett-Packard finished its $4.5 billion acquisition of Mercury and got rid of the Mercury brand.  It announced that it will leave behind its OpenView systems and network management brand.

Tom Hogan, senior vice president of computer business HP Software told Computer Business Review that the Mercury and OpenView brands will be phased out slowly, with OpenView going even more slowly than Mercury.

The OpenView group of products was first released in 1988 by the computer business, and the first available products were network management tools meant to compete with IBM’s NetView network manager. OpenView now has grown to include asset management, business service management, configuration management, IT service management and operations management.

The departure of Mercury was not surprising to those in the computer industry, but that of OpenView is a bit more of a shock.  Computer business HP intends to call the new two-business combination HP Software, although it will use Mercury’s name for its marketing department, which was Business Technology Optimization (BTO).

HP will keep some of Mercury’s names for products, including its LoadRunner testing brand, though some will combine names from the two companies.  Hogan stated that the company doesn’t intend to announce any detailed product information until January in order to preserve Mercury’s business at the end of the year.

Although computer business HP is getting rid of the OpenView brand name, core systems and network management technologies associated with the brand will not be left behind.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

IT audits are a smart idea, particularly for business with just a few PCs that probably don’t have the right licenses and protection.  You need to jump on this type of customer and make an offer that will get them to say, “Yes” to IT audits.

Look at your current customers and decide which ones are good candidates for IT audits.  The number of PCs the customers have, generally more than five, put them in a good position for IT audits.

Check for UPSs, data line protection, real surge protectors and antivirus software licenses.  These customers should also have active and valid subscription for the licenses to keep antivirus and firewall protection current.  You want to figure out if everything is updated, what is being done with routers, firewalls, network adjust translations and other protective items.

Be Prepared to Motivate Customers

In order to increase the desire for IT audits talk to your customers while they are in the store.  You can also do an outbound telemarketing campaign, include a flyer with invoices or do a mailing of a letter, postcard or brochure.

Don’t forget to use current events when trying to sell IT audits.  If viruses, power outages or anything else is in the news, use these disasters to entice customers.  You need to show urgency when offering IT audits.

Give customers the impression that IT audits are discounted and give this discount a deadline.  If you discount from $350 to $199 and say you’re doing it because of high demand, limit it to the first 25 customers.

How you market your IT audits will determine whether you can get customers to agree to them.  Let customers know they are urgently needed and scarce.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

The first time you meet with IT sales prospects, you need them to discuss their top three problems.  Sometimes your prospects’ problems will not be what you expect or the problems you or your partners can help solve.  If you discover this reality, you need to move onto the next client.

The number one goal is to get prospects talking.

IT SALES:  WHAT ARE YOUR PROSPECTS’ PREFERENCES?

What have your prospects liked about past IT support they’ve received?  The answers to this question can give you an idea of the type of support they need now.

The first IT sales meeting will also be a time to figure out if the prospect has an emergency that needs immediate attention or if he/she is looking for an IT audit, site survey or technology assessment.

Sometimes prospects will want something different from what you are expecting; the need will not be an emergency, and they will not need a tech assessment, However, most of the time they will need those things.

THE NEXT STEP IN IT SALES

Moving prospects from free to fee – from brain-picking to writing a check for IT sales – involves discovering their major issues.  You need to have something ready to offer in an IT sales meeting, such as a proposal that takes care of their important needs.  You can even bring blank forms with you so you can be ready for prospects to sign on immediately.  

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

IT consulting firm i3Solutions announced last Friday it would be spinning off a software company, Octant in order to specifically handle its Proposal Management software package.  The software from the Sterling, VA-based IT consulting firm is called Enterprise Proposal Management Suite and helps those looking to develop proposals and manage business opportunities.  Octant will of course be using the support of i3Solutions and its channel partners to fully get off the ground.

IT consulting firm i3Solutions specializes in strategic consulting, development of applicaitons, integration of systems and also graphic design and has been in business since 1997.  The company released its original software, Proposal Generator and Proposal Management System in 2003 and decided to create Octant in response to a growing demand for its products within the business community.  

The new software company will help change ideas about what IT consulting can do for customers and how products manufacturers and IT consulting companies can work together to bring total solutions to businesses.  

i3Solutions will work on marketing, development and many other elements of the newly-formed Octant.  The goal, according to the CEO of the new company Scot Johnson, is to build a reputation for being the best provider of enterprise proposal management software.

Because proposal management is necessary for almost all businesses, Johnson states that Octant will be able to get a good foot into the market and further the success of IT consulting services.  The software developed by i3Solutions and Octant is based on the need for quicker communications between customers and businesses.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Almost every business today could use the expertise of a computer consulting firm.  The following tips can help even the most technologically-challenged business owners make the right choice when hiring someone to handle IT needs.  

Many small businesses don’t know how to handle impossible computer consulting firms, which they end up hiring because they don’t know what to look for in the first place.  Uncovering potential issues can help you avoid issues in the future and lead to a healthy relationship with a good provider.  Ask basic questions to get started interviewing potential computer consulting support.

1.    Are you part-time or full time?  Find out of the computer consulting firm has a day job or if the person is a moonlighter.  

2.    Are you a solo practitioner or do you run a true computer consulting business?  If the consultant keeps referring to “we,” ask about the other people at the company.  Are they employees or contractors?  What are their names and in what do they specialize?  How long have they been working with the computer consulting firm, and will they be involved in this specific account?

3.    What is the size of your typical consulting client?  Ask the prospective computer consulting firm how big its typical client is in terms of PCs, employees and annual revenue.  

4.    Are you a generalist or a specialist?  Ask about industries and vertical markets along with specific software applications and other aspects.  Also ask if there are certain products and services that the company avoids, or if the company is tied to specific hardware, software or services vendors.

These questions can get you started in the process of looking for a computer consulting firm to suit your business.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Business Lenovo and computer business IBM decided to recall 500,000 ThinkPad notebook batteries from the Sony Corporation last Thursday.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported the decision had been made after fire reports from popular “ThinkPad” computers.  Batteries that are part of the computer business recall are 168,500 U.S. packs sold in the U.S. and an additional 357,500 batteries internationally.   

This announcement comes as a reaction to a fire on September 16 that broke out at LAX in Los Angeles when a “ThinkPad” T43 notebook got too hot and began to smoke and spark.  Experts state that lithium-ion batters can overheat dangerously and potentially cause fires.  Computer business Lenovo spokesperson Ray Gorman stated that while there have not been injuries, there is the potential for damage to the computer and accessories and in the future even to users.  

Sony’s batteries have caused concern and recalls already with computer business Dell, that recalled 4.1 million laptop batteries in August and Apple Computer, that recalled 1.8 million Sony batteries.  Toshiba also followed suit and recalled 340,000 notebook batteries made by Sony in September, not due to overheating but due to power storage and transmission issues.  Other companies, such as Matsushita, the umbrella company for Panasonic recalled 6,000 notebook batteries for overheating, but these batteries were not manufactured by Sony.  

Computer business Lenovo acquired the ThinkPad line of notebooks when IBM sold the originally Chinese-based company its PC business in December 2004.  The recalled lithium-ion batteries were sold separately or with the following computers:  the T Series; the R Series; the X Series.  

Notebooks affected were sold between February 2005 and September 2006.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit