Small Biz Tech Talk ™

As an IT specialist, you need to get information on clients’ industries as well as on your own.  You can learn about client problems by reading industry publications, going to conferences and joining organizations to become a true IT specialist.

Gathering information about your target client audience involves successful marketing, which can be started by getting information about your niche.

IT Specialists:  Look at What Your Niche Clients Do

If you want to get at your niche clients, you need to figure out the business issues that affect decision makers in the small businesses with which you will be working.  Subscribe to industry publications, e-mail newsletters and other industry publications that you know people within the niche will read.  For example, if you’re working with medical offices you can target medical economics, financial management strategies and Medical Group Management Association publications.

There are also other resources if you’re not in the U.S.  But you need to start reading the publications so you understand what concerns medical office managers, drives their decisions, hurts their businesses and what their biggest issues are so you can be an IT specialist for their specific field.

What Solutions Can You Give to Clients?

How are small medical offices using technology to change their businesses and be more efficient?  Whichever industry for which you work as an IT specialist, you need to understand the grand trends.  As an IT specialist, your prospects will need you to be the expert so you will need to know these issues inside and out.

An IT Specialist:  A Virtual CIO

If you act as an IT specialist and a virtual CIO, when you go to meet prospects you will not be just a consulting firm selling commodities; you’ll be an IT specialist selling services.  You can analyze specific business needs, make recommendations, create long-term planning strategies and combine these elements to get things done on time and on a budget.

IT Specialist:  Don’t Be a Commodity

As an IT specialist, you’re not just a tech person.  You need to understand the business of your prospect, and your prospects need to know they’re not going to have to train your firm.  You will make it clear that you have worked with other offices their size and that you are the right firm for the job.  They will want to sign with you because of the services you offer.

IT Specialist:  Read Your Clients’ Trade Publications

As an IT specialist you’re not only keeping up with technological trends, but you’re also reading consumer magazines that give you information on business issues that affect your niche.  You can become an IT specialist by paying attention to general interest publications like PC Magazine or CRN or attending conferences.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

IT consulting firm Level 3 Communications recently acquired content-delivery firm Savvis putting it in the position to benefit from Microsoft’s steadily expanding Internet search and video business.  Savvis’ content-delivery network helps 100 customers, with Microsoft being the largest customers and the one with the most resources.

IT consulting experts state that this will be a great move for Level 3 because it will tap them directly into the resources Microsoft offers.  Currently major providers for Microsoft’s Internet business include Savvis, Akamai and Hewlett-Packard.

According to Microsoft spokesperson Arne Josefberg, as Microsoft grows its online services business, strengthening the network infrastructure will become more and more important in order to better serve customers, partners and advertisers.  Because IT consulting firm Level 3 already runs a huge Internet services segment through its fiber-optic network, its addition to the family will be welcome.

This $135 million acquisition was announced Tuesday and will be finished within the first quarter of 2007.  The acquisition of IT consulting firm Savvis will include network components, customer contracts and all intellectual property.  CDN, the Savvis content-delivery network had sales of $15 million for the nine months ending September 30.  The CDN components will allow Level 3 to better take advantage of rich media applications including video, Web 2.0 applications, multiplayer online gaming, software and others via the Internet.

IT consulting firm Level 3 will bring great experience in online video distribution to the table and make its relationship with Microsoft stronger than it was previously because it will get closer to the heart of the company.

IT consulting firm Savvis will spend $200 million creating four new data centers for the managed hosting and collocation services in Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C. and Santa Clara, CA.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101

A majority of successful computer consultants working with small businesses act as virtual IT departments for their customers and clients. Offering virtual IT to customers allows for steadier business that benefits consultants and customers.

Virtual IT:  A Definition

Virtual IT means that you become your clients’ IT department instead of just selling products and services.  As a virtual IT specialist, you spend your time selecting and designing networks, solving business problems and deciding how technology will be applied to bring resources together into one package.  You become a part-time IT manager or virtual CIO.

Virtual IT is a great way to offer a technical services program for small businesses to help them get what they need without the expense of a full-time IT staff.  

How is Virtual IT Provided for Clients?

In order to provide the best virtual IT you have to be aware of the typical solutions for small businesses.  As an example, you can figure out what typical types of services you can sell to existing clients and future clients and what other opportunities are out there.

Growing Relationships with Virtual IT

Add value to all types of customers and clients, from new to existing and everything in between.  You need to go beyond selling the initial network installation, getting it installed and stepping out in hopes everything will work properly.  

You can’t wait for your customers to call you; instead, you have to offer virtual IT regularly to help you and your clients stop emergencies before they happen.  Virtual IT will help make your business more profitable and make for less stress and more trust in the long run.  

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Solution providers are currently being sought to participate in an IT director for small businesses.  Founders of the new directory are specifically seeking solution providers that are resellers and integrators. 

The guide, www.biztechguide.com.au is made to help small businesses get a handle on technology and provide them with better access to solution providers that can help them.  The site is set to launch on January 29, and to encourage solution providers to participate, a free sign-up is being offered from January 8 through January 26.

The manager of the Business Technology Guide, Mark Norris is responsible for its development and stated his goal with the new guide was to help ease the process for small businesses of finding solution providers and to help educate them about ways technology can improve their situation and grow their businesses. 

The site will consist of 20 categories, including servers, networking, office and remote connectivity, wireless and mobile computing and security.  So far, there are 80 technology categories for solution providers to choose.

Features of the site include a locator tool that allows small businesses to look for local solution providers along with access to the IT guide newsletter.

This free listing can help solution providers specific a specialization and refine target markets, including small business, government and education.  Norris stated solution providers would get access to information about multiple categories.  An enhanced listing can be purchased by solution providers for $150 annually.

The goal of this guide is to sign up 4,000 resellers and solution providers before it launches.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Many times when looking through newspapers and magazines or even junk mail you might stumble upon an expensive-looking advertisement as part of an IT marketing plan for another company like yours and wonder, “How can I market my business without spending big money?”  

What you need to remember is, just because an ad is expensive-looking doesn’t mean it’s an effective IT marketing plan.

IT Marketing Requires Good Positioning

Many times you will see an ad for IT marketing that is beautifully done and obviously incredibly expensive, but it will be horribly placed in the publication and its message is all wrong.  The following IT marketing mistakes are often made by professionals when creating ads for their businesses:

1.    The ad fails to offer unique benefits in its headline.  What can you offer that no one else can?  What will appeal to your target audience?  If you don’t get at this succinctly and clearly with a good headline, you will not get the right kind of attention or any attention at all; you’re wasting your money.

2.    The ad mentions pricing.  Mentioning a low price or a bargain price will simply attract customers looking for the lowest price rather than the best services.  They will most likely view you as a commodity rather than a valuable resource.

Classic IT Marketing Mistakes:

1.    Your IT marketing plan has no target.  You may be trying to go after seven million local small businesses, but it is still seven million local small businesses, and that’s too many!  Sometimes not having a target as part of an IT marketing campaign will even attract those that are not small businesses and you will find yourself going to retrieve a stuck AOL disk out of someone’s hard drive or repair a $79 desk jet printer.  

2.    Your IT marketing strategy mentions price, and one that is not even sustainable for the long term.  You have to set your price high enough so you can survive, yet low enough so it seems reasonable for the types of small businesses that will be able to pay you for support.

3.    Your IT marketing strategy illuminates no original services.  You have to find something that will help you be unique, and this will mean narrowing focus and specialization.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Enterprise management software provider Deltek announced a new partner program for IT consultants that would use both domestic and international distributors within the Deltek Partner Program and target SMBs in architectural, engineering, management fields.  The SMB market within these industries would give Deltek and IT consultants the opportunity to work together with approximately 350,000 domestic firms.  

How Will the New Program for IT Consultants Work?

Deltek partners currently enjoy working with SMB’s with a rich partner program, but the new program will enable both new and existing partners access to training, sales support and technology, competitive reseller discounts, marketing support through lead generation activities and development and a legacy install base of thousands of new accounts.

IT consultants are hopeful that the new program will help existing and future Deltek partners enjoy enhanced business benefits.  It will give them tools to win new business, including lead sharing, focused products for the most valuable markets and training.  This program will hopefully help set partners apart from their competitors within their respective industries.

The program will also help 11,000-customer Deltek increase its presence with IT consultants all over the world.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101

Any computer consulting business is dependent upon sweet spot clients.  Those that don’t want to entrust their computer support needs to volunteers or friends will rely on computer consulting professionals.  But where can you find sweet spot clients – those willing to spend $1,000 to $2,000 per month on outsourced computer consulting services?

Evaluating Computer Consulting Sweet Spot Clients

You need to evaluate each client and ask some questions.  Is the computer consulting client big enough to need a real server, real firewall and real backup solution?  Does the client need to focus on security, power protection, virus protection and other types of support?  Does the client need a real professional computer consulting expert for IT needs such as network support and LAN-WAN support?

Sweet Spot Computer Consulting Clients Can’t Afford Volunteers
 
The customers you’re looking for will not be able to work with only friends, family members and volunteers when working on fulfilling IT needs.  As their company grows, they will also need more than a moonlighter because they will have more PCs and more revenue at risk if something breaks.  These are the type of clients you want for your computer consulting business.

Computer Consulting:  Who Can Pay?

Small businesses to target in the sweet spot are those that can afford to spend $1,000 or even $2,000 per month on computer consulting support.  For this amount, they will get the following items from you:  an on-site visit a couple half-days per month; phone calls for emergency support; remote IT support.  You will become an outsourced IT solution and get calls about a variety of IT-related items.

The Profile of a Sweet Spot Computer Consulting Client

A sweet spot computer consulting client will have more than a peer-to-peer network and be large enough for downtime to be incredibly expensive and painful.  These type of clients will be ready to employ your services as a computer consulting professional.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Massachusetts-based Network integrator PeerApp provides Internet service providers the tools to manage peer-to-peer networks and recently joined the Broadband Services Forum (BSF) to join other major technology leaders that include Juniper Networks and Microsoft.

Network integrator PeerApp’s first product offering as part of BSF is the UltraBand 2000, a product designed to help ISP’s reduce Internet traffic and help with network efficiency.  ISPs have issues typically with bandwidth charges, particularly as subscribers start using P2P for entertainment, news and programming that take up approximately 70% of all global Internet traffic.

The BSF chairman and director of platform and technology management at Telkom Austria said that he is excited to hear about the new partner PeerApp’s membership to the BSF.  He states that the BSF is the only place where all parts of the broadband value chain, including telcos and network integrators, technology and content providers can convene to talk about the future of the industry.  The addition of PeerApp brings a new and welcome perspective to the BSF.

Network integrator PeerApp will be able to collaborate on technology that will help ISP’s compete in the industry, particularly when it comes to the booming movie and TV program distribution market.  The ultimate goal of the BSF is to enrich the experience of Internet users.  The BSF will also work with network integrators like PeerApp to ensure that royalties and copyright fees are being satisfied and to legitimize the P2P process.     

The Broadband Services Forum offers leadership and direction for members of the broadband services market, addressing both business issues and technology in a way that defines and improves the way the Internet operates.

Network integrator PeerApp, Inc. is a top provider of P2P solutions.  The company develops and services technologies and products that can help improve speed and bandwidth consumed by traffic to make  network efficiency better.  

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg