Small Biz Tech Talk ™

If you are a computer consultant starting your own business, there are some tips you should follow to make sure you are building a stable business that will last long term.

Know How to Bill, Know What You Should Charge

If you don’t know how to bill and the specific rates you should be charging, you will end up losing a lot of money as a computer consultant.  If you don’t set billing and pricing up right from the beginning, prospects will not comprehend or believe in your value.  A computer consultant that sets up low rates and does not have structured billing procedures is declaring that he/she is an amateur.  If you bring low-paying clients into your fold early on, you may find yourself starting all over from scratch later.  

The Importance of IT Audits

If you can do IT audits right as a computer consultant, they can really benefit your business.  You will get paid to write proposals and do needs assessment.  If you can’t do these tasks, you will end up doing a great deal of exploring without getting paid.  The ability to do IT audits means you can get paid for initial consultations.  

Local Partnerships

Partnerships are necessary to grow your business as a computer consultant.  They will bring you great clients, and not having them will probably mean you lose clients to local competitors.

Go Beyond Client Expectations

If you want to get paid a lot as a small business computer consultant, your clients are going to expect great things from you.  Your clients will have a different idea of what is perfect than you will.  Thus, you need to figure out how to exceed their expectations and meet their greatest needs.  

Utilization Rates and Profitability

As a computer consultant, you must make the most of your work week as possible, which means more billable hours.  Eliminate the draining non-revenue-generating tasks and activities.  Deliver small business computer consultant services to build your stable business and get clients that will last a lifetime.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

In computer business news, Ericsson recently announced it would be increasing its workforce two-fold at its Cyberjaya location.  By the time 2007 ends, the company hopes to have 300 employees, an expansion designed to respond to increased telecommunications business particularly in the Asia Pacific region.  

According to computer business experts and Ericsson spokespeople, governments in the Asia Pacific region have begun to increase connectivity to the population.  Operators similarly are investing in both basic connectivity of Ericsson devices as well as in more complex services.  

Because Ericsson is a globally established company, its hub at Cyberjaya needs to be increased in order to expand its Asia Pacific presence.  Most particularly, computer business spokespeople state that its network consulting capabilities will expand to include network design, project management and increased customer support.  

Ericsson spokespeople state that because there has been a remarkable growth of the services market, the company needs more Malaysian employees knowledgeable about the Asia Pacific region and 10% recruited from countries abroad.

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

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Formal programs for partnering can range in quality from good to bad.  Most people these days don’t choose formal partnering programs to get the same benefits that would have enticed them a decade ago.

The Benefits of Formal Partnering Programs:

1.    High Margins;

2.    Dedicated partner representatives;

3.    Toll free support, unlimited;

4.    Four percent MDFs;

5.    Market development funds;

6.    30-day money-back guarantees;

7.    No quotas;

8.    No stocking of inventory.

But if your plan is to offer a traditional service model, partnering formally isn’t that great a deal.  

The Best Formal Partnering Programs

VARBusiness, an important industry magazine conducts surveys and studies on the most valuable partner programs and rates them by vendor satisfaction with tech support, sales support, margins, business opportunities, small business clients, etc.  VARBusiness is a great resource for those looking to learn about partnering programs.  

You will read about big partnering programs such as the Microsoft Certified Partner program and IBM Business Partner.  But you will also learn about lesser-known programs ad what you can count on when you sign up.  Trends are moving towards advertising your own company and not the partnering programs to which you belong or the brands you represent.  

Will You Benefit from Formal Partnering Programs?

Before you make the decision to invest time and funds in partnering programs, think about your own solutions and services and how you plan to work with customers and clients.  Partnering programs will be a financial and time investment, and you need to make sure the programs you choose will help both you and your clients.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Solution provider Passlogix was recently named one of the select few “Emerging Tech Dynamos” by the reputable CRN magazine.  The solution provider is the creator of the v-Go® Sign-On Platform ™ for enterprise.  Passlogix also was recognized for being one of the “50 Emerging Vendors Your Should Know” and also one of the “10 Emerging Security Vendors to Watch” in a review created by the magazine.  

These lists recognize solution providers and companies that are helping VARs and systems integrators by providing them with simplified, efficient technology that can help bring better profit margins for clients and customers.  

The complete “Emerging Tech Dynamos” list is available at a link provided in the referenced article on the CRN website.  

Solution provider Passlogix is excited about being part of CRN’s notable companies and believes it is developing a growing resource for resellers and those looking for high-quality security solutions.  Because the list was compiled by other solution providers, the company is particularly excited to know it is delivering what it is promising.  

The platform from Passlogix gets rid of the need for scripts and allows for easy integration with related systems such as identity provisioning and smart cards or other devices.  For more information on Passlogix and this latest reognition of the solution provider, visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

When it comes to small business computer consulting, $100 per hour is about the right rate and can make a huge difference in your business growth.  To see why, you can take the $100 per hour rate and multiply it by about 1,500 hours per year (which represents a 75% utilization rate or 75% of a 40-hour work week).  Your gross income will be $150,000 for your small business computer consulting.  

How to Manage Salary

When you have a small business computer consulting firm, you will take a third of your gross and use it for sales and marketing.  This means you can afford a $40,000 base salary for a sales account executive.  Of the one-third of your gross small business computer consulting income, $40,000 goes to base salary and $10,000 goes to marketing expenses.  

Another one-third will handle taxes, insurance and overhead items.  $50,000 will be left to pay technical staff salary.

How Do You Get Past $100 Per Hour?

If you are thinking about going beyond a $100 per hour rate for your small business computer consulting firm, you can hit the hourly billing rate ceiling.  If your clients are paying $110 to $125 per hour, you will be more able to afford the best, most qualified technical staff.

Higher Rates Mean a Different Business

If you want to charge beyond $100 per hour, you will need to go beyond sweet spot small business clients and start serving large small businesses, medium-sized businesses and enterprise accounts that will mean a new business model and new technical skills for your small business computer consulting firm.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

While the talk around town for computer business Apple has been its new iPhones, the company continues to do well with sales of its Mac computers.  This core part of its business will continue to be a strength for Apple and will protect the company against backlash if the iPhones do not perform as expected.  

Investors, focused on the computer business’ iPhones buzz on the whole overlooked the decline in sales of iPods last quarter.  Many also missed the fact that its core computer sales bolstered sales and kept Apple on top.

Because of the company’s announcement that iPhones would be coming out soon, investors have recently not been paying attention to the overall health of the company.  The iPhone brings with it many risks for the computer business.  Customers may not want to break current contracts and also the device could start out with some glitches that might not be worth the high price.  However, many are positive about the IPhone because Apple has continued to grow, with much thanks from its ever-improving computers year-to-year.  In fact, the Mac business has increased 36% from last year.  

Those investing in Apple stock will see Mac sales increase as the start of the school year approaches.  Similarly, the release of Adobe CS3 and Leopard in the fall will see more flocking towards the computer business.  Apple is expected to have long-term value in great part because of its ability to easily create and play digital video content.  

Mainstream users are starting to buy Macs to make dealing with iPods and the prevalence of Apple stores more convenient.  Apple is expected to use its diverse product line to create better distribution for video and music, and the iPhone will hopefully become another successful device for the computer business.  

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

If you stick around in the small business computer consulting industry for long enough, you’ll find freeloaders.  Regardless of what you choose to call them, these freeloaders can bring you financial and emotional turmoil that can destroy any small business computer consulting firm.  How can you protect yourself?

The Source of the Problem

Figuring out how to handle unrealistic expectations of professional consulting services starts with figuring out the source of the freeloader issue.  

Your job as a small business computer consulting professional is convincing prospects that hiring your firm is an investment rather than an expense.  You need to stress the tangible, measurable and unquestionable benefits of the solutions your small business computer consulting firm will bring and how they outweigh the costs of your services.

The Easy Prediction Tool for Small Business Computer Consulting

Because you are selling specialized services, your sales pitch is going to be different from sales pitches your competitors deliver.  A good way to avoid computer consulting freeloaders is to look for small business decision makers used to paying for other professional services, such as accounting services, legal services, PR services and others.  This kind of small business will already be willing to invest in $100 + per hour services, and your propositions will not be new.  

Work Smart

Your sales staff will use time more efficiently if it goes after qualified leads and prospects.  An unqualified lead will need to be talked into buying your services and will most likely not even understand why he/she needs them in the first place.  In your area, there will probably be hundreds, if not thousands of prospects and leads that will have real small business computer consulting needs and are used to paying for professional services.

The Bottom Line About Freeloaders

You shouldn’t waste time on those that don’t understand the concept of paying top dollar for professional services.  Focus on small businesses that are used to paying for professional services and increase your chance at small business computer consulting success.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

If you stick around in the small business computer consulting industry for long enough, you’ll find freeloaders.  Regardless of what you choose to call them, these freeloaders can bring you financial and emotional turmoil that can destroy any small business computer consulting firm.  How can you protect yourself?

The Source of the Problem

Figuring out how to handle unrealistic expectations of professional consulting services starts with figuring out the source of the freeloader issue.  

Your job as a small business computer consulting professional is convincing prospects that hiring your firm is an investment rather than an expense.  You need to stress the tangible, measurable and unquestionable benefits of the solutions your small business computer consulting firm will bring and how they outweigh the costs of your services.

The Easy Prediction Tool for Small Business Computer Consulting

Because you are selling specialized services, your sales pitch is going to be different from sales pitches your competitors deliver.  A good way to avoid computer consulting freeloaders is to look for small business decision makers used to paying for other professional services, such as accounting services, legal services, PR services and others.  This kind of small business will already be willing to invest in $100 + per hour services, and your propositions will not be new.  

Work Smart

Your sales staff will use time more efficiently if it goes after qualified leads and prospects.  An unqualified lead will need to be talked into buying your services and will most likely not even understand why he/she needs them in the first place.  In your area, there will probably be hundreds, if not thousands of prospects and leads that will have real small business computer consulting needs and are used to paying for professional services.

The Bottom Line About Freeloaders

You shouldn’t waste time on those that don’t understand the concept of paying top dollar for professional services.  Focus on small businesses that are used to paying for professional services and increase your chance at small business computer consulting success.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Computer business F-Secure recently announced it had updated its products – F-Secure-Internet Security 2007 ad F-Secure Anti-Virus 2007 – to accommodate Windows Vista users.  This new support has been in testing for the past few months and available in beta-versions.

The new computer business’ products offer new features, but still offer users of F-Secure products a familiar user environment.  Several thousand beta testers used the new products on their home computers.  

The new computer business product that handles the latest Windows software was ranked to be excellent among those that tested it in terms of reliability, performance and overall quality.  According to industry experts, security is even more important today than it ever has been before.  There is a great need in the industry for products that are highly intelligent and have automated protection.  F-Secure products have the most frequent virus signature updates available and include F-Secure Deep-Guard.  This computer business product is a technology that can detect and stop questionable activity on computers.  

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

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit