Small Biz Tech Talk ™

Cisco Systems recently announced that as part of its UK division, it would be appointing the managed services marketing firm Information Arts to manage some of its its data planning.

Managed services marketing firm Information Arts will work alongside Harte Hanks, a company already working with Cisco at dealing with prospect data management and its call center.  This will be the first time these two companies have worked in conjunction to provide managed services marketing to an organization.   

CIO of Information Arts stated that he is happy to be providing its trademark data-driven solutions to Cisco and translating them into business solutions.  A data strategy manager will work at Cisco’s offices to help with daily operations and what Harte Hanks Managed Services is already doing.  

To learn more about this managed services marketing story, visit the attached link.

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Atlanta, Georgia-based firm Goldleaf Financial Solutions, Inc., offering technology services for financial institutions recently stated it was starting an enhanced marketing service that would give clients more efficient support and marketing ideas for their businesses.  Goldleaf has grown its new technology marketing products to serve global clients.

This new technology marketing program will help Goldleaf increase its service offerings and create marketing strategies that match each institution’s needs.  Goldleaf will also help create consistency across solutions by adding marketing that compliments the other IT services offered.  The new technology marketing program was designed to meet many different marketing initiatives executed by financial institutions.

The new technology marketing program will be called “Goldleaf’s Marketing Manager” and will be offered also as a Web-based portal with access to online marketing collateral and templates.

For more on this technology marketing program, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

In May, 2008 managed services marketing news, Nottingham-based UK firm Quantix enjoyed a new record – sales revenue of over £1.5 million after winning many new projects.  This managed services marketing success for the company shows its continued dramatic growth since its formation in 2002.

Each year, Quantix has enjoyed year-on-year increases in revenue and profits, earning them a spot as #87th in Lloyds Development Capital’s Hot 100 growth report.  The managed services firm focuses on Oracle Support, SQL Server Support and Security Managed Services.  The value of its contract base has expanded to nearly £5 million, and its client retention rates have been great, which the experts attribute to its focus on innovation and investment in a consistent service delivery model.  

Quantix enjoys partnerships with Oracle, Microsoft and Juniper and offer remote, virtual IT support services based on low cost and high value.  

For more information about this burgeoning managed services marketing story, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

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

Recently, the Greenville, South Carolina-based managed services marketing firm ITG announced it had chosen PittStop Marketing to help run its marketing program.  

Adam Pittman, managing partner with PittStop Marketing expressed he is excited about the opportunity to work with the managed services marketing firm and hope to help with sales and marketing strategies as well as media and public relations efforts to help raise community awareness of the company.

Brian Irey, owner of ITG Networking stated that PittStop Marketing was chosen because of its logical approach and processes and track record for offering marketing consulting at a great value.

For more information about this managed services marketing story, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Massachusetts-based provider of market intelligence, advisory services and other resources for the IT world IDC announced recently it would be releasing new 2008 guidelines for managing technology marketing and sales costs.  “IDC’s Worldwide Sales, Marketing and Market Intelligence Taxonomy 2008:  Guidelines for Cost Control and Resource Allocations” is available as a report to all IDC clients free of charge. 

Many experts feel that the slowing economy is going to cause IT professionals to have to curb technology marketing and sales costs.  IDC stresses that the best idea is for these companies to figure out how to more efficiently allocate resources. 

The new guide helps with resource planning, budgeting and cost control and can act as a resource for sales, technology marketing and finance executives that want to improve their fiscal management strategies.  The 2008 version of this regular publication is completely revised and expanded and has new definitions and tools based on market research over the past six years by IDC in collaboration with other IT industry leaders.

For more information on this technology marketing story, visit the attached link. 

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

During its recent TechSelect Partner Conference in Las Vegas, Tech Data Corporation announced some new managed services marketing initiatives.  Tech Data expanded its partnership with Advanced Technology Services (ATS) in order to provide more managed services to its VARs with access to the iTWatch™ Managed Services.  Now resellers can partner with ATS to use technicians that will perform installation of solutions, maintenance and repair services.  

In regards to managed services marketing, Tech Data stated it will offer VARs:

1.    Monitoring Services;

2.    Maintenance Services;

3.    Security Services;

4.    Support Services;

5.    Reporting Capabilities;

6.    Other Advanced Services.

Tech Data has been doing managed services marketing for several years, and has been in business since 1974.  The company currently works with over 100,000 customers globally in 100 different countries.  For more information on this story, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Part of your computer consulting marketing plan should be to track and measure your strategies.  You need to track your responses and how many of them turned into sales.

What types of inquiries resulted from your different marketing vehicles?  For example, if you hold a seminar, track how many registrants came from your Chamber flyer, how many were from a small newspaper ad you had and how many were the result of outbound telemarketing you did yourself?

Measuring Your Computer Consulting Responses

1.    Send respondents to a specific URL so you can see how many went to your Web site.

2.    Ask clients where they heard of you when you talk to them on the phone.

3.    Have clients call a specific phone number to make requests.

4.    Use different response vehicles with each different marketing vehicle.  As an example, if you send out postcards, offer a reduced price on an IT audit and a free seminar with your newspaper ad.

Real Numbers with Computer Consulting Marketing

As an example, you might mail out 1,000 postcards to 1,000 law offices in your area attached to an offer for a seminar, a free report or a free needs analysis.  How many resulted in an inquiry?

You got almost a two percent response on inquiry (a fantastic response rate), at 1.7 percent and out of the 17 inquiries, one turned into a nicely-sized account and one turned into a one-shot deal.  Your results for that mailing would be 17 inquiries of the 1,000 mailed that turned into $19,500 in the first year.  Even if you have it printed and professionally-designed and copy-written with postage you made a $500-$700 investment that turned into a one-shot deal that mostly covered the cost of the mailing and one huge account that paid for the mailing … and then some!  

The main idea is to put time and effort into tracking and measuring your computer consulting marketing results.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Computer business Apple has come out with a lot of innovative products in the past few years, most notably its Time Machine application.  But the company now seems to be thinking about going virtual.

Computer business experts got word of this potential move when the US Patent & Trademark Office published the fact that Apple recently filed a patent called “Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere.  The outline suggested a 3-D retail space that would provide many of Apple’s many offerings, including books, music and electronics.  

While some feel this is a sign that computer business Apple WILL go virtual, others are stating that this would not make sense given the company’s success with its retail stores offline and online.  Many experts feel that a move to the virtual would have happened years ago when other companies such as IBM and Reuters went virtual.  

The computer business’ patent outline also revealed an image depicting some segments of the virtual shop that showed all departments in separate areas, which does not seem consistent with Apple’s past reputation.

This is not computer business Apple’s first attempt to go virtual.  eWorld provided Mac users with a way to perform many tasks, such as reading news and managing e-mail.  However, the idea didn’t stick.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Leading company Enterprise Solution Providers, Inc. (ESP) recently announced a new partnership.  The leading solution providers in the financial services industry will team with Business Control Solutions Group plc , a consultancy services and operational control software firm.   

This partnership will mean that ESP will offer the Business Control Solutions financial control software “BCS Integrity” to financial services organizations in the United States.

According to the solution providers, BCS Integrity helps with financial control and cost reduction because it manages and standardizes account processes.  It has enhanced security features that will help keep accounts secure and can help with audits and month-end reporting.  ESP is taking advantage of this opportunity to bring this much needed solution for the first time to the U.S.

Spokespeople for ESP Solution Providers state that this new partnership will help them gain a greater client base and provide more solutions to new clients.  Because financial operations continue to get more complicated, this very secure solution is in high demand.  

BCS Integrity was released in February of this year and is in the process of being sent to many different financial institutions.

For more information on this story about solution providers, see the attached link.

Submitted By:  Joshua Feinberg

The truth is, most small business prospects, customers and clients in computer consulting will not understand the meaning of IT certifications or the difference between different levels of certification.

The Meaning of IT Certifications to Clients

If you introduce a prospect or client to someone that has an entry-level certification and then send someone in the next week that has an advanced certification like an MCSE, your client will most likely not appreciate the difference.  Your clients also won’t want to pay really high rates for senior levels of IT certification.

In the eyes of most sweet spot small businesses, senior-level IT certifications won’t matter; most of their projects will not be incredibly technical, and those that are can typically be subcontracted to other specialists.    

What Is the Technology Curve?

Sweet spot small businesses don’t usually keep up with the latest in technology, so you don’t have to keep up with cutting-edge IT certifications and skills.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

How do you find your sweet spot computer repair business prospects among your leads?  The first sign is their annual sales.  You need to look at businesses with at least a seven-figure annual sales volume with 10-25 employees. What are some other criteria to help you find clients for your computer repair business?

Computer Repair Business:  Good and Bad Signs

Some industries are more focused on IT than others.  There are good signs and bad signs when it comes to a business hiring you, and as you go along you will figure out whether a business is going to be up for spending $1,000-$2,000 for computer consulting services.

What is a good sign?  If you go to meet with a prospect and find out the prospect is already working with another computer repair business in your community but is dissatisfied.  If the prospect is dissatisfied and looking for someone else, that says that the company is willing to pay you or anyone else for sophisticated services.  

What is a bad sign?  If you go meet with a prospect and discover he/she is working with a moonlighter, friend or family member who helps out occasionally and gets paid in pizza or pats on the back.  Any price you quote this type of lead is going to seem high when the alternative is free.  

Sweet Spot Clients for Your Computer Repair Business Hang out Together

Sweet spot clients willing to spend $1,000-$2,000 per month on IT services will have relationships with trusted business advisors in the local community like accountants, attorneys and management consultants.  They may even be working with other niched tech providers, which works to your advantage when it comes time for referrals.  

When you can recognize favorable characteristics of prospects and clients for your computer repair business, you can find more prospects that can turn into great relationships.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Recently Microsoft announced it would be providing more assistance for small business solution providers in the form of new local business development managers.  As the company has re-envisioned its partner programs, it seems to be responding to some past complaints from the small business sector about its support and the structure of its programs not always being small-business friendly.    

IT consultants and other solution providers in the small business sector have expressed concern about Microsoft’s partner programs and about the fitness of Microsoft solutions to their unique business model, particularly in light of the new focus of the large company on its “Software as a Service” offerings.  Microsoft says it will put 10 new local business development managers across the United States to help solution providers enhance their services to small businesses.  The managers will assist with marketing support and demand generation and will also provide organized events for small business solution providers.  

Mark Crall, president of the Charlotte Tech Care Team, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist located in North Carolina is excited about having some of his fears quelled.  He thinks that this new initiative for solution providers shows that Microsoft is genuinely interested in the small business sector.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Have you ever received a very nice looking piece of junk mail or misdirected IT marketing collateral?  Chances are the person that created it spent a lot of money (upwards of $1,000).

IT Marketing and Bad Positioning

In order to avoid positioning problems with IT marketing, here are some tips for avoiding some of the major problems with a lot of ads.

As an example, I received an IT marketing ad in the mail with a headline that said, “Computer Repair, I Come to You.”  This particular benefit of making “house calls” is no longer really a benefit.  Yes, if you are doing retail, it can be nice … but, with B2B, people just don’t haul their 25-node LANs into a shop for work, so having someone that will come to them is pretty much expected.  

If you have a bad headline with IT marketing, you’ve just missed a chance to get someone’s attention that could be a potentially great client.  

Why Not Mention Price?

The ad in question next said, “Computer Repair A+ and Microsoft Certified Professional, Repairs, Upgrades, One-on-One Lessons and Tutoring.”  Again, none of this is unique in the computer business world.  But, the most disturbing part of the ad was the part in big letters that mentioned price:  “Don’t pay $40, $60 or $80 an hour for computer repair!  Call us!”  The price mentioned was $20 … which is really not even possible for anyone that wants to make any sort of a living in computer consulting (or be at all respected for the specialized services they provide).  

The Big IT Marketing Mistakes

1.     The IT marketing ad has no target.  The company is trying to go after about 7 million businesses.  The ad doesn’t even narrow its focus to the small business segment.  And the company is basically promising it will do everything from pulling out stuck disks to repairing a $79 printer.  

2.    The company is advertising price.  $20 is not a sustainable price for a computer consulting business.  Even at 75% utilization rate (which is unlikely given this IT marketing campaign), the company will not make it.

3.    The company is expressing nothing unique.  If you want to be successful at an IT marketing plan, you have to think about what makes you unique and narrow your focus and specialization.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

ING Australia recently announced that it would be improving its virtual IT support and also appointing new senior positions to its customer systems business unit.  This entity will bring together virtual IT, operations, e-business and customer service into one location.  

This step marks the first in a two-year transformation program that will help it build a more stable and secure virtual IT department and e-business capacity.  The new unit will be run by COO Fred Bertram, who will start his post on March 26.  Previously, he was managing director of ANZ’s operations, technology and shared services divisions in India.

Virtual IT expert and CIO Greg Booker will lead the customer systems technology group and will be responsible for ING Australia’s IT delivery and transformation initiatives.  Currently, Booker is the CIO at St. George Bank and has more than 20 years’ experience working with IT and in the virtual IT industry.  He will begin on April 21.  

Also appointed is Robert Liong, who will be the head of the e-business program.  Formerly, he was head of strategy and business architecture as well as corporate channels at the company Westpac.  His 16 years’ experience in strategy, transformation and various virtual IT-related business work will help him with this new challenge.

ING Australia was formed in 1994 and has headquarters in Sheffield as well as offices in London and Sydney.  For more information on further appointments to this new virtual IT plan, please visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

When you are thinking about how to start a computer consulting business, how do you decide whether or not to buy a franchise?  There are some strong pros and cons with franchises, and you need to carefully consider them.

Pros of How to Start a Computer Consulting Business as a Franchise

1.    You get the perks of being part of a larger company.

2.    You get a built-in peer support network.

3.    You get a lot of tools and resources.

4.    You get people to match problems.  

The Cons of a Franchise

There is an opposite side of the coin too when it comes to deciding how to start your computer consulting business and starting it as a franchise.  The biggest problem is that you have to make a pretty large capital investment in order to get going.  You will also be giving up a percentage of your revenue or profit every month as a royalty to the franchiser.  You will also have some restrictions on what you can and cannot do with your business.  

Computer Consulting is about Time More than Money

When you are figuring out how to start a computer consulting business, you have to think about the fact that just starting a non-franchise business or any business at all is a lot more of a time investment than a capital investment.  You might spend anywhere from three to six months (or even more!) developing your contact and prospect lists and getting enough projects in your sales funnel to get to a 50-60 percent utilization rate (20-24 billable hours weekly).  

Revenue?

When you decide how to start a computer consulting business, even when you are going to all your local networking events, on sales calls and really active in the process of starting, you will have to wait probably up to six months before you start to see significant cash flow.  If you want to get to a point where you can hire more staff members and sales people, the process might take years.  

You need capital in order to pay your business expenses.  Make sure to keep your overhead low so you don’t have unnecessary stress.  Think carefully when you decide how to start a computer consulting business for yourself and consider whether or not a franchise is really the best option.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

You need to know where to find sweet spot clients that will agree to maintenance support agreements.  This means you need to find clients that will spend $1,000 or $2,000 per month on IT services.  

Evaluate Each Client for Maintenance Support Agreements

Find out if each client is big enough to need a real server, a genuine firewall and backup solution and offsite or online backup.  You also need to figure out if they need to focus on security, power protection and virus protection.  Do they need a professional to give them on-going support for networks and LAN-WAN needs?

The sweet spot clients will need more than just volunteers or friends to handle their IT needs.  They will need to be on maintenance support agreements that help them keep up their productivity and get them more sophisticated solutions.  

Who is Able to Afford Maintenance Support Agreements?

When examining ideal clients, you will find small businesses that will have a budget that allows them to spend $1,000-$2,000 on IT support.  This means you will be there a few half days per month and will respond to phone calls for emergencies and remote support.

What Does a Sweet Spot Client that Can Afford Your Maintenance Support Agreements Resemble?

This type of client will not need very generic support or support for a P2P network.  They need to be big enough for downtime and data loss to be really expensive.  They will need your maintenance support agreements for peace of mind.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

You need to find  a niche if you want to be an IT specialist.  How can you figure out this niche?

The Horizontal Niche

With a horizontal niche as an IT specialist, your ideal clients are not in the same industry (which is a vertical niche) but they have contacts in the same position.  For example, you might discover most of your clients’ main contacts are office managers.  The next step once you discover this is to take an informal survey and ask what their biggest IT problems are along with their biggest business problems and try to be a solution to these problems.  

Asking these questions will help you retain these clients and also inform you of their biggest business and IT issues.  You will then be able to create a great sales pitch as an IT specialist and find other clients just like the ones you have that are great.  Look at magazines, mailing lists, organizations and conferences where you can find office managers.   

An IT Specialist Should Know Things about Prospects

You need to know who your prospects are, what they read, which trade publications are out there and related to them (and which ezines), which newsletters they get, which local/regional conferences they might already be attending, which trade groups have local chapters they belong to, where they hang out, what they talk about and what they worry about.

Talk to your best clients if you want to be a real IT specialist!

You’ve probably already created personal relationships already.  Take clients out to breakfast, lunch and tell them you want to be an IT specialist and ask questions so you know how to look for clients just like them.

Created By:  Joshua Feinberg

Testimonials are excellent IT marketing resources to help advance your consulting business.  

Give Yourself Credibility!

If you want to be believed and seen by prospects, you need to have believable, credible testimonials.  This means they need to be clearly REAL, marked by a client or customer’s first name, last name, job title, company name and MINIMALLY, a city and state to verify location.  These characteristics of testimonials show prospects that you are serious.

When you have real testimonials, people will be more likely to believe that you are offering good services.  Prospects (and anyone really) will believe third parties without a financial stake in your company more than they will believe your own IT marketing shtick.  

Qualities of Good Testimonials

You want benefits-focused testimonials placed on clients’ letterhead that talk about how your company has helped them.  You want to use very pointed examples that speak to return on investment, your reliability, dependability and what kind of response time you have.  You also want to show that you are there for emergencies, understand business needs and work well within a budget and with a concrete deadline.

How Do You Get IT Marketing Testimonials?

1.    Interview clients and help them with certain questions that take them exactly where you want to go.

2.    Draft suggested testimonials and email them, ask them to review them and approve.  Have clients put the finished product on their letterhead and send it along.     

3.    Take clients out to lunch or breakfast and conduct interviews.  Take notes and go back to your office to type up testimonials, email them and ask for a review to make sure the finished product reflects the conversation you had.  If clients are happy with the testimonials, they can put them on their letterhead and sign them so you can file it away for IT marketing purposes.  

The main idea is to make the process of giving you testimonials easy for clients so they will be very likely to give you what you need to boost your business.

Submitted By:  Joshua Feinberg

Recent studies related to small business computer consulting stated that worldwide, the CRM industry is going to double in the next six years.  Also, the adoption of this model will continue to rise.

The phenomenon of “CRM Market Fertility” measures the percent of companies that are using or planning to use CRM and has currently risen from 18 – 25% to 38%.  On-demand CRM in particular is tied in with small businesses and those involved in small business computer consulting as new developments are making it possible now for small businesses to afford and implement new, sophisticated solutions.

Small business computer consulting professionals have noted that CRM needs for their clients have become much more sophisticated over the years.  87% or SMBs are deciding to choose on-demand CRM solutions as opposed to alternatives.  

Those that work with enterprises primarily have been offering small businesses a very pared-down version of a CRM enterprise solution, which does not work to really solve the problems of these companies.  Small business computer consulting professionals have noted that SMBs have been typically overlooked by larger CRM providers, and as a result many consultants and small businesses have had to create a customized in-house CRM solution to meet needs or else go back to spreadsheets and applications to manage their relationships.

For more information on how CRM is developing to work with small businesses and how small business computer consulting firms are helping to deliver a new solution, please visit the attached link.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit