If your business is in need of computer consulting services, you may not have a clue where to begin when looking for the right computer consulting firm.  These interviewing tools from Computer Consulting 101 can help you find the right person for your company.

Computer Consulting 101:  Prevention

As a small business owner, you need to prevent yourself from hiring computer consulting professionals that will be difficult to work with.  If you discover problems at the beginning of the relationship, you can avoid having an issue later.

Computer Consulting 101:  The First Questions to Ask of Potential Candidates

Hiring a computer consulting firm to work with a small business can present legal issues (consult with your attorney, please!) and all the issues that come with hiring a contractor rather than an employee on the payroll.  Ask the following questions to help you weed out the viable candidates:

1.    Do you want part time or full-time computer consulting?

a.    “Do you have a day job?”

b.    “Are you moonlighting as a computer consultant?”

2.    Do you want a solo practitioner or a true computer consulting business?

a.    “Who are the ‘we’?  Are there other people working at your computer consulting company?”

b.    “Are the other people working at your company employees or contractors?  What are their names, specialties and their backgrounds, and how long have they worked with the computer consulting company?  Will they be working with this particular account?”

3.
    Do you want a small business or large company computer consulting firm?
a.    “What size is your normal consulting client?”

b.    “How many PCs and employees does your typical client have, and what is its annual revenue?”

4.    Do you want a generalist or a specialist computer consulting company?

a.    “What industries or vertical markets do you work with, and what types of software applications are typically your forte?”

b.    “What sorts of products, services and platforms do you not feel comfortable working with, and do you work with any specialty hardware, software or services vendors?”

Computer Consulting 101 Bottom Line Hiring Tips

This first set of tips from Computer Consulting 101 can get you through the first round of hiring a computer consulting firm to help your business.  As you go through the interviewing process, you will find more detailed questions to ask to get the right person to work with your small business.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg