Small Business Computer Consulting

When you are selling your services to sweet spot small businesses, keep in mind most will not understand the difference between certain IT certifications because you will not be selling to a real IT manager.  

Who is Investing in Your Services?

In certain industries and with specific types of businesses, you might be selling to real IT managers.  However, typically you will be pitching to a non-technical small business owner and someone that understands his/her own business but will probably not understand IT certifications and other IT issues.  

Because you will be selling services to non-technical individuals, they will not understand the difference between a CNA or a CNE, or between an MCT and MCSE IT certification.  Your IT certifications will not be critical.  

Begin at the Bottom with IT Certifications

If you really want to get IT certifications because you feel that not having them is preventing progress, get one or two entry-level certifications and work towards those that are more advanced.  Just don’t get too wrapped up in IT certifications, or you might lose potential clients.  

The Main Idea About IT Certifications

If you have already started your business but are not networking, following up or going out on sales calls, chances are you are missing a lot of potential business.  Don’t spend money on classes if you have no billable hours and nothing to back it up business development-wise.  Set your priorities before going after IT certifications to get the most out of your business.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Expertise with IT support comes in many levels.  What expertise does your IT support business need, and what skills do both you and your employees need to succeed?

Experts at Every Level

You will find experts at all different levels of IT support.  For example, in a big-enterprise IT company, you will find help desk technicians alongside senior systems managers and the CIO.  You will find a lot of different levels in between, but ideally each will be an expert within his/her own specialty.  

Your IT support contractors will also be different.  You will have some technicians that can deal with simple tasks like hard drive installation or a LAN adapter installation.  You will also have some people that can install simple P2P networks or dedicated servers.  You might also have an expert able to work with server-class firewalls or able to set up VPNs and other sophisticated technologies.  

People Skills are Critical

The most successful people in IT support are strong technically or strong in their skills working with people and selling.  Consultants great at both aspects are pretty rare.  

However, the best technicians and systems engineers have great people skills that will help them during a big project, such as installing a 10 – 25-node network.  When vendor products from many different companies are involved, a lot can go wrong.  Project management, therefore along with administrative management and account management skills are critical components of IT support.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Computer business IBM’s partner Jeskell, Inc. announced on Thursday it would be appointing Steve Rogers Vice President of Professional Services, a brand new position for the company.  Rogers will be providing IT consulting and managed IT services to government, commercial and educational institutions throughout the United States.

Rogers has more than 20 years experience in the computer business with IT services.  He has worked with IBM, Chevron and as a VAR and independent consultant.  He was recently IT director for PDL BioPharma and also worked at Pocket Real Estate, a handheld mobile and wireless solutions provider for the real estate industry.

Jeskell, Inc. spokespeople say the computer business will be strengthened by Rogers’ IT consulting experience.  They hope he will be able to expand the operations of the company and help strengthen its partnership with computer business IBM.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

IT project management will likely become a common aspect of your computer consulting business.  In order to be effective at IT project management there are some things you need to know about the role and the responsibilities.

As your client’s virtual CIO, responsible for IT project management, you have the ultimate responsibility for delivering the completed project on-time and on-budget. But there are always things that can go wrong, which of course is part of the reason that you get paid the “big bucks”. This is also why excellent IT project management skills are critical to your business success.

IT Project Management Facts

• Projects live and die based on the execution of simple administrative details. You can’t get so involved in the actual IT work that you forget about the more mundane aspects of IT project management.

• Smooth upgrades don’t just happen by accident. Major system changes require several weeks, in some cases even months, of advanced planning and meticulous attention to dozens of interrelated details.

• Sweet spot clients will look to their computer consultant to step up to the plate for their IT project management needs.  

• No matter how many times you meet with your small business clients before a major installation or upgrade, a few “oh, by the ways” are bound to come up during the project. Efficient, assertive IT project management skills will help you respond to these unplanned changes as mere speed-bumps, while still delivering on-time and on, or under-budget.

• Regardless of whether you’re managing an upgrade to a new version of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, a contact management program, an accounting application or even a new fleet of notebook computers, system upgrades rarely go as smooth as you’d like.

• Seasoned small business computer consultants, in the role of virtual CIO and responsible for IT project management, learn to spot and address potential problems before they evolve into major catastrophes.

Bottom Line on IT Project Management
As a computer consultant you need to have superb skills in IT project management.  This type of work will become very common for you as you add more and more long-term, sweet-spot clients.  Be aware of, and learn about, the issues related to IT project management and deliver stellar service all the time.  

In this article, you’ve been introduced to IT Project Management. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about IT Project Management, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business. 

Scheduling properly and tracking all of your time can help you increase your billable hours. With many IT professionals, learning this is a long and tedious process of trial and error. Read how one of our computer consultants was able to turn a profit in his first quarter as an IT professional.

"I achieved a net profit of over $11,000 in my first quarter; and that was after everything was paid (bills, salary etc.) The Computer Consulting Kit was fundamental in my ability to market my skills and bill for them. Without the Computer Consulting Kit, I would have spent months trying different techniques to obtain more billable hours, with the failures that would have inevitably followed those attempts. The Computer Consulting Kit immediately made me look like a seasoned business owner in the I.T. consulting market."

Mike Sims, Simtech Data Services
Hesperia, California

The Bottom Line about Project Management

To learn more about technology assessments, click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.

To help you and your clients get started on the right track with handheld devices, here are some simple tips to help you find your clients’ the right PDA to avoid frustrating tech support headaches.

Purchase Handheld Devices Wisely

Be very cautious when considering brand-new, unproven handheld device models.  Major design and software bugs are usually fixed in the first three to six months following the initial release. Unless you and your clients are prepared for the risks and demands of being an early adopter, let "someone" else endure these all-too-common headaches.

Get software, peripherals and accessories bundled with your handheld device purchase.  This shopping approach will not only save you money and installation time, but you’ll also dramatically reduce the compatibility risks.

Know What You Are Getting Into

Pay attention to vendor support offerings for handheld devices.  Technical support and warrantees are not created equal! This is almost a mantra of personal technology adoption: who you buy something from is often as important (or even more important) than what you buy.

Make sure the handheld device is compatible with the desired operating system.  If your clients’ offices are wedded to a particular version of Microsoft Windows or another OS, be sure your PDA can sync up its data with their desktop or notebook PCs.

The Bottom Line about Handheld Devices

Lastly, insist on a PDA that is "well connected".  USB interfaces tend to be the easiest to configure and troubleshoot, while providing the best performance.  Avoid older, legacy serial interfaces whenever possible.

In this article, you’ve learned about the handheld device. To learn more about the handheld device click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business

When you streamline and standardize procedures, you and your customers will both benefit. Read on to see what one of our computer consultants did to more quickly implement project management processes in his business that allowed him time to focus on his clients. 

"We developed a Client Care department to follow up on ALL activities we engage our clients on. This includes follow up calls for services (client satisfaction), quotes and response times, creating end user documentation and videos, new product installation, training, follow up and general strategic IT planning initiatives with our clients. The framework out of the box allowed us to take the time we would have invested in creating the content ourselves and refocus on our clients."

Curtis Hicks, Center for Computer Resources
Oak Park, Michigan

The Bottom Line about Project Management

To learn more about project management, click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.

Technology consultant work should involve open communication.  How does a technology consultant achieve this goal? 

By sharing knowledge and listening to others, a technology consultant has begun to open up the lines and encourage two-way communication.  In doing so, challenges are more likely to be met and the project can be completed successfully.

Two-Way Communication

The first rule in two-way communication is sharing important information with the project team.  The technology consultant should determine which people are vital to the project.  Information should be disseminated to them first. 

Those with less significant roles should not be ignored, however.  By knowing what to expect, each team member will be able to contribute and perform within the specified guidelines and objectives.

Determining Communication Methods

A technology consultant should also decide how most communication would occur.  Weekly team meetings can be effective, as can one-to-one conferences. 

Communicating via e-mails is very timesaving.  However, a technology consultant should confirm the computer programs available to the client so that any transferred files are compatible.

Listen to Team Members

Sharing knowledge is only one side of the communication game.  A successful project leader must listen to members of the team.  This requires the technology consultant to ask open-ended questions. 

Accept negative feedback as openly as positive feedback.  After all, negative comments or remarks can be translated into positive opportunities! 

Value Team Member Input

When a technology consultant listens to their team members, they feel valued and important.  A valued employee is more likely to offer new ideas or opinions.  These individuals are often the ones who make significant contributions to the project!

The Bottom Line about the Technology Consultant

To successfully complete a project, a technology consultant should encourage two-way communication, listen objectively and openly.  The better the communication, the more smoothly the project will flow.

In this article, you’ve been learned about the technology consultant and how they can promote two-way communication.  To learn more about the technology consultant, click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.

A computer service business requires effective management.  Delegating is an important function that every computer service business should consider.  A computer service business will run more smoothly and operate efficiently by understanding the five elements of delegation.

What is delegation?  It is more than just assigning a task to an employee.  A manager is showing his trust and confidence in the employee.  The staff member takes on the power and authority to carry out a job.

Elements of Effective Delegation

Before delegating, a computer service business manager should understand all steps in the process.  He will need to make assignments and give detailed instructions.  He then needs to be sure instructions are understood and accepted.  By setting review meetings and assigning authority, the manager will ensure the project is completed on time and according to standards.

Determine Assignments

Know the abilities of all employees.  Every computer service business might want to have a team member trained in certain aspects of the business.  When tasks arise, the job can be matched to the appropriate staff member.    If no one on the team can do the work, the job goes to the manager.

Detailed Instructions

A computer service business will undertake a variety of tasks.  For those assignments that require rigid standards, detail those requirements in writing.  If job details are not so important, give a general idea of what is expected.  Again, consider the abilities and personality of each employee.  Some individuals prefer every detail of a project spelled out.  Others prefer to feel free to choose their own path.

Understandable Instructions

Ensuring that an employee understands instructions for a task is extremely important.  Asking a probing question, such as, “How will you proceed with this task?” is better than, “Do you understand?”  The reputation of the computer service business is at stake.  If the team member misunderstands the task, the job will not be completed correctly.  In addition to understanding, it is advisable to gain acceptance of the task.  The employee should feel that he can truly complete the task within the given time frame and guidelines.

Review Meetings

Review meetings should be scheduled at the onset of a project or task.  The computer service business manager will determine when and how often to meet with the employee to discuss progress.  The employee should be aware of expectations and deadlines before beginning work.  Surprise reviews will destroy morale and should never be used.

Authority

Employees who are given the authority to carry out projects have a sense of belonging.  A manager should trust his team members to make decisions that benefit the computer service business.  The manager who has to make every decision becomes bogged down and is not able to operate the business efficiently.

The Bottom Line about Computer Service Business
     
In this article, you’ve been introduced to computer service business. To learn more about computer service business, click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Service Business.

In a perfect world, there should be no IT emergencies, but it doesn’t work that way. Handling IT emergencies are critical to maintaining your customer base and a great opportunity to acquire new business. You cannot afford to staff up to every peak, nor can you afford to fail to meet the needs of an existing client.

Don’t Overschedule Your Staff

Generally, you want to schedule at about 75 percent capacity for technical people that don’t have sales responsibilities or management responsibilities. This leaves about 25 percent flexibility for non-billable projects, IT emergencies, and new business targets.

There will be peaks that you cannot meet. Then it is all-hands-on-deck and the ability to do triage among customers as well as for a single customer becomes important. This is the time when standardizing pays off

If you’re booking someone out in the field for a full day, schedule them eight to 11 in the morning and do the afternoon appointment from one to four. This leaves you some time.

Explain IT Emergencies To Your Clients

Also clients that you have long-term relationships with do understand when emergencies come up and will excuse a rescheduled maintenance appointment.  After all, they want to know that you will respond to their IT emergencies too.

If you need to call them and tell them that you’re stuck at a client emergency–the server’s down, lightening struck, or there was a fire or whatever– most long-term clients are pretty understanding if you’re running an hour or two late.  It really boils down to keeping the communications open, staying in contact with people, making best use of your resources and just don’t over schedule on the routine stuff. 

The Bottom Line about IT Emergencies

The project work is a lot more predictable generally because you’re going to know the requirements a couple of weeks to a couple months ahead of time. Be sure to build some slack time into the schedule to accommodate IT emergencies.

In this article, you learned more about IT emergencies. To learn more about IT emergencies, click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.