Small Business Computer Consulting

Many in the computer industry are saying that Web 2.0 is a thing of the past, but solution providers are questioning the good aspects of the new Web 3.0.

Last week in San Francisco at the Web 2.0 conference, many companies discussed the power of Web 3.0.  Many claim that the new technology will improve the way we share, organize and find information.  Still, solution providers argue that the technology is still in development and that those providing technology services to businesses need to be careful not to push it too hard in its initial stages.    

Solution providers state that they believe the push for 3.0, particularly by companies that have yet to prove themselves in the marketplace is bold and a bit conceited.  They agree that Web 3.0 is definitely going to be a great technology, but that it still needs further development to be truly ready to shine.

One of the problems, according to many solution providers is that while those within the industry may understand and be able to talk about Web 3.0 technologies, the general public cannot yet understand or even use the technology, thus rendering it useless.  Plus, Web 2.0 technologies are still considered to be in the early majority phase, meaning not even all people have started adopting them yet.  Web 3.0 semantic capabilities thus would qualify as being still in the Innovator stage.   

And solution providers also argue that just because Web 3.0 technologies are “cool” technologies does not mean they are ready to be used by businesses.  They need to be careful not to suggest them for to clients until they are truly ready for use and can be integrated and beneficial to businesses.

For more information on the development of the new 3.0 technology and comments from solution providers, visit the attached link.

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

As IT specialists, you must get through to your target audience with your marketing campaign.  Researching your niche is essential to achieving this goal.  

Study What Your Niche Clients Do

If you are IT specialists working with small medical offices, you need to know about their most impactful business issues (and namely the ones that affect the decision makers).  Subscribe to industry publications, e-mail newsletters and anything else they might read.  (See the attached link for examples of these important publications that IT specialists must read!)

While the resources given are U.S.-based, there are many others you can get as IT specialists looking to do research.  Your goal is to determine what worries small businesses in your niche, what motivates their decisions, which security issues bother them and in general which IT issues are most worrisome RIGHT NOW so you can be great IT specialists for them.  

Which Solutions Should You Give Your Clients?

You need to find out how those within your niche are using technology to change their businesses and make them more efficient.  Whichever industry you are dealing with as IT specialists, you need to research the biggest trends at the moment.  You will be expected to be a real expert.  

Remember – IT Specialists are Virtual CIOs

When you go to meet prospects, you need to stand out as IT specialists and not just the firm that sells PCs, installs LANs or fixes software issues.  Analyze their specialized needs and prove you are the expert!

Added By:  Computer Consulting Blog

A recent study conducted by virtual IT consulting firm Dimension Data Holdings recently reported that over 70 percent of those in the work force believe that e-mail is the best way to communicate.

While e-mail was the winner for best communication tool, 53 percent of those that took the virtual IT consulting firm’s survey believed that telephone was best followed by 52 percent that preferred mobile devices and phones.  Everyone surveyed used e-mail as part of their daily work routine.  

Instant messaging also made the grade (66 percent of workers use it).  However, security risks were agreed to be high with this type of communication, according to the virtual IT firm and PDAs and mobile phones got similar complaints.  Virtual IT consulting firm Dimension agreed that there are some serious security issues with instant messaging and mobile phone and PDA use.  

Despite some surveyed that seemed well aware of the risks with technology going beyond e-mail and telephone, 52% were almost unaware that instant messaging and other communications tools were more high-risk in terms of being able to be compromised.  Only 31% of virtual IT managers and other technology managers felt that all technologies were secure.  

According to the virtual IT consulting firm Dimension, the results of the survey showed that virtual IT managers know about the new security risks of unified communications, whereas users of the technology do not really know about the risks fully even with just e-mail.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

If you want to create a successful IT marketing campaign that speaks to prospects and motivates them, you need to be very effective at copywriting.

Long sales copy can work if your letter is compelling.  Several pages is fine if it includes a lot of engaging endorsements and testimonials. 

However, you want to stay away from jargon and tech-speak.  Make your IT marketing materials business focused, because you are most likely dealing with non-technically-minded small business owners or managers.  You also want to have a satisfaction guarantee.

Personalization with IT marketing materials is also critical.  If you have a common connection with your prospects, you need to enforce that connection early in the letter.

Keep Your IT Marketing Materials Out of the Circular File

A lot of business owners and people in general read mail near the garbage can.  So if your IT marketing piece isn’t immediately eye-catching, it will be gone in a second.  Make sure you give people a way to respond by phone, fax, through a website and also through e-mail.  If you give prospects multiple points of contact, they will be more likely to choose one that appeals to them and follow through.   

Successful IT Marketing is About Urgency

You need to attach a deadline to IT marketing campaigns to give them a sense of urgency.  Even if prospects are interested, without urgency, you get filed into their computer file and forgotten. 

Provide a call to action or specific offer that has a deadline attached.  Give prospects a reason to act immediately and respond to your IT marketing push.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Though computer business Apple often gets noted for making gadgets like iPods and the iPhone, it still is at the core a computer company.  The computer business is gearing up to release its newest version of the operating system Leopard, which will update the current Tiger.  The release was delayed by half a year due to all the work on the iPhone.  

While in January, Apple dropped “computer” from its name and became simply “Apple, Inc.,” its Macintosh computers still make more money than any other product the computer business offers.  In the U.S., Apple computer sales are growing at 2 ½ times the pace of the PC industry.  Sales by the computer business of just its computers were at $2.53 billion last quarter.

While the release of the new Leopard operating system won’t be as hyped as the iPhone release or the switch to Intel microprocessors, Leopard will continue the computer business’ trend to make user-friendly products, including software.

Some Highlights of Leopard:

1.     300 new features, including Time Machine, a program designed to help users digitize their lives by allowing them to easily retrieve deleted files, applications, photos and other items.  

2.    “Spaces,” a feature that lets users jump between applications with one keystroke.  

3.    Updates to Mail, including to-do lists and notes files.  

4.    30 professionally-designed stationary templates.  

5.    An upgrade to iChat that will allow users to add photo and video backdrops.

6.    A menu bar that floats on the desktop transparently.

While many experts don’t claim this new computer business release is a definite “hit,” it is considered a great upgrade.  For more information about this computer business news, please visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

VARs will have more options for customer access and security advice when Bell Micro opens its new Security Academy.  This academy is designed for VARs that have no experience with security sales and will open in November.  It will offer free training to enterprise and SME VARs and will be based in Chessington.

Director of Bell’s security division, Duncan Hume states that as the company’s vendor roster increases, many are looking for better access to VARs for partnerships.  The academy will have a dual purpose:  it will help get more VARs involved in the world of security; it will give vendors better ways to reach new customers.  The academy will be free of charge for participants.       

Hume stated that as part of the launch, Bell is looking for 25 VARs to sign up for training at the academy.  The training will consist of an overview course to help participants learn about the security market and its technology along with a course introducing vendor partners to their roles within the industry.  The courses will combine both business elements and technology.

The academy will not interfere with the activities of VARs currently working with security and Bell.  In fact, Hume hopes that existing customers will send new recruits into the program for education.

Also in development at Bell and the Security Academy is a division that will offer sales tools to VARs that participate in the academy and help new recruits launch their security businesses.

Submitted By:  Joshua Feinberg

Before you officially open a computer consulting business, you need to be well-prepared.  Pick a company name and get business cards together.  You also need to think about which types of customers you will be acquiring and where you will meet them.

Printing Business Cards

Even if you don’t think you’ll keep the same information forever with your computer consulting business, get business cards together right away.  Even if you change information in six months, you can change it.  You need to start handing out computer consulting business cards, even if you just do it with family members and friends.

Tell People

Networking means that whenever you are out and about, meeting people at kids’ soccer games, church or synagogue or just standing on line talking to people in the store or at the movies, you need to take the opportunity to tell them about your business and give out business cards.  

Your Business Community – Get Involved!

You should join local organizations that cater to small business owners.  Find three or four good local trade groups and get involved.  Examples are your chamber of commerce, user group or trade groups related to your industry other types of trade groups.

Computer Consulting:  Start from a Known Point

You should pick an industry focus that interests you and in which you have experience.  You can always branch out later, but starting with a niche you already know and with which you already have some experience can really jump start your credibility, make you more memorable and improve your computer consulting business. 

Evaluate Your Niche for Prospects

For example, you might choose the medical field if you have a background in nursing.  Focus your early activities on small doctors’ offices in your local area.  You should be sure you have at least 500 – 1,000 prospects within a one-hour radius of your location.

You can even brand yourself by putting industry focus in the name of your company.  Add “health care systems” or “medical office systems” to your name for extra emphasis on your computer consulting specialty. 

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Perficient, Inc., an IT consulting firm based in Austin, Texas announced on Friday that it had purchased BoldTech Systems, Inc., based in Denver.  The purchase price of the deal was set at $20.8 million in combined cash and stock.

The deal should, according to the IT consulting firm spokespeople increase earnings for Perficient and bring its revenue to around $240 million.  Thomas Financial assessed the company and predicted it would post a 2007 revenue of $214.8 million.

The breakdown of the IT consulting deal is, Perficient will pay $10.4 million in cash and $10.4 million in stock for BoldTech.  This price is based on closing price for the company for 30 days prior to the acquisition.  

Perficient stated that the purchase would not affect third-quarter results; they will still fall within the normal range.  In August, third-quarter services and software revenue was predicted to fall between $51.8 million and $56 million.

Annual sales for the acquired IT consulting firm BoldTech are $20 million.  The company also has a global development center in China.  

For more information on this IT consulting development, visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Case studies and websites can be very strong IT marketing tools and can help show prospects that you can provide the best solution to their IT problems.  

Case Studies

A case study is an IT marketing tool that is essentially a sophisticated testimonial.  It typically features a client picture, logo, full name, address and contact information.  

A case study is a few short paragraphs talking about the benefits your client received by working with your firm.  This is an endorsement with a signature and your firm’s contact information at the bottom to encourage prospects to call you.  Case studies related to your specialty are incredibly powerful IT marketing tools.  

Websites

With the right content, a website can have a huge impact on prospective clients as IT marketing collateral.  Don’t waste time advertising the cheapest power supply or motherboard; instead focus on your industry specific solutions and solving your niche’s biggest problems.  

Have Each Page on Your Website Address a Niche

If you have three niches you’re targeting with your IT marketing campaign, make a page for each of them.  Each page should talk about an industry-specific trend and how your solutions can help with common problems.

What are your niche’s hot buttons?  Make sure you know the software packages that will entice people and make them believe in your competence.  Also know benefits you are delivering and have them on your website.  

IT Marketing and Your Website:  Service

Most of your website traffic will come from demand you’ve generated somewhere else or competitors looking for information.  Make sure prospects are clear when they view your website that you focus on services and the problems services solve for specific types of small businesses.     

The Main Idea

Use case studies and websites as important IT marketing collateral that address your individual niches and their problems.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

A two-year old independent startup network is publishing a new resource for VARs that are not part of major partner programs.  The Advanced Service Network, created by IT veteran of 18 years Joseph Canzonieri (founder of Crescent Computer Technologies) already consists of over 400 VARs that can see each other through the organization’s website.   

While ASN is still young, it has grown a great deal in the past year.  It began as a side project and has turned into the yellow pages for VARs.  VARs have the option of filling out a form asking to join the network.  The board of advisors approves applications only after they determine companies are completely legitimate.  The ASN network members can contact each other and coordinate projects and payment on their own, giving them greater freedom than those involved in larger partner programs.

Canzionieri says he started this VARs network in response to a belief that the larger networks were too selective and impersonal.

The organization is free and supports itself through advertising sold on its website and in newsletters.  All VARs are welcome to join the network, but the number that can participate in a given region is limited in order to help minimize competition.  Canzionieri wants the network to continue to grow in order to provide real benefit to VARs.

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting Kit