Computer Consulting Profit Secrets
by: Joshua Feinberg
Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are you having trouble growing your computer consulting company's profits?
If so, then you must learn how to focus on your computer consulting firm's profit and bottom line.
In this article, we'll look at 7 profit secrets and strategies you can use in your computer consulting business, to ensure that you are able to balance your clients' small business IT needs against your own computer consulting company's profitability challenges.
Origins of the Problem
While focusing on your computer consulting profits may sound simple enough at first glance, this business-focused discipline often eludes many a computer consulting firm.
This usually happens because many computer consulting business owners fall in love the technology gadgetry, and get seduced by seemingly attractive reseller channel programs, at the expense of their business' profit.
At the end of the day however, your computer consulting company is a business? not a charity and not a hobby. And your computer consulting company must be run like a business.
Profit Secret #1: Show motivation with your small business computer consulting clients.
To avoid being labeled as just another clueless geek, you need to position your computer consulting services to be more in line with those of a virtual CIO for hire. So always be on the look out for new ways to enhance your clients' businesses? not just fix broken desktops and servers.
Profit Secret #2: Be dedicated to the task and relentless in your pursuit to improve the status quo.
Because it takes a lot of work to land the best computer consulting clients, you need to focus on lifetime customer value? not just one-shot-deal sales. So always remember that your proposed or recently implemented computer consulting technology solution isn't a one-shot deal. This kind of long-term vision and planning requires tremendous staying power and perseverance? which often escapes many computer consulting business owners.
Profit Secret #3: Don't be afraid to be creative with your client engagements.
Small business technology solutions often need to stay within relatively modest budgets. And your computer consulting solutions must work without the need for in-house IT staff. To satisfy these challenges, don't be afraid to think outside of the box when appropriate.
Profit Secret #4: Evaluate how your clients' systems, both paper- and computer-based, function today.
As part of your virtual CIO role, look at how these existing clients systems are meeting or not meeting present and future needs. Most of this work will be done during IT audits? another key computer consulting profit secret that can really help to separate you from the pack of mediocrity.
Profit Secret #5: Put yourself in your clients' shoes and think about what THEIR clients need from them.
Yes, as a computer consulting business owner, you need to have good people skills and a certain degree of empathy for your clients' business problems. But an even more advanced computer consulting business owner doesn't just stop at understanding their clients' business problems. The virtual CIO really digs in and learns about their clients' customers' business problems? one layer down on the value chain.
Profit Secret #6: Keep up with advances and new versions.
As virtual CIO for your computer consulting clients, your clients depend on your firm to advise them on what tools can better help their businesses grow. So while you can't allow this R&D and training to consume and devour all of your scarce weekly schedule, you do need to stay a few steps ahead of your clients' IT needs at all times.
Profit Secret #7: Summarize and share that information with your clients.
The essence of your R&D and training should focus on one major objective: will this new platform or tool add value to your computer consulting clients' existing or future installations? And how you can best summarize this information, in layperson language that non-technical clients can understand?
The Bottom Line
Your computer consulting firm's needs to be your client's virtual IT department can often be at odds with your computer consulting firm's need to be profitable. A big part of this problem happens because computer consulting business owners fall in love with technology, at the expense of their marketing and sales activities.
To make sure you don't fall into this same strap, which can kill your computer consulting profits, don't go overboard with your training and R&D activities. Be sure to keep business development activities in your weekly schedule? EVERY week. If you want to keep your computer consulting profits as healthy as possible, make sure that you're proactive in your marketing and sales activities? dig the well for computer consulting profits BEFORE you're thirsty. And a great way to start is by listening to the profit-generating secrets at http://www.computer-consulting-101.com
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Biz Tech Talk Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
About The Author
Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultant business owners get steady, high-paying clients. Sign-up now for Joshua's free audio training that shows you how to use field-tested, proven Small Biz Tech Talk tools at http://www.SmallBizTechTalk.com/blog.
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Health Risks Due To Long Hours At Your Computer
Health Risks Due To Long Hours At Your Computer
by: Hege Crowton
Did you know that spending long hours at your computer can put your health at serious risk?
Most people does not even consider that possibility, but t does, Working at a desk is extremely hard on your body, and I would like to share this with you so maybe you can avoid some of the most common health risks.
The most common of them all is back pain.
BACK PAIN: Its Types and Treatments
Are you fed up with taking all the treatments for your back pain which you feel do not work? Are you a constant patient of physical therapists, chiropractors? Is your back pain causing you distress and trouble because you can not do the activities you wish you could do? Have you been advised surgery to correct your back's structural abnormalities?
Back pain may be classified into two types: acute or short term, and chronic. It the low back pain is short-term, it is most probably due...
Health Risks Due To Long Hours At Your Computer
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Computer Performance Tips
Computer Performance Tips
by: David Mahler
Introduction
In this article I will clearly spell out the most effective steps you can take in order to increase the performance of your computer and enhance your computing experience.
More Memory (RAM)
If your computer has less then 256 MB of memory you may want to consider adding more. If you don?t know how much memory you have: right click my computer, go to properties and look towards the bottom of the dialog box.
Memory is where the computer stores open files or programs in order to give the processor quick access.
To put it simply more memory means more speed and stability.
You can buy memory online or visit your local Best Buy where they can install it for you if you don?t feel comfortable doing it yourself.
Defrag your computer
Imagine a filing cabinet that is out of order, you would have to look harder for your files just as a computer would...
Computer Performance Tips
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Protect Your Computer From Adware & Spyware
Protect Your Computer From Adware & Spyware
by: George Williams
Are you annoying of adware and spyware every time you open any websites? They have now reached epidemic proportions. They are every where in the cyber world. Here are four methods to remove or simply avoid adware and spyware without spending a dime on the latest "anti-virus" software.
1. Do not use Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is like Swiss cheese. It is open to the world by default. Microsoft is continually releasing patches to fix all the flaws in the Internet Explorer 6.X and lower versions of the browser. Although it can be "secured" by increasing the security it may loose much of its functionality once set to maximum security with certain exploitable features off.
2. It is highly recommended you should use Firefox. If you don't use the Internet much, than perhaps you don't know much about Firefox. All you need to know is that it is a browser that works REALLY...
Protect Your Computer From Adware & Spyware
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Top 5 Reasons To Go Wireless
Top 5 Reasons To Go Wireless
by: Ron King
Wireless networking is 1 of the greatest new computer technologies in terms of convenience. If you're weighing the pros and cons of wireless before taking the leap, here are 5 to put in the "pro" column.
#1: No More Wires
Of all the reasons to switch your network to wireless, this is perhaps the most important. Wires are inconvenient, expensive, dangerous, and downright ugly.
No more wires across the floor improves the safety of your home, since it's easy to trip over exposed wires.
The average Ethernet wire doesn't cost much per foot, but it adds up quickly. To run wires between rooms or floors, you have to knock holes in the walls, which might not even be an option for renters.
Plus when you move you don't have the mess of disconnecting all the wires only to re-connect them at the other end. Nor do you have to examine every wire for damage if your internet connection goes down.
#2:...
Top 5 Reasons To Go Wireless
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Computer Certification: Keeping Your Cool On Exam Day
Computer Certification: Keeping Your Cool On Exam Day
by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
When you wake up on exam day, one of two things is going to happen. Well, yes, you're going to pass or fail. But what I'm thinking of comes before that, and has a lot to do with how you perform on exam day.
You're either going to have a tremendous feeling of anticipation or the dreaded feeling of being nervous about it.
Anticipation is a great thing to feel on exam day. You're driving to the exam center, excited about the exam. You're much like a football player, slapping another player on the helmet or the shoulder pads before the game starts. (Warning: Don't try this on the exam proctor.) You know there's a challenge ahead, but you're looking forward to it. In your mind, you're already victorious you're at the testing center only to make it official.
Conversely, there's nothing worse than being nervous or feeling unprepared before the exam. I've...
Computer Certification: Keeping Your Cool On Exam Day
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Building A Computer Introduction
Building A Computer Introduction
by: Chris Silop
If you are reading this article, you are probably wondernig, why and how do you build a computer. Building your own computer is more simple than you think and has many benefits.
Why Build A Computer?
Building a computer has many benefits over buying a premade. First of all, it is generally cheaper if you build your own than buying one. If you shop your components, your DIY(Do it yourself) computer will be cheaper than its premade equivalent. If you build your own computer, it will be faster than one that is premade, because most computer manufacturers use cheap components and try to cut corners to cut down costs. Additionally, your self built computer has more room to upgrade if you so decide to in the future. Prebuilt computers usually only have enough expansion slots for the components that are going to be in the computer. Because of this, your prebuilt computer will become obsolete sooner....
Building A Computer Introduction
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About Centralized Computer Systems
About Centralized Computer Systems
by: Florie Lyn Masarate
Before networking was used in computer systems, copying and printing was treated in varying ways. Many companies place inexpensive printers on each employee?s desk. Talk about using maximum number of resources. As this is quite convenient for every employee, not all company can afford having to buy many printers and other things that needed for them.
Today?s printers however, thanks to modern technology, does not only copy. They are now made to follow instructions that come from network devices. This is printing centralized printing style.
The manufacturers have also added printing capabilities to these copiers to add more usable features and convenience without having to use many equipments and tools. With additional charge, of course. But compared to having to buy many printers to be used, the price is a small thing to consider. Centralizing printing has many advantages both...
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Computer Certification: Become A Utility Player
Computer Certification: Become A Utility Player
by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
In baseball, a "utility player" is one who plays more than one position.
These players are usually backups, but they have a job in the major leagues because of their value to the team; since they can play more than one position, they have that much more value to their employer.
Too often in IT, workers become either LAN or WAN engineers, knowing little if anything about the other side.
Many LAN administrators I worked with knew little about routing and switching, while many WAN engineers I knew not only didn't know much about the LAN side of their network, but they didn't want to know anything about the servers!
In today's IT world, it's a bad idea to specialize in only one thing and not know how to do anything else.
Not only does it limit your future career prospects, but it limits your current prospects as well.
Employers...
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