http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Many technology professionals starting their own businesses underestimate the sheer power of computer business names as a marketing tool for more easily selling IT services to steady, high-paying clients. Choosing the right name for your company can b... http://www.articlealley.com/article_694514_15.html 26th November 2008 Are you starting an IT consulting business and wondering if computer franchise ownership is right for you? As a computer consultant, you have some options when it comes to which type of business you should start. Not every type of computer business wor... http://www.articlealley.com/article_694510_45.html 26th November 2008 If you are starting a computer repair shop, you may have questions about how you can get it off the ground. And if you own an existing computer repair shop, you're probably constantly on the look-out for new clients. Either way, business development is of... http://www.articlealley.com/article_694506_15.html 26th November 2008 When starting a computer business, most obsess over technology and certifications, and give relatively little thought to crucial business issues. Starting a computer business requires organization and careful planning. You need to make sure you have every... http://www.articlealley.com/article_694504_10.html 26th November 2008 IT consulting services come in all shapes and sizes. When you first start a business it is often difficult to decide which IT consulting services to offer. Should you sell what you know, sell what is trendy, or sell what you think people want? The bes... http://www.articlealley.com/article_105530_15.html 17th November 2006 Internet security is an important element in the computer consulting business. As a computer consulting professional, your clients will need you to explain Internet security by describing how your networking solution will work with firewall, antivirus an... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104640_15.html 17th November 2006 Small business networking is very important to success. You, the computer consultant, are entrenched in the professional services business, which revolves around relationships and thus networking with a large number of people. You need to make small... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104639_15.html 17th November 2006 Having a sustainable IT consulting business is intricately linked to the sweet spot of small businesses. But where do you look for these small business clients, and how do you know they will actually be a source of lucrative recurring revenue? Identif... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104570_15.html 17th November 2006 When you are just starting out in the IT consulting business, you need a website. Potential clients will know whether you are full time and in the IT consulting business for the long haul or just trying it on for size by the quality of your website. S... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104569_15.html 17th November 2006 While there is no set definition in IT consulting of a sweet spot client, there are some signs that will tell you whether a prospect is a candidate. Ask the following questions to determine which of your clients will be long-term relationship material: ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104218_15.html 17th November 2006 As a consultant involved in small business consulting, your clients may sometimes ask you why they need the more powerful or larger network you are recommending. Many may say their networks work great ? most of the time. Selling Small Business Consult... http://www.articlealley.com/article_104217_15.html 17th November 2006 Most IT consultants know that in the early and mid-1990s, many leading vendors started to divide their product lines into two or three different levels in order to handle different types of consumers. Both the domestic and global market demand for desk... http://www.articlealley.com/article_103501_10.html 17th November 2006 Unlike with regular desktop PCs, you should think about recommending that your clients buy the maximum extended warranty coverage on any notebook PCs they purchase. The cost of replacing any item on notebook PCs can be extremely expensive, and the financ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_103500_10.html 17th November 2006 Most PC vendors will give good prices to consumers that buy monitors at the same time as desktop PCs. IT consultants that normally recommend brand name PC products should keep certain things in mind when talking to their clients. Actual Cost For Your ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_102707_10.html 16th November 2006 You will need to recruit computer service business personnel not only at the start of a business but continuously after that. There are many resources available to those in the computer service business looking to hire employees, and a computer service b... http://www.articlealley.com/article_102706_10.html 16th November 2006 IT consulting firms typically start with just a few people. And while it can be exciting at first for those people getting into the business, a few years of running the show can become monotonous and exhausting, and the need to expand becomes imminent. ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100846_10.html 15th November 2006 Effective management of a computer service business is incredibly important, and the ability to delegate responsibility is a critical skill for any manager. Good delegation allows a computer service business to run more smoothly. Delegation is more than... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100845_10.html 15th November 2006 Sometimes after you secure IT service contracts, you might be afraid that your customers might give you more than you can handle, or that you won't be able to deliver service on time. But not to worry - if you fully prepare yourself and follow specific g... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100844_10.html 15th November 2006 Maintaining a good physical appearance is very important for computer reseller business owners. Customers will base many of their important decisions on how your store looks, and you have to step into their shoes when gauging your store's appearance. Th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100843_10.html 15th November 2006 You can find computer franchises by going to franchise expositions, but you have to prepare for them in order to minimize being overwhelmed by the options and narrow down your search. Since exhibitors go to these expos in order to sell their franchise, y... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100374_10.html 15th November 2006 When deciding to go with your computer repair services, a customer cycles through four steps: awareness; interest; evaluation; adoption. The strategies you use at each phase will encourage the prospect to take the steps to the end. Step One: Awarene... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100373_10.html 15th November 2006 Professional companies need consultants that offer IT service contracts, not simply those that handle emergencies on an as-needed basis. If you don't offer on-going IT service contracts, you end up with either too many people calling you, or not enough. ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100372_10.html 15th November 2006 As an IT consultant, your jobs will be as variable as your client's attitudes and expectations. Your customers' observations about your level of professionalism will have a profound impact on your career. A successful IT consultant has strong ethical st... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100371_10.html 15th November 2006 IT emergencies provide excellent opportunities for consultants that can lead to future business. The first thing a client will feel when an emergency crops up is the dire consequences of neglecting IT issues. Something like a deadly computer virus can m... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100129_10.html 15th November 2006 Computer users everywhere are looking for software maintenance contracts that can help eliminate viruses. Personal computer users at home and at the office are susceptible to viruses that can entirely destroy systems and halt daily operations. The only ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100128_11.html 15th November 2006 IT audits should be short and sweet. Typically within about four hours, you should know exactly what is going on within the company's system, what needs to be done next, how you are going to prioritize the to-do list and what additional hardware, softwar... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100127_10.html 15th November 2006 The IT sales call should be mainly about making sure your prospect is well-suited for and in need of your services. If you don't use this call for that purpose, you can waste time with a prospect that does not actually want to hire you, rather simply wan... http://www.articlealley.com/article_100126_64.html 15th November 2006 Sales processes vary depending on the type of marketing you are doing. Many computer resellers use direct mail advertising as part of their marketing strategy. The sales process that is critical in this type of campaign is the two-step sales process. ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99913_64.html 15th November 2006 Direct mail post cards are one of the most popular ways to market a computer consulting business. Networking is one of the most effective ways to market. Let's look at how the two marketing techniques compare to one another. You can use this informatio... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99912_64.html 15th November 2006 Training seminars are a savvy marketing strategy. As a Solutions Provider they warrant serious consideration. Hosting a successful training seminar, however, requires a lot of work and planning. Last time we talked about some ideas for getting the most ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99911_64.html 15th November 2006 Credibility is an important factor that will be weighed by your prospects. As an IT Consultant you should be actively thinking about ways to build your credibility. Whether it is through building your credibility at the local level or going for a more nat... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99909_15.html 15th November 2006 Business relationships are hard to build when you are in a position where you don't know anyone yet. Perhaps you are new to town, don't know the area, or haven't joined a business organization yet. Although it seems like a chicken and an egg scenario, th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99421_64.html 15th November 2006 Professional networking works. Last time we discussed five tips to improve your professional networking effectiveness. In this article you'll learn five more tips to make you a professional networking guru. Don't let one person monopolize your time... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99420_64.html 15th November 2006 Direct mail post cards are a popular form of marketing for network integrators. They can be expensive though, so you need to set up your direct mail post cards correctly. Good direct mail post cards have good conversion rates, poor ones don't. You s... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99419_64.html 15th November 2006 Training seminars present an excellent opportunity for you to market your IT consulting business. When you sponsor your own training seminar you raise your trust and credibility with potential customers. The added bonus is that you reach a large amount ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99418_64.html 15th November 2006 Relationship marketing can be a really powerful way to grow your business. And it's a really great way to meet key business owners and leaders in your community by getting active in these organizations. But you won't get to relationship marketing if you... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99003_64.html 15th November 2006 Business organizations are a great place to do some relationship marketing. By joining business organizations you meet key business owners and leaders in your community. By getting active in these business organizations you can use relationship marketi... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99002_15.html 15th November 2006 Business contacts are the people you have in your network. These people are all important to your growing business. You need to build and develop relationships with your business contacts in order to move your business forward and expand your customer b... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99001_15.html 15th November 2006 Performance metrics in the area of networking are those measurements that will tell you whether your efforts are resulting in business. Networking and relationship marketing are time intensive so you want to spend that time wisely. Performance metrics a... http://www.articlealley.com/article_99000_15.html 15th November 2006 Phone support is an area where many new IT consultants lose their shirts. They want to offer high quality service so they make phone support part of their service contract. The problem is they end up giving away the phone support for free. When you a... http://www.articlealley.com/article_96343_15.html 26th October 2006 Computer maintenance contracts are one area of your business where you may want to consider using a price-fixed model. Time and materials pricing is almost always going to be better for you, but many clients respond well to fixed price computer maintenan... http://www.articlealley.com/article_96342_15.html 26th October 2006 Fixed prices are often attractive to clients, but are they sustainable for the profitability of your computer business? When we start looking at fixed prices and ongoing computer maintenance the answer is, "maybe." If you offer a fixed price for ong... http://www.articlealley.com/article_96341_15.html 26th October 2006 Pricing strategy is like walking a tightrope: price too low and you lose money that is rightfully yours; price too high and you lose business. Without knowing how to bill and what to charge, you risk looking like an amateur to the prospects that you des... http://www.articlealley.com/article_96340_15.html 26th October 2006 Business agreements with other IT companies can be an excellent way to secure high quality referrals. When you are dealing within a B2B context, the referrals you get from non competing IT businesses tend to be ones that will turn into long term service c... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93603_15.html 10th October 2006 Computer business software is an area where many new network consultants get overwhelmed. There are so many great products out there that it is hard to decide which computer business software to invest your time and money in. You want to be able to ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93602_15.html 10th October 2006 IT services outsourcing is what you need to do when, not if, your prospects ask for products and services that you are not able to deliver. Many new business owners think they need to know everything. They fear not being able to offer every service unde... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93600_15.html 10th October 2006 IT consulting services are offered at different levels and types in almost all the virtual IT businesses you encounter. Deciding which IT consulting services you should offer is a key consideration when starting your business. The IT consulting servic... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93599_15.html 10th October 2006 Product ideas or services that your computer business will offer are not as easy to decide upon as you may think. When you start a new business this part of business planning is often taken for granted. Deciding upon a product idea or service to off... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93363_15.html 06th October 2006 Successful entrepreneurs in virtual IT have a certain set of personality traits and characteristics. Without these attributes, the chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur in this business are limited. Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93222_15.html 06th October 2006 Direct mail advertising is a marketing technique you will likely use in your virtual IT business. Because this type of advertising can be expensive, it is best to know the ins and outs before you begin. Direct Mail Advertising Tips It typically tak... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93219_15.html 06th October 2006