Computer Consulting Marketing Advice By IT Marketing Guru Ryan Kristopher
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starting up
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10.05.09How To Run A Computer Consulting Business Out Of Your HomeThe most common question I receive from technicians and entrepreneurs is: "How do I successfully run a computer consulting company out of my home?" It's actually really easy to do. First Step - Your Image First and foremost, you really have to commit yourself to projecting a professional image. It is really easy to do that. You need to make sure clients see you in a professional way through your marketing, your 1-800 number, your business cards, your website, and other elements like magnetic signs on your car. When I first started out, and didn’t have any clients, I got polo shirts made that had my ...
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10.04.09Step 2 To Getting Your Name Out There: Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)The most effective strategy to growing your computer consulting company is to develop your unique selling proposition (USP). A USP is an “age-old” concept, but it works. A USP answers the question, “Why should I choose you over your competition?” The Dangers Of Not Having A Solid USP The reason a USP is so important is because if you can’t tell somebody or convince somebody in a short statement why you are better than your competition then they can’t differentiate the two of you, and you become "more of the same". When you are the same as your competitor your service becomes a commodity – ...
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09.29.09Step 1 To Getting Your Name Out There: Develop Your Marketing MessageI am going to give you a fast track system to developing your marketing message as well as a few really good pointers to help you get started. 3 Key Elements Every Marketing Message Must Have: Element #1 - You need a specific target market It's important to identify specifically who your ideal client is. Determine the demographics and psychographics of your client-base so you know who you will be targeting your marketing message to. Element #2 - Identify your target market's problems and emotions You can uncover this information by talking to potential clients on the phone and subscribing to the same publications. In ...
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09.28.09“Which IT Certifications Should I Get?”The IT certifications you may or may not need will dramatically depend on what market you are targeting and what services you are offering. Home-User Market Certifications are most important for establishing credibility, so if you are working with home-user clients, at the very least, you are going to want to be A+ certified. Small Business Market If you are working with small businesses, it gets a little tricky because you have many different certification options to choose from. Many software and hardware vendors offer certifications with their products. When choosing which vendors to support and specialize in, you should also strongly consider ...
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09.19.09“How Do I Target The Right IT Markets?”When starting your business, the last thing you want to do is arbitrarily pick your services and your target market without doing any research up front. Just picture yourself a year down the road, not having researched your target market, only to find out that after spending thousands of dollars in marketing and months of hard work that there are just not enough potential clients in your area to sustain your business. Or, maybe you find out that there ARE enough potential clients in your area but that they simply don't have the money or NEED for your services that ...
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09.17.09How To Manage Your Finances When Starting A Computer BusinessFirst and foremost, I don’t recommend going into business for yourself until you have at least four to five months worth of capital to pay your bills. A Great Start-Up Alternative If You Don't Have 4 to 5 Months Of Capital The best set-up you can use when cash is tight, and I have a lot of clients who do this, is to work a second job while you are starting up your computer business. You should already know by now that you cannot and should not TRY to establish a worthwhile business overnight. It's simply not realistic. What You Need To Know ...
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09.14.09How Much Experience Do You Need To Start A Computer Consulting Business?The IT industry is pretty unregulated, so anyone can start their own business, but the number one thing you need to have to get started is the confidence. Number two is experience. You have to be confident and feel that you are an expert at some level with a technology business. If you’re going to get started and you’re new to technologies that you want to study and specialize in, then you are going to want to take some time learning the basics of computer hardware and software troubleshooting. You will also want to start out focusing your services around the ...
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08.21.09Starting A Computer Consulting BusinessStarting your own computer consulting business can be a very profitable and rewarding business venture to get into, but before you make the jump into self-employment, make sure you consider the following decisions you'll need to make to start-up your company. Pick Your Legal Structure One of the first things you must decide is what legal entity you want to establish for your business. It's important that you pick the right one for your situation because choosing the wrong entity structure could cost you thousands of dollars in over (or under) paid taxes, yearly fees, and liability. There are five distinct business ...
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07.30.09Know Your Computer Consulting ClientsIf your marketing does not seem to be working it is likely because you don't know your prospects as well as you should. In order to market effectively you have to understand specifically who your audience is and how to get your message to them directly. There are many details about your prospects you should know. Missing just one minor nuance could spell disaster to your entire marketing campaign. A common mistake I see is that business owners make assumptions about their prospects and then base their entire campaigns around these assumptions. Also, since they don't do any research or attempt to find ...
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07.26.09Selling Managed Services – Secret RevealedIf you are struggling to sell managed services, or want to get in on the action before your competitors take over - listen up. I am constantly seeing a huge mistake managed service providers are making that is costing them from closing thousands of dollars in contracts. While they are offering the right services and are fully capable of doing the work and wowing their clients, they are failing to convince existing and new clients to actually sign on the dotted line and make the move to managed service contracts. Do you know what mistake they are making? Emotional justification. Let me ...
WHO IS RYAN KRISTOPHER?
The go-to expert on helping computer technicians startup, run, and grow their own profitable computer consulting business, even when they lack the time, money or marketing talent..
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RECENT ARTICLES
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