There has never been a better time than now for a talented Computer Consultant to start a small business of his or her own. Operating as an Independent Computer Consultant can provide a level of job security, growth opportunities and income potential that simply aren’t very easy to come by in any other available IT Jobs.
When a small business is looking for a an efficient way to maintain their computer systems, they have several options to choose from. They can have a technically proficient employee pull double-duty as their in-house support technician. They can employ a dedicated in-house IT administrator. Or they can outsource their support needs to an IT Support Provider, a Managed Service Provider or to an Independent Computer Consultant.
In today’s market, the Independent Computer Consultant represents the best available support model for serving the needs of the small business client. And I firmly believe that any computer professional with the skill set to maintain a small business network should strongly consider starting a small business of his or her own.
In the early days of Computer Consulting, (and still to this day for many consultants) the break/fix, hourly rate support model was the standard way of doing business.
Wait for the computer to break, call the computer guy to come out and fix it, he sends an invoice… repeat.
It’s obvious how this design puts the needs of the computer consultant directly at odds with the needs of the customer.
The customer typically sees the computer consultant as an undesired expense. If the consultant is required to make an office visit to the client’s site, it’s probably because a system has failed, which is costing the client money – both in lost productivity and for the service fees. Under the hourly support model, it’s natural for the customer to want to see the consultant as little as possible.
This unfortunately works directly against the needs of the computer consultant, who’s simply trying to bill enough hours each day to meet expenses.
If the hourly support model is a lose-win proposition (the more pain the customer experiences, the more money the consultant makes), how can we create a business model where everybody wins? For us to do this, let’s take a look at what each party wants.
The Computer Consultant Wants:
To make a reliable and consistent (and probably substantial) salary. To have a high level of job security. To be able to work with, learn and be challenged by new technologies. To work with a diverse group of customers and computer systems, keeping the workdays interesting. To work reasonable hours and enjoy a balanced lifestyle.
The Customer Wants:
They want their systems to work reliably. They want ZERO unexpected downtime. They want to prevent problems from occurring wherever possible. They want an immediate response when a problem does occur. They want smaller problems identified early, before they can develop into larger problems. They want their computer consultant to be able to fix problems remotely, providing instant gratification. They don’t want any surprises when the invoice arrives. (a large invoice is ALWAYS a surprise). They want up-to-date systems (even if they don’t always appear to want to pay for it). They want a computer consultant who is familiar with their systems and their technology needs. They want to have confidence in their computer consultant’s abilities to maintain their network and to guide them in making good choices for future growth.
When looking at the list of what the customer wants, it’s clear to see what the consultant needs to provide:
System Monitoring
Prevents unexpected downtime Provides for early problem detection Can provide Asset Management and Inventory Reports
HelpDesk Allows for immediate client communication and response Allows for instant remote computer support for end-user support requests and server issues
Personal Attention Customers want a dedicated consultant who knows their systems, their users and their needs. They don’t want a dispatched “computer repair-man” whenever a problem arises.
Low Cost They’re not necessarily looking for the LOWEST rate they can find. But they do expect to pay a fair and competitive rate.
The MSP (Managed Service Provider) support model is designed to address the above Customer wants by utilizing today’s available technology to support larger numbers of clients while dedicating fewer internal resources.
The continued development of support utilities that provide remote monitoring, preventative maintenance and remote computer and server support, has provided the means for those computer consultants searching for a way of starting a small business to enter the market without the need for massive amounts of start up capital.
These inexpensive utilities now help IT support providers of all types and sizes to serve their customers more efficiently and for lower, more predictable fees than was ever possible under the old, hourly-support model.
With support becoming easier and cheaper to provide, many well run and well funded support providers are emerging and competing for market share. They’re working to establish brand recognition and looking to carve out a dominate position in the market. As regional and national companies become continue to grow and as current market leaders in the small business technology products sector, such as Microsoft, Dell, CDW, etc. enter the small business IT Support market, it can seem inevitable that the Independent Computer Consultant is on his way out.
I Couldn’t DISAGREE MORE!
There is not a single item required by today’s small business customer that YOU, as an Independent Computer Consultant cannot provide reliably and affordably.
YOU can monitor your client’s systems, identifying or preventing potential problems. YOU can reduce downtime by monitoring asset inventories and tracking age and performance levels of your customer’s equipment. YOU can provide your clients with real-time service reports, asset inventories and network performance reporting. YOU can provide remote computer support to your customer’s end-users INSTANTLY from ANY location with an Internet connection. YOU can provide your clients with the reliability they want from a dedicated consultant who is intimately familiar with their network, their end-users and their technology needs.
And you can provide ALL of these items with lower overhead than your larger competitors, which will result in greater profitability and fantastic growth opportunities for YOU!
Because the tools required for providing the necessary proactive system monitoring and remote computer support have become very low-cost or even free, there are no longer any significant barriers preventing a qualified network administrator to become his or her own boss and support a small, but very profitable client base.
By providing remote network monitoring and support, the Independent Computer Consultant is able to abandon the very cost-ineffective hourly support model and start a small business on the much more profitable flat-fee, proactive maintenance support model.
By charging flat rates for service, the computer consultant is able to evaluate in advance the number of customers that will be required to achieve a necessary income level. Once the consultant is able to secure an initial client base, any concern for finding enough billable hours in a month is eliminated. Income is based on a pre-determined flat-fee, rather than a variable and unpredictable hourly rate.
And because this proactive model for support is designed to reduce and prevent problems, there will be plenty of time left in the day for a motivated small business computer consultant to go out and secure even more clients, which will increase income levels and help to secure the business.
By implementing a correct model of flat-fee, proactive monitoring and remote computer support, there has never been a better time for an Independent Computer Consultant to pursue a goal of starting a small computer consulting business of his or her own.
Robert Peretson started his career as a successful Independent Computer Consultant back in 1996 and has since founded multiple, New York based computer consulting businesses. He has created the website www.SuccessfulComputerConsulting.com to help talented computer consultants to quickly and easily start and run their own Independent Computer Consulting business.
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