IT Consulting: Steps to a Successful Launch

IT consulting businesses require you take specific steps when first starting your business. In this article, learn how starting a contact database, setting your rates, and getting your first paying clients are crucial steps in your business of IT consulting.
Before starting your IT consulting business, be prepared. In this article, learn some of the steps you should take before beginning your IT consulting practice.

Step Ten: Start a Simple Contact Database of Everyone You Meet

Use a package like ACT of Goldmine - don’t reinvent the wheel. Start contacting each person and let them know you are opening your IT consulting business and you would appreciate them keeping their ears open for any referrals. Or tell them if there is any complaining or whine about computers, you want to know about it.

Use A Combination of Personal and Professional Visits

In person visits are the most powerful, then phone calls, then emails and postcards. Make sure you give each person couple of your IT consulting business cards with your mobile number on it. Also, give them some tech support stickers so they can put one on their computer and give them to others.

Step Eleven. Decide What To Charge and How To Bill

Think about your hourly billing rate and be very careful not to undercharge. Think about whether you want to assess a travel charge or a trip charge a call fee or flat fee on top of your hourly billing rate. Also consider your minimum onsite hours, 2-3 is generally the standard. You are going to have to go a lot of different places on any given day to make a living. So schedule efficiently.

Consider how you are going to bill for telephone support and remote support. Do not give it away for free. Figure out how you are going to charge for an off-site project.

Step Twelve: Get Your First Paying Customer

Do an awesome job with your first IT consulting customer. Go out of your way to over-deliver. Get paid and while that client is saying what a great job you did, get a testimonial. You are going to need a lot of those as time goes on.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved.

About the Author:

Joshua Feinberg gets small business computer consulting firms steady high-paying clients. Get free access now to 1 hour of Joshua's field-tested proven Small Business Computer Consulting secrets at http://www.SmallBusinessComputerConsulting.com/blog/
   By Joshua Feinberg
Published: 6/22/2006
 
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Your Comments:
Your Name:
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
Recipient Email Address:
 Separate multiple email addresses by ;
Your Name:
Your Email Address:
Computer Consultants Secrets ™
Get the Computer Consultants Secrets You Need to Take Your Computer Consultant Business to the Next Level

Small Biz Tech Talk ™
Small Biz Tech Talk Helps You Build a More Profitable Small Biz Tech Consulting Business