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A Business Center in your Hotel: Curse or Blessing?
Your customers asked for it, modern hospitality philosophy required it and now you have one in your Hotel: A Business Center. Your Guest now has access to the Internet to read and write e-mails, surf the Web for the latest news and they can work in...
Computer Tips that Help Small Businesses Operate Profitably
When working properly, computers enable small businesses to make big business profits; however, get booted off your computer and you’re suddenly starving. In most instances, computers usually act up due to lack of care by its owners. Here are...
Get your Multimedia CBT, Educational CD, Educational Software
Educational products - ---------------------- • English Learning Programme (ELP): Specially designed for students, business people, housewives, executives, professionals, and anybody who wants to read, write, speak, and understand English...
Getting Patched with Windows Service Pack
Are you one of those people that keeps track of recalls, just in case one of your most recent purchases gets recalled? Well, some of us do, but many of us don’t. For those of us who don’t keep up with recalls in general, it’s just as easy to be...
Will Adobe manage to replace industry work horse Quark Express by giving Adobe InDesign for free?
Will Adobe manage to replace industry work horse Quark Express by giving Adobe InDesign for free? By Sherwin Steele and Galina Arlov Heard about the Quark “killer”? Adobe InDesign CS2. Will it really “kill” Quark? Adobe has been saying “it will”...
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Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 1 of 2)
Does your business need the services of a computer consulting firm? Before you rush out and hire the first techie or slick-salesperson that knocks on your door, be sure to consider these favorite Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips for screening and interviewing local computer consulting firms. In this first in a two-part series, we’ll look the root of the problem, as well as the four most basic criteria that you’ll need to ask about when searching for computer consulting vendors.
Computer Consulting 101 Preventative Medicine
Many small business owners have a tough time knowing how to deal with difficult computer consultants. However, if you're able to uncover potential problems at the start of your computer consultant/client relationship, you can avoid many of these unpleasant issues altogether.
Root of the Problem
While most entrepreneurs and small business managers know exactly what to ask when it comes to hiring for internal staff positions, hiring a computer consulting firm can be more difficult.
So on top of dealing with the myriad legal issues surrounding how you retain the services of contractors (best advice: consult with your attorney), as opposed to hiring employees on your payroll, you'll need to know how to ask the "right" questions. Don't make the ultra-common common mistake of focusing on the wrong things. Use these Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips as your checklist for doing your homework before you sign on the dotted line.
Part-time or Full-time Computer Consulting
Do you have a "day job"? Are you moonlighting?
Solo Practitioner or True Computer Consulting Business
What do you mean by the "we"? Are there any other people who work at your company?
Are they employees or contractors? What are their names, specialties and backgrounds? How long have they been with the company? Will they be involved with this account?
(Tip: The more pointed questions you ask, the more you’ll flush out the B.S. and hyperbole.)
Small Business or Large Company Computer Consulting Experience
What "size" is your typical consulting client, in terms of number of
PCs, employees and annual revenue?
Generalist or Specialist Consulting Company
What industries or vertical markets have you worked with? And in what particular aspects and software applications?
What kinds of products, services, and platforms does your company shy away from? Do you work with any specialty hardware, software or services vendors?
The Bottom Line
In this first of a two-part series of these Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips, we looked at why small business owners and managers find that computer consulting companies are so difficult to hire, as well as four basic issues that you must confront when searching for a new computer consulting vendor. In the second installment of this two part series on Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips, we’ll look at how you can get your hands around the true costs of using a computer consulting firm, as well as how you can more objectively evaluate the computer consulting firm’s suitability for the task of servicing your company’s technology needs.
About the Author
Joshua Feinberg, co-founder of Computer Consulting 101, is a 15-year veteran of computer consulting and has appeared in CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To get Joshua’s proven sales and marketing strategies for growing your profits, sign up now for the free training at http://www.computer-consulting-101.com
Copyright MMI-MMV, Computer-Consulting-101.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
About the Author
Joshua Feinberg, co-founder of Computer Consulting 101, is a 15-year veteran of computer consulting and has appeared in CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To get Joshua’s proven sales and marketing strategies for growing your profits, sign up now for the free training at http://www.computer-consulting-101.com
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| Reg Hardware: Product News and Gadget Reviews from The Register |
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| A complete illustrated Guide to the PC Hardware |
| A complete illustrated Guide to the PC Hardware, Logic and Architecture. 500 easy-read articles about the modern PC. Understand the basic architecture of ... |
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