Оглавление
John D. Deans. Start & Run a Rural Computer Consultant Business
START & RUN A RURAL COMPUTER CONSULTING BUSINESS
Prologue
Part 1. BACKGROUND OF A RURAL COMPUTER CONSULTANT
1. Escaping the Urban IT-Support Rat Race
Urban IT Grinder: The Dark Side of a Bright Industry
Rural Computer Consulting: A Brand-New Niche
2. The Making of a Rural Computer Consultant
Early Career and Successes
The Paranet Days
3. Rural Computer Consulting: Is It for You?
Falling into the Niche
What It Takes to Become a Rural Computer Consultant
Part 2. SERVICE NEEDS AND SKILL SET REQUIREMENTS
4. Growing Your Skills: Key Skill Sets
Very High Demand Skill Sets
Desktop support and Windows troubleshooting
Antivirus software sales, configuration, and management
Data-backup management
Antispyware configuration and management
PC hardware and software upgrades
Strong Demand Skill Sets
Windows server support
Windows software updates
Software sales and installations
Printer configurations and support
ISP selection and configuration
Router configurations and troubleshooting
Website authoring
Website and e-mail hosting
Website and e-mail management
Wireless configurations
Moderate Demand Skill Sets
Remote-access configurations
Hardware sales and installations
Client/server performance troubleshooting
Application support of common programs
Hardware and software scaling and purchasing
Hardware and software eBay brokering
Minor network cabling
Network infrastructure troubleshooting
Website promotion
Data recovery services
5. Growing Your Skills: Less Frequently Required Skill Sets
Occasionally Required Skill Sets
VPN solution consulting and configurations
Network design consulting
Network management configurations
Network buildouts and configurations
Smartphone and PDA support
User training
Covert user monitoring
Digital camera and scanner configurations
Digital surveillance projects
Computer security reviews and audits
Rarely Required Skill Sets
Light programming in Excel, Access, and scripts
Network performance reviews and studies
RFP compilation and management
VoIP consulting and configuration
GPS configurations for asset/ expenses tracking
Skill Set Wrap-Up
Part 3. PREPARATION
6. Planning Your Move to the Country
Family Move Issues
Financial Preparation
Pre-move financial tasks
Post-move financial tasks
Choosing a Small Town
7. Your Business Plan and Pre-Move Marketing Research
Business Plan
Pre-Move Marketing Research
Part 4. START-UP
8. Settling In and Starting Your Business
After the Move
Business Activation
Company name
Domain name
DBA application
Incorporation
Employer identification number
Sales tax registration
Company bank account
Liability insurance
Accounting System Configuration
Website Setup
9. Home Lab and Mobile Office
Home Office/Lab Recommendations
Mobile Office Recommendations
10. Network Toolbox
About the Toolbox
What the Toolbox Contains
11. Initial Marketing Campaign
Marketing Materials
Basic business cards
CD-ROM business cards
Promotional brochure
Local Newspaper Print Ad
Direct-Mail Project
Cold-Calling
On-Site Sales Calls
Part 5. GROWING THE BUSINESS
12. Self-Employment Discipline
The Initiative Fire
Time Management
Exhaustive Customer Service
13. Continued Marketing and Word of Mouth
The All-Powerful Word of Mouth
Network with Local Organizations
Local Charity Events, Donations, and Sponsorships
Write a Newspaper Column
Speaking Engagements with Community Groups
Free Advertising with Giveaways
No-Charge Services
Data-backup monitoring
Network management system
No-charge loaners
14. Estimating, Project Scoping, and Deal Making
Initial Troubleshooting Deals
Comprehensive Scope of Work (SOW)
Client Handling for Best Results
15. Financial Management of a Growing Consulting Business
Tracking and Billing
Collecting Payment
Banking
Managing Cash Flow
16. Clients: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
17. Home Computer Support
Home Computer Support Tricks of the Trade
Make Sure You Back It Up
Porn and Illegally Downloaded Music and Videos
Keeping the Whole Family Happy
18. Local Allies and Time Off
My Own Local-Allies Experience
How You Can Develop Your Own Local Allies
Gone Fishing
Part 6. FINAL ISSUES
19. Critical Mass
When You Are Booked Solid
Time to Train Others
Epilogue
Dedication
About the Author
Other Titles in the Start & Run Series
Notice to Readers
Self-Counsel Press thanks you for purchasing this ebook
Contents
Отрывок из книги
It was early one afternoon in the summer of 1998, and I was already stuck in first gear sitting in Houston traffic. The analysts at the primary client site I was supporting had just called my cell phone for the sixth time concerning router stability. Having worked in information technology since 1981, I was at the top of my game and leading one of the largest and earliest Gigabit Ethernet installations in the world for our client, Compaq Computer Corporation. The high stress was causing my chest to tighten, which made me remember a few of my peers who had bypasses (or even died from heart attacks) in their late thirties and early forties while supporting enterprise-level computer networks. I felt I was going down the same path — sitting there looking at red brake lights brought to mind the movie Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas. The breaking point was fast approaching.
To avoid the impending road rage, I let my mind drift back to a few weeks before when I’d spent a Saturday with one of our sales guys, Tom S., who owned an 80-acre ranch a few miles west of Katy, Texas. I remembered the quiet, the space, the freedom, and the absence of the frantic pace that pushed me every weekday. We went shooting, fishing, and then drank a few beers on the porch while the sun set, and the only sound around was the birds and the crickets.
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Even at that time, I didn’t believe that Brenham or even all of Washington County would have enough consulting projects to keep me busy, but I decided to start looking for opportunities locally in our new small hometown. Chapter 13 will address in detail how I was able to get my original 12 clients.
As time went on, I was able to gather more rural clients, and by late 2002, I was able to stop taking new Houston and Austin clients entirely. By early 2003, my 40-plus active rural clients were keeping me hopping, so I handed off my remaining Houston and Austin clients to my consultant friends. My billable time was consistently hitting over $10K per month from Washington County clients alone. I had arrived at a small-company plateau I never thought possible just a couple of years before.
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