Growing Your Business - By Increasing Revenue

Featured Resource:

Articles:

5 Ways to Increase Your Profit Instantly

From a few years of experience running my own business, I found a few ways that actually boost my profit instantly.

These are the most successful tips ever you can do to increase your revenue.

How To Use Social Networking Sites Like Linkedin and Twitter to Grow Your Business

As any successful business owner can tell you being successful is all about building relationships with your customers. This article speaks to the value of social networking sites as relationship builders which, if managed correctly, have the potential to bring in more business.

Why You Need a Small Business Website to Grow Your Income

If you really want your business bloom through the use of your Small Business Website, then we must start with building one.

2 Easy Ways to Increase Your Revenue

Are You Ready to Find out the Easiest 2 Ways to Increase Your Revenue????

Three Powerful Ways Small Businesses Can Attract More Customers

Without customers, you have no business. While you might think the entire point of owning and operating a company is to make a profit, your actual purpose is to attract and keep customers.

7 Ways To Increase Cash Flow Without Working

There is no denying that we are currently in a global financial decline which is causing people to spend less and companies to produce less. However, this situation does not mean you should throw in the towel or stand still and do nothing until things blow over.

Three Management Tips for Bring In More Money

Fundamentally there are only two ways to grow your business: increase the amount of money coming in and cut costs.

Are You Charging Enough?

Over the course of time the cost of living constantly increases and you also gain more experience doing what you do. Am I Charging Enough?

Growing Your Money Base

Every small business has to continually increase its revenue stream in order to grow as a company.

In Tough Times, Innovation Can Fuel Small Businesses Growth

Small businesses need an abundance of innovative ideas in order to succeed in this difficult economy. It's all too easy to blame the economy, but there are many ways small businesses can succeed through customer focused innovation.

Software Reseller Tips For Growing A Stable Business

Are you a computer consultant that breaks out in hives when you think about being a software reseller? You might be confusing the low-margin sales of desktop PC's, notebooks, or servers with actually integrating software and other products into comprehensive business solutions for small businesses. If you plan carefully, you can profit from your clients' need for full-service support from their software reseller.

Increasing Small Business Productivity

Partnering: Dealing with Clients Beyond Your Expertise

At some point you’re going to need to develop partnering relationships with other non-competing complementary tech providers in your area for partnering and subcontracting type of work. That way you can meet the needs of your clients for many different types of projects.

Multiple Streams of Income - 5 Reasons Why You Absolutely Need it

In a nutshell, multiple streams of income means your business has more then one way to make money. For instance, you sell products and you sell services. Those are multiple streams of incomes. Why do you need them? Below are five reasons.

Guide to Reseller Hosting

Hosting reseller program is one in which there is uncompromising quality in both customer support and server solutions.

Partnering: Finding Your Strengths and Weaknesses

In partnering, the first thing you need to do is figure out your strengths. What it is that you do best?

Beware of Partnering Promises: Validate Why and Who To Engage With Before Forming Business Alliances

Before you engage in any partnering effort, be sure your expectations are valid. Do you have good reasons to partner with other businesses?

Partnering: Where Can You Find Good Partners?

Partnering is best done through client referrals. If you are a generalist, try to find deeply niched professionals to begin partnering.

Partnering: Joining a Formal Partner Program

Formal partnering programs. They can be good, bad, and indifferent.

How Does Joining A Small Business Organization Benefit You As An Owner?

As the owner of a small business there are temptations to join local organizations, but often you wonder if it is really worth the investment in membership fees and time.

Computer Consulting Business: Hardware Warranty Services

As a computer consulting business, you shouldn’t be spending precious time and your clients’ limited budgets troubleshooting a malfunctioning monitor or CD-RW drive.

Do You Know Joint Ventures Offer Benefits?

If you've done any kind of research about starting a business or helping your new business to grow, you've probably run across the term "joint venture" or "JV." A joint venture is a means of partnering with someone else for specific business reasons, such as to build upon each other's strengths or to enter into a new market. When two entities enter into a joint venture agreement, they create a whole new entity.

Why Every Computer Specialist Should Offer Data Recovery Services

Do you ever have customers who have lost their data? When they are crying over the loss of 5,000+ digital pictures, do you just stare at them blankly with no idea how to help them? If your company specializes in computer repair, you owe it to your customers to offer some type of data recovery service.

5 Ways to Increase Your Profit Instantly

By Lee Joe

From a few years of experience running my own business, I found a few ways that actually boost my profit instantly. Many small businesses needed to create a massive cashflow in the shortest possible time. These are a few ways that I have practiced.

1. Give free gifts

Givers get. You can give away small gifts or some of your service for free to build your customer base, to get free publicity. I remember once I was selling some small gifts many years back when I first started my business. There is not much respond. I need to do something about it. I started to give away my gifts for free. In total, I just gave away 25 pieces of the gift. The result in three hours: 300 pieces was sold.

2. Direct mailer with names

Many said that direct mailer doesn't work. From my experience, I would say, it depends. First you have to put the name of that person you want to send to. If you address them as "Marketing Director", "CEO" or "House Owner", you are not going to get a good response. Do some work, find out their names, address to them directly. My response rate for direct mailers range from 10% - 20%. Direct mailers do work.

3. Add bonus

Customers love bonuses. Add lots of bonuses for your customers, they will remember you. They will be happy when they buy from you, and realized that they can have some free bonus. Preferably the perceived value of the bonus is greater than the item they bought. It will make this technique works even better. People made a decision to buy a new car when they there is a Free $50 petrol voucher. How amazing bonuses work.

4. Urgency

If possible add in an urgency to whatever you are selling. "while stock last", "only for 3 days" works well. It makes your customer wants to take action fast. A retail shop here used this: "50% discount only for 2 days. Start on 9am" I can see people gathering in front of the shop at 8am.

5. Customer base

If you want to have a sustainable business in a easier way, build your customer base. Many business owner forgot their customer nice the customers buy from them once. You got to keep in touch with your customers. Once they buy from you once, and like your products, they will buy again from you. You got to do things to make them happy.

I always keep in touch with my customers. Sending them emails, calling them to chat, giving them gifts. Even though they may not buy from you again, they may refer their friends to you.

Joe is an enlightened entrepreneurs starting their business in an out-of-the-box way. They started their training business with just $20. Learn more about his experience at Inspiration Junction

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

<TOP>

8 Easy Tips in Increasing Revenue

By Gerelyn Diaz Monungolh

These are the most successful tips ever you can do to increase your revenue.

Guidelines for success in revenue increase:

1. Promote the products or services via your online newsletter. (Remember that you are not using the newsletter merely for promotion but also give your readers useful information on your newsletter).

2. Evaluate products or services in order to pre-sell. (Product evaluation is the best ways to pre-sell.)

3. Optimize your website (by becoming search engine friendly. One of the most essential ways to reach virtual users is SEO.)

4. Gathering email addresses of the visitors. (There is 70% chance that this can help to grow your list and make an easy promotion of the products. By having a larger list you can provide reports for free in order to increase the number of your audience.)

5. Splurge some money to promote your website. (PPC or pay per click maybe a great one to use because it attracts the visitors who clicks on the advertisements.)

6. Enticement for visitors to boost the sales (These are identified as cash incentives when they make purchase or discounts)

7. Post daily new and interesting contents about your site. (It is very essential to update if you want to get better rank in search engines.)

8. SEO, Web Marketing and Internet marketing. (These are the experts that help you boost your rank and increase your revenue by 100 %.)

Learn new and innovative methods and tactics continuously so that you can increase your revenue. If you do so, you will be making a good source of income from these.

When the Web Marketing has brought the world to everyone's fingertips. The result was awesome! customers choose businesses that appear on page 1 and 2 of Google, Yahoo & MSN. Therefore, if your website isn't among them then act now. Thus, Web Marketing Experts is aware that every website has the potential to rank highly on major search engines. How? With proper search engine optimization (SEO).

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

<TOP>

How To Use Social Networking Sites Like Linkedin and Twitter to Grow Your Business

by Wayne Kessler

For the past few days I have been working on obtaining testimonials for several of my clients who we are helping to create new websites. In the process of interviewing the customer’s client- I ask a series of questions which help me in outlining my client’s brand. One question I ask is “why did you choose this company.” In many cases, what I find, is that the company is already known to the client either because they frequently see the company office, or have a family member or friend that has done business with them. “Word of mouth” is the easiest way to get new business as a relationship of trust has been established via a third party’s experience with the company.

Because most businesses cannot rely solely on word of mouth to generate all their business they try other means of building a relationship such as direct mail, advertisements, radio, and television to name a few.

Increasingly, the internet is becoming a primary means to begin to build a relationship with customers and to target market segments. So how can one establish trust over the internet, which, to many, seems so impersonal and lacking the one-on-one contact that is associated with building a trusting relationship? The answer is simple- just as email usage has grown as a means of communication-social networking sites such as Linkedin and Twitter are being used as tools to share information, share resources, assess consumer needs, to network, and to establish collaborative business relationships. This is not just a local phenomenon- this is happening worldwide. Currently, I am regularly communicating with people in 8 countries and I have not even begun to use all of the available social networking tools.

Although I use these sites primarily for business-there is great value in using the sites to locate old friends, schoolmates, and colleagues. However, in these instances, I use my email or phone to communicate and do not use a public venue to exchange personal information, as I feel it detracts from the community user experience with these public forums. I have heard many online users talking about using proper “netiquette” related to these sites and the consensus is that you should treat the online community communication experience the same as you would in your personal and professional life, e.g. no advertising, spamming, stalking, rude behavior, etc.

In summary, I do not approach social networking sites as a way to socialize or make friends. Just as in “real life” this may happen over time with people you regularly communicate with and have much in common. I keep my online presence cordial and professional and all of the social networking sites to which I am a member have the same professional photo of me, and company information. I do not use my blog, Facebook, Twitter or other sites to tell people what I am doing at the moment as some do. I post links to my articles, offer and ask for advice, link to other’s articles, to interesting technology tools, and marketing resources. It is my belief that one’s online identity can complement and even enhance their face-to-face relationships if one makes a concerted effort to give as well as to receive. As in real life, by taking the time to grow your social networks, business contacts, and by regularly communicating with potential customers to assess their needs- you will have a greater chance of growing your business.

About the Author: Wayne Kessler is President of Accelerated Business Services, a Massachusetts based, full service, marketing consulting, business coaching, and counseling firm specializing in internet marketing, website development, purchase and usage of electronic devices, and helping businesses use social and business networking tools to grow their business. To learn more visit www.waynekessler.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Why You Need a Small Business Website to Grow Your Income
by Denise McNerney

If you really want your business bloom through the use of your Small Business Website, then we must start with building one. But, are you still unsure about on how to create and develop an effective, persuasive and affordable website for your small business?

Have you been tired searching for a small business website designer who understands that their job is not just to create a website, but to help you make money?

Would you like to build your own Small Business Website... one that actually contributes to the bottom line of your small business?

Well, today, most small businesses need an on-line presence as much as they need a phone or mailbox. Customers, users and clients -- current and potential or future prospects, expect you to have one. For some small businesses, a website had always become the primary selling tool, a very effective means to access inventory or collaborate on client projects.

For other small businesses, a website is not just a little more than a directory listing with static contact information. Other small businesses have launched constantly updated web blogs or detailed service-oriented resources. From simple to complicated or complex ones, websites have become a requirement for doing business in many industries.

A coal-and-ice aspect of building a profitable web business is mastering and acquiring the search engines and achieving better search engine hierarchy or commonly known as rankings.

On the other hand, It is also substantial that any Small Business Website design gives prospective clients and consumers the right and appropriate impression of your company and presents your company as a professional, savvy and competent business.

To do this your Small Business Website must convey or impart such an image and will only do so if it is professionally designed itself. Always remember to promote and advertise your Small Business Website off-line as well by stating it on all your marketing materials and to current customers. And then get back to doing business.

Your Small Business Website should be positioned well in the coming weeks on specific search terms to your local market and service as well as being visited from local people following your off-line marketing efforts and finding the information they're looking for on your Small Business Website.

Using Social Networks is also a great help in promoting your Small Business Website. This recent phenomena called "social network marketing" which should become a part of your on-line marketing strategy. Some web experts are saying it could become more important than search engine optimization in driving traffic to your small business website.

Also, before I forget, I would also like to share with you that there is a Free Report available on the 3 Biggest Mistakes Made by Business Owners when they are looking for a Small Business Website. Our websites also can help you manage your own websites and we also assist you on the design and especially the marketing of your website. We will help you get to the front page of Google for your Local area which is also an essential component in order for you to increase your sales and popularity of your Small Business Website.

For more enquiries you can obtain the full report

from http://www.realinternetbusinesssolutions.com

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

<TOP>

2 Easy Ways to Increase Your Revenue

by Katrina Sawa

Are You Ready to Find out the Easiest 2 Ways to Increase Your Revenue???? Ok, I've done this myself, I've seen it done by my friends and peers and I've recommended this to clients many times with HUGE SUCCESS!

It's actually very simple.

1. RAISE YOUR RATES

2. OFFER PAYMENT PLANS FOR YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

I just had a client last week come to me who was charging way under market value for her services and I basically told her to suck it up and increase her rates by 400%!! Yes, I told her to raise her rates by 5 times what she was charging clients now. She almost fell off her chair (I think, as we were on the phone).

This new rate was actually the going rate for what she was doing. In fact I am paying someone to do it in my business right now every month!

Actually this happens all the time with services and products I actually need. When I run across people that I actually pay or could pay for what they do, I open my mouth and suggest they raise their rates! Am I a dummy or what? I could be paying much less for stuff if I would just shut up! Oh well....it's for the greater good.

So, this client of mine; if she takes my advice, she could literally increase her income by FIVE TIMES with no more work!

It could be that simple if you are not charging enough OR if your perceived product or service value is a lot higher than what you are charging. If you don't know what your value is or what the going rate is - ASK ME PLEASE. I see a lot of different businesses every month and I know how to get you these answers.

As for payment plans; many peers of mine in the info-product industry (selling online products and services) find that they get a lot more orders and purchases if they offer payment plans - especially OUTRAGEOUS PAYMENT PLANS such as 18 payments of $19.95 or something like that. I do this for some of my products and services even if delivery of those products or services is well before their last payment due date and all of the payments are made online of course too by automatic payment which is the key. You don't want to go trying to collect checks after the fact, that's for sure.

About the Author:

(c) Copyright 2008 K.Sawa Marketing. Katrina Sawa is an Award-Winning Relationship Marketing Coach who's helped hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in their businesses to get them to the next level in business, revenues and life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group coaching and do-it-yourself marketing planning products. Go online now to get started with her Free Report and Free Audio at JumpStartYourMarketing.com!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Three Powerful Ways Small Businesses Can Attract More Customers

by Darryl Mobley

Without customers, you have no business. While you might think the entire point of owning and operating a company is to make a profit, your actual purpose is to attract and keep customers. Without a sufficient customer base, your company will slowly (or not so slowly) collapse. How do you attract new customers? How do you ensure you are able to attract the right customers? Here, you’ll find three of the top ways to do just that.

Direct Marketing – Marketing can be an expensive, lackluster process if done incorrectly. However, when you engage in direct marketing (of which numerous subtypes exist), you are able to enjoy tremendous benefits. Why is this form of marketing so beneficial?

Traditional mass marketing relies on blanketing your entire area with advertisements and hoping that those ads reach interested consumers. However, targeted direct marketing methods do not do this. You’ll find that direct marketing puts your ads right where they need to be, with consumers who have an interest in your products or services. This helps to reduce the costs associated with marketing, while increasing the effectiveness of your programs.

Customer Testimonials – Nothing works quite so well in drumming up new customers as testimonials from your previous customers. Used correctly, customer testimonials can help assuage any fears that your company is not the right choice, help to increase the number of customers coming through your doors and more.

However, it is essential that you use real customer testimonials. Today’s consumers are savvy enough to spot most fakes and this will result in a loss of reputation for your company. Therefore, ensure that you use the real thing in your marketing. In addition, you’ll find that these testimonials can be utilized almost anywhere, from your blog to your website, your print ads and even your in-store signage.

The Importance of Coaching – If you do not feel you are up to the task of marketing your small business and increasing the number of customers you have, then don’t do it. The wrong marketing methodologies will cause more harm than good.

The better choice is to make use of a business and marketing coach to help you identify profitable marketing avenues and determine the best way to generate new traffic for your store. Such a coach can help you in a limited scope, or they can help you implement a comprehensive marketing initiative; the choice is yours.

About the Author:

Darryl Mobley is CEO of the Association of Small Business Marketers and he is devoted to creating financial freedom for entrepreneurs and small businesses through the power of marketing. Darryl invites you to get the FREE Report that will increase the sales and profits of your small business, "6 Ways to Double (or Triple!) Your Sales… and Beat Competition" at http://4.TASBM.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

7 Ways To Increase Cash Flow Without Working

by Yvette Syversen

Let me share a secret with you. To create a strategic plan to help you succeed and thrive in your business no matter what the economic conditions is not complicated, nor does it have to be overwhelming. It just requires a bit of advance planning.

You see, the main reason why some business owners are not being affected very much by today's market is because they have long- and short-term marketing and growth plans. In addition, their short term plans can be quickly shifted around to accommodate day-to-day market fluctuations.

The most common way to gauge your success is by having systems to track everything you do in your business. This will allow you to know which services or products are bringing in the most profits and subsequently how much money you get to keep (your net income).

If you have been caught ill-prepared for the current financial turmoil, and are having cash flow problems don't worry. Today is a new day, a new beginning to remedy your management shortcomings. If you have been inconsistent with marketing planning and have overlooked the establishment of a sound business growth system, I can offer a quick remedy that you can implement to help you weather these lean times. Starting...NOW!

Here are a few ways to increase cash flow and your net income:

- Price your services for profit. Many business owners start cutting their prices, and though this strategy provides more immediate income, it hurts you in the long run. Do not cut your prices; instead increase your value. Even standing in a financial quagmire, people want value. I believe your tactic should be to reduce your customers' fear of spending and increase value by offering a stronger guarantee, a better return policy, more access to you and/or your staff, a better payment plan and so on.

- Establish invoice systems. You'll get your money more quickly and consistently.

- Drop projects that are not bringing in money. Go over your reports and either drop or postpone any project that is currently causing cash drain.

- Spend most of your time promoting or selling income-generating services and products.

- Increase efficiency of your marketing dollars. Increase marketing tactics ("systems") that have proven to be profitable. As loyalties loosen, your competitors' customers are more willing to jump ship.

- Add a new marketing channel. If you are promoting online, then venture into offline marketing and vice versa. If you are marketing via print, then pick up your cell phone and follow up. Your tactical mix will depend on who you are targeting, but bear in mind those solo business owners who show their tenacity in the coming months will be the ones who increase their market share as competitors drop off. Now is the time for you to extend or complement your existing marketing strategy.

- Find out what your market wants. It's crucial that you know your clients. Make sure your offer is on target with crystal clear benefits and a distinct, differentiating feature from other aspects of your business. One of the best ways I know to find out what your niche market is willing to buy right now is by conducting a survey.

There are different survey types depending on where your customer resides and how they operate. You can run a telephone, email or main page survey. Use the results to craft a unique message, create a new product or service and beat your competition.

Hint: When you speak to your clients on the phone, weave in a few fact-finding questions or ask them at the end of your call to do an informal survey. You also can run an email survey to keep costs down, or you can use email combined with a web-based software for surveys. Consider putting up a survey on your main Web page or on your "Thank You" or "Squeeze" pages.

This article will not have any power unless you integrate the great ideas I have shared. Make a promise to yourself and your business to integrate at least one of these strategies into your business in the next 30 days. If you make more than one of these changes, you'll see things happen even faster and not have to worry about where that next check is coming from.

If you liked this article on simple ways to improve your small business cash flow and want to discover easy ways to build a consistently profitable solo business around your lifestyle. Grab my Free Report "5 Keys to Build a Thriving Solo Business without Losing YOUR Freedom!" at: http://www.ezbusinessgrowth.com

About the Author:

Yvette Syversen is the founder of EZBusinessgrowth.com and creator of Female SoloPreneur Monthly™, a printed newsletter that highlights profit producing ideas and tips so solo-business owners can fine-tune their operations, increase their income and leisure time. The magazine reads like an easy conversation over coffee, suggesting step-by-step actions that can be easily taken.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Three Management Tips for Bring In More Money

by Daryl Cowie

Fundamentally there are only two ways to grow your business: increase the amount of money coming in and cut costs. If you are just starting out your cost cutting opportunities are small so you need to turn your focus to taking in more money.

Here are three management tips on how to increase the amount of money coming into your company. The first is focus on increasing the number of customers you have. The second is focus on increasing the average amount of value of each sale from your business. The third is look for ways to make sales more frequently. Each one of these topics is worth expanding on.

Increasing the number of customers for your business is all about advertising. Step one is to figure out what group of people you can help. Step two is finding all the ways you can reach those people with a message of the value of your help. All too often people start with step 2 and try to reach everyone, figuring the right people will figure out who they are and contact you. If you’ve got a lot of money to waste, this is a quick and easy way to waste it. If you want to see some bang for your advertising buck, then you must determine your target market first, and build your advertising campaign second. If you think your market is everyone, then you have not properly defined your market and you are poised to waste a lot of money on fruitless advertising. Getting new customers is the most expensive way to increase revenue. It is also something all businesses must do.

In addition to finding new customers, you can also bring more revenue into your company by increasing the average value of each sale. The obvious way is to raise your prices, but that is only one way. The others are cross-selling and up-selling. Cross-selling is offering people a related product of service at the time of purchase. If they buy a burger, ask them if they’d like fries with that as well. Up-selling is offering a range of higher grade solutions in case they customer would like a little more. You want a burger? How about trying our new steak burger its only $2 more and it tastes great!

Finally, you can have your business bring in more money by getting your customers to buy from you more frequently. There are many ways to get people to come back more often: provide exceptional service, teach people how to use your products so they use them up and need more, schedule the next appointment before they leave, or make recommendations on how often things should be done. Make a conscious decision to think about ways to make people come back sooner.

Increasing revenue comes from a mixture of these three things: new customers, higher average value of each sale, and sales to your existing customers more often. If you are not using all three of these strategies then you are missing out on some huge opportunities.

Daryl Cowie has shared management tips with 1000s of people in over 30 countries around the world. His mission is to help you and your company turn business opportunities into business realities.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

<TOP>

Are You Charging Enough?

by Bryce Whitty of Technibble.com

Over the course of time the cost of living constantly increases and you also gain more experience doing what you do. Am I Charging Enough? is a question all businesses need to ask themselves every few months to make sure we are keeping our heads above water financially and to make sure our prices match our reputation.

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself to help you determine whether you need to raise your prices:

Do People Frequently Overpay You?
One of the most obvious signs that your prices are too low is when people pay you significantly more than your usual rate. I’m not talking about a five dollar tip here and there. I’m talking about a full 20 to 50 dollars extra. When this happens its a good sign people value your service more than the prices you are charging and its a good time to raise your rates.

What Are Your Competitions Prices?
Research your competitions prices. Are they much higher than yours? If there is a large gap between their prices and yours, you can often increase yours significantly and but still remain cheaper than them.

However, you can also raise your prices well above your competitions but you need to have service to back it up. For example, if your competitions rates are very cheap but they do poor quality work, it wont take long for people to get burned and for them to understand that in order to get higher quality work they need to pay more at your store.

How Much Do You REALLY Earn Per Job?
Lets say you go out to a onsite repair job that took one hour and your hourly rate is $75.

You may believe that you made $75 once you completed that job but you also need to take into account the value of the petrol that it took (lets say $5) and the thirty minutes out of your day it took to drive there.

You then need to take into account how much it cost to gain that client. If you were advertising in the local paper for $100 per week and you get five new clients per week from that ad, that client cost you $20 in advertising.

Once you complete the job successfully, you still need to return to base and spend another five dollars worth of petrol and another thirty minutes out of your day. The reason why I count the driving time in both directions is because this adds up to one hour that I could have been using to fix computers in my workshop. Remember when you turn your hobby into a business, your time is no longer free.

Last but not least, you have to give the taxman his percentage as well.

So lets do the math with our 1 hour onsite repair job
:
You charge $75 for the hour
- $10 petrol
- $20 advertising
- 10% tax ($7.50)
/ 2 to account for the hour of driving

__________________
$18.75 is what you really earned for that 1 hour job

This is one of the main reasons why so many computer business go broke in their first few years. The owners believe that other businesses are charging too much and they would be more than happy earning $50 per hour since their last job “working for the man” only paid them $25 an hour. The problem they don’t take into account all these other expenses and wonder why their bank balance isn’t as large as they expected it to be at the end of the month.

Do the math with your own rates and you might be surprised how little you really earn. If you find that you do need to increase your rates, check out our “Raising your Prices” article to learn how to raise your rates with minimal backlash from your clients.

About the Author
Bryce Whitty is a Professional Computer Technician who started his business when he was 17 year old. Bryce writes Technibble articles about Business How-to's and stories from "the trenches".

Article Source: Technibble.com

<TOP>

Growing Your Money Base

by charen smith

Every small business has to continually increase its revenue stream in order to grow as a company. Often, when trying to do that, business owners tend to over think things and make things more complicated than they are.

At the most basic level, there are only three ways for a small business to increase its revenue stream. This article will look at those three techniques in some detail. If a small business owner can keep the focus of his marketing campaign on these three things, he can steadily increase his company’s performance.

1. Get More Customers

Most small businesses focus most of their advertising efforts on this strategy, and it is the most important one. The more customers you have, the bigger base you have from which you can draw revenue. When targeting new customers, there are a variety of tactics that you can employ. You can design a brochure printing project, and distribute those brochures to as many of your target customers as possible. Or, you can focus on media such as newspapers and radio and run ads in those forms. The goal is to get the attention of people who are at least somewhat likely to buy your product; people who need the service that you provide.

2. Get Your Customers to Buy More Products

Trying to get more customers is not the only way to grow your revenue base. In fact, focusing only on new customers will force you to miss out on a lot of opportunities. When you do get customers into your store, you should be in the habit of trying to persuade them to buy more products. This does not mean that you should be pushy, because that would backfire. But, if you get their contact information, you can send material to them to entice them to come back at a later time to buy more.

3. Get Your Customers to Buy More Expensive Products

This is actually a variation of #2. In addition to asking customers to buy more products, you should also try (in subtle ways) to get them to buy more expensive products. A great way to do this is to send them a postcard that includes your most high profile products – the ones that you markup the most. Obviously, you have to have your customers’ addresses in order to send them a postcard, but you should be in the habit of collecting contact info anyway. Then, design a postcard printing project that targets people who have already bought from you. Acknowledge the fact that they have already been to your store, and tell them how much you appreciate their business. Then try to get them interested in your bigger money making products.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Brochure Printing and Postcard Printing

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

<TOP>

In Tough Times, Innovation Can Fuel Small Businesses Growth

by Keith Mabe

The good news is: Periods of economic stress are usually followed by new innovative ideas, especially in small business. This stems from a basic business need to retain and attract customers with what the customer perceives as value. Small businesses understand this and are able to fare better in an economic downturn because they think fast. They are in a better position to move very quickly in terms of how they align their resources and address customer needs.

That's just the way they're used to doing it, in good times and bad. It all stems from the passion they have for their business and their customers. Innovation does not come without cost. In these times, small businesses must focus on the customer, costs and cash flow. To fuel innovation, small businesses need to re-evaluate their priorities, and their business model, in order to pinpoint problems and goals to provide innovations to products and service offerings.

A Cash flow crunch can sneak up on a business if they are not prepared. It can adversely affect a company experiencing a slowdown as well as one that is rapidly expanding. In order to stem cash flow, businesses should be sure to have cash reserves or arrange backup financing. Lines of credit, equity financing, or Invoice Factoring (also known as Accounts Receivable Financing) can provide a boost to cash flow that can fuel the innovations necessary to succeed.

Now is the time for business owners to innovate and make an investment in their business. To build up a customer base that can support their efforts in an economic downturn. What may matter most is the commitment to innovative change, the tolerance for taking risks, a sharp eye on cash flow, and management's ability to lead smart.

About the Author:

Keith Mabe is Director of Operations for Charter Capital, recognized as one of the hardest working independent providers of invoice factoring for small to mid-sized businesses. Charter Capital offers a complete line of factoring and related financial services. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital provides accounts receivable financing and asset-based lending for major industries including freight and transportation, consulting firms, service providers, staffing firms, distributors and manufacturers, medical service providers. Find out more at http://www.chartercapitalusa.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Software Reseller Tips For Growing A Stable Business

by Joshua Feinberg

The following 3 tips can help you learn how to incorporate being a software reseller into your more profitable IT services business and attract great clients.

1 .Embrace Your Role as a Technology Influencer. An IT consultant that also acts as a software reseller knows that smart selection of products can make installation, support, troubleshooting and upgrading work a breeze. Choosing the right software for systems can dramatically boost system reliability, which helps keep your valued clients happy. If you rely on someone else to choose software, you increase the chances of your solutions being less effective. When software acts up or is incompatible with existing hardware, clients get really frustrated and might actually end up blaming you for problems. As a software reseller, you can enhance the overall solution you bring to clients and give them a single point of contact. This in turn eliminates frustration and nurtures trusting, long-term relationships.

2. Pay Attention to New Advances in Technology ... But Be Wary! There will always be new software and hardware on the horizon, but that doesn't mean you have to jump to incorporate all of it into your small business clients' solutions just because you want to stay up to date. A successful small business software reseller keeps an eye on new products for clients, but is always mindful of overall solutions and what will work best and most cost effectively. You can't let your love for new gadgets and bleeding-edge technology get in the way of responding to client needs.

3. Know Where the Real Profit Opportunities Are for a Software Reseller. IT consultants do have a big opportunity for profit from software sales, but often not in the actual profit margins of the software applications themselves. Software resellers are successful when they act as their clients' primary technology influencers. If you are going to add software sales to your repertoire, you need to not think of yourself as a purveyor of products, but rather as a professional that will recommend what to buy based on end-to-end small business solutions. In this short article, we looked at 3 tips to help you profit from being a software reseller and build a steady client base. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients as a software reseller now at http://www.SoftwareResellerSecrets.com

About the Author:

Joshua Feinberg is the author and editorial director of the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course, which helps computer consultants, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and managed services providers get more of the best, steady, high-paying small business (SMB) clients.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Increasing Small Business Productivity
by Nicholas Brown

An obstacle many small businesses face is losing money and productivity because of poor organization. Business disorganization comes in many different forms, but each has the same result, lost time and money. One major problem with organization in small businesses comes from project delivery and filing. This is especially true of service-based businesses. Most businesses specialize in one or two services with little differences between projects. However, even though many of the procedures for completing a project are the same regardless of the project, businesses fail to find a way of streamlining those procedures.

Examples are usually the easiest way of learning a new concept. Let us consider a small business that sells lamps. This particular business receives orders from all over the country. Each time this business receives an order, they must create an invoice and file an order sheet for their records. These records require that the name, address, and other information be entered. What this business fails to realize is that this process can be greatly simplified with a little database know-how and some basic programming.

There are a few things to consider before getting started on this process. First, are there repeat customers or are most purchases from new customers? Let us assume for a moment that most purchases are from repeat customers. In this case, a form could be set up in the database to automatically fill out all the billing and shipping information when the buyer’s name is entered. Suppose, however, that most of the customers are new. In this case it would be impractical to have the database try to fill in the information based on the person’s name. In this case, have the state and zip code information automatically filled in upon entering the city would be of great use. Since more than one form must be filled out in either customer’s case, it would be of great help for the database to automatically fill in the information from one form into all necessary, subsequent forms. This would require the employee to fill out only one form instead of multiple forms with the same information, allowing the employee to get back to other important duties. These simple tricks can help a business to save valuable time and money. When running a small business, every hour and every dollar matters, so it pays to make your business more efficient.

About the Author:

Nicholas Brown is a recognized authority on the subject of Access Databases. He is the founder of Database Technology Services (DTS). DTS is a leader in custom Access database development. DTS programmers create databases for corporations, small businesses and individuals. Visit http://www.dts-consultants.com

to see all of the services DTS has to offer.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

Partnering: Dealing with Clients Beyond Your Expertise

by Joshua Feinberg

Partnering- How To Be The Virtual Solution for Your Clients

Sometimes you may be asked to do some work that you don't have experience or skills in. For example, let's say you’re a really good generalist and you’re good at setting up simple LANs, but all of a sudden your client merged with a company who's got a sophisticated WAN infrastructure.

Help Your Client by Partnering

In order to be able to deliver the complete virtual IT solution, you need to have a Rolodex of people that can come in and fill in for things that are outside your expertise and beyond your comfort level.

How Can You Handle Customers Who Have Needs You Can't Meet?

If you don’t yet have specialized partners or subcontractors that can assist in these areas, do you tell your future clients upfront you can't help them, or do you search for the partners first? This is the chicken or egg dilemma. Do you get the clients first or do you line up subcontracting and partnering relationships first?

Identify The Needs You Can Meet

You should be able to map out most of the typical types of services that you’re going to provide to small businesses. Then, consider what your clients might need that you can't provide.

Start meeting with potential partners and interviewing subcontractors to try to fill in your gaps. Ideally, you should have a rolodex of anywhere from three to five people that you have ready to go as the client’s needs arise.

The Bottom Line about Partnering

Always be upfront about this with your clients. If you have partners or subcontractors that can help deliver the full solution to your clients, tell them.

About the Author

Joshua Feinberg, co-owner of Computer Consulting 101, gets computer consulting businesses more steady high-paying clients. Now you can too with your free access pass to proven computer consulting secrets at http://www.Computer-Consulting-101.com

Article Source: Amazines.com

<TOP>

Multiple Streams of Income - 5 Reasons Why You Absolutely Need it
by Michele Pariza Wacek

I've become enamored with the word "multiple," especially when it pertains to business. I especially like the idea of harnessing the power of the multiple to grow your business multiple times over.

There are a lot of things that can be multiple in a business, but in this article I'm focusing on multiple streams of income. In a nutshell, multiple streams of income means your business has more then one way to make money. For instance, you sell products and you sell services. Those are multiple streams of incomes. Why do you need them? Below are five reasons:

1. Make money while you sleep. This is a big one for those of us who sell our time (also known as providing services). The biggest drawback to selling time is when you aren't working, you aren't making money. So when you're on vacation, relaxing over the weekend or (gasp) sleeping, no money is coming into the business. But let's say you create a product or two to sell in addition to your services. Now you've just created a passive income stream (passive meaning it doesn't require yours or anyone else's time). So if you are taking a nap or out walking the dogs, money can still be coming into your business. (What a concept!)

2. Leverage your time. This is especially true with income streams that are passive. Basically you're making money without it taking any of your time. Therefore, you can spend your time doing something else and still enjoy money coming in from a passive income stream. This is a good way to use your time wisely. (Rather than work for an hour, get paid for an hour, you can be paid several times in several different ways during that same hour.)

3. Fill your pipeline. If all you sell is high-priced services, it can be difficult getting clients to hire you. After all, clients need to trust you and trust they're getting a good deal for their money. If you offer products or lower-priced services, you're giving those customers a chance to "try you out" before plunking down several thousand dollars for a major project or consulting work. Because your clients' initial investment is lower, you have a chance to lower their resistance to hiring you.

4. Catch a variety of clients. No matter what you offer, a part of your target market is not going to be interested in hiring you. Why? Because they'd rather do it themselves. Or maybe they don't have the money to hire you. Or maybe they do the same thing you do and would rather learn from you to better their own skills. By offering a product or a class or a group option, you're widening your net. Not only are you able to help more people, but you'll also be making more money doing it.

5. Diversify. The more income streams you have, the less devastating it will be to lose one. Not to be negative, but things happen. Industries change. Economies change. People want different things. If all you offer is services, and those services suddenly become obsolete, what happens to your business? Or, a more likely scenario, what if you lose your biggest client? Or a couple big clients at the same time? Sure, eventually you'll find other clients to make up the difference, but what happens in the meantime? What if it takes a month or two or six? Your bills certainly won't wait that long. But if you have other income streams, a dip in your services (or a dip in product income) is no longer so scary because you'll still have money coming in.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her at MichelePW.com.

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

<TOP>

Guide to Reseller Hosting
by Rod Hewitt

Hosting reseller program is one in which there is uncompromising quality in both customer support and server solutions. Many techie entrepreneurs have entered the world of web hosting reseller accounts and have made a small fortune by providing excellent service to their purchasers. Web hosting is a hot business and there are many types of companies that offer a variety of ways to get your site up and running smoothly and efficiently. From companies that offer dedicated servers and virtual servers to those that provide shared or reseller accounts, there are plenty of choices for anyone who needs a place to park their website.

In order to start you own reseller business, you must first purchase space on an existing server. Basically, a company purchases bulk space and then resells it in smaller amounts to those who need space for their own sites. Resellers are the middle men and can make a profit from reselling their own space to others. For instance, if someone purchases 60 MB of space and chooses to sell off 50 MB among several clients, it is reselling original space. These accounts are administrated through the original server and while the reseller of these accounts provides the personal contact with clients regarding questions and purchases, the business that handles the large server actually does the maintenance.

When a client runs into a problem that cannot be handled by the person reselling the account, he will have to wait for the company to fix the problem. A person that resells is not responsible for maintenance and can run into difficulty with clients as a result. Being a middle man is not without its positives and negatives and it is important that an entrepreneur that wants to offer the hosting reseller program be as knowledgeable as possible in the computer technical field. Offering generally a low cost start up possibility, successful hosting businesses do require lots of technical knowledge and unlimited commitment to a business that executes a non-stop operation.

If you are interested in starting this type of enterprise, keep in mind that you will need to know a good bit about IT as well as have a good general knowledge of financial strategies. It doesn't hurt to have had experience in other types of computer related transactions such as ecommerce, web design, or technical maintenance. An understanding of servers, software, and HTML are important as well. Many businesses hire experts in computer science to provide support and maintenance for a full fledged hosting company although it is not always necessary.

Many people have acquired the IT skills necessary for the Internet world without having had a formal education in technology. No matter what your education, always be sure, however, that you can handle whatever is thrown at you if you are considering offering the hosting reseller program through your enterprise. Selling space purchased on another server is generally offering web hosting reseller accounts for a fee and then making a profit on the sales. If you purchase server space from another company, you can then micro manage the space and sell portions of it to customers for a higher price than what you previously paid.

Since you do not own the server or manage the technical aspects of the server, you cannot perform certain functions for your customers such as maintenance and troubleshooting. When anything arises, you will have to field calls from clients and wait until the problem is resolved. If you wish to graduate to a larger business enterprise, you can purchase a server yourself and offer space to many more customers. It is wise to stay below your allocated server space in order to have a buffer in case of problems. When you reach your maximum limits, it is then best to consider owning or leasing your own server for more earning potential as well as added consumer benefits. Of course, this again, will require good IT knowledge or at the least, excellent support staff who can field technical problems and questions.

There are hundreds of companies that offer services to clients but the one thing that can set apart any business is the online or phone support. If you can provide support 24/7 and answer most problems within the day of receipt, you can be on the front lines of a successful server business. Support is more important than purchase price to many consumers so make sure that you offer superb support and you have the chance of leaving many companies in the dust. You can find a wealth of information from many online sources regarding the web hosting reseller accounts business. "Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Rod Hewitt is 27 years old and lives in Portland, Oregon, web programmer and web designer, owner of Hospedagem Php a Brazilian web hosting company.

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

<TOP>

Partnering: Finding Your Strengths and Weaknesses

By Joshua Feinberg

In partnering, the first thing you need to do is figure out your strengths. What it is that you do best? What does your store enjoy? What’s financially viable? What you’re planning on doing for the next six months to a year? You really want to make sure that you’re not partnering with someone that’s going to be a direct competitor of yours and vice versa.

What's Your Specialty?

It might be network consulting for small dental offices. It might be document imaging solutions for small law offices. Maybe it’s point of sale networks, POS systems, for small restaurant chains. Whatever it is, once you’ve figured out where your real strength is, the best, most productive kind of partnering that you can possibly do is with other non-competing technology providers in your area.

Make Sure You're Not Partnering With Competitors

Double underline and highlight the “non” part. Otherwise you’re going to be terrified that you’re going after each other’s prospects and clients. One of the scariest things for a lot of people when they get first get started with partnering is that this company is going to go aggressively after your business.

In order to be sure that you are non-competing, you need to move past "business card BS." Know exactly what it is that they do. Most of the companies that you’re going to want to partner with and most of the companies that are going to want to partner with you need to know more about what your real strength is beyond hardware, software, LANs and service.

Move Past the Business Card Terms

Everyone says the same thing on their business card, their yellow pages ad and their direct mail piece. Most people list PC hardware, software, and networking and services. But it’s really important when you’re partnering with a company to figure out what their core competency is. What’s the best thing that they do? What are they known for? What is the one thing their customer prospects come to them for?

Make Sure Your Partners Have Completely Different Niches

You need to look for highly technical people; deeply niched IT consultants who are already out there. Look for consultants who don’t want to touch the stuff that you do every day.

In other words, if your staff has good skills that can get you simple dedicated server installations but things like Microsoft Exchange Server or SQL server or VPNs throw you for a loop, that’s where it pays to look around for some consultants in your area that would be good to partner with.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants around the World get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too get more steady, high-paying clients. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

<TOP>

Beware of Partnering Promises: Validate Why and Who To Engage With Before Forming Business Alliances

By Harvey Kraft

Before you engage in any partnering effort, be sure your expectations are valid. Do you have good reasons to partner with other businesses? You should. Do you know enough about your partner? You should. Beware of the wrong deal or the wrong partner. But don't let that scare you off. Partnering may be your company’s most lucrative path for revenue growth and innovation development.

Don’t be swayed by promises your partner may not be able to keep. Don’t be

sucked into deals offering revenue you may never see. First, you must define your own partnering goals. Second, find a compatible ally. Before you start negotiating with anyone, conduct the appropriate due diligence to be sure they are actually capable of delivering up their end of the bargain.

The First Step in A Thousand Partnerships

Whether your business generates profits directly or indirectly, markets or makes products or services, sells via the Web or a sales force, offers parts or end-to-end solutions, operates locally or globally, you cannot afford to ignore the partnering opportunities available to you right now for growing revenue, innovation and brand equity.

But before you begin to engage potential partners, think about how far you want this journey to take you. Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu is quoted as saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” On its surface the statement seems to say the obvious. After all, even if the journey is only two steps long, it begins with a first step. So what did he really mean? Your level of commitment and resolution to reach your destination is encapsulated in how you begin. Very little determination is required in taking two steps. But one who embarks on a thousand mile walk must summon a whole lot of tenacity and purpose into that first step.

Starting down the path of partnership is similar. Don’t take it lightly. View your first partnering initiative as the first of many – the first step in a thousand partnerships. Fail to start out right and nothing of consequence can follow. Start with the right reason and a good understanding of the path before you and you're on your way to reaching your goal.

Before You Begin: Choose A Powerful Reason To Start With

Before you engage in the partnering process, be sure to have a clear plan. First, decide on the best reasons to pursue alliances.

Your first alliance should be a strong one. Have a reason powerful enough to launch your enterprise on its way to future partnerships -- able to take you as far as you can foresee.

Here are ten solid reasons for engaging in partnerships:

1. Customer Access – Two marketers exchanging access to compatible

customers.

2. Sales Initiatives – Producer or marketer working in tandem with a sales

force organization, retailer or Web store to increase sales.

3. Market Expansion – Partnership aimed at penetrating new or niche

markets.

4. Unique Value Alliance – Marketer with strong customer base partners

with innovative supplier adding unique value to the marketer’s offering and

increased sales for the supplier.

5. Building Scale - Partnership formed to achieve economies of scale.

6. Innovation and Specialization – Public, education or private enterprises

combine financial and knowledge resources to research and develop innovative or specialty products, services or solutions.

7. Supply Chain Stability – Marketers trade exclusivity with suppliers in

exchange for investment in quality, cost reduction, and priority speed to market; The supplier is able to make long-term commitments at stable levels and pass on the benefits to the marketer.

8. Distributor Partnering – An alliance between manufacturers and

distributors to provide access to new markets, domestic or foreign, or strengthen a position in existing markets.

9. Parts Manufacturing Partnership - Two or more manufacturers of

component parts pool their resources to produce a better product.

10. Licensing Agreements – Alliances providing license to proprietary

products, support services or technology.

Before You Engage: Learn About the Road You Will Be Taking

You may be motivated to go the thousand miles until you discover it’s all uphill. So before you start on your way, be sure you know what’s in front of you. Six of ten alliances collapse at some point down the road, because one or more of the partners failed to do their due diligence. Before you engage a partner, learn the following:

1. Management Strength and Integrity – Who runs the company - senior

officers and board of directors? Are these people dealing from strength or

weakness? Do they deal with integrity or are they the kind to cut corners or look the other way? Do they have a litigation history?

2. Short-term Objectives and Long-term Goals – What is their corporate

strategy? What is their partnering strategy? What will they gain by partnering with you?

3. Performance Rating – Is their organization efficient? Is it flexible? Is it

focused? Do they have other partners? How well have these alliances performed? How well have they performed in the past? Regarding: quality of goods or services, speed of delivery, pricing and management response to solving problems.

4. Capabilities and Innovations – What are their capabilities: past, present

and future? How committed are they to investing in capabilities that would benefit your business? How creative are they? Are they unique and innovative?

5. Financial Considerations – What is their credit standing? Are they

profitable - as measured by EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization)? Are they growing? At what rate – as measured by CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)?

6. Resources and Employees – Do they have the resources to deliver on

their end of the partnership at the scale required? Do they have the staff or

outsourcing to fulfill your orders? Are there unresolved issues with labor or former employees?

7. Risks and Compatibilities – Are your trade secrets safe with them? Is

their company a fit with your company in regards to markets and cultures? Are they looking for an exit strategy? How would a change in management or ownership affect your alliance? Will they be sold in the near future or right after they close the deal with your company? Is your partner planning on bringing in new investors? How can you get out of a failing alliance? Who will own new intellectual property rights and patents produced by your partnering?

Before you make contact with the prospect partner conduct as much research as is available to you. A second, more comprehensive and mutual due diligence phase must be undertaken once both parties have agreed to embark on negotiations. You will want to personally visit your prospect partner’s offices or production facilities.

Harvey Kraft is Managing Director of Partner | M -- partnershipsmedia.com

-- the leading California-based marketing consultancy specializing in executive

support for strategic alliances and partnering initiatives. Mr. Kraft is a skilled

partnerships executive, author and speaker and creative marketing director with two decades of senior level experience in the media, finance, publishing and wellness sectors. Are you interested in building a successful partnering strategy, a revenue producing alliance network, a value creating co-branding campaign? For serious executive support with your partnership efforts from marketing initiatives through innovation facilitation, please contact Harvey Kraft at Partner | M.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

<TOP>

Partnering: Where Can You Find Good Partners?

By Joshua Feinberg

One of the best places to find new partnering relationships is through client referrals.

If you’re taking on a new client and you get introduced to someone who’s a very deeply niched expert, invite them to lunch or coffee. You could say, “We should really get together and talk about whether we have any clients that could use your expertise and vice versa.” After you’ve both already proven your abilities on this mutual client account, the trust is there, and partnering is pretty much a done deal.

So when you’re fortunate enough to have one of these things fall in your lap because a new client introduces you, that’s tremendous. Definitely take advantage of it.

Partnering Relationships Won't Magically Appear

Beyond having them fall into your lap, you are going to have to get out there and actively seek potential partners. Going out to the chamber of commerce, you’re going to stumble across other people who say that they are consultants. The key thing here again is to be able to differentiate yourself.

If everyone is saying we do PC hardware, software, LANs and service, then you know, it’s very difficult to figure out whether there’s competitive issues that would prevent you from coming together and forming successful partnerships and contractor types of relationships.

When Partnering, Look for Specialists

The key thing is being able to explain that you’re looking for something a little bit unique. If you’re going to be the generalist and provide the total end-to-end solution, you just want to focus on meeting up with people who are specialists.

You can also surf the Web to see who else is out there in your local market. You may stumble across some potential partners that way. However, it’s so much easier if you’re meeting them face to face. Forming these partnering relationships are easier if you meet in person at a channel event or a user group meeting or by an introduction through a mutual client.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg can help you get more steady, high-paying computer consulting clients. You can learn how too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free audio training program on the Computer Consulting Blog.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

<TOP>

Partnering: Joining a Formal Partner Program

by Joshua Feinberg

Formal partnering programs. They can be good, bad, and indifferent. They just aren’t that huge. In this day and age, most people aren’t choosing to join partner programs just based on the benefits that they looked for 10 years ago.

Formal Partnering Programs Benefits

These benefits include: high margins, dedicated partner representatives, unlimited toll free support, four percent MDFs, market development funds, 30-day end user money back guarantee, no quotas, no inventory stocking. If, however, you are moving towards the service model, formal partnering doesn’t do as much for you.

Which Formal Partnering Programs are Best?

VAR BUSINESS, a trade magazine, does all kinds of studies and surveys on the best partner programs. It rates them constantly on vendor satisfaction on all different issues: technical support, sales support, margins, business opportunities, perceptions of small business clients. They’re an incredible resource for looking into different partner programs.

Naturally you can read about the big ones. You can read about the Microsoft Certified Partner Program, and IBM Business Partner, but you’ll also find out about some lesser known programs and what’s going on in general. What you will find is that not a lot of consulting firms are putting a ton of stock and energy in advertising their vendor relationships anymore. The tide is definitely turning more towards advertising yourself, your company, your brand, the expertise and service you bring to the table as opposed to advertising the brands that you represent.

Are Formal Partnering Programs a Fit for You?

Before you decide whether you want to invest any time or money with any particular programs, I would first think through what services and solutions you want to provide for your customers. These partner programs involve both a financial and time commitment. Be certain that the partner program offers your clients what you want to offer before investing!

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

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/

Article Source: Amazines.com

<TOP>

How Does Joining A Small Business Organization Benefit You As An Owner?

By Michael Laleye

As the owner of a small business there are temptations to join local organizations, but often you wonder if it is really worth the investment in membership fees and time. In deciding whether to join a small business organization there are some considerations before dropping off your check.

The primary purpose most people join a business group is for networking with other business owners in the community. Organizations such as chambers of commerce perform numerous functions for its members including providing help and advice on business operations as well as dealing with government agencies. Some can even offer assistance in where to go for business financing.

One of the things to look at when making the decision is whether or not other members of the organization are potential customers. Depending on the type of business you are in, there will be those who can use your products or services. Additionally, most chambers of commerce recommend to their members that when they need a specific service they do business with other chamber members.

That's not to say that you will reap instant benefits because as the new business in town you will have to prove yourself and getting that first customer may take some legwork. Simply joining an organization doesn't guarantee a sudden surge in business. It is all about the networking and attending and participating in events sponsored by the organization can help you meet new people and other business owners who can help you fit in better with the community.

With all new enterprises it will take time to get your feet under you and the more help you can muster with other business owner, the quicker that may happen. However, joining a small business organization for the sole purpose of getting new business will probably not be a good investment. While your business name may be more publicized, unless you're willing to devote the time and effort to be involved in the organization, others will never get to know you or your business.

Consider the things in common you, as the owner of a small business, have in common with other small business owners. Some of the established businesses have brought their ambition to reality and are successful. There may be something about getting new customers you can learn from them and, even though you are new to the business world, there may be some fresh ideas you can offer that will benefit them as well.

Looking beyond any membership fee that may be charged and considering the investment of time that will be needed to make the most out of an organization membership will help you decide if the investment is worthwhile. However, it is hard to put a value on the benefits of meeting new people and sharing ideas on growing a successful business.

Michael Laleye Is A Plug In Profit Site Member As Well As An Authority On Developing Home Based Businesses. Get more Information On How To Build Your Own Home Based Small Business. For Home Business Ideas To Make Money Online, Visit: http://www.MyAffiliateStarter.com

Article Source: SubmitYourNewArticle.com

<TOP>

Computer Consulting Business: Hardware Warranty Services

by Joshua Feinberg

As a computer consulting business, you shouldn’t be spending precious time and your clients’ limited budgets troubleshooting a malfunctioning monitor or CD-RW drive.

If your computer consulting business is large enough that you have both senior-level and technician-level staff, you’re probably already doing a great job of directing workload to the right personnel.

Are You a Company of One?

However, if you are a small computer consulting business, where perhaps you are the "company", it makes sense to let the PC vendor’s technical support staff arrange for hardware warranty repairs, using their large networks of national service providers.

Know the Facts about Warranty Service

As a computer consulting business, you will want to know how long the warranty period is, if it covers parts, labor or both and what the promised response and turnaround time on warranty service may be.

Also, determine whether the vendor will try to pressure your clients to do their own service. If so, are your clients prepared to pay your consulting firm to do the labor?

Scheduling Hardware Warranty Service Calls

If possible, try to have your clients’ internal gurus schedule hardware warranty service calls to coincide with times when you are at your clients’ offices on other related computer consulting business. Or at the minimum, be sure that your clients’ internal gurus are there to supervise the third party hardware technicians.

Be Involved

It’s really up to you to decide how active of a role your computer consulting business wants to take in coordinating and managing these hardware warranty repairs. In some cases, getting in involved with the full end-to-end responsibility makes sense, including packaging up the defective part to send back.

In other cases, you may be better off training your clients’ internal gurus on how to place these vendor tech support calls and supervise the hardware warranty repairs.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

About the Author

View more articles from Joshua Feinberg

This article is provided by Amazines.com - The ULTIMATE Article Database

<TOP>

Do You Know Joint Ventures Offer Benefits?

by ch manoj kumar

The term joint venture does not in fact refer to this new entity but to the reason for the partnership. Also, there are no legal limits on who can enter into a JV -- anyone can, including individuals, corporations, websites and small local businesses.

The most common type of joint venture is between two large companies. They enter into them most often to break into a new or specific market. There are countries that demand any foreign interest entering their economy first enter into a JV with a native company. Still, even if it's not a prerequisite, foreign companies can greatly benefit from having an interested party located in-country. The local office can keep a better eye on the social, economic and political situations there.

Even when a JV isn't a requirement, they can give a company a great advantage -- as long as they are carefully considered. Small companies often enter into joint ventures in order to take advantage of skills, management styles and even the customer bases of larger, better established companies.

Let's take an example: You run a computer sales store but don't offer computer repair services. Your customers continue to ask about these services, and you repeatedly turn them away, recommending the guy who owns the little repair shop down the street. You realize that you could both benefit by creating a business partnership, and he agrees to your joint venture idea. You both benefit. You no longer turn customers away, and he gets all the business plus a cut of the profits.

Joint ventures can be a wonderful tool for business, but they can be a disaster as well if they aren't properly planned out. Successful JVs usually comprise two companies with a combination of five characteristics: 1) Persistence; 2) Creativity; 3) Negotiation Skills; 4) Client Relationship Skills and 5) Visualization Skills.

Creativity is one of the most important of these characteristics. You must be able to think outside the box to see many different ways your business could benefit from a joint venture -- and all the different joint ventures your business could fit into. There are possibilities for just about anyone who's interested -- provided that you know where and how to look for them. It's also important to be creative when explaining your plan to a potential partner -- you don't want them falling asleep on you.

Persistence is particularly important when you first approach your potential partners. Small businesses have a lot going on, and the owners can forget you if you're not careful. You might also have to explain what a joint venture is if they don't already know.

You must be able to look beyond the present and visualize how your side of the partnership will fit with the other business's contribution. If you look ahead and see problems, you must iron them out before you make any firm commitments. Look for the bigger picture, or the bigger picture might not be as pretty as you'd hoped.

You need to expect a lot of negotiation with your partner while you're laying out your business plan and detailed agreement documents. You want to protect your interests, and of course your partner wants exactly the same thing. Sometimes you will disagree, and you must be willing to show determination and not give in to undesirable conditions. You must be prepared for some serious discussion.

When all that is said and done, you'll need to start thinking about your client relationships. Clients are often put off by the thought of a joint venture, thinking that your business, products or services are going to change or become pricier. To make sure that you continue to gain, not lose, clients, you'll need to nurture them and make sure they understand what the new entity means for them. If you attend to your clients, not only will they remain loyal to you, you will also find out which parts of your new endeavor they respond to best.

Joint ventures offer great opportunities for those who enter into them thoughtfully, carefully and properly. If you do your research and make sure to uphold your end of the bargain, it's likely you and your partner will find great success.

For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

<TOP>

Why Every Computer Specialist Should Offer Data Recovery Services
By Dan Fisher

Data recovery is not for the faint of heart. That is why many computer repair shops shy away from offering the services to their customers. Many times a technician will just tell the customer that their data is just gone, and there is nothing they can do to get it back. While this may be true in some instances, more often than not, the data is recoverable......you just need to know how to get it back.

Computer repair shops need to offer their customers a solution to every computer need that arises, this includes data loss. However, one of the worst things you can do for your customer is attempt recovery work, when you really do not have the proper tools or methodology to do so. Running off the shelf data recovery software on a drive that is failing, or not following the proper steps in the data recovery process can be detrimental to say the least. Not only do you greatly increase the chance of never being able to recover the data, but if it is proven that data recovery is not your specialty, then you may be open to some form of liability.

While you may not have the proper equipment or knowledge to perform hardcore data recovery, there are many solutions out there for the average shop. Many of the bigger data recovery companies offer reseller programs, which can be established as simply commission based referral fees, or even private label services. Seagate Data Recovery services offers a good discount program to it's partners. This would allow you to at least have a way of offering some type of solution to your customer when data loss occurs. Another possible solution is Salvage Data, which also offers a discounted partner program, with no evaluation fees or contract commitments.

One of the most robust programs out there specifically geared towards computer repair professionals comes from ACS Data Recovery . Their Regional Affiliate Program allows computer repair companies to not only receive staggering partner discounts of up to 35%, but they also private label the services. Reseller programs like this offer the greatest flexibility to computer repair shops, because you can either be the middle man and make the most profit from the service, or you can just forward them on to the data recovery provider and still make a healthy commission.

In the end, it's really all about customer service. You want to give your customers a solution to all of their computer related problems. Sometimes you may not be able to provide the solution yourself, but there are many companies out there that can help you, and most importantly, you can still make a good profit from those services.

About the Author:

Dan Fisher is the author of many articles related to data loss prevention and solutions. He resides with this family in Gettysburg, PA.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

<TOP>

	Copyright © 2009, 2010 Breden Technical Resources, Inc. All rights reserved.

Growing Your Business - By Increasing Revenue

Articles:

Why You Need a Small Business Website to Grow Your Income by Denise McNerney

Increasing Small Business Productivity by Nicholas Brown

Why Every Computer Specialist Should Offer Data Recovery Services By Dan Fisher

Why You Need a Small Business Website to Grow Your Income
by Denise McNerney

Increasing Small Business Productivity
by Nicholas Brown

Why Every Computer Specialist Should Offer Data Recovery Services
By Dan Fisher