In today’s small business IT Support market, the Independent Computer Consultant is the perfect business model for serving the small business customer, and any tech with the skills to support a small business network should strongly consider starting a small business of his or her own.
But this wasn’t always the case…
IT Consulting began, and for many remains under the break/fix support model. The computer breaks, the computer guy comes out to fix it – sends a bill – repeat.
Unfortunately, this design puts the needs of the computer consultant directly at odds with the needs of the customer.
The customer most often views the computer consultant as an expense. If the consultant makes an on-site visit to the customer, it probably means that something is broken, and it’s costing the customer money - both in lost productivity and for repair. Under the break/fix model, the customer is automatically conditioned to want to see the consultant as little as possible.
This works directly against the needs of the consultant, who needs to bill enough hours in a day to make a living.
It would be a lot easier and probably more pleasant of a consultant-customer relationship if our support model was based on a win-win principal. For us to do this, let’s take a look at what everyone wants.
Well, we should know what the consultant wants…
The Computer Consultant Wants:
• To make a good salary. Perhaps a great salary.
• To not have any concerns for job security.
• To continue to learn and be challenged by new technologies.
• To work with a diverse group of clients, keeping the work week varied – avoiding boring routine.
• To work reasonable hours and to take an occasional vacation.
The Customer Wants:
• They want their systems to work reliably, with minimal downtime.
• They want immediate response when they have a problem.
• They want problems prevented or identified early, before a larger problem develops.
• They want their consultant to be able to fix their problems remotely (instant gratification).
• They don’t want surprises when the bill comes. And a large bill is ALWAYS a surprise.
• They want up-to-date technology (even if they don’t always appear to want to pay for it).
• They want a consultant who understands their network and their needs.
• They want to have confidence in their consultant’s abilities to maintain their current systems and to guide them in future growth.
When looking at the above lists, the solution as to what needs to be provided is readily apparent:
System Monitoring
• Minimal downtime
• Early problem detection
• Asset Management
HelpDesk
• Immediate response
• Remote Management
Personal Attention
• They want a dedicated consultant
Low Cost
• Not necessarily the LOWEST cost, but at least a fair and competitive rate
The Managed Service Provider (MSP) model (which if IT support is your chosen career, you should be very familiar with by now) is designed to address the above Customer wants by taking advantage of emerging technologies, allowing the support of larger numbers of customers, with less overhead. The development of support tools that provide remote preventative maintenance, remote monitoring and remote computer desktop and server support, has helped the industry of IT Support provisioning to evolve into a commodity that can be provided more efficiently and for lower, more predictable fees than was ever possible under the break/fix model.
Many well run and well funded MSPs are now emerging – vying for market share and working to establish name recognition and market dominance. As regional and national companies become more prolific and as current market leaders on the retail and development side of IT, such as Microsoft, Dell, CDW, etc. enter the realm of small business IT Support, it can seem inevitable that the role of Independent Computer Consultant is destined for extinction.
Not so!
There is not a single item in the above list that YOU, as an Independent Computer Consultant cannot provide to your customers.
• YOU can monitor your clients around the clock, receiving early alerts to potential problems.
• YOU can minimize downtime by keeping tabs on the age and performance levels of your customer’s equipment.
• YOU can provide your customers with real-time inventory, service and network performance reporting.
• YOU can provide remote computer support to your customers INSTANTLY from ANY location.
• YOU can provide your customers with the consistency they want from a dedicated consultant who knows their network, their users and their needs.
And you can do ALL of these items with lower overhead than your corporate competition, resulting higher profitability and greater growth opportunities for YOU!
Because the tools required for providing the necessary proactive system monitoring and remote computer support have become low-cost or even no-cost, there are very few barriers to entry for the qualified network administrator to branch out on his or her own and support a small, but very profitable client base.
By providing remote monitoring and administration, the Independent Computer Consultant is able to move away from the inefficient break/fix, hourly support model and over to the much more profitable and reliable flat-fee support model.
When charging flat rates for service, the consultant is able to calculate in advance the number of clients required to meet a desired salary level. Once this client base is secured, there is no longer any concern for getting enough billable hours in a month to survive.
And because this proactive model for support is designed to reduce and prevent problems, there is more time in the day for the progressive small business computer consultant to go out and prospect for even more clients to boost the bottom line.
By following the correct model of flat-fee, proactive monitoring and remote computer support, there has never been a better time for the Independent Computer Consultant to branch out and follow the ultimate dream of starting a small computer consulting business of his or her own.
Robert Peretson has been both a successful Independent Computer Consultant and has started multiple, New York based consulting businesses since 1996. He has created the website SuccessfulComputerConsulting.com designed to help talented computer consultants quickly and easily develop their own Independent Computer Consulting business.
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