Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Would you like to achieve greater small business success? If so, then get ready to learn why most computer consulting companies get IT (Information Technology) wrong and what you can do about it.
The Problem: Why Most Computer Consulting Companies Get IT Wrong
Most owners of computer consulting companies make their jobs much harder than need be. Why? Because these computer consulting business owners fall in love with the technology and view their small business clients as a distant second priority.
However, if you get this part of IT wrong, you will doom your computer consulting company to “clueless geek” status. It’s crucial that you understand one extremely important principle here: Recruiting and retaining small business clients is your #1 computer consulting priority. Keeping up with IT should never get in the way of the mission of your computer consulting company.
In other words, don’t get seduced by the hardware, operating systems or applications. Fall-in-love with the business opportunities surrounding how you solve your clients’ biggest business problems with your recommended IT solutions. That’s the real mission of a computer consulting company.
The Solution: Blend Computer Consulting and Virtual IT
To put this all in perspective with your computer consulting company, you need to understand and embrace the concept of virtual IT.
Virtual IT is what allows your computer consulting company to function as an extension of your small business clients’ companies. Your computer consulting company essentially becomes the outsourced IT department for your small business clients.
As owner or manager of a computer consulting company in this role, you will most likely become the de facto CIO (chief information officer), CTO (chief technology officer), or IT manager for your small business clients.
And just like any well-rounded internal IT department, your virtual IT computer consulting business will need to provide, or arrange for, a complete soup-to-nuts solution that includes services like help desk, desktop support, network administration, engineering, security, training, procurement, and asset management because anything short of the complete virtual IT solution will leave valuable computer consulting money on the table.
The Bottom Line
Most computer consulting companies are making a huge mistake when it comes to their small business engagements because these computer consulting business owners fall-in-love with the technology, at the expense of the business opportunities. In order for your computer consulting company to flourish, make sure that you understand the concept of virtual IT and build virtual IT into every major business decision for your computer consulting company.