This article describes how to start a Computer Consulting Business, followed by a few points to consider.
Steps to Starting a Computer Consulting Business
- Researching a Computer Consulting Business – See An Inside Look Into the Business You Want To Start.
- Choosing a Location for Your Computer Consulting Business For more, see Choosing The Best Location for Your Business.
- Choose a Name for Your Computer Consulting Business. See How to Choose a Business Name.
- Legalizing Your Business – See  How to Register your Business.
- Create Your Corporate ID – See A Complete Introduction to Corporate Identity Packages.
- Setting up Computer Consulting Business Equipment
- Estimating Your Start-up Cost – See Estimating Start-up Costs: Are you Missing Anything?
- Writing a Computer Consulting Business Plan – See How to Write a Business Plan.
- Set up a Business Bank Account – See, How to Open a Business Bank Account.
- Get the Funding for Your Computer Consulting Business – See Getting a Small Business Loan.
- Software Setup
- Get Your Computer Consulting Business Insured
- Computer Consulting Business Office Setup – See, Here are Considerations for The Setup of Your Office.
- Create an External Support Team – See, Building a Team of Professional Advisors for Your Business
- Hiring Employees – See How and When to Hire a New Employee.
Points to Consider Before Starting
The need for computer consulting comes from, as you could probably guess, the popularity of computer use. It’s becoming harder and harder to find a job that doesn’t require using a computer.
We’re at a pivotal point in the history of technology and there’s a lot of demand for people who know IT.
Computer consulting isn’t for everyone, but if you have the knowledge and passion, the market is growing every day.
Computer consulting is competitive, with each expert wanting to snag good contracts, but it’s also a booming market with a lot of room for new people, and it’s just getting bigger.
It’s important to have a real passion for everything related to personal computers, Macintosh, PCs, Tablets, and Cell Phones, Computer Peripherals, as well as a variety of operating systems. There are dozens of established ways of turning your computer knowledge into a full-fledged computer consulting business.
A popular method is to offer the services of your computer consulting business to various companies in your area. Plenty of companies are looking for computer consultants who can be on-call when a problem arises, but you can also offer workshops and courses to teach employees how to operate the software and hardware to improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace.
When you first start out, you can charge a flat fee for your services, and when you start building up a name for yourself, you can charge by the hour or, if you’re offering your services to certain companies, even create a monthly contract and maintenance plan. If you can secure a few contracts you’ll have a steady flow of revenue, you can depend on.
Tasks And Skills Needed:
Business Specific Tasks:
Here’s a list of tasks that need to be attended to when it comes to the business side of computer consulting:
- Bookkeeping/record keeping.
- Advertising/marketing.
- Scheduling.
- Managing the financials of the business.
- Managing your staff.
Specific Tasks Related to Computer Consulting:
- Take care of repairs for all brands of computers and peripherals whether you do it yourself or have it sent out.
- Install network, whether you do it yourself or subcontract, or just oversee the installation.
- Setup software for clients and train employees on the use of it.
- Counseling business owners and others about what they need in the computer industry.
- Staying up-to-date with the latest hardware, software, networking, web technologies, and new gadgets and innovations.
Hours of Operation:
General Hours of Operation: – Generally speaking, computer consultants work 9-5 and sometimes evening and weekend hours when there is an emergency.
Necessary Start-Up Equipment & Supplies:
- Computer
- Printer
- Cell phone
- Website
- Scheduling software
- Time-tracking software for each client
- Bookkeeping software
Supplementary Equipment:
Equipment or helpful products that you can acquire once your business is off and running:
- A Furnished office
- Audio/visual equipment and/or software for giving presentations
- Presentation software (slides, short videos, etc.)
Monthly Expenses and Operating Costs To Consider:
- Wages
- Phone/cell phone
- Internet access
- Advertising/Marketing
- Common Monthly Business Expenses
Special Requirements and Considerations:
- Find out all you can about the trends in the industry. Know your competition, in particular, their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify your competitive advantage. In other words, this will help you figure out what you can give your customers that they’re not getting from the other businesses.
- It’s a good idea to subscribe to tech magazines and download plenty of trial versions of new software in order to stay on top of new developments.
- Patience is a plus as well as getting along well and professionally with different types of people at their level of technical knowledge.
- Flexibility with time is important. Many clients may want to meet after business hours or on weekends.
- The success of this business depends on the quality of service, not the number of clients. Concentrate on spending excellent time with each client and word will soon spread.
- You can shine above your competition by being extremely thorough in explanations, supplying current information, and making each client feel as though they are your only one.
- It’s important to become a member of networking groups in your area that highlight small businesses.
- You may want to consider specializing in a specific service. Instead of consulting on every aspect of the computer industry. For example, a lot of mid-sized to large companies use specific software for operations such as Microsoft Dynamics which is an area you could specialize in if there is a demand in your area.
- A good way to get your computer consulting business’s name out there is to write articles for magazines and newsletters. See if the local newspaper could use a weekly computer editorial or question and answer section. If you can become known as your city’s resident computer genius, you’re on the right track.
Pros And Cons:
The Pros of Running a Computer Consulting Business:
- Perfect business for someone who likes helping people with computer solutions.
- It is easily expandable.
- Is not affected by the economic climate as much as other businesses.
The Cons of Running a Computer Consulting Business:
- Can be highly competitive, depending on your area.
- It can mean traveling in inclement weather.
- Vacations can be hard to get unless you have employees to cover.
- You may always be on call.
- You need to always keep up with continuous changes in the industry.
Type of Customers You Need to Attract :
The majority of your first customers will be small business owners because they have the fewest on-hand resources versus large companies.
Clients include large and small companies in the private sector; institutions, such as hospitals, universities, unions, and nonprofit organizations.