table of contents: Getting Started in Computer Consulting INTRODUCTION: CHAPTER 1 - THE PRACTICE OF COMPUTER AND NETWORK CONSULTING What is a Computer Consultant? What Keeps Computer and Network Consultants Up At Night? Why Become a Consultant? Your Own Boss? What Does a Computer Consultant Do? Consultants and Technologies Lifestyles of the Computer Consultants What Are The Skills You Will Get to Use? What Are the Most Important Skills You Need? 1 - Technical Skills 2 - People Skills 3 - Business Skills 4 - Excitement For Your Work How Much Money Should You Have Set Aside? What Will Your Day Be Like? Investing Your Time How Much Do Computer Consultants Earn? Are You Sure You Want to Be a Consultant? Part Time Consulting Getting Started In the End, What Do Clients Want? CHAPTER 2 - FINDING YOUR MARKET AND SERVICE NICHES Examining Your Strengths Choosing Your Future When To Take An Interim Assignment Finding Your Niche The Next Step In Selecting a Niche Some Growth Niches to Watch Process - A Potential Growth Niche A Variation Of the Service Niche: Specialize by Eras Y2K - Still a Growth Niche The Phone Number Problem? Niches That Never Go Away CHAPTER 3 - SETTING UP YOUR PRACTICE: Your Resources Organization and Structure Strategies to Balance Your Time and Projects Marketing for consistency Developing annuity products Developing a virtual practice Forming a corporation with one or more employees Raising your fees and refusing to grow. Should You Grow Your Business? Advantages of Expanding: Disadvantages of Expanding: Your Practice vs Billing - Balancing Your Time When Should You Hire a Consultant? Financial Aspects Structuring to Telecommute Start Up Costs Your Computers Your Data Network Which ISP? Literature and Printing An Office Furniture and Fixtures Memberships Insurance Legal Advice Taxes An Accountant Marketing How Much Redundancy Do You Need? Contingencies CHAPTER 3.1 - INCORPORATING AND PROTECTING YOURSELF Incorporation, Partnerships, and Related Myths and Misunderstandings Should You Incorporate? Incorporation Pros and Cons of Incorporating Corporate Models Domestic and Foreign Corporations Getting Incorporated Without an Attorney Places to Incorporate Kinds of Corporations Requirements for Incorporating Where to File Contracts and A Few Related Matters Contracts The Value of Contracts Copyright Trade Mark Implied Contract Judgment and Collecting CHAPTER 4 - SELLING YOUR SERVICES What is Marketing For A Consultant? Getting Into New Accounts and Markets Informational Interview Model Step One - Who Will You Talk To? Step Two - Calling Managers Step Three - Structure Your Two Questions Step Four - Coffee and the Interview Step Five - Who Else Should You Talk To? Step Six - Start Solving Problems A Variation On the Informational Interview The Benefit First Model - A Better Way Are You Selling to Their Problem or Your Solution? Finding the Key Results and Benefits U.S.P.s What Is a U.S.P. And How Do You Get One? Good U.S.P.s Creating An Effective U.S.P. in 2 Steps Step 1 - The Problem Statement Step 2 - The Resolution Statement Benefit First in U.S.P.s Make the U.S.P. Easy on You Using a U.S.P. On Line More Than One U.S.P.? Brochures and Mailings Getting Value From People Networks User Groups Is There Value to Certifications? Key Certifications Technical Certification Suppliers Non-Technical Certifications CHAPTER 5 - PRICING YOUR SERVICES Pricing as a Marketing Tool Can Price Put You at Risk? Pricing Software Projects Too Much Work? Look at Your Pricing Over Committing Underestimating The Solution - Price and Expectations Using Expectations to Keep Bids Down The High Cost of Working for Free Systematizing Fees - 3 Processes Process 1 - Hours Per Year Process 2 - Competitive Analysis Risk 1 - Who Runs Your Practice? Risk 2 - Focus on Price or Results? Process 3 - The 7-Step Process The Place for a Bakers Dozen Constraint 1 Constraint 2 What Stops Consultants From Raising Fees? The Survey Responses Quotes and Comments From the Survey Participants Comments On the Survey Structuring Fees - By the Hour or Flat Rate? Why Bother With Flat Rate Pricing? Reducing the Risk Breaking the Work Into Discrete Components Define the Limits and Assumptions Cover the Over Runs In Advance Guarantees CHAPTER 5.1 - THE 7-STEP PROCESS Two Clients, Two Prices? Hours or Results? Could A Result Be Worth More Than the Hours? Step 1 - Prospecting Step 2 - First Meeting Step 3 - Survey the Stakeholders Step 4 - Design Session The Phases Of a Design Session: 5 Problems and Solutions In the Design Session Step 5 - The Proposal and Close Step 6 - Contracts Step 7 - The Next Contract CHAPTER 6 - MARKETING TO THE GOVERNMENT What Government Agencies Buy How Governments Buy Exceptions Of Which You Can Take Advantage Getting the Contract Without Bidding - An Example How To Find Out About Government Needs Example Sole Source Bid Request Example RFP Request Procurement Categories Awards And Subcontracts Extending the Meaning Of "The Government" CHAPTER 7 - CONTRACTS, NEGOTIATIONS, AND BROKERS Win-Win Negotiations Contracts and Agreements Contractor or Employee? The Limitations of Your Contract Special Considerations for Software Contracts What About Brokers? Finding Brokers Choosing Your Brokers Criterion A - Will you like the work? Criterion B - W-2 or 1099? Criterion C - How much do you get? Criterion D - Do You Trust the Broker? Negotiating With Brokers Non-compete Clauses Confidentiality or Nondisclosure Clauses Termination Clauses Guaranteed Payment Fee Increases Selecting Your Brokers Dealing With Broker Defaults CHAPTER 8 - ADDITIONAL PROFIT CENTERS Why Additional Profit Centers? The Three Basic Ancillary Services Public Speaking, Seminars, and Training Platform Paralysis Speaking Opportunities Writing and Publishing Developing Software - From Hobby to Income Developing Software - Advantages and Cautions Marketing Your Software Making Your Software Into a Product Your Offering Your Pricing Terms and ConditionsGetting Paid For Your Software Selling Hardware Maintaining Hardware CHAPTER 9 - CONCLUSION - SOME FINAL GENERAL OBSERVATIONS APPENDIXES Technology Consultant Resource Guide What Keeps CEOs Up at Night? back to top index Books This Book's Summary Table of Contents Purchase
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