Start & Run a Rural Computer Consultant Business

by John D. Deans

Overview

This book is a step-by-step guide for the IT professional working a high-stress job who dreams about moving out of the city, but still wants to make a living working with computers. It can be done! This is exactly what author John Deans did in 1999 when he left one of Houston's most successful IT companies, moved his family to rural Texas, and started a home-based computer consulting firm. Small towns are a relatively new niche for computer consultants, but they offer ample opportunity for starting a successful small business. To excel in this environment, you must become a jack-of-all-computer-trades and enjoy working closely with many clients every day. Owning your own business in a rural environment that may be unfamiliar to you presents challenges—but the rewards are definitely worth it. Deans will help you every step of the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770408388
Publisher:	Self-Counsel Press, Inc.
Publication date:	02/24/2012
Series:	Start & Run Business Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

John Deans has been working in the IT industry since the early 1980s. In 1991, he was one of the founding members of Paranet, a Houston-based computer network integration consulting firm that grew to have over 2,000 employees in 23 offices by 1997. After Paranet was sold to Sprint, Deans moved his family to a ranch near Brenham, Texas. In 1999 he founded Deans Consulting, LLC, and he now has a thriving business in the Brazos Valley area in rural Texas—and is loving the lifestyle of a rural computer consultant.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE 1 PART 1 — BACKGROUND OF A RURAL COMPUTER CONSULTANT 3 1 Escaping the Urban IT-Support Rat Race 5 Urban IT Grinder: The Dark Side of a Bright Industry 5 Rural Computer Consulting: A Brand-New Niche 8 2 The Making of a Rural Computer Consultant 11 Early Career and Successes 11 The Paranet Days 14 3 Rural Computer Consulting: Is It for You? 19 Falling into the Niche 19 What It Takes to Become a Rural Computer Consultant 20 PART 2 — SERVICE NEEDS AND SKILL SET REQUIREMENTS 23 4 Growing Your Skills: Key Skill Sets 25 Very High Demand Skill Sets 28 Desktop support and Windows troubleshooting 28 Antivirus software sales, configuration, and management 28 Data-backup management 28 Antispyware configuration and management 29 PC hardware and software upgrades 30 Strong Demand Skill Sets 30 Windows server support 31 Windows software updates 31 Software sales and installations 31 Printer configurations and support 32 ISP selection and configuration 32 Router configurations and troubleshooting 33 Website authoring 33 Website and e-mail hosting 34 Website and e-mail management 34 Wireless configurations 35 Contents vi Start&run a rural computer consulting business Moderate Demand Skill Sets 35 Remote-access configurations 35 Hardware sales and installations 36 Client/server performance troubleshooting 36 Application support of common programs 37 Hardware and software scaling and purchasing 37 Hardware and software eBay brokering 38 Minor network cabling 38 Network infrastructure troubleshooting 39 Website promotion 39 Data recovery services 40 5 Growing Your Skills: Less Frequently Required Skill Sets 41 Occasionally Required Skill Sets 41 VPN solution consulting and configurations 41 Network design consulting 42 Network management configurations 42 Network buildouts and configurations 43 Smartphone and PDA support 44 User training 44 Covert user monitoring 45 Digital camera and scanner configurations 46 Digital surveillance projects 46 Computer security reviews and audits 47 Rarely Required Skill Sets 48 Light programming in Excel, Access, and scripts 48 Network performance reviews and studies 48 RFP compilation and management 49 VoIP consulting and configuration 50 GPS configurations for asset/expenses tracking 50 Skill Set Wrap-Up 51 PART 3 — PREPARATION 53 6 Planning Your Move to the Country 55 Family Move Issues 55 Contents vii Financial Preparation 57 Pre-move financial tasks 57 Post-move financial tasks 60 Choosing a Small Town 61 7 Your Business Plan and Pre-Move Marketing Research 67 Business Plan 67 Pre-Move Marketing Research 71 PART 4 — START-UP 75 8 Settling In and Starting Your Business 77 After the Move 77 Business Activation 79 Company name 80 Domain name 80 DBA application 80 Incorporation 80 Employer identification number 81 Sales tax registration 81 Company bank account 82 Liability insurance 82 Accounting System Configuration 82 Website Setup 85 9 Home Lab and Mobile Office 89 Home Office/Lab Recommendations 89 Mobile Office Recommendations 91 10 Network Toolbox 95 About the Toolbox 95 What the Toolbox Contains 96 11 Initial Marketing Campaign 103 Marketing Materials 103 Basic business cards 103 CD-ROM business cards 104 Promotional brochure 105 viii Start&run a rural computer consulting business Local Newspaper Print Ad 105 Direct-Mail Project 108 Cold-Calling 109 On-Site Sales Calls 111 PART 5 — GROWING THE BUSINESS 115 12 Self-Employment Discipline 117 The Initiative Fire 117 Time Management 118 Exhaustive Customer Service 119 13 Continued Marketing and Word of Mouth 121 The All-Powerful Word of Mouth 121 Network with Local Organizations 122 Local Charity Events, Donations, and Sponsorships 123 Write a Newspaper Column 123 Speaking Engagements with Community Groups 127 Free Advertising with Giveaways 127 No-Charge Services 128 Data-backup monitoring 128 Network management system 129 No-charge loaners 130 14 Estimating, Project Scoping, and Deal Making 131 Initial Troubleshooting Deals 131 Comprehensive Scope of Work (SOW) 132 Client Handling for Best Results 136 15 Financial Management of a Growing Consulting Business 137 Tracking and Billing 137 Collecting Payment 140 Banking 142 Managing Cash Flow 143 16 Clients: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 145 The Good 145 The Bad 146 The Ugly 148 Contents ix 17 Home Computer Support 149 Home Computer Support Tricks of the Trade 149 Make Sure You Back It Up 150 Porn and Illegally Downloaded Music and Videos 151 Keeping the Whole Family Happy 151 18 Local Allies and Time Off 153 My Own Local-Allies Experience 153 How You Can Develop Your Own Local Allies 154 Gone Fishing 155 PART 6 — FINAL ISSUES 157 19 Critical Mass 159 When You Are Booked Solid 159 Time to Train Others 160 EPILOGUE 163 CHECKLISTS 1 Small-town assessment 65 2 Home office/mobile office 94 3 Marketing campaign materials 113 SAMPLES 1 Rural IT skill sets 27 2 Start-up costs 69 3 Network toolbox 97 4 Business card 104 5 CD-ROM business card 105 6 Brochure 106 7 Newspaper ad 108 8 Direct-mail cover letter 110 9 Marketing contact list 111 10 Newspaper column proposal 125 11 Newspaper column topics 126 12 Scope of work (SOW) 134 13 Scope of work cover letter 135 14 Detailed invoice 139