Poor Folk Marketing.com

 

marketing iedas internet marketing online marketing offline marketing

Featured Business, Start a Personalized Candy Wrapper Business:  Wrapcandy.com

  Home  | Small Business Information | Pay Per Click Advertising | Affiliate Revenue | Web Promotion

Small Business Server Business Tips


Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting Profits

Over the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite.

As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon.

However, before you go ahead and bet YOUR company on Microsoft Small Business Server, consider the following three Small Business Server Business Tips... so you can maximize your Small Business Server consulting profits.

(1) Most small businesses in your area have never heard of Microsoft Small Business Server.

Although there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses in your area that would be excellent candidates for Microsoft Small Business Server, don't make the ultra-common mistake of assuming that the typical non-technical small business owner even knows what Microsoft Small Business Server is.

If you want to maximize your consulting profits and avoid commodity price wars, you're much better off leading off with a pitch for something that's more universally recognized... such as getting rid of computer viruses, stopping SPAM, or preventing computer security breaches.

(2) Sell your small business prospects on YOUR company first.

The real money in Small Business Server is NOT in reselling the Microsoft Small Business Server software. The real money comes from selling the RELATIONSHIP with the small business. So your company essentially becomes your clients' outsourced IT department.

Remember, no small business owner is going to wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, craving Small Business Server. However, small business owners DO constantly lose sleep over what will happen to their companies if their computer systems fail them. Become the solution to the more primal, survival instinct and you'll get plenty of opportunities to sell Small Business Server, once you've established a solid client/consultant relationship.

(3) Microsoft doesn't value computer consultants as much as they sometimes say.

Little known fact: the first version of Microsoft Small Business Server, planned in 1996 and released in 1997, was code-named "SAM"... because Microsoft's goal was for Small Business Server to completely bypass their reseller channel and be sold at "Sam's Club" warehouse clubs.

So the product team had the mandate to make the Small Business Server product SO simple that a non-technical small business end user could buy Small Business Server at the warehouse club and have the Small Business Server suite running in their office that same day.

Shortly after the first-version shipped, Microsoft realized that the most cost-effective way to reach small businesses with Small Business Server was through their reseller channel. And since then, Small Business Server resources have flowed toward the channel.

However, even today, you can often find 5-user versions of Microsoft Small Business Server in retail stores.

So the point: Microsoft isn't putting all its Small Business Server "eggs" in one basket, so why should you?!? Which brings us back to points one and two: Small business owners aren't actively shopping for a "Small Business Server". So instead of "selling" Small Business Server per se, you're much better off selling a small business on YOUR company, BEFORE you sell Microsoft Small Business Server.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we looked at three Small Business Server business tips that every computer consultant, systems integrator and value added reseller needs to be aware when selling Microsoft Small Business Server.

Copyright MMI-MMV, SmallBusinessServerTips.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved.

Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. He is also author of Building Profitable Solutions with Microsoft Small Business Server. To learn more about Joshua's proven strategies for squeezing more consulting profits out of Microsoft Small Business Server, sign-up for his free one-hour training seminar at http://www.SmallBusinessServerTips.com


MORE RESOURCES:

8x8, Inc. Joins Small Business Bailout Efforts
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
For a small business, this can result in significant cost savings as there is no expensive equipment to buy or maintain. Additionally, monthly service fees ...
8x8 Cuts Fees in Half in New VoIP Services Offer for Small Businesses TMCnet
D-Link and NGT Partner to Drive VoIP Service Adoption for Small ... MarketWatch
This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of VoIP TMCnet
all 18 news articles


SAIC Presents UAV Communications, Inc. 2008 Small Business of the ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
today announced that it has presented UAV Communications, Inc. (UAV) SAIC's 2008 Small Business of the Year Award. Tony Moraco, SAIC senior vice president ...


Sky News

UPDATE 1-HBOS to provide small business support package
Reuters - 13 hours ago
HBOS also said it would guarantee pricing on Bank of Scotland small business customer overdrafts for 12 months from the date of arrangement for new loans ...
Bank of Scotland Announces Small Business Support Package istockAnalyst.com (press release)
Britain's clearing banks fast-forward aid for small business Daily Mail
Jeremy Warner: 'Not guilty', plead bankers on small business lending Independent
Mortgage Introducer - Manchester Evening News
all 93 news articles


Wall Street Journal Blogs

Small-Business Owners Divided on Auto Maker Bailout
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY - 2 hours ago
Many small-business owners vehemently oppose bailing out Wall Street. But what about Detroit and the Big Three auto makers? That’sa little more complicated. ...
Small businesses depend on auto industry rescue Detroit Free Press
all 2 news articles


Small Business Initiative Sponsors Education & Professional ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
The Prince George's County Small Business Initiative has teamed up with Forrester Construction and the Prince George's County Public Schools to provide ...


Financial Roundup: LandAmerica Leaves Investors Hanging, GAO Urges ...
BNET, Ca - 3 hours ago
[Source: The New York Times] Credit not the problem with small business lending — An SEC panel says that credit is available for small business lending. ...


SBA Disaster Loans Available Following Secretary of Agriculture ...
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
ATLANTA, Dec 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The US Small Business Administration announces today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to ...


Small Business Puts Healthcare Reform First
PR Web (press release), WA - 2 hours ago
Small Business Majority founder John Arensmeyer comments on new research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that finds that small business owners put ...


Five Creative Ways to Start a New Small Business
Main Street Business Journal, UT - 31 minutes ago
Research by the US Small Business Administration shows that nearly three-quarters of all new businesses (with or without employees) survive two years or ...


CAC gets state grant for small business development
1330 WFIN, OH - 6 hours ago
A 60-thousand dollar grant has been approved for the Hancock-Hardin-Wyandot-Putnam Community Action Commission to support the development of small business ...

Small-Business - Google News

home | site map
PoorFolkMarketing © 2007