title: Where to go now link: https://onemoretech.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/where-to-go-now/ author: lembobro description: post_id: 369 created: 2009/03/03 03:40:03 created_gmt: 2009/03/03 03:40:03 comment_status: open post_name: where-to-go-now status: publish post_type: post

Where to go now

I usually don’t let my political reading bleed over into my technical writing, but this is something that I really think deserves to be shared with my fellow tech workers. Much wisdom follows. Read on.

In response to a diary by a recently laid off tech guy:

Where to go to now!

Here’s what I do, I go after small businesses with 5-10 employees and set up a monthly retainer for desktop support, system integration with internal and public facing website, design, building, management and infrastructure. I’m available most hours of most days. I try to make sure the revenue comes from as many sources as possible while still not sacrificing quality.

I would set up a website in your local area, get some cars printed at Postcardpress.com - 4 color - for $60.00 and start cold calling. Forget the traditional job resume. Unless it’s sensitive job, people will be more concerned with availability, reaction time, competency, likability and affordability.

I try to make it difficult for a small business to justify going off shore or using a company that has abused H1B employees by packaging as much in a retainer as I can, like website and mail, IT services, website building, troubleshooting. I’m able to spend a lot of time at home as the first thing I do is set-up a WAN between their office and their homes. They love that. Then I’m able to get in and do 90% of support by remote.

I learn all of the staff’s name usually by naming their computers and I treat each one like they sign my check. I follow-up and I also use my business experience to make suggestions on how to increase revenues and cut costs. That way they see that monthly as a investment that could yield big returns in productivity, revenues and taking the pain away with trying to figure where to buy which technology and why they need it.

That means getting the manual on their phone systems and their massive scanner copiers while discussing compliance with document and email archiving. These are things most IT people who have had a strict job description can do. But it’s hard work. Getting the clients and keeping them. Some you have to let go.

They generally hate to buy anything tech related by usually when they have a religious experience like a lost customer due to poor service, employee theft of data or all day on websites ( ha) or a massive systems failure and no back-up, suddenly they pick up your card and call. It usually starts off on a project basis. Show how useful you are and suggest a retainer as they call more frequently.

I usually find customers working on computers years old when they were fairly expensive, reluctant to trade up because they assume it would be too costly. Employees watch progress bars, spinning clocks and hourglasses. Everyone is frustrated. You solve that and they love you.

You’ll be surprised at how many small businesspeople need us but didn’t know they could afford us. They have stumbled along blindly for years. You’ll see some things that will make you shudder. They also don’t like to make calls for help to many places and hear the finger pointing especially if it’s offshore.

It’s a market that has been a bear to break for large IT businesses and a field of dreams that never can seem to be build for sellers of IT equipment. It’s there. Go after that and don’t look back.

You can easily build a hard barrier to entry if you like the client well enough. Also be open to bartering too for Doctor’s offices etc. They all need you. They just don’t know you are there. Most small contractor companies don’t like anything under 10 desktops.

That’s where I live. It’s painful some days and some days it’s a breeze. Start now and in a year you’ll be fine economically and in good spirits. If you lose a client you only lose a percentage of your income. If you lose a full time job, you lose everything.

There are arguments against what I do, but they aren’t as applicable now as the country struggles. A recession is the big excuse to get rid of the most expensive employees for short sighted firms. I saw this in the Bush recession of the early 90s. They end up hiring the people they laid off as consultants at three times the rates. This time it’s different. The economy won’t come back for a long time. Chances are you will be profitable and around longer than your old company.

Also offer your services on a hourly rate to your employer. Hand them a rate card and a business card like any pro would. Ask for referrals. You may be surprised.

You can also offer your services to SOHOs too. Plenty of people start at home businesses and they need you. I’ve had small clients call the local “geek squad” but most of these companies don’t offer up people that understand business. Just gadgets. Neither do the offshore UT companies.

Forget the arguments over immigrants and H1Bs. You need work. When the income comes back you can argue the fine points. These political arguments and accusations don’t put food on the table.

By the way, I think I’ll make it through this year with two fill ups for car. Can’t beat that. :-(0)

Extended comment from someone with the handle Dburn.

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