Page 4 of 7 FirstFirst ... 23456 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 40 of 63

Thread: Thinking of starting a small business IT consulting

  1. #31
    Senior Member Webhead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,829
    vCash
    500
    Points
    680,025
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    680,025
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by slgrieb View Post
    In a lot of areas, the field can be crowded, and even if there are opportunities open due to the shortcomings of your competitors, you won't get established overnight. So, don't ignore anything that will make you money. Even if it is work that's beneath your normal level of expertise.
    Thanks! Good advise. Yeah, even if I just make $1 it's better than the zero dollars I'm making now from it.

  2. #32
    Senior Member Webhead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,829
    vCash
    500
    Points
    680,025
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    680,025
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by Tekboy View Post
    Absolutely. Conversely, have some common sense. Do NOT let someone talk your rate down because you are new. Just. Don't.

    One of the advantages I had in my business in Alaska was the fact that I play well with humans, which is more rare in our business than in most. I have found that most people who spend lots of time with computers tend to lack people skills. Customer service is a must.

    1) If you don't take good care of the customer, someone else will.

    2) The customer is always right, unless he/she is about to screw themselves, at which time you tactfully inform them of such.

    3) Remember attention to detail. If you do a good job, they will tell both of their friends. If you don't do a good job, they will tell everyone until they get tired of talking about it.

    4) You are a small business, which means you are broke. Even if your account looks phat for a while, you are broke. However, for this reason, as soon as possible, get liability insurance.

    There is more. Make people pay when they insult your intelligence, but make them like it.
    Thank you. Yeah, totally agreed with every word of this.

  3. #33
    Senior Member Webhead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,829
    vCash
    500
    Points
    680,025
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    680,025
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by Mobile PC View Post
    Exactly what he said. I thought I would be spending my time running cable and setting up servers. Installing SAP software. I spend more time removing spyware off Grandpa's computer, and teaching people how to use some software program. To a degree, it's how I marketed my company, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.
    And that's fine with me. If I can make money cleaning spyware off Grandpa's computer, then great! I'm all for it.

  4. #34
    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Posts
    944
    vCash
    0
    Points
    1,423,720
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    1,423,720
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by Webhead View Post
    I just would rather work for myself than someone else in the future if I can help it.
    You will still have a boss but the boss will simply change from the person you report to now to your customers.

  5. #35
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    725
    vCash
    0
    Points
    131,243
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    131,243
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project View Post
    You will still have a boss but the boss will simply change from the person you report to now to your customers.
    ^^^^
    Yep.
    I do some side consulting work. I'm not sure if I'd want to do it full time, but it's nice to pick up a decent sized job once a year and pull in a few grand for vacation money or paying down debt.

  6. #36
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Texas Panhandle
    Posts
    2,647
    vCash
    800
    Points
    578,511
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    578,511
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by 74AD View Post
    ^^^^
    Yep.
    I do some side consulting work. I'm not sure if I'd want to do it full time, but it's nice to pick up a decent sized job once a year and pull in a few grand for vacation money or paying down debt.
    The thing is that your side jobs tend to become more time consuming and important. Let's face it; if your 9 to 5 job was all that wonderful and fulfilling, I doubt you would be doing any thing part time. That was the problem I had with my last corporate job: it just grew to dominate my life. The money was OK, but I was essentially on call 24 hours a day seven days a week, and I just got fed up with wiping my subordinates butts and fixing their mistakes. I also got tired of essentially fixing the same problems over and over.

    I don't make the money I used to make, but I'm pretty happy now. I don't have to deal with underlings and all the junk that goes along with their happy horse shit. OK, I have to admit that sometimes the accountants I have as clients can run me ragged during tax season, but it's a pretty short season. Things could be worse.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

  7. #37
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    725
    vCash
    0
    Points
    131,243
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    131,243
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by slgrieb View Post
    The thing is that your side jobs tend to become more time consuming and important. Let's face it; if your 9 to 5 job was all that wonderful and fulfilling, I doubt you would be doing any thing part time. That was the problem I had with my last corporate job: it just grew to dominate my life. The money was OK, but I was essentially on call 24 hours a day seven days a week, and I just got fed up with wiping my subordinates butts and fixing their mistakes. I also got tired of essentially fixing the same problems over and over.

    I don't make the money I used to make, but I'm pretty happy now. I don't have to deal with underlings and all the junk that goes along with their happy horse shit. OK, I have to admit that sometimes the accountants I have as clients can run me ragged during tax season, but it's a pretty short season. Things could be worse.
    It's about money for me. I'm pretty happy in my current gig. I just wish I made 5-10K more a year.....which I problably could easily with another company in the city, but there's big tradeoffs that I'm not ready to make just for the extra cash so I pick up the odd job here and there to supplement and it works out pretty well.

  8. #38
    Senior Member Webhead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,829
    vCash
    500
    Points
    680,025
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    680,025
    Donate
    I guess I'll just have to see how it all goes. Going forward I need to make money so I can live. So the choice becomes, start my own business? Or get a job? I plan to work on both. If I can go make money doing IT consultation gigs, then great. Or if I can find a full-time job that doesn't suck, even better. And if the IT consultation business turns into a full time thing bringing in enough money to live on,... then that would be the best.

    It's all difficult. Things were pretty good with the last job. It lasted 12 years, I had tons of flexibility and the pay was enough to eat and pay the rent and see a movie here and there and buy a new iPhone. So all in all I'd say I had it pretty good for a long time. Now I have to roll up my sleeves and get out there into the real world and find my way.
    Last edited by Webhead; 03-22-2017 at 10:01 PM.

  9. #39
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Texas Panhandle
    Posts
    2,647
    vCash
    800
    Points
    578,511
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    578,511
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by 74AD View Post
    It's about money for me. I'm pretty happy in my current gig. I just wish I made 5-10K more a year.....which I problably could easily with another company in the city, but there's big tradeoffs that I'm not ready to make just for the extra cash so I pick up the odd job here and there to supplement and it works out pretty well.
    That's the thing right? You have to prioritize what you want in life. Money is good, but I did my 15 years with a Fortune 250 company, and it really mostly sucked. I busted my ass, and my expertise was undervalued. I watched highly competent managers tossed to the curb while idiots and jerks were hired and promoted to senior management positions. If I sound cynical about Big Business in the U.S., that's because I am. So, I'll take the smaller paycheck if it means I don't have to give some corporate VP a blowjob.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

  10. #40
    Senior Member CeeBee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,677
    vCash
    1792
    Points
    141,460
    Bank
    0
    Total Points
    141,460
    Donate
    Quote Originally Posted by Webhead View Post
    So the choice becomes, start my own business? Or get a job? I plan to work on both. If I can go make money doing IT consultation gigs, then great.
    Question is do you already have some steady customers that you could use for recommendations? What are you *really skilled* in and how does it relate to the services you plan to offer and actual needs of potential customers in your area??
    Personally I'm more or less in the same boat with 74AD - I have a day job I love and which brings good money and benefits... but I wouldn't pass a weekend work offer *if and only if* it would guarantee that I don't become their go-to person during my work hours - which seems to be the case with most small businesses.
    On the other side I've announced all my private (non-business) customers that I no longer provide services quite some time ago - too much trouble and scheduling with my wife to pick up the kids to go to someone's house and clean some spyware (Staples and Best Buy offer the service for a price not worth competing with).
    I still do custom websites now and then but even there is hard to compete, there are companies subcontracting in India or who knows where, and I would have to charge $20/h to be competitive and give away half in taxes...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •