IT Specialists must reach their intended audience to be successful with their marketing. As you'll learn in this article, your first step needs to be gathering information about your niche.
IT Specialists Should Study What their Niche Clients Do
For instance, to reach small medical offices, get up to speed on the business issues that impact the decision makers in these small medical offices. Get subscriptions to industry publications, e-mail newsletters, and other industry publications that you know medical office managers are going to read. For instance:
o Medical Economics
o Financial Management Strategies
o Medical Group Management Association publications
These resources happen to be all U.S.-based, but there are others. The key thing is to start reading the publications so you understand what's keeping medical office managers up at night, what's driving their decisions, what their biggest points of pain are, what the biggest security issues are, and what the biggest IT issues are right now so you can become an IT specialist in their field.
Learn What Solutions You Can Give Your Clients
Find out how small medical offices are using technology to change the way they do business, to get reimbursed faster by insurance companies, to make scheduling more efficient, and to keep track of charts more effectively.
Whatever industry it is (architects, graphic artists, veterinarians, etc.), make sure that you understand big picture trends that are going on right now. As an IT specialist, your prospects will expect you to be the expert.
An IT Specialist is a Virtual CIO
Then, when you go in to meet prospects, you're not just the consulting firm that sells PCs, or installs LANs, or fixes software problems. But you're a true virtual CIO. You can analyze their special business needs, make recommendations, create long-term planning strategies, put it all together and make it happen on-time and on-budget.
IT Specialists Are Not Commodities
When done right, you're not just the tech people. As an IT specialist, you understand your prospect's business. And your prospects know that they are not going to spend six months training your firm because you can hit the ground running. It will be obvious you've worked with lots of other offices their size and you're definitely the right people for the job. Their only questions will be, “So where do I sign?” and “When can you start?”
Spend Time Reading Your Clients' Trade Publications
Instead of just reading the consumer and IT trade publications to keep up from a techie perspective, make sure that you understand the business issues and specifically the business IT issues that impact the niche that you're targeting. You won't become an IT specialist in that industry by paying attention to general-interest publications like PC Magazine or CRN or conferences like COMDEX.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Biz Tech Talk. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Jumat, 30 Januari 2009
Kamis, 29 Januari 2009
IT Emergencies: Use Them as Ice Breakers
When prospective clients have IT emergencies, you have an opportunity. In this article, you'll learn that two important factors come together during IT emergencies
How IT Emergencies Help You
First, the customer feels the threat of having neglected IT issues. Often a new, widespread, and deadly virus hits, and the customer discovers that renewing the anti-virus license was overlooked or there were no procedures for updating the virus definitions. Then there is the sudden business impact of having to put some IT project on the back burner.
Perhaps one the customer’s main clients wants on-line access to the status of their account. All of a sudden, the project which was on the back burner it is now boiling over.
Secondly when you have saved the day, you have both access and creditability. You are there and they are ready to listen.
How and When Will You Fix IT Emergencies?
In responding to an emergency, it is important to remember that the emergency customer is looking for assurance that the “pain” will go away as soon as possible. This means solving the problem quickly--either with a clever workaround or a direct solution.
But what does “as soon as possible” mean? That is what they are looking for you to tell them.
Within an hour or two of arriving for IT emergencies, they expect you to be able to explain the problem and to demonstrate the ability to prioritize the situation with them in terms of their business needs. They’re expecting you to know where to turn to find solutions and to be resourceful and demonstrate initiative.
Not All IT Emergencies Can Be Fixed Immediately
If you ever watched the TV show “ER,” it’s a lot of triage. It’s a lot of figuring out what absolutely has to be done today, what has to be done this morning and what can wait till the next visit. Triage is also knowing what you can do quickly to produce results. It is not always fixing the hardest problem first and sometimes it is providing a clever workaround.
Technical problems that affect the entire company, like bringing up the LAN, tend to go up to the top of the list with issues that just affect one person tending to go the bottom list. But there are exceptions.
Sometimes Even One Computer Can Create IT Emergencies
If part of the technical problems involve only a single computer but this means the clerk cannot submit online information to ADP in time to make payroll, that may, indeed will, become a top priority. In this case, something as simple as arranging for a direct dial up connection that bypasses the LAN, can be the basis of a long lasting relationship, even if the LAN remains down for three more days.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
How IT Emergencies Help You
First, the customer feels the threat of having neglected IT issues. Often a new, widespread, and deadly virus hits, and the customer discovers that renewing the anti-virus license was overlooked or there were no procedures for updating the virus definitions. Then there is the sudden business impact of having to put some IT project on the back burner.
Perhaps one the customer’s main clients wants on-line access to the status of their account. All of a sudden, the project which was on the back burner it is now boiling over.
Secondly when you have saved the day, you have both access and creditability. You are there and they are ready to listen.
How and When Will You Fix IT Emergencies?
In responding to an emergency, it is important to remember that the emergency customer is looking for assurance that the “pain” will go away as soon as possible. This means solving the problem quickly--either with a clever workaround or a direct solution.
But what does “as soon as possible” mean? That is what they are looking for you to tell them.
Within an hour or two of arriving for IT emergencies, they expect you to be able to explain the problem and to demonstrate the ability to prioritize the situation with them in terms of their business needs. They’re expecting you to know where to turn to find solutions and to be resourceful and demonstrate initiative.
Not All IT Emergencies Can Be Fixed Immediately
If you ever watched the TV show “ER,” it’s a lot of triage. It’s a lot of figuring out what absolutely has to be done today, what has to be done this morning and what can wait till the next visit. Triage is also knowing what you can do quickly to produce results. It is not always fixing the hardest problem first and sometimes it is providing a clever workaround.
Technical problems that affect the entire company, like bringing up the LAN, tend to go up to the top of the list with issues that just affect one person tending to go the bottom list. But there are exceptions.
Sometimes Even One Computer Can Create IT Emergencies
If part of the technical problems involve only a single computer but this means the clerk cannot submit online information to ADP in time to make payroll, that may, indeed will, become a top priority. In this case, something as simple as arranging for a direct dial up connection that bypasses the LAN, can be the basis of a long lasting relationship, even if the LAN remains down for three more days.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Rabu, 28 Januari 2009
IT Audits: The Next Step
With most of your clients, once the relationship is established and IT audits are complete, you should move into a project plan mode where you set up a spreadsheet and organize it on a monthly basis.
During IT audits, you’re going to find that some things have to be done this month; some can wait until next month, and many things should be added to a wish list.
Wish Lists Defined
The wish list things are going to be those things that either have to be done because there’s a vendor or regulatory agency driving it, or there’s a product that’s becoming obsolete and won’t be supported anymore. Whatever the reason, a bunch of wish list projects will need to be done at a certain date.
Your best bet, and their best bet, is for you to keep track of the wish list items as if you were their full-time IT manager. Put the tasks down by month. That’s your future revenue stream.
How to Organize Tasks.
After IT audits, your first priority should be organizing tasks. It is as simple as setting up an Excel spreadsheet and putting a couple columns in there like Month, Task, Estimated Labor Cost, Estimated Product Cost for software peripherals, hardware, and a column if you need to bring in an outside contractor or vendor.
Let’s say they have an old Citrix server and they know that it needs to be upgraded because it hasn’t been touched in three or four years. If you don’t have a lot of expertise on metaframe, knowing that the project is coming up would give you plenty of time to go out and look for a specialty contractor in your area who does have Citrix metaframe expertise and is certified.
Keeping organized helps you to plan ahead with their ideas in mind.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
During IT audits, you’re going to find that some things have to be done this month; some can wait until next month, and many things should be added to a wish list.
Wish Lists Defined
The wish list things are going to be those things that either have to be done because there’s a vendor or regulatory agency driving it, or there’s a product that’s becoming obsolete and won’t be supported anymore. Whatever the reason, a bunch of wish list projects will need to be done at a certain date.
Your best bet, and their best bet, is for you to keep track of the wish list items as if you were their full-time IT manager. Put the tasks down by month. That’s your future revenue stream.
How to Organize Tasks.
After IT audits, your first priority should be organizing tasks. It is as simple as setting up an Excel spreadsheet and putting a couple columns in there like Month, Task, Estimated Labor Cost, Estimated Product Cost for software peripherals, hardware, and a column if you need to bring in an outside contractor or vendor.
Let’s say they have an old Citrix server and they know that it needs to be upgraded because it hasn’t been touched in three or four years. If you don’t have a lot of expertise on metaframe, knowing that the project is coming up would give you plenty of time to go out and look for a specialty contractor in your area who does have Citrix metaframe expertise and is certified.
Keeping organized helps you to plan ahead with their ideas in mind.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Selasa, 27 Januari 2009
Introduction to CD Mastering
Even though many assume that the mixing of the separate audio tracks is the final step, a recording should always be mastered well in order to sound great. CD mastering is the final chance for creative input when you create a compact disc. After the discs has been mastered, it can be printed, reproduced, and then sold.
The process of mastering a CD actually involves several steps. The first step is putting the songs, or tracks at this point in the correct order. The length of time between the songs is also adjusted, along with the editing of the songs. Any unlisted or secret songs on the CD are normally added at this point as well.
There are several ways that you can go about mastering a CD. First of all, the mix can be sent to a professional CD mastering engineer, which is what professional musicians normally decide to do.
The mastering engineers will often work in their own mastering facilities, which are very different from standard studios, in the fact that they have much less gear and are designed for the best possible playback of the mix as possible in order to fix anything that's wrong.
Aside from mastering engineers, CDs can also be mastered at home using computer software. This option is normally more realistic for unsigned artists or musicians who are just starting out with their music. Depending on the software quality and skill of the individual doing the mastering, the CD may turn out perfect or it may sound very unprofessional.
You can also refer to online CD mastering as another option. Cds that are mastered online can be great, as instead of sending a mix to a mastering engineer, the mix is instead sent via the Internet. To do this, you'll need a high speed Internet connection.
The cheapest way to go about mastering a CD is with free mastering. Artists and musicians may choose to use free mastering programs with demos or other earlier recordings that artists will use to send to major record labels to generate some interest in their music.
The major differences with a professional CD and an amateur recording is normally found in the mastering. Every song that you hear played on the radio is thoroughly mastered in order to sound better.
While you can master using free programs or your computer, a professional CD mastering engineer is normally the best way to do business if your band is looking to make a profit from your music.
The process of mastering a CD actually involves several steps. The first step is putting the songs, or tracks at this point in the correct order. The length of time between the songs is also adjusted, along with the editing of the songs. Any unlisted or secret songs on the CD are normally added at this point as well.
There are several ways that you can go about mastering a CD. First of all, the mix can be sent to a professional CD mastering engineer, which is what professional musicians normally decide to do.
The mastering engineers will often work in their own mastering facilities, which are very different from standard studios, in the fact that they have much less gear and are designed for the best possible playback of the mix as possible in order to fix anything that's wrong.
Aside from mastering engineers, CDs can also be mastered at home using computer software. This option is normally more realistic for unsigned artists or musicians who are just starting out with their music. Depending on the software quality and skill of the individual doing the mastering, the CD may turn out perfect or it may sound very unprofessional.
You can also refer to online CD mastering as another option. Cds that are mastered online can be great, as instead of sending a mix to a mastering engineer, the mix is instead sent via the Internet. To do this, you'll need a high speed Internet connection.
The cheapest way to go about mastering a CD is with free mastering. Artists and musicians may choose to use free mastering programs with demos or other earlier recordings that artists will use to send to major record labels to generate some interest in their music.
The major differences with a professional CD and an amateur recording is normally found in the mastering. Every song that you hear played on the radio is thoroughly mastered in order to sound better.
While you can master using free programs or your computer, a professional CD mastering engineer is normally the best way to do business if your band is looking to make a profit from your music.
Senin, 26 Januari 2009
Inkjet Cartridges
The question that I lay before you today is, “are inkjet cartridges better or worse than their major competitor the laser cartridge full of so called toner?” There are many facets to this issue, not all of which will be covered in this very short work of art called an article about ink. I do however hope to cover some of the more important points that will help you to decide on what kind of printer you want to purchase namely an inkjet or a laser printer.
Inkjet printers work like a ball point pen in a way. This technology is quite a bit less expensive which makes the printer itself as well as its maintenance cheaper as well. This is probably the largest way in which the inkjet lords it over its competitor the laser. You will save a considerable amount of money purchasing an inkjet and regularly paying for the inkjet cartridges (which are still quite expensive if you ask me) than you will owning and operating the typical laser printer. This is why buy and large the inkjet has held the corner of the personal computing market for a long, long time.
There is some sense in which you pay for what you get in this market of computer printers. With an inkjet printer and inkjet cartridges you have a noticeably lower quality printout. Not really a big deal for the home printer necessities like printing out a map from mapquest quick before a trip but it is enough of a difference that businesses usually find it worthwhile to bite the bullet and purchase the more expensive laser quality printer which will put out superior quality.
Quality can be measured in crispness of print, permanence of ink placement, speed of print, and ability to produce graphics and color. Inkjet cartridges printers are coming into their own however. Their prints are getting faster, more precise, and more smudge free than ever and all while maintaining that low price that everybody loves. Laser is feeling the heat and trying to respond, though moving more slowly, to these “threats.”
The one thing that laser printers still have a good hold of is the business market for multi-tasker machines. That is to say that inkjet still has not ventured into the facsimile and/or copier areas and seems to be conceding these areas. Therefore there is room to breath for the lasers over inkjet cartridges printers in this area.
Inkjet printers work like a ball point pen in a way. This technology is quite a bit less expensive which makes the printer itself as well as its maintenance cheaper as well. This is probably the largest way in which the inkjet lords it over its competitor the laser. You will save a considerable amount of money purchasing an inkjet and regularly paying for the inkjet cartridges (which are still quite expensive if you ask me) than you will owning and operating the typical laser printer. This is why buy and large the inkjet has held the corner of the personal computing market for a long, long time.
There is some sense in which you pay for what you get in this market of computer printers. With an inkjet printer and inkjet cartridges you have a noticeably lower quality printout. Not really a big deal for the home printer necessities like printing out a map from mapquest quick before a trip but it is enough of a difference that businesses usually find it worthwhile to bite the bullet and purchase the more expensive laser quality printer which will put out superior quality.
Quality can be measured in crispness of print, permanence of ink placement, speed of print, and ability to produce graphics and color. Inkjet cartridges printers are coming into their own however. Their prints are getting faster, more precise, and more smudge free than ever and all while maintaining that low price that everybody loves. Laser is feeling the heat and trying to respond, though moving more slowly, to these “threats.”
The one thing that laser printers still have a good hold of is the business market for multi-tasker machines. That is to say that inkjet still has not ventured into the facsimile and/or copier areas and seems to be conceding these areas. Therefore there is room to breath for the lasers over inkjet cartridges printers in this area.
Minggu, 25 Januari 2009
iGen Xerox- Invading the New Trend in Producing Digital Prints
Are you looking for the best print out? If yes then perhaps you can look into Xerox printing equipments. Xerox is one of the printing companies that offer the cleanest, best looking print available today. Most of us know that Xerox is the world's leading manufacturer of copy machines, color printers, fax machines and scanners. And they continuously present new and latest models of printing machines in the market.
As a business owner you can to stand out in the market by using high-impact, full-color, personalized print ads such as brochure, fliers, invitations and catalogs among others. The new iGen Xerox printers are now invading the new trend in producing digital prints. All print outs of this iGen Xerox will much likely look very unique and different because you will have a virtual inventory of designs to pick from. You can even select colors of your choice, fonts, backgrounds and even pictures of you, your family, your office, your home, your city, or landmarks in your area.
The iGen Xerox has become synonymous with the custom publishing world as commercial printers look to its ability to generate large print runs with minimal operator intervention. In addition, it’s been a profit generator for everything from variable data marketing to flipbooks.
Xerox is expanding its flagship, iGen Xerox is a 90 page-per-minute model that has the same image quality, application flexibility and reliability as the industry-leading Xerox digital press. Requiring a lower capital investment than any other machines, the iGen Xerox can make it easier for print providers who have lower print volumes to enter the high-end digital printing market.
If you have the right equipment in producing good marketing tools chances are you will sell more than your competition. The iGen Xerox is a major reason why sales of toner and services for digital office and production machines grew by 3% for the first quarter. iGen Xerox will allow Tri-Ad to produce full color, personalized and customized printed materials for its clients needing a fast turnaround for short run jobs. So, take advantage of this new technology.
According to iGen Program Manager, the printing industry is experiencing a transition from traditional mass production to flexible shorter and customized digital production and iGen Xerox is at the forefront of benefiting from that change.
Compared to any competitive machines, the iGen Xerox is faster, more reliable and offers superior paper handling. It is also modular, making it easy to expand its capabilities so that customers can maximize their initial investment. So it may be to your advantage to experience this latest technique that is widely used in the direct marketing industry that can help you generate more sales and increase your customer base.
As a business owner you can to stand out in the market by using high-impact, full-color, personalized print ads such as brochure, fliers, invitations and catalogs among others. The new iGen Xerox printers are now invading the new trend in producing digital prints. All print outs of this iGen Xerox will much likely look very unique and different because you will have a virtual inventory of designs to pick from. You can even select colors of your choice, fonts, backgrounds and even pictures of you, your family, your office, your home, your city, or landmarks in your area.
The iGen Xerox has become synonymous with the custom publishing world as commercial printers look to its ability to generate large print runs with minimal operator intervention. In addition, it’s been a profit generator for everything from variable data marketing to flipbooks.
Xerox is expanding its flagship, iGen Xerox is a 90 page-per-minute model that has the same image quality, application flexibility and reliability as the industry-leading Xerox digital press. Requiring a lower capital investment than any other machines, the iGen Xerox can make it easier for print providers who have lower print volumes to enter the high-end digital printing market.
If you have the right equipment in producing good marketing tools chances are you will sell more than your competition. The iGen Xerox is a major reason why sales of toner and services for digital office and production machines grew by 3% for the first quarter. iGen Xerox will allow Tri-Ad to produce full color, personalized and customized printed materials for its clients needing a fast turnaround for short run jobs. So, take advantage of this new technology.
According to iGen Program Manager, the printing industry is experiencing a transition from traditional mass production to flexible shorter and customized digital production and iGen Xerox is at the forefront of benefiting from that change.
Compared to any competitive machines, the iGen Xerox is faster, more reliable and offers superior paper handling. It is also modular, making it easy to expand its capabilities so that customers can maximize their initial investment. So it may be to your advantage to experience this latest technique that is widely used in the direct marketing industry that can help you generate more sales and increase your customer base.
Sabtu, 24 Januari 2009
How to Win More From the Casinos
y be for the excitement, it may be for a vacation but it is the dream of going home a big winner that keeps us going back to the casinos, but are there ways other then cheating that can help you take home more cash? The answer is yes.
Believe it or not gambling at on online casino is a great way to gain experience so that you can win some big money in the casinos.
May online casinos besides having games as low as 50 cents, also have practice rooms that are free. You are given some play money to make your bets, but no real money is exchanged.
These practice rooms are available for most of the different casino games like poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat.
This is a great way to gain experience. Not only do you get to play, you also get the experience of playing against other people instead of a computer. This allows you to learn how to watch their betting habits to look for patterns. This may not be so important in a game like roulette or craps but in poker this is almost as important as the cards you are dealt.
These patters are called tells. A tell is when someone gives away their hand by an involuntary action.
Some common tells are the way players arrange their cards, or playing with their chips when they have a good hand, or rubbing their face when they are bluffing
In a practice poker room you also get the experience of learning how to watch your money, without losing your shirt when you make a mistake, which will happen at first.
On of the biggest problems with learning to gamble in a casino is that the dealer and the other players are not forgiving. By this I mean let’s say you are playing roulette, a first time player may not know that until all winnings are placed on the table you may not take your winnings. Getting a warning from the dealer the first time you play can be embarrassing and unnerving to a new player.
So by playing in an online casino at first you will learn the rules, procedures and the etiquette for playing in a land based casino.
If poker is your game it is a little different, most games depend on luck and all you really need to know if the basics, but poker is totally different because you are playing against other layers that know all this information already. when you feel confident enough then go to the casino and find the game you want to play and spend some time watching the other players. You want to find a table where all the players are less skilled then you. This will give you the edge, but make sure you watch carefully. Many times players will do things to make themselves look worse then they really are to give the other players a false confidence.
Then as you see yourself getting better and better you can move up to higher stakes tables and against better players.
Once you get confident and see your skills increase so will your bank account.
Believe it or not gambling at on online casino is a great way to gain experience so that you can win some big money in the casinos.
May online casinos besides having games as low as 50 cents, also have practice rooms that are free. You are given some play money to make your bets, but no real money is exchanged.
These practice rooms are available for most of the different casino games like poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat.
This is a great way to gain experience. Not only do you get to play, you also get the experience of playing against other people instead of a computer. This allows you to learn how to watch their betting habits to look for patterns. This may not be so important in a game like roulette or craps but in poker this is almost as important as the cards you are dealt.
These patters are called tells. A tell is when someone gives away their hand by an involuntary action.
Some common tells are the way players arrange their cards, or playing with their chips when they have a good hand, or rubbing their face when they are bluffing
In a practice poker room you also get the experience of learning how to watch your money, without losing your shirt when you make a mistake, which will happen at first.
On of the biggest problems with learning to gamble in a casino is that the dealer and the other players are not forgiving. By this I mean let’s say you are playing roulette, a first time player may not know that until all winnings are placed on the table you may not take your winnings. Getting a warning from the dealer the first time you play can be embarrassing and unnerving to a new player.
So by playing in an online casino at first you will learn the rules, procedures and the etiquette for playing in a land based casino.
If poker is your game it is a little different, most games depend on luck and all you really need to know if the basics, but poker is totally different because you are playing against other layers that know all this information already. when you feel confident enough then go to the casino and find the game you want to play and spend some time watching the other players. You want to find a table where all the players are less skilled then you. This will give you the edge, but make sure you watch carefully. Many times players will do things to make themselves look worse then they really are to give the other players a false confidence.
Then as you see yourself getting better and better you can move up to higher stakes tables and against better players.
Once you get confident and see your skills increase so will your bank account.
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