Explore Posterous

What's good for you is good for me

My business, KM Authorized, provides small businesses and individuals with dedicated Information Technology (IT) support. This includes computers, peripherals, and nearly every device that deals with storage or communication of information.

I call this service Guilt-free ITTM, which is a fixed-fee support model designed to make it less stressful for people to call or email me with questions or support issues.

A consequence, or reward depending on how you look at it, of not billing hourly is that what's bad for my business is also bad for my client's business.

For example, if I do a poor job of recommending a new computer to fill a certain function in a business, and that computer is overloaded, freezing, or otherwise not doing it's job, then that computer recommendation can end up having consequences for both businesses. My business is affected because I have to put in extra hour s of work to keep the darn thing working, and the added downtime or lost productivity is expensive for any business.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Interactive Outlook 2003 and 2007

http://bit.ly/11ZCSc

This is really useful if, for example, you don’t have Outlook 2003 anymore and you need to see how the menu commands work. No need to install Outlook 2003! Very useful for IT support people like myself.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Having computer troubles?

I’ve been using a new remote support software that I like much better than the other software I was using. GoToAssist Express is web based and getting support couldn’t be easier:

1. Go to fastsupport.com
2. Enter you name and then call Keegan at 503-486-0057 to get the 9-digit support key.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Guilt-free IT - Time Not Billed

Clients of IT support services can attest, billable hours are not a fun thing to see on an invoice. IT support typically costs mucho dinero per hour.

For example, getting a new computer ordered, delivered, setup, and configured so that it’s ready to go to work would cost $450 through a traditional IT service company that charges $75/hour.

Not so with Guilt-free IT since it’s a fixed charge at $89. Clients get the benefit of ‘time not billed’. Here’s the same scenario of getting that new computer with a Guilt-free IT support plan:

1. Pre-install – $89 includes (about 4 hours):
   • Consulting to figure out what kind of system is needed.
   • Procurement of that system which includes submitting the system configuration to Dell, receiving the Dell quote, ordering the system, tracking the order progress and shipping, receiving the system and verifying that the correct system arrived and all parts are there.
   • Pre-install work includes a whole four page list of tasks for updating, configuring, and installing new software, operating system, and settings on the new system.
2. Install system – $89 includes (about 2 hours):
   • In-person setup of the new system
   • Installation of any addition software not included in the pre-install setup.
   • Transferring of data from the old system to the new system
   • Configuring basic software settings like email.
   • Getting started training on the new system.

How can Guilt-free IT clients get essentially $450 worth of work for $178? Answer: They pay a fixed monthly fee for remote maintenance and support.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Lead with customer service

Human perception is a funny thing. I used to provide free support for the work I did for my clients. Like if I installed a unified communication system, I would support it and any problems from that point on. I could tell clients sometimes felt guilty calling me for help knowing I was supporting their system for free even though I made it clear that I stand behind my work.

It was difficult to get clients and prospects to call me for free support, which could lead to an additional project for me to do. They felt guilty or even unsure if they would see a bill in the mail.

Now that I’m charging a (very minimal) fee for support, I’ve received many positive responses like:

• “I can’t believe your prices are so low!”
• “You should raise your rates.”
• “Your Guilt-free IT service takes a huge bogeyman out!”

I’ve completely reversed the way in which my business is marketed. Rather than lead with solutions and provide support later, I lead with the support and provide solutions later. I call it "Guilt-free IT." It’s about proactively maintaining my client’s systems to prevent problems and improve reliability. I think people like this kind of service because there’s a lot of perceived value in a fixed monthly service. Even if their entire system were to crash and burn, they know exactly how much it’s going to cost for Guilt-free IT because they’ve already paid for it.

Now I’m a savior rather than a salesman. I like that!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Managed Services

What is a managed service? Well, I would describe it as a service that provides ongoing value to clients or subscribers by taking over some of their less fun responsibilities. Typically, this makes for a better experience for the client because the person or company performing the managed service gets really good at it; this is their niche. Clients are then free to spend their time and energy elsewhere knowing they are getting a better service than they could ever do.

For example, I just learned today that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to managing my books and developing efficient bookkeeping processes. A surprise to me and common knowledge to many, there are professionals that all they do is work themselves out of a job by setting up bookkeeping processes, educating, and setting people loose to mess it all up so they can come back again and repeat…hopefully with longer lasting results.

I frequently find myself in a position of being pleasantly surprised about something I didn’t know is supposedly “common knowledge” I’ve been told. This is partly because I focus my time and energy providing certain managed services to my clients. I know these services like the back of my eyelids (which is better than most). I also don’t get the punch line of jokes many times because I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. Sometimes I end up steering my boat down the waterfall and miss the locks on the right. Thus, there are things I’ve never experienced in my life that become pleasant surprises every now and then when I find out about them.

So why managed IT services? Information technology is not something most businesses have a strong rope around. Delegating the IT to a trusted professional frees up their time to focus on their core business, and they can rest easy knowing the work is getting done and things are being setup properly.

Links:

• Managed Services
• ITSM
• Managed Service Provider (MSP)

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »