Top 10 Tips For Developing A Great Computer Business Franchise
Top 10 Tips For Developing A Great Computer Business Franchise
For those in computer franchises, trying to keep their heads above water, here are 10 bits of wisdom from those who have gone before you.
#1) Do What You Love
If you’re already well into your own IT franchise business, it may be too late to put this gem to work for you, but if you’re just looking into a business opportunity, this is essential to success and satisfaction: do what you love to do. It’s become sort of a cliché notion in recent years, but if you would be doing the work even if you didn’t get paid for it, it’s the perfect job for you; one that you won’t bail on when times get hard.
#2) Start While Still Employed
The last thing any new franchisee wants is to leave a current job, open a new business, and find that the market is doing so poorly that it may be a few months before turning a profit. With a franchise, that may be a rare event, but the fear can still be a reality, so don’t hesitate to ease yourself into a new profession by working part-time until it begins to take flight. Some franchises allow for part-time involvement, which will give you time to make a smooth and financially solid transition from one job into the next.
#3) Keep Your Skills Up-to-Date
The big issue in the tech industry is that it’s always on the move: growing, adapting, and evolving. It’s a hard industry to keep up with, but when you work in the field, you have to; otherwise you and your business become obsolete and risk being thrown onto the scrap heap. If for instance you operate a TeamLogicIT home based business, in order to constantly address your clients’ IT repair and protection needs, it’s vital to know what kind of new equipment is out, what new threats exist, and the best new repair practices. The franchisor often works to keep franchisees abreast of changes, but staying on top of industry magazines, websites, and manuals is a good idea too.
#4) Find Out What You’re Worth
A great mistake that many self-employed IT professionals make is not knowing what the practical value of their service is and, therefore, either charging clients too much or too little. Study businesses similar to yours and see what the going rate for your kind of work is so that you’re not turning clients away with outrageously high prices or killing your business with unrealistically low ones.
#5) Get Advantages Wherever Possible
Don’t forget that in recession, just as you are lowering prices to keep clients, your vendors need to do the same with you. It’s perfectly alright to ask them for special discounts on the equipment and parts that you need for operating your Computer Troubleshooters computer repair and retail shop. And if you can manage deals with local newspapers, trading IT services for advertising, do that too. Don’t be afraid to ask for deals and discounts on anything possible.
#6) Market to Your Area
Nerds We Can Fix That, a quintessential work from home computer repair business, is much like almost all franchises in that it comes complete with national advertising already at work and a fully established local marketing plan. Whether your franchise comes equipped with all that or not, it’s always a good idea to seek out more ways to market yourself in your area. The more people see your business name, the more business you’ll get.
#7) Always Carry Yourself Professionally
Especially when you operate a home business, it’s very easy to forget to keep a professional demeanor when you interact with a client. Though your primary work goal is to fix the customer’s technical dilemma, you are not serving the computer you’re working on; you’re serving the human client. As such, your intent is to please him, which includes proving to him that you’re a mature businessman, not just an oversized teenager who can crack open a computer tower.
#8) Hire People with Complementary Skills
When operating any kind of IT business, it’s important to hire people who can do what you can’t. This is the very reason that Nerd Force franchisees with no previous IT experience work with a staff of trained technicians who actually make the house calls; their skills complement the franchisee’s business leadership.
#9) Don’t Neglect Your People Skills
Working with computers takes very little charm or charisma, especially if you work at home, but working with people requires a lot of both. Even if you’re the one fixing machines every day, do whatever it takes to keep from losing your ability to relate to other human beings. People are the ones who pay you, not the computers.
#10) Prepare for the Bad Days
In the midst of recession, today might be a bad day, but it’s always possible for tomorrow to be worse, so don’t let up on saving money and prepping the business to survive a hypothetically disastrous day.
People in all industries are just a little shaky in light of the recession, but it seems that many tech professionals agree that this period of economic decline is not likely to damage the technology industry because so many other businesses rely on technology to survive. Put some of these IT business practices to use and there will likely be many years of success ahead of you.
Top 10 Tips For Developing A Great Computer Business Franchise - To learn more about this author, visit Candice Clem's Website.
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A good businessman will gladly accept wise counsel wherever and whenever he can get it, especially amidst a global economy elbow-deep in recession. Most methods that businesses use to stay afloat in recession involve increasing cash flow and decreasing expenses. As it happens, that is not a business strategy that is only useful in times of economic meltdown, but rather it’s the goal of most businesses all the time. Therefore, any wise advice a franchise businessman can pick up and put to use in recession will likely be useful in good financial seasons as well.
For those in computer franchises, trying to keep their heads above water, here are 10 bits of wisdom from those who have gone before you.
#1) Do What You Love
If you’re already well into your own IT franchise business, it may be too late to put this gem to work for you, but if you’re just looking into a business opportunity, this is essential to success and satisfaction: do what you love to do. It’s become sort of a cliché notion in recent years, but if you would be doing the work even if you didn’t get paid for it, it’s the perfect job for you; one that you won’t bail on when times get hard.
#2) Start While Still Employed
The last thing any new franchisee wants is to leave a current job, open a new business, and find that the market is doing so poorly that it may be a few months before turning a profit. With a franchise, that may be a rare event, but the fear can still be a reality, so don’t hesitate to ease yourself into a new profession by working part-time until it begins to take flight. Some franchises allow for part-time involvement, which will give you time to make a smooth and financially solid transition from one job into the next.
#3) Keep Your Skills Up-to-Date
The big issue in the tech industry is that it’s always on the move: growing, adapting, and evolving. It’s a hard industry to keep up with, but when you work in the field, you have to; otherwise you and your business become obsolete and risk being thrown onto the scrap heap. If for instance you operate a TeamLogicIT home based business, in order to constantly address your clients’ IT repair and protection needs, it’s vital to know what kind of new equipment is out, what new threats exist, and the best new repair practices. The franchisor often works to keep franchisees abreast of changes, but staying on top of industry magazines, websites, and manuals is a good idea too.
#4) Find Out What You’re Worth
A great mistake that many self-employed IT professionals make is not knowing what the practical value of their service is and, therefore, either charging clients too much or too little. Study businesses similar to yours and see what the going rate for your kind of work is so that you’re not turning clients away with outrageously high prices or killing your business with unrealistically low ones.
#5) Get Advantages Wherever Possible
Don’t forget that in recession, just as you are lowering prices to keep clients, your vendors need to do the same with you. It’s perfectly alright to ask them for special discounts on the equipment and parts that you need for operating your Computer Troubleshooters computer repair and retail shop. And if you can manage deals with local newspapers, trading IT services for advertising, do that too. Don’t be afraid to ask for deals and discounts on anything possible.
#6) Market to Your Area
Nerds We Can Fix That, a quintessential work from home computer repair business, is much like almost all franchises in that it comes complete with national advertising already at work and a fully established local marketing plan. Whether your franchise comes equipped with all that or not, it’s always a good idea to seek out more ways to market yourself in your area. The more people see your business name, the more business you’ll get.
#7) Always Carry Yourself Professionally
Especially when you operate a home business, it’s very easy to forget to keep a professional demeanor when you interact with a client. Though your primary work goal is to fix the customer’s technical dilemma, you are not serving the computer you’re working on; you’re serving the human client. As such, your intent is to please him, which includes proving to him that you’re a mature businessman, not just an oversized teenager who can crack open a computer tower.
#8) Hire People with Complementary Skills
When operating any kind of IT business, it’s important to hire people who can do what you can’t. This is the very reason that Nerd Force franchisees with no previous IT experience work with a staff of trained technicians who actually make the house calls; their skills complement the franchisee’s business leadership.
#9) Don’t Neglect Your People Skills
Working with computers takes very little charm or charisma, especially if you work at home, but working with people requires a lot of both. Even if you’re the one fixing machines every day, do whatever it takes to keep from losing your ability to relate to other human beings. People are the ones who pay you, not the computers.
#10) Prepare for the Bad Days
In the midst of recession, today might be a bad day, but it’s always possible for tomorrow to be worse, so don’t let up on saving money and prepping the business to survive a hypothetically disastrous day.
People in all industries are just a little shaky in light of the recession, but it seems that many tech professionals agree that this period of economic decline is not likely to damage the technology industry because so many other businesses rely on technology to survive. Put some of these IT business practices to use and there will likely be many years of success ahead of you.
Top 10 Tips For Developing A Great Computer Business Franchise - To learn more about this author, visit Candice Clem's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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