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Build, Run, and Sell Your Apple Consulting Practice - Business and Marketing for iOS and Mac Start Ups
von: Charles Edge
Apress, 2018
ISBN: 9781484238356 , 455 Seiten
Format: PDF, Online Lesen
Kopierschutz: Wasserzeichen
Preis: 26,99 EUR
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Build, Run, and Sell Your Apple Consulting Practice - Business and Marketing for iOS and Mac Start Ups
Table of Contents
4
About the Author
15
Acknowledgments
16
Introduction
17
First, Let Me Talk YouOut of This…
22
Chapter 0: The Joy of Being a Sole Proprietor
24
Chapter 1: Build the Offer
29
Before You Get Started: Take Care of Yourself
30
Research What Should Be in an Offer
32
Pricing
35
Building the Offer
39
The Hourly Offer
39
The Retainer Offer
41
The Managed Services Offer
42
The Fixed-Fee Offer
44
Build the Contract
46
Service Level Agreements
49
Server Uptime
50
Time to Resolution and Average Response Times
51
Net Promoter Scores
52
Remedies
53
Does This Pass the Sniff Test?!?!
54
Funding Your New Adventure
55
Growth Requires Capital
56
Conclusion
57
Further Reading
57
Chapter 2: Beyond Services
59
Reseller Accounts
60
Selling Mobility
62
Should You Sell Cloud Services?
65
If You Do Sell Cloud
69
Evaluating the Security of Cloud-Based Solutions
71
Referrals vs. Selling
75
Providing Hardware and Software
75
Providing Infrastructure Services
77
Further Reading
80
Chapter 3: Hiring and Human Resources
81
Decisions, Decisions
81
Before You Hire
84
Where to Post Your Jobs
85
Writing Job Postings
87
Reviewing Resumes
88
Interviewing
90
Phone Screening
91
In-Person Interviewing
92
Making The Offer
94
Onboarding New Employees
95
Wikis for Onboarding
98
One-on-Ones
102
Training
103
Individualized Learning Plans
104
Layering Training Assets
106
Conferences
109
Meetups
113
Sites For MacAdmins
114
People to Follow
115
Inspiring Employees to Learn
118
Learning to Lead
121
Soft Skills
124
Signs It’s Going to Get Hard to Retain Someone
134
Diversity
137
Outsourcing HR
141
Conclusion
143
Further Reading
143
Chapter 4: Accounting 101
146
The Concepts
146
Buying Accounting Software
151
Accepting Payments
152
Accrual-Based Accounting
153
Hiring an Accountant
153
Doing Taxes
155
Insurance
156
Cash Flow
157
Conclusion
158
Further Reading
159
Chapter 5: Buy Software to Automate the Business
161
Choose Your Tools
162
Device Management
162
PSA, MSA, RMM, and BDR (Oh My!)
164
BDR Software
165
Some RMM, PSA, and MSA Solutions to Consider
166
The App-Based Economy
170
Automation Services
172
What to Expect When Building Software
173
The Customer Scorecard
175
The Balanced Scorecard
176
Financial
176
Customer
178
Internal Processes
179
Learning & Growth
181
Testing
183
Techie Bits
184
Antivirus
188
Automation Tools
189
Backup
190
Collaboration Suites and File Sharing
191
CRM
192
DEP Splash Screens and Help Menus
192
Development Tools, IDEs, and Text Manipulators
193
Digital Signage and Kiosks
195
Directory Services and Authentication Tools
196
Identity Management
196
Imaging and Configuration Tools
197
Log Collection and Analysis
198
Management Suites
198
Misc
200
Point of Sale
201
Print Servers
201
Remote Management
202
Security Tools
202
Service Desk Tools
203
Software Packaging and Package Management
204
Storage
205
Troubleshooting, Repair, and Service Tools
205
Virtualization and Emulation
208
Honorable Mention
208
Conclusion
209
Further Reading
209
Chapter 6: Make Friends: Develop Partnerships
212
Engaging Customers for Referral Business
213
Finding the Right Partner
214
Structuring a Partnership
215
Quid Pro Quo
216
Subcontracting vs. Partnering
217
Dealing with Problems with Partners
219
Conclusion
220
Further Reading
221
Chapter 7: Engage in Free and Guerrilla Marketing
223
Examples of Guerrilla Marketing
224
Search Engine Optimization
230
E-mail Automation
235
What to Do and What Not to Do
238
The Cadence
241
Social Media
242
Conferences
245
Conclusion
248
Further Reading
250
Chapter 8: Using Public Relations
252
Getting Started With PR
252
Gather All Your Social Properties
253
Publish a Media Kit
253
Gather Local Media Contacts
254
Gather Industry-Specific Media Contacts
254
PR Template
254
Decide What Kind of PR Works Best for You
255
Local PR
256
Haro
257
Press Releases
259
Press Release Tips
260
The Anatomy of a Press Release
261
The Headline
262
The Header
262
The Dateline and Lead
263
The Body
263
General Information
264
Seasonal PR and Marketing
265
Hiring a PR Firm
268
Understand How They Work
269
If It Isn’t Working, Switch Firms
271
Things to Stay Away From
271
Conclusion
273
Further Reading
273
Chapter 9: Advertising
275
The Three Phases
275
Buy Advertising
277
Blogs
279
Buy Advertising on Podcasts
281
Search Engine Advertising
282
Online Advertising
284
Radio Advertising
286
Print Advertising
287
Coupons, Sales, and Specials
287
The Wrong Calls
288
Marketing Development Funds
289
Conclusion
289
Further Reading
290
Chapter 10: The Art of Selling
292
Choosing a Sales Methodology
293
Why Sales Methodologies
293
Choosing a Methodology
294
Target Account Selling
295
SPIN Selling
295
SNAP Selling
296
The Challenger Sale
297
Value Selling Framework
298
Solution Selling
298
Conceptual Selling
298
The Sandler Selling System
299
MEDDIC
300
CustomerCentric Selling
301
Making the Methodology Selection
302
Implementing Your Methodology
303
Working with Big Companies
304
Conclusion
307
Further Reading
307
Chapter 11: Diversifying Your Portfolio
310
What Is a Good Addition?
310
Be Wary When Moving Forward with Initiatives
312
What You Should Do Before Proceeding
313
Are You Overvaluing Your Time?
315
Implementing a New Offering
315
Review the Offer
316
Compare the Offer to the Market
316
Make a Project Plan
316
Make a Sales Plan
320
Fail Fast
322
Dealing with Failure
322
Why Customer Initiatives Fail
323
Why Our Technology Initiatives Fail
323
Dealing with Success
326
Conclusion
329
Further Reading
329
Chapter 12: When to Stop Growing
331
Communicating with Employees
332
Leading (And Retaining) Teams After the Growth Subsides
332
Letting People Go
335
Managing Finances When You Stop Growing
336
Conclusion
338
Further Reading
338
Chapter 13: Sell the Company
340
Who Is Going to Buy the Company?
341
Valuations
343
Multipliers
345
Non-Compete Agreements and Covenants
346
Are You Going to Stay with the Company?
347
Wielding Political Capital
347
Conclusion
349
Further Reading
350
Chapter 14: The Part-Time Owner
351
A Part-Time Job
351
Set an Expectation
353
Put Someone in Charge
354
Find Someone to Run the Company
354
Letting Go
356
When Things Aren’t Going to Plan
357
Don’t Complain
357
The 5 Whys
359
SWOT Analysis
361
Conclusion
362
Further Reading
363
Chapter 15: Buying Companies
364
Make a List
364
What Are You Actually Trying to Buy (or Roll Up)?
365
Approaching Acquisition Targets
368
The Finer Points of Acquisitions
369
Company Culture
370
Merging Operations
371
The Numbers
372
Rather than Acquire
374
Are Assets Transferrable?
375
Don’t Make a Bad Deal Just Because You Can’t Let Go
376
Merge the Companies
376
Conclusion
377
Further Reading
378
Chapter 16: Running a Consulting Practice Inside a Larger Company
380
What Does the Company Want You Doing?
381
Getting the Right Mix
381
Building Service Packages
383
Change Control
384
Operationalize Services
385
Marketing
387
Sales, Sales, Sales
388
Staffing
390
Professional Services as a Service: Subcontracting
391
Conclusion
394
Further Reading
395
Appendix A: Getting into a Rhythm
396
Close Accounts You No Longer Need
396
Remove Duplicate Services
397
Delete Apps You Don’t Use
397
Organize Your Files
398
Remove Old Fonts
398
Clean Up Your Mail
398
Connect Your Apps
399
Remove Old Device Drivers and Devices
399
Rotate Passwords
399
Review Your Device Security
400
Update Your Device Inventory
400
Review the Fees for Every Contract
401
Make More Money
401
Appendix B: Common Apple Terms
402
Appendix C: Sample Managed Services Agreement
408
Standard Services Agreement
408
Appendix D: Using Trendlines In Microsoft Excel
419
Appendix E: Common Job Titles
425
Appendix F: Device Scorecard
430
Access to the Organization’s Network
430
Access to Organizational Resources
431
Cradle-to-Grave Device Management
431
Directory Services
431
Endpoint Protection
432
World Class Support
432
Appendix G: Additional Reading
433
Index
437