Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting Profits

Over the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite.

As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon.

However, before you go ahead and bet YOUR company on Microsoft Small Business Server, consider the following three Small Business Server Business Tips... so you can maximize your Small Business Server consulting profits.

(1) Most small businesses in your area have never heard of Microsoft Small Business Server.

Although there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses in your area that would be excellent candidates for Microsoft Small Business Server, don't make the ultra-common mistake of assuming that the typical non-technical small business owner even knows what Microsoft Small Business Server is.

If you want to maximize your consulting profits and avoid commodity price wars, you're much better off leading off with a pitch for something that's more universally recognized... such as getting rid of computer viruses, stopping SPAM, or preventing computer security breaches.

(2) Sell your small business prospects on YOUR company first.

The real money in Small Business Server is NOT in reselling the Microsoft Small Business Server software. The real money comes from selling the RELATIONSHIP with the small business. So your company essentially becomes your clients' outsourced IT department.

Remember, no small business owner is going to wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, craving Small Business Server. However, small business owners DO constantly lose sleep over what will happen to their companies if their computer systems fail them. Become the solution to the more primal, survival instinct and you'll get plenty of opportunities to sell Small Business Server, once you've established a solid client/consultant relationship.

(3) Microsoft doesn't value computer consultants as much as they sometimes say.

Little known fact: the first version of Microsoft Small Business Server, planned in 1996 and released in 1997, was code-named "SAM"... because Microsoft's goal was for Small Business Server to completely bypass their reseller channel and be sold at "Sam's Club" warehouse clubs.

So the product team had the mandate to make the Small Business Server product SO simple that a non-technical small business end user could buy Small Business Server at the warehouse club and have the Small Business Server suite running in their office that same day.

Shortly after the first-version shipped, Microsoft realized that the most cost-effective way to reach small businesses with Small Business Server was through their reseller channel. And since then, Small Business Server resources have flowed toward the channel.

However, even today, you can often find 5-user versions of Microsoft Small Business Server in retail stores.

So the point: Microsoft isn't putting all its Small Business Server "eggs" in one basket, so why should you?!? Which brings us back to points one and two: Small business owners aren't actively shopping for a "Small Business Server". So instead of "selling" Small Business Server per se, you're much better off selling a small business on YOUR company, BEFORE you sell Microsoft Small Business Server.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we looked at three Small Business Server business tips that every computer consultant, systems integrator and value added reseller needs to be aware when selling Microsoft Small Business Server.

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Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. He is also author of Building Profitable Solutions with Microsoft Small Business Server. To learn more about Joshua's proven strategies for squeezing more consulting profits out of Microsoft Small Business Server, sign-up for his free one-hour training seminar at http://www.SmallBusinessServerTips.com