So youre looking for quality accounts as you start your computer consulting business. What are the qualifying criteria for such accounts?

Consider Proximity

First, the potential client for your computer consulting business should be close to you, generally within a 30 to 60 minute drive from where youre located. This is going to have some impact on the networking events you attend or anything else you do from a marketing perspective.

Potential Client Size

In starting your computer consulting business you will want to target potential clients that have 10 to 50 PCs. The prospect should be big enough that they need a real server, which most of the time could translate to 10 to 100 employees.

A good prospect for your computer consulting business would be companies that have $1 million to $10 million in annual sales. This information will help you in your marketing efforts, especially if you decide to do some direct mailing down the road.

What Should Your Prospects Have in Use?

In most cases, your computer consulting business potential clients will have their own email domain. You will want to address how their users retrieve and send emails when meeting with prospective clients.

In most cases, theyre going to have a dedicated server or dedicated Internet access, so this will help narrow it down. It also indicates that they have more serious IT needs.

Ensure They Are Serious About IT

If a prospect for your computer consulting business doesnt have a dedicated server, dedicated Internet access or theyre messing around with peer to peer and dial-up lines, theyre probably not for you.

The Bottom Line about the Computer Consulting Business

Any prospect you are considering as a target for your computer consulting business should make IT mission-critical. Many times a potential client can end up being a good, strong prospect and future client because theyre in an industry where IT is critical.

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