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  Keeping IT Clients Happy Means Managing Their Expectations   As you work your way through yet another IT Project, you might be wondering how to make this one more special, meaningful, or just more productive.   Keeping your client happy throughout the process is one of the biggest ways to have a fulfilling project – both in your eyes and the client’s eyes. Just because you think that the project was a success doesn’t necessarily mean that the client will see things the same way. Managing client expectations starts from the beginning of the project, when the timelines, goals, and budgets are laid out. If at this point, the client expects something that your team cannot deliver, then the project is already off to a bad start. As a project manager, it is your job to wrangle the client back in and get them to see the project from a more realistic standpoint, based on what your team’s capabilities are. Ideally, you would want to meet all of your client’s expectations, but in the case that you cannot, you must get them to buy in to what you and your team can actually accomplish.   You can do this a few different ways. You can provide regular project updates so the client always has a structured expectation in front of them. Also, you can provide regular reporting on the goals of the project. If the client sees that the project is producing meaningful results, they will be less likely to ask for something outside of the original project scope since what you and your team is doing has been working.   Overall, the key is constant communication. As soon as you stop communicating with the client, the project begins to get off track. The client might begin to worry and confidence in your team will be lost.  

The benefit of starting a small business in our technologically advanced world is being able to utilize computers in a productive way.  Small business software can keep track of costs, licenses, and perform a wide variety of other tiny tasks in order to keep you focused on your business instead of constantly doing the grunt work.  Thus, small business software will in essence keep your business running smoothly whether you’re in or out of the office.  Accounting Software Accounting software is vital for any small business wanting to succeed.  Small business software for accounting will keep track of your income, costs, margins, net profits, cash flow, and every other aspect of your financials.  This is important not only to reduce the risk of manual error, but also to act as an alarm system for your finances.  Good accounting software will be able to tell you which parts of the small business are performing well, and which sections need improvement.  There is a huge selection of accounting software available.  Some more popular ones are QuickBooks, Microsoft small business accounting, and Peachtree complete accounting. Project Management Small Business Software Utilizing project management small business software is always a great idea.  Not only will it keep you organized, but it will keep others around your business organized as well.  Clients, co-workers, and other potential customers will be able to see exactly what is going on and when.  Project management software allows you to store emails, share files, and communicate easily with others working on a specific project. General Office Small Business Software Although they are now a fairly common item found on every computer, office applications are a must have for every small business.  Word processing, spreadsheets, and a presentation suite is now a must have.  These applications will help with further organization as well as general management issues.  

  Tips on Hiring a Small Business Consultant   Hiring outside help for you small business can be an extremely smart investment.  A small business consultant can help with a variety of different problems within the operations of a business.  Initially, it is wise to meet with a small business consultant during the start up phase of your business.  This helps limit the possibility of over-looking areas where your business might not function well.  However, a small business consultant can also be brought in well after the start-up phase in the case that the business is failing or simply becoming inactive.   Pick Out a Small Business Consultant   Choosing a small business consultant to help out your company requires some degree of research to be performed.  Since there are a variety of areas small business consultants may specialize in, you need to choose one that fits your current circumstances.  Carry out your own evaluation of the company, and determine the problem areas.  Consult with your employees after you’ve conducted your own evaluation to determine any other problems within the system.  Start researching potential small business consultants once you’ve completely determined what the setback might be.  Credentials are a vital research tool for a small business consultant that will be successful in turning your business around.  Interviewing the potential consultants is the next step in the process.  Make sure that the small business consultant will not only prepare the plan, but help apply it as well.   After you’ve hired a small business consultant you’ll want to sign a contract with them that states the work that is to be accomplished, lists payment for that work, and includes a confidentiality clause.  Finally, make sure to follow through with the entire project.  The small business consultant isn’t going to do all the work on their own.  They’ll need your help and motivation to get the job done.

  Define IT Project Scope with Contracts Created Specifically for IT Managers   IT Project managers are in unique situations. Oftentimes, you are brought in because the person in charge of managing the project was not doing a good job in the first place – otherwise, why hire you? This generally means that processes and tasks needed to make the project run smoothly are not in place. It is important that before you undertake managing an IT project, you clearly define the project requirements. Having a contract that clearly states the details of the job will help you out in the long run. You won’t have to worry about the client making last-second changes, moving deadlines, etc. because you have it all in writing!  

Looking for a new way to market your IT business? Joining professional associations may just be the new avenue you need. There are hundreds of local, regional, and national association opportunities available for IT businesses to join. There are several benefits to joining professional associations. An association opens up numerous networking opportunities with other businesses in that specific group through bulletin boards, seminars, and association meetings.   Continuing education is another benefit of professional associations as they often hold conferences and offer publications and presentations on relevant issues to that industry. Professional insurance agent associations, for example, offer new education opportunities about new types of insurance that have become available, what the trends are in the current industry, and more. Joining relevant associations is especially beneficial as a business owner since it keeps you current on industry legalities and requirements, thus keeping you ahead of the curve in protecting your IT business.   There are also ample leadership opportunities within professional associations. If you’re a top-selling insurance agent, for example, it might be worth your while to work on a board or committee for a professional insurance agents association. This garners more exposure for you, as well as recognition as an authority in your industry.   With all the benefits available to you upon joining a professional association, it makes perfect sense to join. Look into professional associations in your area using tools such as the Google Business Directory’s “Association” search option. There may be some minimum requirements that members must meet that vary from association to association, but soon you will be opening up new doors that will help grow your business f00e60ed-acf0-4c84-867b-a95be4dd0369|0|.0

  Manage Your Projects More Effectively with Post Project Reviews   The higher you move up the management ladder, the fewer people you have to answer to. If gone unchecked, this can be a bad thing and the company might suffer because of it. One way to gauge the success of a managed project is to ask the client for whom the project was created. Nobody knows better than the client how effective you and your team were at delivering the desired results in the desired time frame.   When the project first begins, you obviously want to get the client’s input on many things. You want to know in what medium they like to receive correspondence. Do they like email? Do they prefer in-person meetings? And also, how often do they like these check-ins to take place? All of these questions should be asked and answered at the launch of the project. But how often do companies go back to those original specifications and grade themselves? Not very often.   Post project reviews allow you to revisit your original project plan and determine how well you and your team delivered on those promises. Ask the client where your team can improve, as well as what areas you succeeded in. Make sure that you take the suggestions and criticisms to heart. Even if you have had a trouble client for the past 6 months who disliked everything you did for them, you can still learn from their input and possibly sort out the root of the issue and prevent this from happening with other clients in the future.  

  Small Business Software you can’t live without   The market for small business software is enormous.  So what is it you really need when it comes to small business software?  Here are 5 very helpful tools for your small business.      Software for Accounting – Keeping track of finances is one of the most important aspects for the success of a small business.  QuickBooks small business software will keep your finances together and well organized.    Office Suite Small Business Software – Programs like Excel, Access, and Word (Microsoft Office products) will keep your small business organized and compatible with the rest of the world.    Anti-Virus Small Business Software – Unfortunately, the Internet and computers you use for your small business are prone to receiving some sort of virus.  Anti-virus software such as Norton or Mcafee is great for protecting against it.    Contact Management Software – This will keep all of your contacts organized so that you can get information quickly and easily.  Select one that is easy to use and compatible with other programs.   Email Application – This small business software will keep all of your emails organized, safe, and received the way you want it.  Programs like Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 are great and functional.

  Top 5 Reasons Why Your Medical Practice Should Use an Attorney When Choosing a Business Form   If you’re just getting started setting up your medical practice, you may or may not be familiar with some of the more specific business aspects, such as choosing a business form. When establishing a business, there are a number of different forms to choose from. A new business can be a:     ·         Sole Proprietorship – solely owned by one person alone   ·         Partnership – shared ownership between two or three people   ·         Corporation – considered a separate legal entity with its own rights independent of ownership   ·         Limited Liability Company (LLC) – a company where shareholders are not responsible for paying more of the debt than their original investment   While the answer as to which form your medical practice should take may seem obvious, it is strongly recommended by business and insurance experts that you meet with an attorney before making any final arrangements regarding a business model.     The following is a list of the top five reasons why medical practices should consult an attorney before settling on a specific business form:     1.      Liability – this is the most important reason why medical practices, or any new business, should consult with an attorney. The laws vary when it comes to personal liability for business debts based on which business model is in use. Attorneys can help you select a business model and will offer guidance as to which type of professional or general liability insurance will be needed.   2.      Contracts – it’s important that all relationships, including employment agreements, are clearly spelled out to prevent any future lawsuits. A lawyer will ensure that all relationships, between partners, investors, shareholders and employees are clear and legally sound.   3.       Taxes – there are different tax requirements and laws that apply to different business forms. An attorney will provide guidance as to which tax laws apply to your practice and the different tax breaks and requirements depending on the business model.   4.      Control – who do you want to be in control of the medical practice? Do you want to share that control with anyone, and if so, with whom? Different business models exhibit different levels and types of control for investors.   5.      Autonomy – similar to control, who will be making all the decisions and what will they be based on? An attorney will explain to you that different business forms have different decision making protocol that you may not have previously known about.   These are only some of the big reasons. Businesses should typically have an attorney familiar with their field readily available anyway. This is because the laws are ever-changing and an attorney will be able to provide you with sound legal advice.