Rick Savoia

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the news that the anti-virus company Avast! suspended iYogi support service from its products last week. It made news in blogs and forums throughout the tech community, including The Force Field.

The news made it into Wikipedia as well.

The Wikipedia entry for iYogi was updated March 15 with news of the suspension. My initial reaction was one of disbelief. It soon gave way to feelings of great annoyance, disdain and insult. However, my reactions were not directed at iYogi, although the name itself is known to evoke those same emotions within the IT community.

No, they were directed solely at the source itself. Wikipedia.

This is what bothers me about Wikipedia. They willingly accept entries for trivial items about large companies and famous people, but smaller companies or little known entities they will immediately reject. I understand their reasoning for this, but it is seriously flawed, because it attempts to elevate the larger entities beyond their already perceived status of importance while it even further demotes the “nobody status” of the little guy, which isn’t really fair and defeats the purpose of having an online encyclopedia in the first place.

If I want to know more about a topic, I look it up in an encyclopedia. If that topic is common knowledge already, chances are I know about it, so there is little reason to do so. The reason I look something up is because it isn’t common knowledge and I want to find out more about it to increase mine.

Every company, large and small, contributes to history and society in some way. It may be to only a minute degree, but each degree does count. Wikipedia’s approach is to “snub” the little guy whose contribution is considered by them too miniscule to matter, in effect placing themselves in the position as judge and jury over historical fact. Such snubbing of small companies indicates their criteria for “important contribution” is the size of their wallet, their fame factor or the amount of revenue they generate instead of to simply collect and catalogue actual data on human knowledge in general.

The original purpose of an encyclopedia was to collect and catalogue all known human knowledge and fact. When I was a kid, I could look almost any topic of relevant knowledge in an encyclopedia and learn about it. This did not, however, include diversions such as movies, television shows and celebrities in the entertainment world. Those were contemporary diversions that had little to do with the accumulation of relevant knowledge having significant impact on sustaining society.

Gilligan’s Island wasn’t in the encyclopedia. Neither was the Kellogg Company. Yet both are listed in Wikipedia as if they were somehow relevant or important to know for our very existence.

They may be popular icons and people may want to know more about them, but they are not equal in human relevance to topics such as how a television works or how cereal is made. However, Wikipedia, in its self-appointed wisdom, drew a new line on what is considered important human knowledge by giving them all equal billing.So, if Gilligan’s Island and the Kellogg Company are now somehow equal to something really important to know for our existence as a society, then technically speaking, so is everything else. Not so fast, says Wikipedia. We have to draw the line somewhere, they say, so we will determine this based on how popular or well-known the item is.

And what items meet this criteria? Well, we’re not really sure, and apparently, neither is Wikipedia, since that determination is in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. There are some obvious ones, of course. Lady Gaga makes the list, as do most other entertainment celebrities. Little known or one run network TV shows that were never popular and few care about, such as Do Over, are listed as well.

Even popular podcasts such as Keith and the Girl make the list, because they are already well-known to podcast listeners (although the general public is still largely unaware of what a podcast is).

Since such an entry seemed to be accepted as “relevant knowledge” for an encyclopedia, I attempted to submit The Force Field. It was flatly rejected. Why? Because it wasn’t well-known, popular, or a recognized brand name. Recognized by whom? Those in the IT industry? podcasters? Or people at Wikipedia?

It’s an arbitrary line, determined solely by Wikipedia. They set themselves as the final authority on what is considered relevant knowledge and what isn’t. Lady Gaga is deemed just as important to the total knowledge necessary for continued human existence as the process for manufacturing breakfast food. Yet a podcast for the masses is more important than one aimed at a specific segment of the podcast listening population.

In my opinion, iYogi has no place whatsover in Wikipedia. But if they are there, everything else should be there too. I mean everything. After all, It’s all knowledge. It’s either all or nothing.

Anti-virus vendor Avast has removed the support service for their software offered through iYogi after receiving complaints from their users about the “unacceptable behaviour” of iYogi support representatives.

In a blog post March 15, Avast CEO Vince Steckler said the plug was pulled on iYogi support after the AV company received numerous complaints that iYogi support reps invented phony malware issues with their customers’ computers in order to upsell iYogi’s premium support services to them.

According to Steckler, the company met with iYogi’s senior executives in an attempt to correct the issue, but to no avail. The last straw came after security blogger Brian Krebs, while investigating the claims, experienced it himself and wrote it up in detail on his blog, noting their “sales tactics are practically indistinguishable from those employed by peddlers of fake antivirus software or “scareware.”

In a written response to Kreb’s blog post, which Krebs deemed “unapologetic”, iYogi President of Global Channel Sales Larry Gordon called the incident a “Tylenol moment for iYogi and the leadership team”.

This was news to Avast and apparently to Mr. Krebs, but it was no big secret to many IT service technicians, particularly those who are members of The Force Field. Ask almost any tech who has done onsite work for iYogi and they will tell you that what Steckler and company just discovered, they have known all along: beware iYogi.

There are numerous discussions about iYogi in The Force Field Forums. None of them put the company in a positive light. Computers trashed by iYogi remote support reps, “garbage” work orders for lowball rates sent to techs for onsite service, and “scammy” sales pitches to customers are just a few of the complaints posted by techs in the forums.

In short, many IT service technicians who know iYogi or have performed work for the support company in the past don’t like iYogi. Period. Many of them consider support reps at iYogi unqualified, unknowledgable and, in some situations, completely unprofessional. Techs who were already aware of the relationship between Avast! and iYogi were wary of promoting the anti-virus software for that very reason – the iYogi connection.

Techs praised Avast for re-evaluating their relationship with iYogi, although some wonder why it took so long for the company to do so. However, should Avast decide to reconnect with iYogi, the AV company stands to lose what new-found respect they just gained within the tech community.

One of the most oft discussed topics in The Force Field Forums begins with an inquiry about a new or previously unknown national contractor or web-based service platform. The topic poster found it either through contact via another service platform, another tech, an unsolicited e-mail, or from a phone call out of the blue from the company purportedly recruiting techs for specific work. You can easily pick out these types of discussions in forums as they usually begin with the topic title <Company Name> – Anyone ever heard of them?

So it was no surprise to find a topic recently on a new service platform called Work My Price. I first ran across it in December and I immediately put it aside as it seemed to be a work in progress and still “under construction”.

I ran across it again today on LinkedIn and took another look at the site to check its progress. Apparently there is still nothing going on. But this time I was just a little annoyed.

It wasn’t the lack of progress made on the site since my last visit, although that was rather interesting, given the promotion on its LinkedIn page. It was the fact that it was still there at all.

Work My Price consists of one landing page and – ignoring the link to Facebook at the top – one link to a service provider sign up form. Nothing else. Nothing about the company itself, no contact information, nothing that you would expect to find on any other legitimate service platform to give you any idea who was actually running the operation, if there really was an operation.

But there was a lot of hype on that page, aka previews of things to come, such as a directory and the ability to create a profile in it, the ability to upload work credentials and photos of prior projects for the perusal of potential customers, the ability to recieve notifications for work, the ability to book jobs to fill open slots in your work schedule and the ability to build a reputation on their system. According to the page, the site was still under construction, but they were actively recruiting service providers and, as expected, registration was free.

Heard it all before? Of course. It’s what most of the other platforms already offer. But that wasn’t what got under my skin. It was the line that described Work My Price – this line (the tired line we’ve all heard before): An online marketplace where service providers and consumers connect to get the job done.
And this one: …provides an alternative for service providers to earn business without the expensive costs of advertising.

Okay, that was more than just a little annoying. It may be an online marketplace (isn’t everything, now?) but “an alternative to expensive advertising”? OnForce doesn’t even use that one anymore. That’s so turn of the century it’s almost absurd.

Seriously, who even uses that as an excuse to join a service platform in this day and age? The Internet and everything associated with it, cheap web hosting, ten minute web design applications, free directories, and, most notably, social networking, have made traditional mainstream advertising and door-to-door soliciting a thing of the past. Over two thirds of the population have access to the world wide web and that’s where you will usually find them shopping for products and services first these days. It’s cheap and easy to put up a virtual sign, and few people read ads in a newspaper anymore, so why bother advertising where people aren’t looking? It’s 2012, get with the times.

It gets better. I visited the LinkedIn page, and what I found was amusing, confusing and disturbing. The owner of the account is listed as the company and not the person who owns it, so who ever owns the company apparently does not want to make himself or herself known. Not a good sign.

The page also features a video animation. One of the characters in the video claims to be getting a lot of business through Work My Price, which is at the very least disingenuous, since in reality the site technically isn’t even operational.

But what really got me were the recommendations. There were two of them, both testimonials, no less. What? Testimonials? From a web site that isn’t even operational? Yep. One from a Jamie H. and another from a Daniel B., and both stated they “hired WorkMyPrice.com as a Business Consultant in 2011, and hired WorkMyPrice.com more than once”. No kidding. Perhaps these are the owners of the company?

It turns out that Jamie H. is Jamie Hyman, identified as the owner of Work My Price. Daniel B. is Daniel Bellamy, who apparently works for a bank. Both reside in the same area of North Carolina and both attended the same state university at around the same time, which leads one to think they both actually know each other and are directly involved with Work My Price.

The overhyped site. The tired old lines. The lack of contact information. The non-disclosure of ownership. They are all obvious red flags. But there is one thing about Work My Price that bothers me more: The name itself.

As an onsite field technician, when you hear the term “work my price”, what image does that project in your mind? What comes to mine is another platform that empowers the buyer to low-ball work below reasonable rates and restrict the service provider from enforcing his own. This is really bad for both buyer and provider because it lowers the chances the buyer will get a truly qualified tech because most won’t work for peanuts and it raises the risk to the buyer because, chances are, the more inexperienced or unqualified “techs” will.

Now, to be fair, Work My Price seems to be aimed at the general “handyman” market; the plumbers, carpenters, brick layers, etc. and not IT professionals, although they do have a category on their registration form for “Computers and Electronics”. But this certainly isn’t a novel idea for that market, either. Service Magic is the first one that comes to my mind, and having been through the Service Magic experience first hand, I don’t think the market needs another one of these, in my humble opinion.

Less experienced IT techs may work for “your price” or next to nothing, but most licensed and reputable professionals such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other contract laborers won’t. That leaves the local unlicensed, unbonded “Uncle Joe” handyman to pick up the slack. I’ve been stung by enough of these guys myself to know not to go there again.

So this site looks cheesy or downright bogus. There are a lot of them out there. I’ve been ranting on this one. What’s the big deal?

What bothers me most of all is the registration form. It’s asking for your vitals. I’ve warned you about this before and I’m about to do it again. If the site has no legitimate company identifiers, no contact information and no apparent activity, do not fill out the registration form. Granted, this one doesn’t ask you for your social security number, but you have no idea what they will do with what they have.

They also have a field to input the names and e-mail addresses of other service providers you would like to refer. That opens up another potential can of worms I won’t get into at this time.

There are a number of these types of web-based service platforms out there already. Do we really need another one? I don’t think so. And I don’t think Work My Price is even a valid one anyway, at least not yet. But the red flags are everywhere on this one, so unless and until those flags go away, I would not recommend registering for Work My Price. It’s just not worth the risk, at any price.

For 24 hours beginning January 18, 2012, a number of sites across the web will participate in the largest Internet blackout in history. This blackout will be conducted in protest to two bills introduced in Congress, one in the House, the other in the Senate, that could destroy the freedom and openness of the Internet, and perhaps the security and integrity of the Internet itself, on the pretense of stopping online piracy.

While we fully support the protection of copyright ownership and do not condone piracy at The Force Field, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and it’s close cousin, The Protect IP ACT (PIPA) do little to stop piracy or protect intellectual property. In essence, these bills are more about control of the Internet than the protection of anyone’s rights or property on it. But don’t take my word for it. Read them for yourself. Here are SOPA (H.R.3261.IH) and PIPA (S.968). Chances are, once you do, you will know more about what are in these bills than your Congressperson does, because chances are, he or she hasn’t read them.

That in itself is a ridiculous and scary thought. Who would take such a foolish risk and make important decisions that affect individuals, families and businesses across America and vote on something without even reading it or learning what it is? How irresponsible! Yet our Congresspeople do it regularly. They did it with other bills, such as the health care law, and they are doing it with both SOPA and PIPA.

Politicians are not technicians. Most of these lawmakers have absolutely no clue as to how the Internet actually works. Yet they are about to make decisions based solely on their own limited perceptions of it as “explained” to them by the lobbyists who want these bills passed. In fact, IT experts who do know how the Internet works and who do know what these bills, if passed, will do to it were not consulted or conferred on for their opinions and advice, leading many to believe that your congressional representatives are not interested in the facts. They don’t know, and they don’t want to know, what these bills are really about. They simply want to please the lobbyists who have and continue to seduce them with millions to vote their way.

It’s not about doing the right thing. It’s all about the money.

These bills, if passed, will do more than just give entities such as the MPAA and RIAA a way to “control piracy”. It will give them carte blanche to go after anyone they want, whether there is justification to do so or not, and it will give the government the keys to the Internet itself.

It will change the face of Internet as we know it. When it does, chances are, if you use, rely on and or otherwise enjoy the freedom of the Internet, you won’t like it.

Congress has already proven it has no backbone, no will and no desire to protect the freedoms and rights of the American people by passing other unpopular laws Americans did not want, in spite of overwhelming opposition. We can’t let them do it again. It’s up to the people to stand up for ourselves. For this reason, sites across the web will be going black for 24 hours January 18. The Force Field will be one of them.

If you want to keep this from potentially becoming a permanent blackout in the future, call or write your Congressman. Or Congresswoman. Now.

When I started my computer business there weren’t many resources available to educate and help me along the way. Come to think of it, the only real resource I had at the time was a local system builder for whom I initially served as an outside sales rep – and later realized was not a good mentor.

This is why I get all excited whenever I find a new one. I also get a little envious, because I never had it this easy when I started out.

Today these resources are becoming available everywhere, and now there’s a new one. Computer repair business owners now have their own magazine.

Here is the official announcement:

The Association of Computer Repair Business Owners is proud to announce a new magazine release to the industry.

It has been some time in the making but has finally come to fruition.

The magazine will be published monthly and contain content targeted to those in the Computer Repair Industry.

We wanted to create a publication that would highlight ways to better your business. We have included content on business in general, advertising, marketing and more. Each month will be unique content that hopefully you can take from it and implement into your current business model.

Keeping with the mindset we are in the technology industry we have created it as a “flip-magazine” for your reading. It also will be available in PDF format.

Flip-Magazine Issue:
http://issuu.com/acrbo/docs/acrbojanmag?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

PDF Version:
acrbo.com/magazine/AcrboJanMag.pdf

Dan Hand, who publishes the new periodical, was kind enough to give me a sneak peek before the launch, and, I must say, I was impressed. Such a project takes a huge commitment and a lot of time and effort, which is why, although I thought about doing one myself in the past, I never followed through.

This is something you can read from your PC or on a tablet, such as an iPad. It’s fairly organized and easy to read. For a first effort, it’s also fairly polished. Overall, I like the concept and I give the folks at ACRBO kudos for even making the effort. Will ACRBO Magazine take off? I don’t know, but it’s here, it’s made specifically for folks who didn’t have one before and it’s free, and you can’t beat that.

Each year The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) hosts the largest consumer tech trade show in the world: The Consumer Electronics Show, more commonly referred to as CES. The show is held early January in Las Vegas, Nevada. This exclusive event features presentations and exhibits of the latest tech wizardry as product or prototype from thousands of exhibitors and draws an estimated 140,000 attendees.

While the new products and technologies introduced at the show each year are aimed at consumers, CES is not open to the public. It is primarily aimed at tech vendors and companies. However, the press is welcome. This allows anyone who is interested to get a sneek peek at what is coming around the corner. For the technophile, it can be very exciting. But for the entrepreneur, it can be very important for your business.

Before I go further, let’s step back a moment and think about your business.

One of the key ingredients to the success of any business is a clear vision of its purpose and objectives and how you will reach them. What does it offer your customers? What want or need does it fulfill? Who is your target market? How do you plan to deliver and fulfill this want or need for the customer with quality and value and keep your business profitable so that it grows?

These are all important things to consider, but it is the last question that is at the heart of this discussion.

There is no doubt that technology plays an increasingly vital role in the operation of almost any business today. Twenty years ago, starting a business was a costly endeavor that required a heavy financial investment in every aspect of it, primarily because so much of the operation had to be outsourced in one way or another. Needed business cards? You had to go to the local print shop. Needed to advertise? Newspaper, radio and TV ads cost a lot of money and generally had to be created by the media outlet in which you placed them. Needed a base of operations? You either had to open an actual storefront or work out of your home, which for some types of businesses and venues was not very practical and attractive to potential clients.

Today, thanks to technology, the average small businessperson can do all of it alone, in house and at a fraction of the cost. You can print your own business cards with a quality that rivals the local print shop, you can produce your own electronic ads that can reach anyone around the world via the Internet, you can market to a specific target audience through social media and you can open a virtual storefront and work in your pajamas if you want – with no stigma attached. In short, technology makes it easier, simpler and more affordable to start and run a business.

Which brings us back to The Consumer Electronics Show. Why is following CES important to your business? Simply because some of the new products and technologies introduced at CES this year may soon become the next tools you will use to run it.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Those who are visionaries today become the leaders of tomorrow. If you want your business to be the market leader in whatever market your business is in, you need to be able to see around the corners and know what is coming next, before anyone else in your market does. You need to stay on top of new technologies, new potential tools of the trade, and new trends. More importantly, you need to familiarize yourself with these new tools so that you can deploy them in the operation of your business immediately when they become available, so you are not spending billable time “getting up to speed” on them while deploying them to service your customers.

For the last four years, The Force Field web portal has covered CES as a free resource for owners of IT businesses (and every small business). This year, we are pulling out all the stops. The home page of The Force Field will feature 24/7 video coverage of CES 2012 in HD. This coverage will include a LIVE video stream from the show floor with on the spot views, reviews and interviews courtesy of The Tech Podcast Network. The Force Field Tech Business Podcast is a proud member of TPN.

To complement the video stream, the front page at http://www.theforcefield.net will also include a live, interactive social media stream and a live interactive chat 24/7, where virtual attendees around the world can discuss and debate CES 2012 in real time. We will also offer a concurrent audio stream so you can listen while away from the screen, on the go or at work.

To make our full coverage complete, The Force Field Forums will open the CES 2012 Forums to the public for the latest comments, debates and discussions during CES 2012.

Pre-show coverage begins 3 PM EST Sunday, January 8, 2012. For a complete schedule of times and program events, check The Force Field TPN CES 2012 Program Schedule.

Each year since 2008, The Force Field has carried video coverage of The Consumer Electronics Show. This year we are going all out. The front page of The Force Field web portal will feature 24/7 video coverage of CES 2012, including a LIVE stream during the event. As in years past we will stream both recorded features and a live stream courtesy of The Tech Podcast Network (TPN). The Force Field Podcast is a member of TPN.

In addition to the live video stream, the front page of TheForceField.Net will also feature a 24/7 live social media stream and a live chat, where viewers around the world can discuss CES 2012 in real time. For those who want to attend CES but can’t watch, we will also feature an audio stream so you can listen in while on the go or at work.

To complete the coverage, The Force Field Forums will also have the CES 2012 Forums open and available to the public, for the latest comments, debates and discussions during CES 2012.

Pre-show coverage begins 3 PM EST (12 PM PST) Sunday, January 8, 2012. Check the The Force Field TPN CES 2012 Program Schedule for a list of program times and events.

I am not a political activist. I discuss business and technology, not politics. In fact, I usually go to great lengths to avoid politically charged discussions on this site. However, there are times when political issues encroach, effect and sometimes even dictate the course of events that take place in this industry and the industry itself. In this case, a political discussion becomes inevitable and unavoidable. Such is the case with a bill currently on a fast track to becoming law that will affect the Internet and the IT industry, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

As a media writer, producer, IP and copyright owner myself, I certainly believe in and respect the rule of copyright law. However, the proposed legislation of SOPA is going way too far.

On the surface, SOPA seems to be a good thing. Piracy is wrong, and a law that proposes to fight it sounds very noble. But, as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And if this bill passes, that is likely where the the Internet and the freedom of commerce, speech and expression that thrive on it, will go.

If you don’t know what SOPA is, read up on it now. I have, and it’s scary stuff. I encourage everyone to find out more about it and then call or write your representatives in Congress. You may be surprised to find out how much more informed you are about it than they are, since it is common knowledge that most of them vote according to to the influence of the lobbyists who buy them and seldom even read the bills for which they cast their votes.

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

From time to time I get into a discussion with a tech who is starting up a computer store and is searching for banners, posters and other promotional items from product manufactures to add some prestige or credibility to his or her store. My advice is simple. Visit the manufacturers’ web sites and join their partner programs.

I am a big proponent of utilizing partner and reseller programs. Although they are commonly considered a source for product discounts and sales spiffs for resellers who join, partner programs can have great returns in other ways as well. Sales tools, training programs and free collateral are all great incentives to buy their products from channel distributors instead of a web or after market retailer. Just because it doesn’t translate into immediate profit on the sale doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. The value of some of the perks offered in these programs are worth a lot more than just saving a buck or two on shipping.

For instance, it is no secret that large IT companies may qualify for co-ops, actual cash from vendors to finance or subsidize a co-branded marketing campaign for their products.  Small operations may not qualify for this perk because they don’t do enough business to get ad money from the vendors. But wait, how much would it cost you to print slick four color brochures and line cards to distribute to your customers with your company name on them? There is no way some of us could afford to produce our own marketing collateral.

Yet, most vendors will send this stuff to you for FREE. All you need to do is send a request and they will ship posters, banners, flyers, cards, pens, rat mats and even T-shirts for you to mail or pass out to your customers – much of it you can slap your company information on with a stamp or sticker or – depending on the item and your resources – run it through your own printer.

Most vendors also allow you access to logos, sales kits and collateral you can use and post on your web sites. All FREE. This is all every bit as valuable as actual Co-op money and in some cases even better – if you know how to use it.

You also have better support on the back end when it comes to supporting the products. This can be a huge selling point to customers because your support to them is backed up by back-end support from the vendor as opposed to the guy who sold a router and can’t help the customer when it breaks or has a hardware problem.

But that’s not all. There is often FREE training and vendor certification available as well.

When you think training and certification, the first things that probably come to mind as a tech are technical training and technical certification. While this is important to consider, there is another aspect of training that most of us completely overlook and may be even more important to us, especially if we are selling these products.

You can be a great tech and you can be somewhat business savvy, but it is common knowledge that great techs are seldom also great salespeople. Some of the best techs I’ve known are terrible sales reps. While I wouldn’t call myself a great tech, I do know was a lot more comfortable doing bench work than closing sales.

One of the best perks of partner and reseller programs isn’t necessarily the discounts, co-op money or marketing collateral. It’s the training. The free sales training.

Your vendor partners want you to sell their products, the more the better. Many partner and reseller programs provide FREE sales training and certification programs to help you learn how to sell their products like a pro. If you are in business for yourself and rely on the sale of IT products for even a fraction of your income, sales training should be a prerequisite to starting up your business. Free sales training is even better. You can’t beat free.

This is what really sets you apart from the other techs who sell stuff out of their truck. You aren’t just selling a computer, router or hard drive, you’re an authorized reseller for those companies. You are an official source for that product and you are perceived as the authoratative expert on that product as well as the direct line to the manufacturer. I will tell you from personal experience that, from a marketing and sales perspective, the term authorized <insert manufacturer name here> reseller raises your personal and business profile and professional credibility up a few notches with the average customer which, in turn, helps increase sales.

Here is a real world example: When I joined the Linksys Partner Program they sent me a huge box full of hats, posters, pens, line cards and even about a half dozen very nice 25 ft measuring tapes with the Linksys logo on them for distribution to employees and clients. They impressed customers and made my operation seem more prestigious as a Linksys Partner. It gave customers the perception I was a trusted expert on the products and had an exclusive relationship with the vendor as opposed to the other guy who just carried a couple of routers in his van.

To recap, here is a brief overview of what some of these programs offer. You can usually sign up for them at no cost.
1. Collateral (posters, banners, promotional items)
2. Sales rebates and spiffs
3. New product demos (often discounted, sometimes free)
4. Sales and Marketing Training and Tools (Free sales training!)
5. Co-branding Opportunities

6. Marketing Co-Op funds (usually top-tier sellers, but sometimes smaller companies qualify as well)

There is a list of vendor partner programs in the Resource Directory at theforcefield.net as well as other articles and blogs with tips on using vendor and partner programs. Some of them are not in the public areas, however, for obvious reasons. Do a search under Resources and you will find them.

If you haven’t heard it, check out The Force Field Episode 35 – Partner With Your Vendors. I interviewed Frank Raimondi, former Executive Director of NASBA and we discussed how the little guys can use distributors and vendor partner programs to sell and market themselves like the big guys, without paying a dime.

At some point in your IT service career, you will be faced with the prospect or necessity of raising the prices on one or more of your services. If you are just starting out and find it necessary to adjust your charges as you gain a better understanding of your business goals and the overall marketplace that’s not so bad. We’ve all had to do that. a few price adjustments when starting out is just part learning the business and isn’t such a big deal, provided your still establishing yourself, your customer base and your business reputation.

However, if you are well established already and your prices haven’t changed much in the last couple of years, the thought of raising them on your customers is one that may make you hesitate, and rightly so. It’s a tough decision to make, especially in these troubled economic times when money is tight for many customers and competition is fierce for every dollar.

The decision to raise prices on your services should be considered carefully. The first step is to ask yourself why you need to do this. Did you set your prices too low to sustain your business and keep it profitable? Are your competitors offering the same services in your area much higher rates? Did you have recent increases in overhead (higher rent, fuel prices, materials, etc.) that necessitate a price hike to your customers to maintain profitability?

If so, the decision is inevitable. At this point, it isn’t a matter of if, but how.

The best approach, in my experience, is to first determine what your price adjustment needs to be to pay the bills and maintain profitability without pricing yourself out of your local market, create a rollout plan, and stick to it.

Before doing anything, careful planning is in order. First, you need to do some basic math and determine just how much you need to raise prices. Then you need to research colleagues and competitors in your area and find out how and what they charge for the same services you provide. Factor in the economy in your local area and what the local market can bear. Consider your established customers and what you think they can afford to pay. Also, consider what you think is fair to charge your customers based on your own experience and abilities, and the value of the service you provide. Put it all on paper and work the numbers. Then comes the hard part: raising your prices.

I’ve been there as well and although you may have a little push back from customers in the beginning, in the long run you will be better off and your customer base may actually grow.

Of course, it all depends on how you approach it. There are a couple of ways to do this. You could try raising prices incrementally, a little here or there over a period of time. The other option is to do it all at once.

You must also know your customers and their expectations. Incremental price hikes only work if you can do it over the course of a long period of time. Otherwise, raising the price $5 every few weeks or so will actually hurt, as your customers will get annoyed with the constant increases and you will get annoyed with the constant management of it.

A better way to roll it out may be to change the pricing on individual items and services over a short period of time. Change the bench fees one week, change the onsite fees another, and offer daily or weekly discounts or specials on other items or services to offset the hikes.

Whatever you decide to do, the most important thing to remember is to communicate the price hike to your customers honestly and well in advance. Communication is actually the key to the success of your price changes.

Customers don’t like surprises, especially when it comes to costs. If you quietly raise your prices and your customers are hit with the new fees out of the blue, they will not be happy. Send out a snail mail or e-mail blast to your customers (snail mail is better) and post a notice in your storefront to notify everyone of the price changes at least 30 days in advance. Be upfront about why the prices are changing and answer any questions or concerns your customers may have without spin. There will always be a few who will bail on you but most of them will understand, especially given the current state of the economy.

If you keep your customers in the loop from day one, you will find they will appreciate your situation more than you think and are more likely to accept the price changes with few complaints. You may even experience a surge in business before the price hikes, as some customers will want to take advantage of the current prices before they go up.