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IT Consultant
Mary Weilage
TechRepublic Staff
Mary Weilage
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Avoid taking business away from your clients
When you have a client whose market regularly overlaps yours, Chip Camden notes that it's important to communicate openly and frequently about boundaries and to be gracious.
Posted by Chip Camden | December 19, 2011, 11:40 AM PST | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Five ways to lose out on a consulting gig
Read about mistakes to avoid in order keep your phone ringing with new IT consulting projects.
Posted by William Lewis | December 14, 2011, 3:50 PM PST
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Defend against the shock of contract transition
Transitioning from one contract to the next doesn't necessarily get easier the longer you work in consulting. Learn two ways to reduce the pain of contract transitions.
Posted by Chip Camden | December 13, 2011, 11:56 AM PST
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How to settle family spats when you are not part of the family
Consultants sometimes need to assert leadership without undermining a client manager. These soft-skill tips can help keep meetings and the client relationship on the right track.
Posted by Ken Hardin | December 12, 2011, 1:14 PM PST | Latest comment by PMPsicle
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Insist medical practices hire specialists rather than one generalist
Donovan Colbert explains why the healthcare industry must invest in hiring specialists and not IT handymen to handle its information systems environments.
Posted by Donovan Colbert | December 10, 2011, 9:01 PM PST | Latest comment by tbmay
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Consultants meld unique tradesmen-professional services blend
Erik Eckel observes that IT consultants possess the highly valued rare mix of mechanical skills and knowledge-based expertise.
Posted by Erik Eckel | December 9, 2011, 11:57 PM PST | Latest comment by gracelaks
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Cooperate rather than compete with your fellow consultants
Independent consultant Chip Camden reveals why he no longer feels obsessed about competition for his clients, and why he encourages his peers to cooperate to meet the client's needs.
Posted by Chip Camden | December 6, 2011, 12:59 PM PST | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Free project collaboration tools that rock
Andrew Makar explains why these three project collaboration tools are worth a look: Cohuman, Asana, and Trello.
Posted by Andrew Makar | December 3, 2011, 1:45 PM PST | Latest comment by Johndenham
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Planning for rate increases in your IT consultancy
How do you insure that your IT consultancy's rate increases happen on a reasonable schedule? Chip Camden answers that question.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 28, 2011, 7:58 AM PST | Latest comment by JohnMcGrew@...
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Billing for research on IT consulting projects
Chip Camden gives a TechRepublic member advice about billing clients for research, which he notes can be hard to estimate.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 21, 2011, 11:46 PM PST | Latest comment by prh47
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Only novices assign users to shares
Erik Eckel makes the case for why consultants should assign group rights to server shares, and then assign users to groups.
Posted by Erik Eckel | November 19, 2011, 8:44 PM PST | Latest comment by mtpemberton
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Achieving success as an IT consultant
Independent consultant Chip Camden shares how his ideas about what it means to be a success in this field have changed depending on his motives, values, and priorities.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 16, 2011, 12:06 PM PST | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Project collaboration in the cloud via Mindjet Connect
Work management tools are offering new ways to work and brainstorm solutions using mobile platforms and storing solutions "in the cloud." Mindject Connect is one example.
Posted by Andrew Makar | November 16, 2011, 9:19 AM PST | Latest comment by amakar
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Only novices daisy-chain switches
If you support so many network nodes that multiple switches are required, technology consultant Erik Eckel encourages you to do it right.
Posted by Erik Eckel | November 11, 2011, 11:56 PM PST | Latest comment by spglmn
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Essentials to take when visiting a data center
This seven-point checklist of what IT consultants should take to a data center will help them reduce delays and return trips to the office.
Posted by Erik Eckel | November 9, 2011, 7:23 AM PST | Latest comment by Erik Eckel
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Why did you become an IT consultant?
Learn what motivated Chip Camden to start his independent consulting business 20 years ago, and then tell the community what factors contributed to your choice to become an IT consultant.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 3, 2011, 5:33 PM PDT | Latest comment by Calcom Tech
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Do it now, or do it right
If doing a consulting job the right way isn't best for your client's timetable or budget, Chip Camden says you need to compromise.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 1, 2011, 11:58 AM PDT | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
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Partner with your IT consultancy's competitors
Forging relationships with a competitor gives an IT consultancy the ability to access technical expertise that might otherwise prove unavailable.
Posted by Erik Eckel | October 28, 2011, 9:04 PM PDT
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Why consultants should banish magical thinking
Chip Camden makes the case that magical thinking, or at least quasi-magical thinking, doesn't benefit consultants or their clients in the long run.
Posted by Chip Camden | October 25, 2011, 1:34 PM PDT | Latest comment by apotheon
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List the consulting tasks you find stupid and boring
Tell us which menial yet essential consulting chores bore you to tears. Chip Camden's list includes features of system maintenance and network administration.
Posted by Chip Camden | October 20, 2011, 9:48 PM PDT | Latest comment by apotheon
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Tips for choosing your professional email address
Your professional email address is like a handshake to clients. Chip Camden advises what to do and what not to do when creating that email address.
Posted by Chip Camden | September 13, 2011, 7:14 AM PDT | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Microsoft Project Professional 2013 new features preview
After using the Microsoft Project Professional 2013 Preview, Will Kelly reports back on a handful of appealing new features and tools.
Posted by Will Kelly | September 18, 2012, 8:24 AM PDT
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Create a one-page status report with Microsoft Project 2010
See how easy it is to customize Microsoft Project 2010 to create a custom view that filters detailed tasks and highlights the major deliverables that need reviewing in a status report.
Posted by Andrew Makar | March 13, 2013, 12:51 AM PDT
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Configure automated backups using SyncToy and Windows 7's Scheduled Task
Learn how to create a new SyncToy task that automatically schedules backups of the directories clients need regularly backed up to a network share or external hard disk.
Posted by Erik Eckel | March 9, 2012, 2:34 PM PST | Latest comment by wdpcpa
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Define project scope to include deliverables, boundaries, and requirements
There are two places that scope is defined on your project. High-level scope is defined in your project charter. Low-level scope is defined in your business requirements document. High-level...
Posted by Tom Mochal | September 18, 2007, 1:01 AM PDT | Latest comment by user_786@...
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Learn BYOD policy best practices from templates
No two BYOD policies are or should be alike. Here are four BYOD policy templates that might help you seed your BYOD policy discussion and development process.
Posted by Will Kelly | May 1, 2013, 6:03 AM PDT
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Mitigate project role confusion for staff wearing multiple hats
If you expect your developers or contractors to take on business analyst or project manager roles, here are three ways to help them be effective and stay motivated.
Posted by Rick Freedman | July 23, 2012, 5:01 PM PDT | Latest comment by lars.aarby@...
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Customizable IT consultant sample contract
Chip Camden presents his standard consulting contract, along with explanations about each section. See if you can modify his contract to fit your needs.
Posted by Chip Camden | November 3, 2008, 6:31 AM PST | Latest comment by amilkh
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Data center build-out considerations for small IT consultancies
Your IT consulting firm can gain a competitive edge in its region by building its cloud network. Here are three factors to consider before making this investment.
Posted by Erik Eckel | April 19, 2013, 8:29 AM PDT
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Marketing trends and strategies for consultants
These survey results indicate what types of marketing consultants spend time on compared with how those varying time commitments result in income.
Posted by Chip Camden | April 23, 2013, 7:07 AM PDT | Latest comment by joerejeski
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Seven rules for flying with a laptop: Share these tips with clients
A client is planning on flying for an upcoming trip, and you know he may not have time to check the TSA's guidelines on traveling with a laptop. Be a good little elf and prepare your client for...
Posted by Susan Harkins | October 22, 2008, 5:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Marty R. Milette
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Herding tigers: How to manage subcontractors for your consultancy
Chip Camden tells a reader who is starting an IT consultancy that she has to coordinate efforts between clients and her genius subcontractors. Post your advice on managing subcontractors.
Posted by Chip Camden | May 7, 2013, 1:25 PM PDT | Latest comment by realvarezm
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Use PERT technique for more accurate estimates
Regardless of the technique you use, the tendency in project estimation is to provide one number for each estimate. In other words, if you have 100 activities on your schedule, each activity would...
Posted by Tom Mochal | June 25, 2007, 8:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by joebailey77
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Telling clients 'I don't know' is acceptable
Consultants should market themselves to clients as providing the right answers rather than having all the answers. This is why it's beneficial to know how to conduct reasoned research.
Posted by Chip Camden | August 23, 2011, 7:49 AM PDT | Latest comment by bobp@...
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How to determine your consulting fees
In my previous post I mentioned that I'm raising rates for most of my clients this year -- which brings up the question of how we consultants should determine our rates to begin with. Most...
Posted by Chip Camden | January 4, 2008, 1:55 PM PST | Latest comment by DonnaMitchell
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Only novices daisy-chain switches
If you support so many network nodes that multiple switches are required, technology consultant Erik Eckel encourages you to do it right.
Posted by Erik Eckel | November 11, 2011, 11:56 PM PST | Latest comment by spglmn
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Use LiquidPlanner's checklists to track project tasks and communications
LiquidPlanner's latest enhancements are checklists and better collaboration features. By using the checklists, your project team just might be more productive.
Posted by Will Kelly | April 18, 2013, 1:21 PM PDT
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Independent contractors: Make sure your contract protects your interests
Writing a contract can help independent contractors and clients iron out project details ahead of time and avoid potential disputes down the line. Meredith Little outlines what verbiage and...
Posted by Meredith Little | March 13, 2009, 12:25 PM PDT | Latest comment by PMPsicle
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Free project collaboration tools that rock
Andrew Makar explains why these three project collaboration tools are worth a look: Cohuman, Asana, and Trello.
Posted by Andrew Makar | December 3, 2011, 1:45 PM PST | Latest comment by Johndenham
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Three strengths of a technical project manager
A technical project manager straddles the line between technical savvy and organizational skill. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, this combination makes him prone to the same kinds of...
Posted by Shannon Kalvar | April 14, 2007, 5:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by Todder
