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IT Consultant
Mary Weilage
TechRepublic Staff
Mary Weilage
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IT consultant strategies for weathering economic downturns
Check out these tips for keeping your consulting business afloat when the economy is tanking. Chip Camden discusses five marketing tips from Steve McKee and provides six do's and don'ts of his own.
Posted by Chip Camden | July 28, 2008, 1:43 PM PDT | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Reduce friction with client employees: Show them you understand your role
Your conduct at a client site can help you avoid resentment and fear among the employees. These tips will help you be more productive and get along with your temporary coworkers.
Posted by Chris McManaman | July 23, 2008, 5:55 PM PDT | Latest comment by mothershelper
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Harassed for attempting to transition from employee to consultant
When a TechRepublic member told his employer that he planned to resign and work for a small consulting firm (which had been a vendor), his boss threatened to sue the new firm. Find out what...
Posted by Chip Camden | July 21, 2008, 4:15 PM PDT | Latest comment by Mac_IT_Guy
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Don't be a "prideful" PM consultant
Too much pride can be a bad thing for project management (PM) consultants. Is your ego getting in the way of your client's best interest? A TechRepublic member has a wake-up call for you with five...
Posted by Beth Blakely | July 18, 2008, 9:13 AM PDT | Latest comment by bobk@...
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Descope and declare victory
Business will often ask for all they can get when funding a project. Sometimes those things aren't necessary for project success. It is necessary to be willing to identify the "nice to haves" on a...
Posted by Tricia Liebert | July 15, 2008, 1:19 PM PDT | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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How to develop and maintain client relationships
Read Kevin Eikenberry's 10 suggestions for fostering important business relationships with your consulting clients.
Posted by Mary Weilage | July 14, 2008, 6:50 AM PDT | Latest comment by joanna@...
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Insurance for independent IT consultants: Policies to consider
Insurance is one of the last things that independent consultants usually deem necessary when they're starting out. Find out which types of insurance policies independents should consider, and hear...
Posted by Chip Camden | July 14, 2008, 6:28 AM PDT | Latest comment by JohnMcGrew@...
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Solicit client feedback with these consultant evaluation forms
Surveys can help you determine whether clients are satisfied with your work, expose trouble spots, and allow you to make corrections. Here are two downloadable forms you can use to find out how...
Posted by TechRepublic | July 11, 2008, 9:34 AM PDT | Latest comment by arstringfellow@...
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Four strategies for dealing with vendors that don't talk to consultants
Are you dealing with a vendor that won't talk to you? If so, Chip Camden explains that understanding why a vendor may be keeping mum can be the key to figuring out how to handle the situation.
Posted by Chip Camden | July 8, 2008, 10:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by nat_z_15@...
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A change management primer for IT consultants
Determining the ability of the client organization to cope with a major IT project can help consultants find the most appropriate solution. Learn how evaluating the client's roles, resistance, and...
Posted by Bob Watkins | July 4, 2008, 10:50 AM PDT | Latest comment by jaytaylor5555
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Resist bad decisions that will waste your client's money
If you're in a position where you believe a client's time and money is going to be wasted because of mismanagement or micromanagement by another consultant, Jeff Davis offers advice about what you...
Posted by Jeff Davis | July 3, 2008, 8:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by ogunda@...
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A thieving coworker presents a sticky situation for an IT consultant
There are no easy answers for consultants who uncover coworkers that are stealing computer equipment from clients. Here is a good example of just such a dilemma faced by one TechRepublic member,...
Posted by Paul Baldwin | July 1, 2008, 12:55 PM PDT | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Six questions to ask yourself before expanding your IT consultancy
Don't expand your IT consultancy without asking yourself these six important questions. If you still decide to take the plunge, find out what Chip Camden advises to ease into the transition.
Posted by Chip Camden | June 28, 2008, 9:55 AM PDT | Latest comment by PMPsicle
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Good consultants know when to be "invisible"
Sometimes you need to take a backseat to the client team so that they can fully develop the skills they'll need after you're gone. Shannon Kalvar describes becoming an "invisible consultant" in...
Posted by Shannon Kalvar | June 26, 2008, 2:27 PM PDT | Latest comment by jaytaylor5555
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IT consulting: The customer isn't always right
When a customer is wrong, it can be difficult to get them to come around to your way of thinking. Robert L. Bogue explains why listening, teaching, and giving them time to process information can...
Posted by Robert Bogue | June 25, 2008, 2:41 PM PDT | Latest comment by logisticscanada@...
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10 personality traits of a highly effective independent consultant
Many IT consultants daydream about branching out on their own without giving much thought to what skills are necessary to succeed as a freelancer. Before you commit to being an independent...
Posted by Chip Camden | June 24, 2008, 1:31 PM PDT | Latest comment by pwoodctfl@...
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Dealing with a mistrustful client
A CIO hires a consultant to examine the feasibility of outsourcing his IT team. When the consultant tries to handle the inevitable bad feelings of the in-house team, he finds that this extreme...
Posted by Shannon Kalvar | June 23, 2008, 6:46 AM PDT | Latest comment by alan williams
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Five tips to help you deal with people who love to hate consultants
As an outsider coming into a company to make sometimes unwelcome changes, consultants can often find themselves the target of office politics. Here are a few survival tactics from a consultant who...
Posted by Timothy Huckabee | June 18, 2008, 11:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden
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Should IT consultants pay for their stupid mistakes?
Chip Camden is kicking himself because a client's test files were wiped out from a shared storage space, and there was no backup. Now he's grappling with whether he should (literally) pay his...
Posted by Chip Camden | June 16, 2008, 10:12 AM PDT | Latest comment by daniel@...
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A consultant's technical pride causes his team considerable delays
Don't make this consultant's mistake: taking on project issues that don't suit your technical abilities. Letting your team apply its strengths to project work will allow you to focus on planning...
Posted by Shannon Kalvar | June 16, 2008, 8:45 AM PDT | Latest comment by mattfrye@...
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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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18 maxims of successful IT consulting
Chip Camden shares IT consulting lessons he's picked up over the years. After you read his pearls of wisdom, post your favorite consulting one-liners in the discussion.
Posted by Chip Camden | June 1, 2013, 5:39 AM PDT | Latest comment by Clendanielc
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Project management: One size does not fit all
Some projects are not suited to a Waterfall approach, and they're not a perfect fit for a 100% Agile approach. The solution might be a combination of the two project management methodologies.
Posted by Michelle Symonds | May 31, 2013, 6:03 AM PDT | Latest comment by sherry23
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Statement of work: essential or useless?
Chip Camden advises on how to write a statement of work that fits with an iterative development process, yet still provides assurances of value to the client and to the consultant.
Posted by Chip Camden | May 21, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Curtis_Wayne
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Maximize Office 365 for project management
Project managers can find a lot to like in Office 365 to keep their teams better connected and centralize their project information and communications.
Posted by Will Kelly | May 22, 2013, 5:55 AM PDT
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Signs a client may not be ready for managed services
Warning bells should go off in your head if you spot any of these items indicating managed services are not a priority at a prospective client's site.
Posted by Erik Eckel | May 15, 2013, 9:44 AM PDT | Latest comment by secondstartech
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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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How to improve borderline client relationships
Here are four methods for reinvigorating a client relationship that has become strained. If these tactics don't work, it may be time to cut the client loose.
Posted by Erik Eckel | June 13, 2013, 8:44 PM PDT
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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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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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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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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
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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
