Computer Consulting on Your Home-based PC (Paperback)

Computer consulting is one of today's brightest entrepreneurial opportunities. Not long ago, it was a field at which only experienced systems analysts, software developers, and programmers could hope to succeed. But now, with the rise of personal computers and an abundance of off-the-shelf software, anyone with a practical, working knowledge of computing can make money as a consultant.;In the first of Paul and Sarah Edwards' "Entrepreneurial PC Series", Herman Holtz explains how to set up and operate a profitable independent computer consultancy. While readers are expected to have a salable level of computer expertise, Holtz assumes they have little or no idea how to run a successful consulting firm.;"Computer Consulting on Your Home-Based PC" is a step-by-step guide that reveals in illustrated detail how to: decide what services to provide; launch a business venture; market consulting services; set competitive prices; keep accurate financial records; identify and win customers; and maintain positive customer relations.;Holtz shows how these essential business skills can be applied to a variety of computer-related specialities, from custom software development to network training to online research. He also describes the types of potential clients and how to reach them, how to solve typical client problems such as computer illiteracy and phobia, and where to find information, hardware, and software that can aid in setting up and running a computer consulting enterprise.