Starting own IT consultancy - Gathering list of tools required and recommendations
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@Ambarishrh said:
@JaredBusch That's what I am thinking too. I know I've been asking too many questions on this thread, but goal is to possible compile one list of tools and post it.
Do you guys ever give on the spot quotes for an Annual maintenance contract, just an average at least? Lets say if you have set pricing for each types of machine like Win/Mac and also pricing for OS, what do you think about an on the spot quote, no frills, no waiting period, client can choose if that matches their req and possibly advice them to do some upgrades for eg: XP not supported anymore, so cost of maintaining is more, suggest to upgrade. This i feel would be good so long as i am one man, and only applying to AMC for machines which has basic maintenance tasks.
Something like this, which i was working with my friend
can be used as an app/site.
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The backend of this will have options to change pricing and add/remove categories
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@Ambarishrh said:
I would require Outlook client for sure, and good to have desktop version, but i guess even online version would work. But even outlook comes with the desktop clients and start with the $12
HUH? I use the $5/month/user SMB plan. Online versions of Office only and OWA for email. Does everything I need. If you needed to integrate a CRM into Outlook I could see needing a local install of Outlook, but you said you aren't looking at CRMs right now.
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@Dashrender said:
HUH? I use the $5/month/user SMB plan. Online versions of Office only and OWA for email. Does everything I need. If you needed to integrate a CRM into Outlook I could see needing a local install of Outlook, but you said you aren't looking at CRMs right now.
I like the local version of Outlook soooooooooooooooooo much better than OWA.
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@BRRABill When was the last time you used OWA?
I live in my OWA O365 version very well. If you're on an old version like 2007, or even 2010, it might not be what you want, but Exchange 2013 (not sure if O365 has upgraded to 2016 yet) OWA is very much like the local client.
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@Dashrender said:
@BRRABill When was the last time you used OWA?
I live in my OWA O365 version very well. If you're on an old version like 2007, or even 2010, it might not be what you want, but Exchange 2013 (not sure if O365 has upgraded to 2016 yet) OWA is very much like the local client.
I use both Outlook 2007 locally and OWA every day.
OWA is OK. I haven't been on versions of Outlook above 2007, so you might be right.
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@BRRABill said:
@Dashrender said:
@BRRABill When was the last time you used OWA?
I live in my OWA O365 version very well. If you're on an old version like 2007, or even 2010, it might not be what you want, but Exchange 2013 (not sure if O365 has upgraded to 2016 yet) OWA is very much like the local client.
I use both Outlook 2007 locally and OWA every day.
OWA is OK. I haven't been on versions of Outlook above 2007, so you might be right.
No wonder you want to stay with Outlook - yeah brother, there is no comparison! Don't you have a Microsoft hosted Exchange account? Or was that someone else?
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@Dashrender said:
No wonder you want to stay with Outlook - yeah brother, there is no comparison! Don't you have a Microsoft hosted Exchange account? Or was that someone else?
No comparison in which way?
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It just works better, doesn't crash, seems faster. The interface is mostly the same though. But OWA starting with Exchange 2010 update 1 looks and acts much more like the same version of the desktop Outlook client.
Same with 2013. -
@Dashrender said:
It just works better, doesn't crash, seems faster. The interface is mostly the same though. But OWA starting with Exchange 2010 update 1 looks and acts much more like the same version of the desktop Outlook client.
Same with 2013.I saw 2013 and I didn't think it looked anything like it. But I'lll have to take another look. It was fleeting, I will admit, LOL.
Also, I wonder if there is a comparison of what the desktop version of the Office apps do versus the inline. AKA, what functionality is missing.
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Here's a comparison between Outlook 2013 and OWA 2013
http://blogs.technet.com/b/mconeill/archive/2013/08/29/outlook-2013-vs-owa-2013.aspx -
We do not bill anything flat rate. We bill work performed only.
I give clients estimates, such as "you have 4 Windows servers. I will spend between 2 and 4 hours a month on routine maintenance."
Things like that.
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@JaredBusch said:
We do not bill anything flat rate. We bill work performed only.
I give clients estimates, such as "you have 4 Windows servers. I will spend between 2 and 4 hours a month on routine maintenance."
Things like that.
So you don't have any AMC option there. Most of the companies here would like to do an annual contract with quarterly payment. So i think giving them a rough amount gives them an idea on how much they spend but rather than going back and let them wait, giving a spot quote sounds good. But this applies only on AMC and for set amount of machines where you do regular maintenance on monthly basis.
What do you think about the designs i shared for the app/web?
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It looks nice but until you know an environment you can't give a fair estimate. you need to be cautious though, asking some questions is fine, we all ask lots of questions, but it seems you dont have any sort of plan for what you're trying to do.
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@hubtechagain said:
It looks nice but until you know an environment you can't give a fair estimate. you need to be cautious though, asking some questions is fine, we all ask lots of questions, but it seems you dont have any sort of plan for what you're trying to do.
Right, this. I know that the MSP model caters hard to fixed services of certain specific types. It works for many companies, but it is simply not something by we choose to do, so I cannot give any advice on specifics.
Regarding the website, it needs work to be more detailed about what the services do.
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Every MSP in our area we talked to (or investigated) and every RMM platform we looked at recommend/use this method.
We charge X, Y, and Z. You don't like it? Find someone else.
Not saying it is the right way, but it's basically all we saw.
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@BRRABill said:
Every MSP in our area we talked to (or investigated) and every RMM platform we looked at recommend/use this method.
We charge X, Y, and Z. You don't like it? Find someone else.
Not saying it is the right way, but it's basically all we saw.
If you were looking at MSP companies, then this is a very good thing. You were looking at companies doing MSP the right way.
We are an IT outsource and consulting firm. It is a completely different model and that is why I cannot give @Ambarishrh any advice on how to structure his offering.
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Gotcha.
From what he was looking to do I figured he was looking to do an MSP versus a pure consultancy.
I think I'm also confusing this with another thread, though, LOL.
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To clear the confusions, first that design is not for my website, its just an app/ service i will be using to provide clients charges when i know that the contract will be to maintain computers and servers on a long term basis. As mentioned, it could give the customer an easy access/understand how much we are talking rather than spending few days making them wait and me spending time on doing a detailed proposal. Its for a rough estimate only and done in a much presentable way.
