I've had more than one person tell me, "Well, I'm a MCP or I'm a CNA and I've got this one cert but I'm working on like 15 more certs and as soon as I get my 19th cert, five years from now, I'll be all set to be a computer consultant." That's just a hunk of bologna. Know why?

Small Business Aren't Using Cutting-Edge Technology

Most small businesses don't care how many certifications you have. Small businesses are usually at least 12-18 months behind the curve from an IT standpoint. Sometimes they're as much as two years behind the curve. There is no ego-driven CEO or corporate salesperson in small businesses advocating upgrading every 12 months just for the sake of upgrading.

Some Small Business Technology is Outdated

As a computer consultant, what kind of hardware and software and peripherals and infrastructure would you be working with in a typical small business? A lot of their equipment will be just fine and some will need updates and upgrades.

But there's very little stress among small-business technology to keep up with the latest and the greatest bleeding edge. So that removes a lot of the early-adopter stress out of the equation for you, the beginning computer consultant.

Do You Have the Skills to be A Computer Consultant?

Do other people come to you for computer advice? Do people ask you for help with their software and hardware and getting their PDA to talk to Outlook or sync up their wi-fi, etc.? Are they coming to you for help because it's part of your job or simply because you've developed a reputation as the kind of guy or gal that knows a little more about PCs and notebooks and software and the Internet and viruses than the average person? Are you already perceived as a good resource person for these kinds of problems? If so, you'll make a great computer consultant

A Computer Consultant's Skills Vary

It really doesn't matter how junior or senior your skills are, there's definitely a place for you in helping small businesses with IT problems. Just like there's are entry level and senior staff within a corporate IT department, there's all also different levels you can perform in as a computer consultant.

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