1 / 37

Startup Tips and Tricks: Getting a Small IT Shop Off the Ground

Learn valuable tips and tricks for starting a small IT shop, including steps for naming and incorporating your business, identifying partners and mentors, securing financing, setting up accounting and insurance, marketing strategies, sales techniques, choosing a location, and selecting the right tools and technologies. Presented by Kevin Grossnicklaus.

dlyle
Download Presentation

Startup Tips and Tricks: Getting a Small IT Shop Off the Ground

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Startup Tips and Tricks:Getting a Small IT Shop Off the Ground Presenter: Kevin Grossnicklaus August 6th, 2011

  2. Agenda • Introductions • Lot’s of content • Final Thoughts

  3. Introductions • Kevin Grossnicklaus • ArchitectNow-www.architectnow.net (2009-Present) • President • Washington University - CAIT Program (2003-2010) • Instructor • SSE - www.SSEinc.com (1999-2009) • Chief Architect • Software Development Practice Leader • Email: kvgros@architectnow.net • Twitter: @kvgros • Blog: blog.architectnow.net

  4. Expectations

  5. Expectations • Why am I here? • How deep are we going to get? • Will this pertain to my exact business? • What types of businesses might this information be most pertinent to?

  6. Getting Started

  7. First Steps • Naming • Incorporation • State Incorporation • FEIN (IRS Form SS-4) • Bank Account • Securing: • Domain Name • Twitter Handle • Initial Web Presence

  8. Identifying Partners • Banking • Legal • Accounting • Health Insurance • Liability Insurance • Mentors • Partners

  9. Banking • Local vs. National Bankers • Advantages of staying local as a small business • Financing Needs? • Debt financing (loans) • Equity financing (investors) • Simple Checking Account • FEIN required

  10. Legal • Identify local small business attorneys and meet with a number of them • Why is legal necessary? • Contracts • Protection • Biggest Legal Needs • Employee and Contractor Agreements • Trademark (and Patent?) Help • Partnership Documents • Master Agreements • Work Orders

  11. Accounting • Identify local small business accounting firms and meet with a number of them • Why is accounting necessary? • Questions • Corporate Taxes • Help in securing financing • TAXES!

  12. Health Insurance • Insurance options differ greatly between a company with one employee vs a company with multiple • Find a good insurance broker willing explain your options • Be prepared to pay

  13. Liability Insurance • Health insurance brokers and liability insurance brokers are two different people, companies, etc. • You WILL need liability insurance • E&O insurance

  14. Mentors • Identify people in your peer group you look up to that have had success in similar businesses or just businesses in general • Reach out to them via a lunch or happy hour and ask questions, get advice, and start to build a relationship to get further guidance

  15. Partners • Partners are companies for whom you rely on for business or to achieve the goals of your business.

  16. Marketing • Brand and Logo • Don’t be afraid to invest in your identity • Initial Website • Community Events • Speak and sponsor • Make your presence felt in the market • Networking Events • SEO • Social media • Relationships

  17. Sales • Contracts • Billing • Receivables • Reporting

  18. Location • Home Office • Physical Office • Onsite at Clients

  19. Tools and technologies

  20. Tools Overview • Email • Phones • Website • Computers • Collaboration • Development Tools • Accounting • Misc: • ALM • Time Entry

  21. Email • Hosted Exchange: SherWeb($9/Month per user) • Secure access to full Exchange 2010 • OWA • Direct Outlook access • Mobile access via my iPhone and Win7 phone • Other Options: • Office365 • Google

  22. Phones • RingCentral($99/Month for 5 lines plus cost of IP phones) • Custom 800 numbers • Fax System • Automated attendant • Custom voice mail and extensions for all employees • IP Phones, soft phones, mobile apps (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry) • Voicemail to WAV file via email

  23. Website • DNS management • CMS Systems • DotNetNuke • Orchard • SiteFinity • Others • Templates • TemplateMonster • ThemeForest • Others

  24. Computers • Big box vs Custom vs. Mainstream (i.e. Dell) • Dell Business Account • Considerations • Backups: Acronis True Image • Support: Dell • Security Patches: Microsoft • Antivirus: Vipre

  25. Collaboration • Hosted SharePoint: FpWeb, SherWeb • GoToMeeting($49/Month) • Microsoft CRM ($200/Month) • SalesForce.com

  26. Development Tools • Microsoft BizSpark Program • ALM • Hosted TFS • SVN via Assembla • Git via GitHub • Other Dev Tools: • Balsamiq ($80/User)

  27. Accounting • Quickbooks ($400) • All invoicing • Financial reporting • Receivables

  28. Misc Tools • Harvest Time Entry ($60/Month for 5 users) • ConstantContact • HootSuite • EventBrite • VistaPrint

  29. Growing a business

  30. Single Employee to Employer • Payroll • Outsource • Tax implications • Group Health Insurance • High cost and strict rules • 401k • Strict rules for owner • Safe Harbour • Legal • Employee Agreements • Subcontractor Agreements • Misc • Vacations • Ethics • Expenses • HR

  31. Office Space • Office Space • Furniture • Lease • Utilities • Location • CraigsList • DiscountCoffee.com

  32. Final Thoughts

  33. Additional Resources • Magazines • Inc • Entreprenuer • St. Louis Business Journal • http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ • St. Louis Small Business Monthly • http://sbmon.com/ • City, State, and Federal Small Business Programs • Local Business Owners Networking Opportunities

  34. Additional Resources (Cont.) • Peers, Family, Friends • Graphic Design Support • CrowdSpring,99Designs, and HatchWise

  35. Next Steps… kvgros@architectnow.net Twitter: @kvgros

More Related