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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.

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

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  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

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