wish me a quick good luck..

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:26 pm

I'm about to go present my business model to a board of directors here in downtown. I've been given the opportunity to come to the meeting and promote my startup IT consulting firm which I have been working hard to develop outside of my normal job.

Speaking in front of a decent sized group of doctors, lawyers, business owners, and city officials is a big step for me.. I wasn't nervous at all until about 10 minutes ago. Wish me luck SG peeps!!

TinyTim · Post by **TinyTim** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:27 pm

Good luck...and ehhh` Break a Leg

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:30 pm

Picture them nekky

TinyTim · Post by **TinyTim** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:32 pm

Lefty wrote:Picture them nekky

umm...well women only that is

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:34 pm

Take a gun. Let them see the gun. Look them in the eye. Don't leave until they accept your plan.

(good luck)

minir · Post by **minir** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:43 pm

Hi koldchillah

Good Luck

--

regards

minir

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:49 pm

Lefty wrote:Picture them nekky

I forgot good luck.

Make it fun for them.

Jamie_R · Post by **Jamie_R** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:56 pm

Good Luck Chilla!

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:01 pm

Suerte, hermano!

knightmare · Post by **knightmare** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:23 pm

Impressive Koldchillah, best of luck. The fact you are even given the opportunity to make the presentation, shows the direction you are going.

Spammy · Post by **Spammy** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:27 pm

Good luck, hope you get it. =-)

Dunster · Post by **Dunster** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:02 pm

Yeah, go get them. Knowing you, I think you will do well.

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:19 pm

Good luck man.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:23 pm

Good luck and imagine them in their underwear.

MissTynker2 · Post by **MissTynker2** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:37 pm

Whoa! Nice job! Good luck to ya

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:51 pm

While standing in front of the crowd, don't get a raging hard on, unless it's imppressive.

Oh, and picture them nekkid

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:14 pm

Sorry I missed the "Good Luck" in time.

Local chamber event?

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:55 pm

ghettoside · Post by **ghettoside** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:56 pm

Good Luck!

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:02 pm

Thanks everyone, the meeting went really well!

As I've mentioned in another thread, I recently did some volunteer work for the American Lung Association of Central Florida in exchange for their plethora of marketing resources and opportunities that they are able to create for me and my business.

The local area executive director for the American Lung Association invited me to this meeting not only to thank me in front of the entire board, but also because most of the board members and others in attendance are doctors, lawyers, city executives, and other potential clients for my business.

So, basically I sat there while the Executive Director talked me up the wall, then I spoke briefly about my services and what we have been doing for the ALA and what we hope to provide to other offices and small businesses in the Orlando and Tampa/St. Pete communities. Then the CEO of the entire ALA for Florida, thanked me again and offered to put me in touch with some of her colleagues in the area.

Today was a good day.. and now you'll have to excuse me, I have lots of Guinness in my fridge that needs my prompt attention.

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:08 pm

koldchillah wrote:Thanks everyone, the meeting went really well!

As I've mentioned in another thread, I recently did some volunteer work for the American Lung Association of Central Florida in exchange for their plethora of marketing resources and opportunities that they are able to create for me and my business.

The local area executive director for the American Lung Association invited me to this meeting not only to thank me in front of the entire board, but also because most of the board members and others in attendance are doctors, lawyers, city executives, and other potential clients for my business.

So, basically I sat there while the Executive Director talked me up the wall, then I spoke briefly about my services and what we have been doing for the ALA and what we hope to provide to other offices and small businesses in the Orlando and Tampa/St. Pete communities. Then the CEO of the entire ALA for Florida, thanked me again and offered to put me in touch with some of her colleagues in the area.

Today was a good day.. and now you'll have to excuse me, I have lots of Guinness in my fridge that needs my prompt attention.

rep points given for voluteer work

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:23 pm

koldchillah wrote:Thanks everyone, the meeting went really well!

As I've mentioned in another thread, I recently did some volunteer work for the American Lung Association of Central Florida in exchange for their plethora of marketing resources and opportunities that they are able to create for me and my business.

Non-profits are a tight knit group. Good to get in well with them...excellent PR. Surprisingly, even though many think of non-profits as being "poor"...most aren't..and for you, as a SMB Consultant, one excellent point about having non-profits as a client...is that they just LOVE to have steady expenses. Their beancounters love a steady expense more than irregular suprises. This means...they make good "monthlies". What I mean by "monthlies"...is that you come to an agreement with them, to a set monthly rate that they'll pay you, to maintain their computers. Experience will teach you how to come to your estimate of this cost...based on # of PCs, what they're running, age and condition of PCs, type of users, etc.

This can run from a measly 300 bucks/month for some small network, to 600 or 1200 bucks/month for larger ones. Start accumulating a few of those...and your monthly goals of income become suddenly more obtainable..because the first of each month..you ring up your monthlies. So say your initial goal is to bill 15 hours a week...that's 60 hours/month...well, on the first week your ring up your monthlies...now you're down to only 30-40 hours or whatever that you have to go rack up somehow.

That labor includes little things...like changing desktop users, checking on tape backups, going around and "touching" each PC now and then to do winders updates, antispyware updates. Remoting in on the off hours to do the same on the servers, 'n bounce them. Some places demand more time during certain times, like I have a big accounting clients...they own me Jan-April as I'm there several times a week doing tax program updates. But the rest of the year I can go a month or two without stopping by. So it averages out throughout the year. Things can go quiet for a while...but when they call, say a server issue or something like that...you're asses 'n elbows over there til the crisis is done.

Anyways..back on my point...non-profits...good clients.....great PR. They're a tight community. Every Tuesday I'm working at a Hospice....they're one of my good monthlies.

And best of luck to your IT biz. The SMB area is a very lucrative field to get into....the demand out there for that type of IT support is just huge...HUGE!

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:36 pm

Lefty wrote:rep points given for voluteer work

Thanks Lefty!

I'm not sure if its the Guinness or the volunteer work talking but I feel really good about having volunteered.

I got serious goosebumps during the meeting when the lady the runs the cancer committe started telling her story.. whoa... she's a lung cancer survivor that was just re-diagnosed a couple months ago and is undergoing chemotherapy all the while working hours upon hours for her cause.. I was honestly in complete awe of the strength and will of this lady.. it really made an impression on me. I honestly walked out of that meeting today thinking more about what that lady must be going through rather than my own personal gains from the meeting.

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:00 am

Awesome to hear that you walked away thinkin about what other people go through than about your own personal gains, awesome man, and I wish you the best of luck!

My pops/moms are thinking of moving to Tampa, my wife wants to move down there, so you may be getting my resume very soon! LMAO! JK!

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:14 am

koldchillah wrote:I'm about to go present my business model to a board of directors here in downtown. I've been given the opportunity to come to the meeting and promote my startup IT consulting firm which I have been working hard to develop outside of my normal job.

Speaking in front of a decent sized group of doctors, lawyers, business owners, and city officials is a big step for me.. I wasn't nervous at all until about 10 minutes ago. Wish me luck SG peeps!!

best-O-luck to ya !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

twwabw · Post by **twwabw** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:06 am

Congrats, and best of luck!! Jump in.... the water's fine

. Seriously though, once you start your new gig, you'll never look back. It's only affected me with high blood pressure; acid-reflux; and more hair falling out

A_old · Post by **A_old** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:23 am

congrats man, that's awesome!

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:52 am

Congrats! Here's to a promising future!

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:29 am

YeOldeStonecat wrote:What I mean by "monthlies"...is that you come to an agreement with them, to a set monthly rate that they'll pay you, to maintain their computers. Experience will teach you how to come to your estimate of this cost...based on # of PCs, what they're running, age and condition of PCs, type of users, etc.

dude, I'm all over that one, thats pretty much our target client-type and was probably one of the biggest points I was trying to drive home during my little speech..

Once we finish getting their ALA office network up to par, they will become our first monthly, with the St. Pete office hopefully following suite, then we hit the West Palm Beach office down in south florida with the help of my south florida connection.

You hit the nail right on the head with the other stuff as well..

Maintenance, upgrades, details, details, details.. I can go on for hours about all of the things my colleague and I have brainstormed. We realize we are fairly new at the pricing thing, but like you said, we will tie up those loose ends as we progress.. We have changed our pricing model 3 times since last year when we first began planning & documenting such details.

Thanks for the continued encouragement and advice.. We definitely need to get together soon about my AV situation at home and on our web server in St. Pete.. As well, I'd love to chat about some of the other details, get your opinion and advice on some things, etc., etc.

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:36 am

[quote="twwabw"]Congrats, and best of luck!! Jump in.... the water's fine

. Seriously though, once you start your new gig, you'll never look back. It's only affected me with high blood pressure]

Thanks twwabw! I'm only 27 and alreadly starting to lose a little in the front, my mother has bad acid-reflux and I have higher than average cholesterol so odds are I'll be in similar shape several years down the road if I don't keep exercising and making healthier decisions.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:39 am

koldchillah wrote:Thanks for the continued encouragement and advice.. We definitely need to get together soon about my AV situation at home and on our web server in St. Pete.. As well, I'd love to chat about some of the other details, get your opinion and advice on some things, etc., etc.

Yeah we gotta do that! We'll both get some Guinness...and yack it up some night.

TWW's another one in this niche.

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:39 am

woot!

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:44 am

Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote:Congrats! Here's to a promising future!

Thanks JCOS!

I can just see it now.. I'm walking into a job with a cabling nightmare so tangled up that the twisted ball of cables & wires could eat small children. As I take a look at the mess and plan out my approach to cleaning it up, I'll pause for a moment and ask myself, WWJD? (What Would Jcos Do?)

minir · Post by **minir** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:52 am

Hi koldchillah

I'm excited for you and your prospects. Way to go!

--

regards

minir

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:09 pm

minir wrote:Hi koldchillah

I'm excited for you and your prospects. Way to go!

--

regards

minir

Thank you for the kind words Minir!

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:32 pm

Prey521 wrote:My pops/moms are thinking of moving to Tampa, my wife wants to move down there, so you may be getting my resume very soon! LMAO! JK!

Thanks Prey, If you decide to move down, let me know.

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:02 pm

Congrats

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:22 pm

Prey521 wrote:My pops/moms are thinking of moving to Tampa, my wife wants to move down there, so you may be getting to read some of my poetry very soon! Of course, I love you and Ken... You 2 hunks are all that I can think about and write my beautiful poetry about. I have given up on my intimate relations with my MIL in hopes of being shared by you 2 studs...

WOW! Prey, I am going to let Kold have you all to himself. I am sure that you 2 will make beautiful poetry together!

PS. Tampa is closed! We are no longer accepting new residencies... Sorry for you luck! Best wishes with your poetry and your desire to be Kold's biatch!

Kold,
Watch out! Prey appears to be in heat!

Congratulations! Let me know if I can assist you in any way!

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:50 pm

LMAO @ Ken!

And dude, I know I can count on you should I need anything down there!

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:56 pm

[quote="Prey521"]LMAO @ Ken!

And dude, I know I can count on you should I need anything down there! ]

You know it!

Of course, I only allow females "down there" so you at least have to wear a wig...

Of course, my Columbiana, Jacquelin, may scratch your eyes out...