Marketing a Technology Solutions Company

[doogan]

Hi everyone. I recently located this website, have been encouraged by the wealth of information in here.

Saying this - I would value some specific advice.

I am in the early stages of setting up a technology solutions company. I will be providing infrastructure solutions from initial network / desktop setups for smaller clients, to more complex setups such as trading floors, trading technology, Trading systems, real time market data, resilient datacenters, DR solutions and the likes. My targeted clients would ideally be Hedge funds, financial firms and those that rely on 99.999% uptime.

My history is 10 years doing this in a global financial firm and my responsibilities include managing all of the above. Where I can deliver where others fail is that I do not accept failure, or anything less than perfection. I deal with executive management in determining the scope of projects and will not tolerate projects running over deadlines. In a nutshell, I deliver consistantly and believe there is a market for this out there.

My weakness is marketing, and the experience to network and get clients. Basically I have been focused over my entire career in working in-house and have not built up many external contacts - my mistake..

I am in NYC, and I am confident that there is ample demand and work out there. What is the best way to market this venture and actually get the first, second and third client. ?

In terms of funding, I would prefer to have a couple of clients before I go putting money into this, however I have the funding secure for when it’s practical to use it

I would really appreciate any input, advice, criticism or any commentary on my plan

Thanks

[eborg9]

There are a wealth of things that you can do, and there are some very experienced people here, but I will jump the gun and go straight for the guts, of what I like for your field.
I service and expertise such as yours would benefit heavily from blogging. HEAVILY.
For two reasons.
1. It seems that field is constantly looking for updated information, and you would be able to provide that on a daily basis (2 -3 times a day)
2. An expert opinion would do well in establishing readers and subscribers to your blog, and having your information pumped right into their PDA's every day.
It is probably more perfect for your field, than any other.

Right out of the gate, that would be a very effective,and cheap way to get the word out, that you are "in the house" so to speak.

There are hundreds of financial blogs, I know, but they have some of the most loyal subscribers, and readership because so much changes everyday.
Updated information is KING in that industry over any other.

That is probably step 5 or so, but it was the first thing I thought of when I read what you do.
Plus it is something you can do cheaply, and in conjunction with any other networking and marketing advice.

[khalidh]

Hi doogan,

The business idea sounds promising but can be challenging at the same time.

There are few questions you need answer:

Think about the typical client who is going to hire your services,

1. What pain points are going to solve for them?
2. Does your potential client have a solution that they are using right now?
3. what do they look for in a company that to handle their technology solutions?

You have two big competitors,
a. internal IT staff
b. Other well established business who have been doing this for a while.

4. How are your services going to be different than both of these competitors?
5. what kind of processes a potential client has for hiring a IT solution company?

You are thinking about offering two different services:
1. initial network / desktop setups for smaller clients: I think that would be an easier market to get to. It might even be a way for you to

2. complex setups such as trading floor: that is a much more difficult side to get to. I am sure that you are qualified to do it but firms want some established business to handle complex setups.


Yes, you can start a blog and publish online articles but I am not sure how much that can help in the short term. Now, if you can get an article published in a magazine that deals with IT setup, that would help a lot.

Having worked in IT for the last 10 years or so, I generally know that clients are hesitant to outsource complex setups to new startups. I would also spend sometime networking with potential clients. What events do your potential clients go to? what associations do they belong to? Join these, spend time to get to know them. Do not rush into getting business right away, build a relationship and business will follow.

Khalid

[cbscreative]

I think the insights offered so far are very good. If you look closely at what eborg and Khalid had to say, you will notice a pattern of long term stability. This will take some time, but your marketing efforts need to be consistent and focus on your strength and expertise. If you are realistic and keep getting your name out, you will be able to grow a solid business. It may not happen quickly, but there is no reason you can't do well.

If you could get a press release picked up by a credible source, that could do wonders to get the word out, maybe even jump start your business. Check out www.prweb.com to educate yourself on press releases.

[Streetracer]

Technical jargon like "Technology Solutions" and "Infrastructure Solutions" can sound vague and intimidating. Is there a more user-friendly way to describe what you do?

[bill benson]

Originally Posted by Streetracer

Technical jargon like "Technology Solutions" and "Infrastructure Solutions" can sound vague and intimidating. Is there a more user-friendly way to describe what you do?

I agree with the above quote. Go to wordtracker and find the key words for what you do. It sounds like you are offering industry specific IT solutions, but people aren't going to look for you in the yellow pages or internet by "Technology Solutions".

Here's another thought - for what it's worth.

I went on an interview for a sales position in a company that did network management ie IT solutions. I knew their competition did web design as part of their service and always put a link back to them in the footer. Call it companyX for now. Before the interview, I did a google search for Link:companyx.com. This gave me a listing of most of the competitors customer base. I walked into the interview with a listing of most of the major competitors clients.

Even if this approach doesn't work for you, remember Google can be your friend for lead generation. You say you don't know marketing or have a client list. There are a lot of clever things you can do on the internet if you sit down and think about it.