Knowing what questions to ask when you're hiring a new computer consulting company can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. But knowing what too ask and what to look for can be difficult, especially when you're hiring the services of an independent contractor rather than an employee that you have on your payroll. The following tips, however, should help guide you in the process of finding a computer consultant that is skilled, experienced and can meet the needs of your specific business.
Full-time or Part-time Consultant? When hiring a computer consultant, consider whether your company is going to need a full time tech service or if it can manage with simply having a part-time consultant. If you have a small business, you might only need to hire an independent contractor or part-time consultant. If you have a larger business, however, it might be worth the money to hire the services of a full consulting company.
Who are the people who work for the consulting firm? When you're interviewing a consultant, ask if he's part of a larger firm. If he is, ask how many people work in his company. What are their jobs, backgrounds and specialties? Will they be involved in consulting your business? The more specifics you ask about the people who work at the consulting company, the better you'll be able to sniff out whether or not they are professionals who will provide you with the quality service you need.
What size is the consultant's typical client? A consultant company that works mostly with large business might have a lot of experience dealing with large computer networks and employees, but they're probably also used to their client's having fairly large budgets. If you're a small business, it might be better to look for a consulting firm that specializes in working with small businesses, as they'll know how to deal with your needs better.
Is the consulting company a hardware or software vendor as well? Some consulting firms also sell their own hardware and software products, or those of an affiliate company. In some cases, signing on with a certain consulting firms means only using their products. A good consulting firm, however, will allow you to use whichever hardware and software seller you want.
What kind of training does the consulting company provide? This is an important question to ask, because the more you depend on a consulting company, the more money that they'll be able to squeeze out of you. A good consulting company, however, will provide you with training so that you can be more self-sufficient and only call upon them when you really need it.
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