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003: The ACN Office - marketing, finding clients, working with AppleCare, the Apple Store

Episode three of Command-Control-power features a wide-ranging conversation with Joe, Sam, and Jerry discussing the topic of The ACN Office.

Topics: 

  • marketing to existing clients, incentivizing referrals vs. mass marketing to public; relative quality of leads
  • Constant Contact, MailChimp, My Emma, Campaign Monitor
  • sticking with what you know vs. "the devil you don't know"; clients also trust a known entity
  • finding clients, never having needed to seek out clients before now
  • PR; marketing
  • press releases in local publications; working with non-profits to get one's name out
  • OnForce vs. ACN
  • Intro to Business at the Apple Store presentation includes an ACN slide; tip from Apple Store Business Manager
  • retail turnover in the Apple Store, especially in the Business Team
  • tip from local Apple Store about increasing ACN referrals
  • working harder to get new business?
  • "Sales"
  • Managed Services vs. Break/Fix
  • revenue streams; recurring fees
  • Wellness Visits, i.e. preventive maintenance
  • running a managed offsite backup service using CrashPlan
  • offering email and web hosting services
  • RackSpace offices in San Antonio, a former mall
  • recurring revenue streams, no matter how small; residuals
  • benefit of referrals from Apple Store; clients feel Apple endorses us
  • a day in the life of an ACN
  • next week: Live from Advanced Camp!

Mentions

Craig Cohen (@ccohen), Arek Dreyer (@arekdreyer), Ben Greisler (@magikben).

002: Security, iCloud Keychain syncing, bookkeeping, growing your practice

Sam, Jerry, and Joe discuss topics related to growing your consulting practice: secure info sharing among team members and clients, bookkeeping, and administrative assistance. Includes a brief review of services we offer to clients.

Plus: a how-to for configuring multiple tax rates in QuickBooks.

Co-hosted by Jerry Zigmont of MacWorks, Sam Valencia of HCS Technology Group, and Joe Saponare of PsiMac.

Topics:

  • consultant security best practices
  • team secure info sharing
  • client security tendencies
  • proposed solutions for dealing with multiple Apple IDs
  • the promise of technology
  • iCloud keychain syncing
  • MobileMe war stories
  • Configuring multiple tax rates in QuickBooks
  • Billings Pro
  • redundant data entry in bookkeeping systems
  • hiring a part-time or full-time administrative assistant; or not

Memorable lines:

Regarding the presumably forthcoming iPhone 5S: "this time, the 'S' can stand for 'Secure'."

Great advice once given at the ACN Business Meeting regarding growing your technology consultancy: "do yourself a favor: the first person you hire should be an administrative person."