Growth Small Business IT Expert

The True Value of the Small Business Consulting Community

by Stuart R. Crawford

The Small Business IT consulting community is a dynamic and exciting community to be active in at this time. Many different opportunities are gaining some serious momentum in this underserved marketplace in Canada.

The Small Business marketplace will be the fastest-growing segment in the information technology market. Currently, approximately 97% of the businesses in Canada have five hundred employees or less, which equates to a fantastic market to specialize in.

Microsoft launched their Small Business Specialist program in the summer of 2005 at their annual partner conference. Since that time, a number of information technology consulting firms have taken advantage of this program to commence their consulting practice.

The Small Business Specialist program is designed to promote Microsoft’s offerings to small business. It establishes SBSC members as leaders in the small business IT consulting marketplace that has been thrust into the spotlight for growth potential.

The Small Business Specialist program serves as a best resource for IT professionals to access information, promotions, partnership opportunities and assistance to service a small business oriented client base. Groups have emerged on international, national and regional levels that assist the small business specialist in obtaining not only technical but also important business assistance. In addition, each year SMB Nation brings together the small business consulting community to network, learn, share and play.

The small business consulting community has grown out of the leadership of corporations like Microsoft, SonicWALL, and Symantec. It has also grown because of people like Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation and several other leaders in the community.

Their leadership has provided Small Business Specialists with additional resources to sharpen their craft long before the official launch of programs from corporations like Microsoft.

The SMB community is open to sharing experiences, ideas, concepts and best practices so that emerging IT companies can seek knowledge to develop and grow. “I like focusing on a market segment where I can really get to know my clients and have a direct, tangible impact on their businesses,” claims Jeff Anderson, General Manager of Red Deer’s Bulletproof Networks, the city’s leading Small Business Specialist.

Business development, however, is often overlooked by those text book technicians who have decided to start their own businesses.

Learning from others in the SBSC community allows the small business consultants like Jeff to learn two or three markets and become the expert specialist in that field in order to have the potential to gain new business clients.

Stuart R. Crawford scrawford@itmatters.ca www.itmatters.ca

Stuart Crawford is the Director of Business Development for IT Matters Inc., a Calgary-based Information Technology solutions company. One of the founding partners of IT Matters, Stuart is a respected mentor within the organization and his pioneering spirit and courageous forward thinking has contributed to IT Matters developing long-term business partnerships with those who share the company’s core values of respect, trust and integrity. He is a motivational leader willing to venture into uncharted territory.

Stuart has been an affiliate of the International Association of Microsoft Partners (IAMCP) for the past few years and has set a goal to become an executive member. He is a Director with the Canada – Mexico Chamber of Business. He is also an Associate Partner with the Corporate Group of Allied Associates, thereby staying active with business networking to grow his business. Stuart also regularly schedules time during a busy workweek to appreciate the value of a round of golf with his fellow business colleagues.