I often hear horror stories from business people in all types and sizes of organizations about I.T. consultants. It's not necessary to dwell on the bad experiences, but there's no doubt that the I.T. consulting field has its share of incompetent or just downright shady characters. The good news is there are also lots of qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable consultants available to help you with your company’s digital nervous system. How can you, as a business owner or manager, separate the good from the bad? In this article, I’ll share the three magic questions you can ask before hiring the wrong I.T. consultant.

Number one: Are you certified (not to be confused with "certifiable")?

Insist on certification: Microsoft offers several levels of certification including the new Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) credentials, the former MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), and the Microsoft Small Business Specialist. The MCSE was Microsoft's premiere certification requiring a very broad base of knowledge on systems and networks. The MCSE required the candidate to pass as many as seven tests. The newer credentials are even more rigorous and they allow an individual greater ability to specialize. The Small Business Specialist is a narrower certification focusing in a specific area. The Small Business Specialist certification requires the candidate to pass two tests. All certifications require extensive training. A Microsoft Small Business Specialist will be more attuned to the needs of small businesses (obviously), but may not have the breadth and depth of training of an MSTS, and MCITP, or an MCSE. When you ask about certification, make certain that the individual holds current certifications (such as Windows Server 2003). You should ask for a copy of their transcript. Also request certificates of completion of formal training. The people who don't have certifications do have lots of reasons why it's not necessary, but the reality is that the certification process requires a successful candidate to follow a structured course of study followed by one or perhaps several rigorous examinations. There are other certifications in addition to Microsoft such as those from Cisco or CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) that can help you determine an individual's level of competence. There are also, in fact, competent individuals who do not carry professional certifications, but as a business professional you don't have the time or resources to sort them out. Insist on current certifications. You’ll find links to websites where you can learn more about I.T. certifications at my website: http://www.doncrawley.com/.

Number two: What is your experience?

Insist on experience: We've all heard the stories about the genius computer kids. While the stories may be true, your business requires someone who is not just a smart computer person, but someone who also understands your business and who has extensive "real-world" experience. I.T. consultants’ jobs are less about technology than about delivering creative solutions to workplace problems. When you’re interviewing a candidate, ask about the kinds of problems s/he has seen in businesses similar to yours and the kinds of solutions s/he recommended to the client. Ask how they incorporate scalability into their solutions. (Scalability is the ability of systems to grow and adapt as end-user needs change without the need for a major retrofit.) Insist on someone who is a legitimate business (ask to see their business license) with several years of experience (I'd say a minimum of five years.)

Number three: May I call your references?

Insist on references: Get at least three references. Your computer network is your business's digital nervous system. Talk to at least three companies or sole proprietors who have had successful experiences with the prospective company or individual. Remember, the most important question to ask is, “Would you hire this individual or firm again?”

Having a successful experience with an I.T. consultant requires that you do your homework before you make the hiring decision. It requires that you consider the answers to all three questions. Just because they’re certified doesn’t mean they’re experienced in real world problem-solving. Just because they’re experienced doesn’t mean they have current knowledge on current technologies. Just because they have good references doesn’t mean they have experience in solving your business problems.

Finally, be prepared to budget enough to get and keep quality consultants. Remember, your successful investment in information technology will allow you and your staff to work more creatively, more productively, and more competitively. Remember also, you'll pay for good consultants whether you hire them initially or not.

Sterling the plumber just left my house. We had a minor backup and I found Sterling through a Google search. There were two reviews of his services, both positive. Some of his bigger competitors had quite a few negative reviews, so I called Sterling. Sterling is self-employed, competent, reasonably-priced, and a nice guy. I'll definitely call him when I need a plumber in the future.

But I'm not really writing about plumbing issues. You see, Sterling did everything right to earn my future business (he even took his shoes off at the door), but he's missing the boat in terms of promoting his business in the digital age.

As a small business owner or an international conglomerate, one of the most important things you must do is collect your existing customer's email addresses. Put a place on every document you collect from customers for their email address (invoices, work orders, receipts, estimates...anything that your customer signs or fills in needs a place for their email address). Of course, some people won't give you their email address, but most will and with that information you can send them personalized emails containing information relevant to them. When your list is small you can use your existing Yahoo!, AOL, Comcast, or Gmail account for free. As it gets larger, you'll want to use services like AWeber or Constant Contact to manage your subscriber list and send your emails. Think about this: Let's say that Sterling's business is cyclical and during certain times of the year, drains don't seem to get clogged as often. He needs to generate some cash flow, so he does a simple email blast to his existing customers offering a time-limited discount on preventative drain maintenance or other preventative services. Maybe he offers a time-limited special price on a 10-point household plumbing inspection. Perhaps his email even includes a brief article on teaching the kids responsible plumbing habits (like not putting socks down the drain or what doesn't work in the garbage disposal). You get the idea.

Here are some simple tips on gathering email address:

Include a privacy statement. One that I like says, "Privacy statement: We want you all to ourselves, so we won't share your information ever." Of course, that means you must never share that information ever.

Tell your customer what they get by sharing their email address. Say things like, "Please provide your email address so we can send you an occasional special offer while reducing our use of natural resources."

The point is simple: By collecting email addresses, you can stay in touch with your customers inexpensively and effectively. You can reduce your carbon footprint while enlarging your financial footprint. Even if you don't plan on using them right away, start collecting them now so you'll have them in the future.

I've recently been asked to speak to different groups about migrating from the old ways of doing things (paper and ink, for example) to the new ways of doing things (digital documents). I realized that a successful migration to the new ways of doing things could not only save even a very small business operator thousands of dollars each year, but could also help that same operator increase their business exponentially at minimal expense.

In our own business as I.T. trainers, we save huge sums of money and reduce our carbon footprint by providing electronic documentation to many of our students instead of the old-fashioned paper documentation. When we first experimented with electronic documentation, I expected there to be some negative backlash. Imagine my surprise when, not only was there no negative backlash, but instead we received positive feedback in our course evaluations. The electronic documentation in the form of PDF documents is searchable, re-sizeable, and can even provide interactivity. We're also discovering that the traditional method of promoting our seminars via direct mail campaigns is increasingly more expensive and less effective than digital alternatives.

My wife Janet and I have been running our business more or less electronically since we started it. Our consultant became almost giddy when he observed that we operate in a nearly 100% virtual world with no bricks and mortar. We can take business calls wherever we are thanks to a digital PBX, our telephone answering service that makes us sound like a Fortune 500 company. We can respond to email anywhere thanks to our Microsoft Exchange server and Exchange Active Sync which syncronizes our email, calendar, and contacts between all of our computers and even our smartphones (we can even receive old-fashioned faxes on our cell phones). My smartphone even allows me to update my website from anywhere...for example, the beach. Bill Gates really nailed it when he alluded to the "digital lifestyle" in his book Business at the Speed of Thought. The digital lifestyle allows us the freedom to be more creative, more productive, and more competitive without being tied to an office.

In the mid-1990s, I was playing golf with a friend who was an itinerant musician. He brought his cell phone with him on the golf course and I chided him for doing so. He responded that his alternative was to stay in his hotel room to conduct business. Instead, he was able to enjoy a beautiful day on the golf course, interrupted by an occasional phone call. He asked me what I would do if I were in his situation. Obviously, I answered that I would do the same as he. Some people complain about being "tethered" to their office by a cell phone, but I don't understand that. You can make the choice to answer the phone when it rings or not. If you make the choice to stay in your office instead of doing your work on the golf course or at a beach (or wherever you choose), aren't you imprisoning yourself?

I am zealous about breaking as many chains that bind me as I can. I am zealous about embracing the digital lifestyle.