Customer Reviews

SMB Consulting Best Practices (Smb Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you haven't heard about the author's personal enterprises, then you surely will after reading all about him in this book. Heck, if a merchant won't promote his own wares, then who would? The gist of the book is to sell yourself wherever there is a heart-beat, and since would-be readers of this book have a pulse, they are fair game.

The author insists on calling this light-weight a 'tome,' but it is far from one. This book could have been written in half the number of pages and had room to spare. It is interspersed with redundant spaces for the reader's notes. These 'Notes' boxes and generous screen-shots fill many pages with vacuums when the author draws a blank. He admits it is more profitable to self-publish and and so the lack of editing is evident. The prose is colloquial, verbose, replete with spelling and grammatical errors, and has a few misplaced figures.

So why rate it three stars? Well, we mustn't throw out the baby with the bath water. The author is a successful consultant and so his experiences are instructive. Among the topics covered are the business plan, growing a consulting practice, marketing, sales, client relationships and financial management. One can almost envision him recalling courses from his MBA as he navigates these topics. The author is a Microsoft Small Business Server consultant and the material leans heavily that way, and so a more accurate title would have been SBS Consulting Best Practices. The coverage is adequate, but not worth the price tag, especially for those familiar with consulting books.

From the blurb on this book's back cover, it would seem that actual consulting with 'SMB' as a target market would be covered extensively in the book content. This really isn't the case.

Page after page of this book contains little more than thinly veiled advertisements for 'MS Small Business Server'. Reason after reason for selling 'SBS' to a client is detailed, while providing little else in the way of actually useful information.

For example, take chapter 6, titled 'SMB Consulting Sales'. This would hopefully contain information on selling consulting services to an SMB. Instead, this chapter focuses entirely on the section 'How To Sell SBS in under five minutes'. Swell.

From the standpoint of a consultant looking for ways to begin or improve practices as related to SMBs, this book is nearly worthless. I count myself fortunate that I purchased it used for $10, but I honestly regret spending even that.

If you're seeking useful information on consulting to the 'Small To Medium sized Business', look elsewhere, you won't find it in this book. If you'd like to pay in the neighborhood of $60 for a bloated sales pamphlet that covers MS SBS in nauseatingly fuzzy detail, then this is a must-have.

If you know Harry Brelsford and his writing this is the next book in a long line of great books. Harry's wit and personality shines to the forefront but don't be mistaken this book is strictly about making money and advancing your business which Harry is all about. If you're starting up your own consulting biz then you must have this book or if you are just stagnant in your own practice this book has some great pointers to get you going again.
Also, as a SMB Nation attendee I suggest that as well, which is the conferences that Harry sponsors. Check it out at smbnation.com.
Get it, Grab it, Read it, Understand it, Prosper from it!

Tavis Patterson
TAZ Networks

Harry Brelsford's book "SMB Consulting Best Practices" is a rich source of valuable ideas and information that I highly recommend to all SMB Consultants. Although some of the web links provided are out of date, most of the information is still very current and extremely relevant. The book is packed with ideas about how to grow a business.

Personally, I wish I had discovered this book years ago, when I first started my business. At the outset, Harry asks the reader to question if he/she has what it takes to be an SMB Consultant. This is an important step, as it gives the reader a chance to really evaluate his/her prospects in the business. Harry does not sugar-coat this process, and he makes it clear that if you don't think you have the stomach for the tough times, then you should keep your day job. He then proceeds to lay out literally hundreds of ideas on how to grow and refine your consulting business.

There are innumerable books out there on starting a business, bettering a business, maximizing profit in a business, but this is one book that addresses issues that are directly relevant to our business. It's a great way to get your MBA in SMB.

Robert MacKenzie
Owner, RMCompufix
New York City