Saurav Somani
If you are planning to launch an IT consulting business, it is a step in the right direction as it’s a growing business, which is recession-proof too. Due to digitalisation and increasing use of IT in our daily lives, IT services are in much demand.
Here are some steps going forward:
Create a website
You should have a proper website representing your business, services, location and testimonials. You should also optimise your website for industry-specific keywords and look at local and global online marketing, too. For that, you can mark your presence on local maps and do internet marketing with location keywords. You can include certain keywords in your SEO marketing campaign, including the names of the city and the state you are operating in.
Active offline and online marketing
You should also take up social media marketing and run “pay-per-click” campaigns, if you want to have more traffic on your website and, therefore, more business leads. Your sales and marketing campaign should include both traditional marketing and web marketing. You should attend all the industry-specific seminars, conferences, workshops, meet-ups and press events, so as to increase your market penetration and build more relationships.
Committed ‘freelancers’
It is also recommended not to focus on hiring permanent employees. Instead, you should find committed freelancers and subcontractors who can perform your tasks as and when needed. It will add to productivity and prevent a strain on your payroll budget.
Registration for consultants
A consultancy can be started on an individual basis as a sole proprietorship firm or a limited liability partnership if there are two or more partners. The consultant can practise on an individual’s name as well. A private limited company can also be formed to secure government e-tenders.
Also, if a specific taxable service is provided and the aggregate value of the service exceeds Rs 20 lakh during the financial year, then the consultant is liable for GST registration and must get registration for the same. To ensure that the business name, brand and logo are protected, registration under trademark with Trademark Registrar under Trade Marks Act, 1999 is required.
Software Technology Parks India or STPI
While registration depends on the preferences of the organisation, a company that belongs to STPI can receive benefits, such as tax breaks. Submit a statement of your project, source of funding, and a business plan with a thorough draft of the marketing strategy and a financial plan detailing projections for up to five years.
