What are your thoughts about a possible change in career direction???

[Jonathan Hooker]

Hey friends,

I have been thinking, praying, and talking with some pastor friends regarding a possible career move and I wanted to get your opinion... I have been looking around and have noticed that there isn't much out there by means of a church technology consulting company. Here I am specifically talking about anything related to a computer - from presentation machines, to video recording, to websites, to staff computers and everywhere in between. I am not talking about sound systems.

I really want to keep this low cost for the church but be able to provide them over the phone support as well as on-site support and installation as the need arises as well as website setup and church management software setup. My skill set definitely qualifies me for a position like this as I have done this sort of thing on both servers and desktops for many years and have a degree and certifications to back up the experience. That is not the issue. My question for you is, if this had a truly reasonable cost with both subscription based support as well as hourly support, would this be beneficial to small to medium sized churches and do you think they would use it?

Thanks for the help!

Jonathan

[Marsha Lynn]

Hey friends,

I have been thinking, praying, and talking with some pastor friends regarding a possible career move and I wanted to get your opinion... I have been looking around and have noticed that there isn't much out there by means of a church technology consulting company.

What is generally also in shortage in the church is money.

The only consultant I remember ever getting money out of my local church was one who helped us with sound acoustics issues -- where do we place the speakers? Maybe if we didn't have local tech-savvy people we might consider a tech consultant but it's a stretch. After all, there are always teenagers ...

If it were me, and I'll admit to not being particularly adventurous, I would do some advertising and see what happens, but wouldn't quit my day job until I was getting enough business to interfere with it.

Just an opinion,
Marsha

[Diane Likens]

What is generally also in shortage in the church is money.

The only consultant I remember ever getting money out of my local church was one who helped us with sound acoustics issues -- where do we place the speakers? Maybe if we didn't have local tech-savvy people we might consider a tech consultant but it's a stretch. After all, there are always teenagers ...

If it were me, and I'll admit to not being particularly adventurous, I would do some advertising and see what happens, but wouldn't quit my day job until I was getting enough business to interfere with it.

Just an opinion,
Marsha

Ditto. As for owning a business -- been there, done that, never going back again!

[John Reilly]

Jonathan, your skills are valuable to the church setting and to the mission field. You would be helpful on short term mission trips specifically helping to set up and get operating computer systems for the mission field. However in the small church setting, your skills would be acquired through spiritual gifts allocation of members and attenders. There may be a market need for your skills in local churches but the priorities of ministry would prohibit spending money on you when the church is looking for people to donate skills and talents to ministry. However, look at the large churches and you may find executive pastors who would hire you for short term technical jobs.

[Dave McClung]

Hey friends,

I have been thinking, praying, and talking with some pastor friends regarding a possible career move and I wanted to get your opinion... I have been looking around and have noticed that there isn't much out there by means of a church technology consulting company. Here I am specifically talking about anything related to a computer - from presentation machines, to video recording, to websites, to staff computers and everywhere in between. I am not talking about sound systems.

I really want to keep this low cost for the church but be able to provide them over the phone support as well as on-site support and installation as the need arises as well as website setup and church management software setup. My skill set definitely qualifies me for a position like this as I have done this sort of thing on both servers and desktops for many years and have a degree and certifications to back up the experience. That is not the issue. My question for you is, if this had a truly reasonable cost with both subscription based support as well as hourly support, would this be beneficial to small to medium sized churches and do you think they would use it?

Thanks for the help!

Jonathan

Jonathan, I am normally encouraging to those who want to start their own businesses; however, those who expect to earn a living doing something that others do on a volunteer basis is tough. Most churches don't pay for their tech services, because someone in the congregation sees it as a ministry.

My suggestion would be to build your tech services business with commercial customers. They pay. Then you can join the rest of us who volunteer our time to the church.

[Zach Wingo]

Jonathan,
I've thought about the same thing, but it's primarily driven by personal frustration at what I've seen rather than a call. It's been difficult for me to remain silent while churches waste money but people get offended so easily it's just not worth jumping in to make suggestions.

Most churches don't pay for their tech services, because someone in the congregation sees it as a ministry.

I agree with this but this is why many churches waste so much money; they trust people who think of themselves as "techies" to make decisions and purchases. I see churches waste tens of thousands because they trust the wrong people. It's often on all the small things, not big purchases where they waste money and it adds up quickly.

My suggestion would be to build your tech services business with commercial customers. They pay. Then you can join the rest of us who volunteer our time to the church.

I completely agree. The only thing i would add is you might find a market in non-profit organizations. Excluding churches where people serve based out of a personal connection and calling, many non-profits I know either hire someone to oversee the technology or they contract it out.

[Billy Cox]

Hey friends,

I have been thinking, praying, and talking with some pastor friends regarding a possible career move and I wanted to get your opinion... I have been looking around and have noticed that there isn't much out there by means of a church technology consulting company. Here I am specifically talking about anything related to a computer - from presentation machines, to video recording, to websites, to staff computers and everywhere in between. I am not talking about sound systems.

I really want to keep this low cost for the church but be able to provide them over the phone support as well as on-site support and installation as the need arises as well as website setup and church management software setup. My skill set definitely qualifies me for a position like this as I have done this sort of thing on both servers and desktops for many years and have a degree and certifications to back up the experience. That is not the issue. My question for you is, if this had a truly reasonable cost with both subscription based support as well as hourly support, would this be beneficial to small to medium sized churches and do you think they would use it?

I have observed that the most pronounced area of need in the local congregation is in making effective use of the technology they already have. Local volunteers typically provide some low level (tier1) support and basic purchasing advice, but nothing resembling strategic planning or process improvement.

I second what Dave said...to a degree. Focus on commercial clients but keep an eye out for an innovation that congregations would clearly benefit from, and wouldn't be hard to sell.

One insight on congregations... Most of them don't have cashflow to justify owning a building and having full-time employee(s), but they spend the money anyway. As a result they operate in a perpetual scarcity mindset. They operate so close to insolvency that they will balk even at seemingly small monthly recurring expenses - and understandably so.

Unless you're a super good salesperson or have a product/service that will bring more money into the congregation, you probably will be very frustrated trying to get them to write you a check on a regular basis.

[Mike Schutz]

From the other side-
My congregation has self- appointed experts in the areas of technology, and the most frustrating thing is to referee the arguments over purchase/use/upgrade. Each is sure that they are absolutely correct, and anyone who disagrees with them is obviously an idiot. This is the case in computers, video, sound, etc.

I have never been in so many conversations in which everyone is sure they know more than everyone else in the room, and if you don't immediately recognize their superior knowledge, you also are an idiot.

Oh wait, yes I have.

But back to the point- I wish I had a real expert I could call about the issue we are dealing with right now. However, whenever I have done that with sound system issues, I have found that no two experts agree, and they spend more time telling why the other guy is obviously wrong.

[Billy Cox]

But back to the point- I wish I had a real expert I could call about the issue we are dealing with right now. However, whenever I have done that with sound system issues, I have found that no two experts agree, and they spend more time telling why the other guy is obviously wrong.

IT people are numerous, IT professionals, less so. In a corporate setting, there are managers and business analysts to channel the techies' energy. In a congregational setting, rival opinions can run amok.

[Zach Wingo]

From the other side-
My congregation has self- appointed experts in the areas of technology, and the most frustrating thing is to referee the arguments over purchase/use/upgrade. Each is sure that they are absolutely correct, and anyone who disagrees with them is obviously an idiot. This is the case in computers, video, sound, etc.

I have never been in so many conversations in which everyone is sure they know more than everyone else in the room, and if you don't immediately recognize their superior knowledge, you also are an idiot.

Oh wait, yes I have.

But back to the point- I wish I had a real expert I could call about the issue we are dealing with right now. However, whenever I have done that with sound system issues, I have found that no two experts agree, and they spend more time telling why the other guy is obviously wrong.

Well said and it's exactly what I alluded to above when I said, "It's been difficult for me to remain silent while churches waste money but people get offended so easily it's just not worth jumping in to make suggestions."

The past few years our church has wasted money on almost all the technology they've purchased. The people who use the stuff complain about how it doesn't work and I get asked all the time to fix things. It's funny how they never ask advice prior to making purchases. A few years ago I would have been eager to give my opinion but for some reason I have no desire to jump in to all the drama...maybe it's maturity

[Billy Cox]

Hey friends,

I have been thinking, praying, and talking with some pastor friends regarding a possible career move and I wanted to get your opinion... I have been looking around and have noticed that there isn't much out there by means of a church technology consulting company. Here I am specifically talking about anything related to a computer - from presentation machines, to video recording, to websites, to staff computers and everywhere in between. I am not talking about sound systems.

I really want to keep this low cost for the church but be able to provide them over the phone support as well as on-site support and installation as the need arises as well as website setup and church management software setup. My skill set definitely qualifies me for a position like this as I have done this sort of thing on both servers and desktops for many years and have a degree and certifications to back up the experience. That is not the issue. My question for you is, if this had a truly reasonable cost with both subscription based support as well as hourly support, would this be beneficial to small to medium sized churches and do you think they would use it?

Thanks for the help!

Jonathan

I think the need is real and the opportunity is potentially significant. Finding the right business model and the right marketing method approach would be the difference between success and failure.

Keep in mind that customer service and technical support are cost centers, not profit centers. You won't make money on monthly subscription to phone/email support. If you make profit on equipment sales or training, you have to keep in mind that there is always a local 'expert' who is all to happy to undercut whatever you charge for the 'same products and services'.

I'm not sure where you would make your money, but I think it can be done.

[Kyle Borger]

I am one of those techies who works for free. Although I have also been one of those techies who submitted a proposal costing thousands of dollars and got it through. I have also watched my own church go with a professional who turned out to not know anything about what we needed. He was an expert, but in a different field. A church does not need a network system that requires DNA samples to gain access!

There is a market here but you will need to prove your value. You can get some churches to spend the money if you show them they will save money. You will need to give them a proposal that shows what they need and how it will save them money. If you are a good salesman you can show that not wasting their staff's time is a cost savings and increases their ability to minister. Do we really want to waste time on computers when we could be reaching people for Jesus?

Keep a regular job until you are absolutely positive you can make money doing this. You will run into many people who won't be willing to spend the money because they view themselves as the little guy who can't afford anything. Be prepared with a plan that accommodates the different size of their church.

However, I warn you, it can quickly get out of control and you will have more work than income. Once people find someone to call they will call and call and call. The danger for you is making sure you have a pricing system in place that can handle this so that you aren't working 24 hours a day handling their daily mistakes and are unable to actually do the part of the job that makes you money.

[Billy Cox]

There is a market here but you will need to prove your value. You can get some churches to spend the money if you show them they will save money. You will need to give them a proposal that shows what they need and how it will save them money. If you are a good salesman you can show that not wasting their staff's time is a cost savings and increases their ability to minister. Do we really want to waste time on computers when we could be reaching people for Jesus?

I think that the real game changer (potentially) is moving beyond the promise of saving money to making a positive impact on incoming revenue. For example, a well executed CRM system could facilitate far more responsive care resulting in better member retention and a higher sense of congregational connection; both of which have a positive correlation to financial participation.

This parallels the conversation in the corporate IT world; beyond labor-savings and cost-cutting to actually delivering value to the company/organization by way of well-implemented technology solutions.