I’ve always said that one of the best ways to kick start your Online Backup business is to sell into vertical markets. With such a flexible product as Remote Backup Systems’ RBackup, you can easily create customized solutions for just about any industry, in less than an hour.
For example, suppose you want to sell a backup solution specifically for Dentists.
First come up with a software name that has an available domain name, like DentBackup. (DentBackup.com is available as of 11:30AM on 12/29/2008. Let’s see how long it takes someone to snag that after this blog entry goes up.) Do a quick web search for “dentbackup” and maybe a trademark search. So far, so good.
Come up with a logo or graphic. You can buy them on the web from places like dreamstime.com. Do web searches for “stock photos” and “stock graphics” for other sources. You can buy great professional stock graphics for unlimited, royalty-free use for less than a dollar. You will use your new graphic on the Splash screen and the About screen, and your web site.
Now decide which files you want to back up. Search for Dental Practice Management Software. You’ll find a few dozen. Contact the tech support departments of the various suppliers and ask which files you should back up to get a completely restorable file set. Add those files to your Client software’s pre-selections.
Use the Customize Client Installer features in the RBackup software to set your other defaults, and build an installer. In less than an hour you now have a whole new product to sell to a new market.
Fine-tune your file selections in the field during installation, and keep a record of the selections so you can add them to the defaults later.
There are additional ways to make the most out of vertical markets, like becoming "certified" by industry trade groups, sending press releases to trade publications, and others. You can find more suggestions for making money with Online Backup at http://remote-backup.com.
The easiest sales are to existing customers. It usually costs far more to sell to a new customer than it does to an existing one. So, how can you sell new online backup services to existing customers?
One of the best ways to enter a vertical market with your online backup service is to partner with software and service companies who are already in your target market. With its branding capabilities, you can give your Client software the look and feel of other software, tightly integrating it into the websites and service offerings of existing companies.
Companies who are already in the space you want to be in are in a much better position to be able to sell your online backup service than you are. They already have the trust of their customers. They already have distribution channels, and they would love to be able to add a new feature and an additional source of ongoing revenue.
In many cases they are in a position to sell your online backup service to thousands of customers at once. Imagine spending a little time researching, planning and customizing your software, and making one sales call that results in a thousand new customers over the next three months!
Find more great Online Backup ideas at http://remote-backup.com.
With RBackup you can easily create custom, branded Online Backup solutions for many vertical markets. By partnering with other software and service companies you can gain instant traction in new markets, and multiply your sales power using the reputation and resources of your partner.
I got my idea for this article from the CattleMax Online Backup Service that showed up in my news clippings this morning. I don’t know which online backup service they have partnered with, and I don’t know how the deal went down, but they are a great example of exactly what I’m discussing. Here’s their website: http://www.cattlemax.com/online-backup.aspx
How do you approach a potential partner to sell your idea? Thanks to RBackup’s quick and easy branding capabilities, you can afford to spend just a few hours to come up with a customized solution for a potential partner purely on spec.
Target a market like, say, the cattle industry. Find a company that already sells management software for that industry. Download their free trial software and locate their data files. Learn how to back them up and restore them.
Brand your software like I’ve already discussed. Be careful here – don’t use your prospect’s company name or logo without permission.
Then put on your Sales hat and fire off an email, letter, and phone call. Explain how adding an Online Backup capability will make your prospect’s software or service more desirable than their competitors’. Be ready to quote statistics about the industry, like how fast it’s growing.
Talk about how Online Backup branded with your prospect’s logo and name will promote customer retention and referrals. Mention that adding a major new feature like this is a great reason for a press release that could be picked up by the industry publications and could result in free publicity.
Of course, talk about money. You can offer to share revenue, or pay out the first three months’ charges as a finder’s fee, or sell your partner pooled storage, which he can then resell at a higher rate to individual customers. You might offer your partner exclusivity in his market – in effect, charge him for not approaching his competitors with a similar offer. There are many ways to make the venture profitable for both of you.
“Steer” your business into the future by targeting specific industries. Look for off-the-beaten-trail vertical market companies that would like to “beef” up their software and services with Online Backup. I am now completely out of cattle puns, and that’s no bull.
About Rob Cosgrove
Rob Cosgrove is CEO of Remote Backup Systems, Inc., and the founder of the Online Backup industry.
About Remote Backup Systems Inc.
Remote Backup Systems Inc. is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to businesses and IT Service providers. RBS defines success as providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
