Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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http://www.edfirst.co.uk/
Have you ever come across this website, and if so is it something you go on or is it a scam type site?
I was looking at one of my competitors sites just now and they had a icon and link to this site saying they were listed on there as a supplier.
On that note, I probably ought to get my finger out and start getting involved with public sector tenders for computer related products and services as a guy I know makes a lot of money out of public sector work (although he is in a different industry to me).
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Daniel_Corsa
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Registered: 21st Apr 04
Location: Wigton, Cumbria
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Used to work in a school four years ago, never heard of it but maybe bit to recent.
We used to buy our IT from anywhere and everywhere, accounts manager hated us.
Mainly eBuyer / Dabs / Misco for ease!
April '06' Corsasport Feature Car  | Aug '08' Total Vauxhall Feature Car | Spring '09' Fast Car Feature Car
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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There may be some hope for me yet then lol
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willay
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Sam surely the size of your operation you are better off focusing on services? there so many websites and so many people penny pinching I don't see the benefit in box shifting aswell as offering consultancy/services unless you have some proper fucked up cheap deal with someone 
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Sam
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Well that's what I am interested in - I assume that schools and places like that either have on-site IT support or they tender for a company to have some sort of SLA with them so when things break they can be fixed quickly etc.
PCs and that is just an aside, I make most of my profit on services.
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willay
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Pow has been into a few schools (  ) so be worth getting his opinion on the whole outside services thing, though he may be biased as he does love giving it a go.
I would of thought most schools would either have their own internal IT and only get external help in for new imlpementations IMO TBH BBS
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VrsTurbo
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Registered: 8th Jun 10
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Generally they tender but public ones goes for big companies that can prove there worth. A little one man band you'll be hard pushed to get in to show what you can do other than desktop support.
I know recently they are more outsourcing but they still have local IT.
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pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Willay
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pow
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Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Sam we should talk though 
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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Hi
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pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Hi
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adiohead
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Registered: 28th Sep 01
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quote:
Originally posted by Sam
Hi
quote:
Originally posted by pow
Hi
*like*
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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Most secondary/large schools tend to have an IT department and then as Daniel_Corsa said, it's order from whoever (previous place i worked at were all over Misco, no idea why as they're typically expensive). Fibre runs where about the only thing they tend to ship out, usually because no one onsite is fibre qualified.
Any lower/junior schools i've worked at don't tend to have enough systems nor the budget to warrant an IT department so they tender out to small firms or one-man bands.
Public sector is generally decent but in education budgets are tighter than a nats arsehole, so making any money here could be tricky.
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pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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And schools like their comfort zone, need to tempt them off their usual suppliers
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baza31
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Registered: 19th Apr 03
Location: yorkshire
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They only used approved suppliers, this gets worked out on points system usually by finance department. Usually minimum trading period is 5 years, must be vat registered, accredited blah blah . If you then qualify you would be allocated a trading Acc number and a purchase order would be set up. But unless it was a private school you don't stand a chance that's my opinion unless you own a decent sized long term trading business
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baza31
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Location: yorkshire
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Also knowing a finance manager will help you out alot. But that's no good in grand scheme of things as you won't end up on centre database for approved suppliers just maybe get odd order raised from the school you know finance manager
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pow
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Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Not strictly true baza, I'm an approved supplier for a state primary school.
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Daniel_Corsa
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Registered: 21st Apr 04
Location: Wigton, Cumbria
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I used to be for 4 local primary schools around the secondary school I worked in, times may have changed tho.
What is it you do Sam? Who do you supply etc, we are supposed to get 3 prices before buying anything but I know fine well 2 buyers within the group use the preferred individual companies, pay whatever the price!
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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quote:
Originally posted by Daniel_Corsa
....use the preferred individual companies, pay whatever the price!
Use to be how it worked with IT when i worked at a secondary school - even when i managed to find parts 20-40% cheaper elsewhere, Misco was the first and preferred place 
Luckily it was a bit more relaxed in my department when it came to buying parts/supplies and the finance folk in general were happy to go else where if there was a significant saving.
Baza - The point system new?
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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So in essence most places go for long established companies?
Well I've only been running the company for just under 2 years. It is VAT registered though and a limited company, but I guess 2 years isn't really long enough?
Daniel - onsite computer maintenance mainly, but also got accounts with large IT distributors so can normally get IT kit cheaper than retail etc.
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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If you want to target the education sector then go for the lower/junior/primary schools but as said, budgets are tight.
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Jimbothebarbarian
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Registered: 19th Apr 07
Location: Cumbria..........drunk..
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I'm out of my depth here but I thought I'd chuck in my 2p's worth.
My wife is a head teacher and they get a 'one man band' fella in to do there IT stuff and he hasn't been trading long at all. He was one of the middle aged mid level IT type blokes who was culled from a big company in the so called recession.
Set up on his own and seems to be getting a lot of other work through word of mouth at the school, for example, jobs for teachers husbands companies etc etc.
This guy just rang round schools and sent out his details. I think that's what you lot are on about. If not I'll get me coat
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baza31
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Registered: 19th Apr 03
Location: yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Dom
quote:
Originally posted by Daniel_Corsa
....use the preferred individual companies, pay whatever the price!
Use to be how it worked with IT when i worked at a secondary school - even when i managed to find parts 20-40% cheaper elsewhere, Misco was the first and preferred place
Luckily it was a bit more relaxed in my department when it came to buying parts/supplies and the finance folk in general were happy to go else where if there was a significant saving.
Baza - The point system new?
New ish. Alot are turning into academy's now so they don't have to follow suit with council. What you need to remember is they will already have suppliers, if they haven't messed them around then I think you will struggle gaining that work. If I was you I'd get all your information down , prices etc and make appointments to see finance managers, make a good impression and keep your fingers crossed. Either way you need to be on approved suppliers list
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