Harrisburg, Pa.-based D&H Distributing is assembling resources and programs to help resellers take advantage of business opportunities generated by the new administration’s Economic Stimulus Plan, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Offerings will include a D&H TV webisode exploring the plan, D&H specialists to help develop individual market solutions, and credit specialists to help facilitate new bids. The distributor is also helping its customers identify vendor programs that are likewise designed to take advantage of these opportunities, including leasing programs, rebates, and tools.
The stimulus plan will provide an influx of capital in markets such as healthcare, utilities (energy companies), education, and government. Portions of these funds are earmarked for the enhancement of technological infrastructures. For example, doctor’s offices will look to digitize their records and satisfy HIPAA regulations; rural communities will receive funding to improve broadband access; and local school districts will receive money that can be used to enhance their technologies. This opens up prospects for resellers to secure new business that will help bolster their earnings in this economy.
D&H is developing specific resources to help them capture these deals:
D&H TV Stimulus Webisode: The latest D&H streaming media presentation will focus on the opportunities of the Economic Stimulus Package. A D&H specialist will inform customers about the most likely verticals to benefit from the funding, how to develop the best solutions for those markets, and how to finance these projects. The webisode will be available in late April and will be accessible 24/7 on the D&H Web site.
Technology & Vendor Specialists: A team of dedicated specialists will address specific technologies and markets on an on-going basis, creating turn-key solutions with customers. These subject-matter specialists will help satisfy complex projects generated by the stimulus funds, as opposed to the traditional sales strategy of responding to one-off incremental product needs. The team concentrates on areas such as servers, VoIP, licensing, and warranties. Vendor Specialists are respectively dedicated to technologies from Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, Acer, Linksys, HP, Lenovo, and Symantec.
Financing Options to Fulfill Bids: Large bids that present themselves with little lead time can be difficult for smaller resellers to accommodate, especially in a tight economy. D&H’s Credit Specialists will work with customers on choosing a financing plan from a roster of options. Some of these offerings, such as the Assignment of Funds program, can facilitate generous bids that might otherwise exceed existing credit lines. Other alternatives deliver more purchasing power to the end user. For example, the D&H leasing program offers terms of 24 to 60 months, zero-down options, and either fair-market or $1 buyouts.
“It’s always been our goal to proactively support new opportunities for our customers, and the Stimulus Plan could be a real catalyst in that regard,” says Dan Schwab, co-president at D&H Distributing. “With the right resources, we can take a situation that might have been prohibitive for the customer and make it possible through a long-term budget plan, letting that customer offer a more complete solution than they could have before. We also deliver the expertise to make that solution the best one possible, assembled from a cross-section of top flight manufacturers. It’s all we can do to make sure our customers are ready for this potential business.”
D&H can also identify vendor-related programs that can help resellers take on this new business. Through D&H’s Intel Modular Server (IMS) Leasing Program, solution providers can package their end-users’ Intel IMS purchases into monthly payments, lowering their capital expenditures and allowing them to accommodate larger sales. Although the VAR’s relationship with his client is maintained, the leasing agreement itself is between the end-client and the leasing company.
Through Intel’s Gov/Ed Rebate Pilot Program, Intel channel partners can take advantage of an instant rebate of up to 5 percent on qualified Intel purchases through an Intel Authorized Distributor on documented sales to a government or education institution. The program also provides sales tools and other content to help VARs with Stimulus Package sales in this market.
