Computer Repair Services

[MindoverMaster]

I guess this could go in Tech Careers, but I just want input here on starting up a homegrown IT job, not how to start one. I know all that.

What I want to know from you, is, in what way would you get started? Hand out flyers to everyone? Ask them to fill out a survey form, asking them if they would be interested in this? Newspaper ads? Store postings?

With no doubt, I'll be working from home until I get enough money for a place.

Do any of you know how that will interact with SSI? Since I will have over $2k. But is that money going to keep at a steady flow?

 

[KSoD]

Well you will have to contact SSI cause we cant answer how it will interact. They are the experts. But as for getting started, that comes down to your area. How are we to know what is going on in your local town to be able to answer?

I mean for me it wouldnt be hard. I already have a great word of mouth from all of my co-workers where i am now. So if i did start i already have a core group of customers. I know that the word would get passed on to others by them for services they cant provide at Walmart. It has even been not only suggested but i was offered side jobs by many customers who were willing to pay well above even Geek Squad prices just to have me come work on their machine cause of the word of mouth that has been spread about me.

But that wouldnt be your case. Handing out flyers would be idiotic. I mean think about it these people are walking by you on the street. How many of them will actually keep the flyer beyond your line of sight? how many of them wouldnt even accept it or just crush it up right there in front of you and throw it in the nearest trash can?

Asking them to fill out a survey? Go to the local shopping center and just sit and watch those that have this as their job and see what kind of respect and attention they get when they have to ask people to do a survey. It wouldnt be much different than above.

Newspapers Ads? News print is dying. If you are lucky enough you might reach 2% of the target crowd. How many people do you know that actually use PC's buy newspapers and actually read them?

Store postings is tricky cause you have to get permission from the owner. Walmart wont let you do it for more than a few days. If even at all.

So you will have to start with something like Craig's List if you really want to reach your target crowd and hope that word of mouth will get around. I can cover most of the area I live in. Eric and Niagara County are pretty much covered by people who know about me and what i can do. It wouldnt take much for me to actually start earning a living. You have to look at your local area and see what will work for you. We cant tell you cause what works for us will not work for you.

 

[Harper]

If you can immediately tap into a network* of people, then go for it. Otherwise, it a hard work to make any money. Local news papers only work if you are ready to spend big. And you need to constantly keep those ads going. There is no sense in advertising one week and not the next. You take a break from advertising, and your business will die like a plant with out water.

Do not charge too little. Charging too little gives the message that you are are inexperienced. Plus you need to keep petrol in your car, advertisement and other business costs.

Public Liability insurance..... if you have not thought about it now, then you might want to think about it now. What if in the unlikely event that a power supply that you install cause a fire that burns down a house?

Suppliers? Who are you going to buy from? Credit terms.

Are you going to have people coming directly to your house. Firstly I do not recommend this. However if you do not have a choice then i would recommend that you set yourself up with a professional workshop with a separate entrance to your home. Last thing you need a total stranger walking through your house. You will need to show people that their computer is working when they pick it up, and any technician (computer or otherwise) that tells the customer to just wait outside as they gab the computer system just screams dodgy to me.
I have known a few techs that have converted a garage to do this.

You would want a website too and phone number. People would rather call a land line over a mobile phone number. So you have that to think about to.

Srsly, $2000 is not going to cut it. I have been there myself. I was spending about a $500 per week just on advertising in my last job.

* work, social groups, sports clubs etc etc.

 

[MindoverMaster]

This sounds harder than Saxon made it sound.

For phone, I can get a VOIP phone.

 

[KSoD]

VoIP isnt going to cut it. What if the service goes down? What if your internet provider has disrupted service? You lose potential customers. You will need a land line that draws power from the line and goes through a provider that has constant access. While even choosing AT&T isnt always fool proof, you have more uptime than downtime with a provider like that than you do with VoIP.

Starting your own business is not easy. You have to think of everything. You have no clue who these people are at all or what morals they have. Take your eBay experience and use that as a learning tool. Small community or not these people are everywhere and they will try to screw you over for every penny they can.

 

[Slaymate]

I would start by fixing my friends and my parents friends PC's at budget rates just to build your reputation and increase your experience level.

I would buy some nice business cards and start leaving them everywhere. I buy my cards from Vistaprint, there priced reasonably and they offer some pretty good deals once your an actual customer. It seems like their making their money on the shipping but it's still a good deal for the product.

I recommend buying a nice Premium card. It costs more to start with but renewals are cheap and often free (other than shipping and some special options).
Vistaprint Premium Business Cards

Special Options? I don't know where you live but if you really want people to keep your cards you can have something printed on the back of them. Something that the person may find useful, sometimes I get a football schedule printed on the back of mine, the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Florida Gators. You'd be surprised at how many people keep my cards and come back for the new schedule. And I do get a lot of referrals from them just because my info is available and usually close at hand.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Ehh, I will say from personal experience, try to find a way to do this so the customer isn't walking through your home. In all seriousness, a garage is a great place, if its climate controlled, and looks like it's in order. I would do PC repairs for my small business in the garage, but, I don't think a customer likes the idea of a piston sitting on top of the PC, or even in the same room, lol.

Also, Vista Print for cheap cards is pwnage, I have a full calendar on the back of my cards, and just a generic text layout on the front, people keep the cards, and I actually found one person that had a small stack that was passing them around.

If you use cards, keep a stack for your self, give some to friends, and if your friends with local business owners or management, they will usually put your cards out.

 

[Kharn]

I like Vista print, I buy lot's of stuff through them cheep (that counts) and they make quality products.

 

[Harper]

To the OP, if you really want to set up a computer repair business, why don't you see if you can get a job at Unisys or Fujitsu or NCR etc etc and mooch off the clients there. Whether you are working as Dell Break Fix or some corporate customer 2nd Level Deskside, you will have the occasional person requiring further assistance that you will not be able able to provide under your scope of work at the above said company. Please note that you need to make sure the following
1. you let the customer no that you are not working for XYZ computer company when you are doing these outside scope repair work.
2. There is no conflict between the company that you are representing and yourself.
So with that being said, it would be better off getting a job as Corporate desk side support and only doing the occasional job for customer at home.
I get ask for some one the side jobs. I normally turn then down as I really do not want to be fixing a computer at the end of my working day. I know some people that do that, I really do not know how they find the time.

 

[MindoverMaster]

It's called a workaholic, Harper. Problem is, there's nothing remotely near me. Gives me a headache from just thinking about it. I'm not a business grad.

Feels like I should just keep it within the family/friends/church. And look elsewhere for work. In IT or not.