Opening A Neighborhood Computer Repair shop?

akasixcon

This is sparta!
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I'm a Computer Information Systems major (didn't complete) and I've pretty much had my own software basic virus removal and optimizer in college. I want to make some extra cash and thought I could buy a switch, table a few power supplies and post an ad in Craigslist for people to come over and get their computers repaired. Likewise, to even go to their homes.

I'm trying to use my skills that I already have to basically make some extra cash. Do you guys have any experience or advise doing this? I also have web design and video editing experience but at the moment I'm not landing the clients so o figured computer repair would be easier to get clients of Craigslist and even my friends in Facebook.

I could see Geeksquad being my direct competitor so I just have to charge lower. I can even connect technology and assemble graphics cards and memory.
 
Long story short I did this with a business partner and it took a few years to even get off the ground. It eventually came to a halt to where I was unemployed for a bit before I came to where I am now. So all I can say is good luck, because it greatly depends on the area in question.

As an example, my neighborhood has 2 HOA pages on FB, both of which are used a lot to complain about certain tech problems. I stayed quiet for a while and then decided I might start answering some stuff because they're my neighbors and all (basically). Got ignored quite a bit. A couple people found out what I do for a living and started saying "you can listen to him" and nope, still nothing. A realtor guy that lives on the street behind me I host his website for the specific HOA neighborhood. He put my details on there and still nothing :lol: So now I stay quiet, because I was going to use that as an avenue for some spare cash or even some beer. Meh
 
May want to buy customers busted windows machines. Especially Core2Duo computers. Make Linux computers and resell them for profit. Heck they may let it go for $75.00 and sell it for 150.
 
Most of the computers brought in will be infected with bad viruses such as rowhammer. If that is the case then you can sell them a core2duo with ubuntu 13.10 or 14.10 no higher. Systemd and Wayland is terrible. Mir is terrible. I have a saucy salamander Dell D630. I ripped out ftp, telnet, samba, cups, transmission-gtk, ssh, remmina, vino and bluez. The vulnerabilities that are bad are shellshock, KRACK, blueborne and turla. But I have DHCP disabled by 0000 instead of eth0. Also, on resolveconf I modified the interfaces(order). I have NO hackers!! I know how to do the firewall. I programmed it to work like zonealarm. You have to go with 2009 models.
 
I could see Geeksquad being my direct competitor so I just have to charge lower.

The problem with that is, you can't charge lower and make money. I worked there for just over 10 years. They offer something called Total Tech Support which covers a massive amount of services. Virus removal in home? $50. Mount a television in your house? $50. Anything done in store is covered at no cost once you purchase the Total Tech Support. Unless the pricing changed, it's $200 for a year, $280 for two years and $350 for three years.

The reason they can do it is because they make money off selling so many of them that it balances out in the end. As a small business, you can't survive off $50 for a house call. You've got insurance, gas, maintenance, etc... not to mention paying yourself. You might squeeze in 5 calls in a day, but you'll burn a lot of gas. Not to mention the re-do rate that you would likely have with a lot of clients. Cleaned that virus good? They go get a new infection and blame you for not cleaning it. I know, I've had it happen.

The work is definitely out there. I'll tell you that the folks I've seen doing it don't mind charging above what Geek Squad does. They make money and folks will pay it for a more personalized service than they typically get with a large company. It wasn't that way for me when I worked there, because I took care of each person as I would if it were MY business. I was highly recommended as a result, but still... it's a lot of work to do it on your own. Especially if you open a brick and mortar shop. Then the overhead gets higher.
 
Geek squad installed spyware on my BRAND NEW laptop. It was even on the recovery disc. That was back in 2004. The programs were iProtectYou.ocx, AlphaSpy.ocx, and AceSpy.ocx. I had webroot program on computer but it did not get rid of remote control programs. They were whitlisted as "legit" programs. Basically, like netnanny programs. Investigators and spouses(significant other) puts these programs on the computer to spy. That is why I'm on Linux now. I hate freaking windows!!
 
Geek squad installed spyware on my BRAND NEW laptop. It was even on the recovery disc. That was back in 2004. The programs were iProtectYou.ocx, AlphaSpy.ocx, and AceSpy.ocx. I had webroot program on computer but it did not get rid of remote control programs. They were whitlisted as "legit" programs. Basically, like netnanny programs. Investigators and spouses(significant other) puts these programs on the computer to spy. That is why I'm on Linux now. I hate freaking windows!!

+1 ,,

I'm also on Linux. I cant stand Windows. I just don't trust the platform.

In my experience fixing computers for other people is a nightmare. I've had many a problems with people who wont hand over their cash to fix Problems but want the work done free of charge. Greedy people who normally haven't got a pot too piss is but can afford £80 on a night out .

Fixing systems for other people is something I gave up a long time ago. I cant be chewed with it any more and not too mention most people will simply throw a bump copy of Windows on it. Could you imagine doing your online banking with a bump copy of windows which is why I high lighted the above post because Linux is more secure out the box.

I'm just saying don't expect it to be plain sailing when you have customers who are working for their cash and wages and your charging people for fixing systems because people don't like spending IMO just money generally.
 
What gets me is that the Windows users treat Linux users like they are dumb. They are the ones who are clueless. They have users with easy passwords. This can lead to privilege escalation. Worse they'll have the guest account enabled. Lets not forget easy and common passwords that were used in rockyou or Ashley Madison. They use the internet on the admin account. All kinds of bonehead moves. I have never had any hackers. My system only crashed twice a few years ago. I deleted the binary file for the updater and made the HUD not executable!! That's it no more crashes. Viruses? simple just give all home folders 0750 permissions and change the DIR_MODE to 0750 on /etc/user.conf. Lastly, don't go on internet on admin account(especially with email!!).
 
What gets me is that the Windows users treat Linux users like they are dumb. They are the ones who are clueless. They have users with easy passwords. This can lead to privilege escalation. Worse they'll have the guest account enabled. Lets not forget easy and common passwords that were used in rockyou or Ashley Madison. They use the internet on the admin account. All kinds of bonehead moves. I have never had any hackers. My system only crashed twice a few years ago. I deleted the binary file for the updater and made the HUD not executable!! That's it no more crashes. Viruses? simple just give all home folders 0750 permissions and change the DIR_MODE to 0750 on /etc/user.conf. Lastly, don't go on internet on admin account(especially with email!!).

If you look at how Windows and M$ came about back in the day its very easy to understand how they are a major suppler and distributor of OS based environments especially on the desktop market.

Personally Windows is used IMO because its what people expect. People wouldn't want to pay for an OS like 7 or 10 but when they buy a new computer they want Windows and the start menu. Its simple, its easy to use and people feel secure using it because its what they are familiar with.

People like comfort. They will use Windows because they buy in to the model of if they pay for M$ Windows; say 7 or 10 their getting a product they can trust and satisfaction because if they pay for it. Then its theirs.

Linux is open source so its more secure by default and thus has less known vulnerability and the fact that Nix* is based on lines of code and not as heavy on the GUI as Windows; the overall construct of say Linux can be manipulated as such to the users requirements.


The reason I have went off Windows in particular my self is simply because its the most targeted system out their or at least one of them and to be quite frank I'm not paying for a system I do not have control over as much as I do with Linux.

LM (Linux Mint) is a beast if you know what you are doing and can set it up correctly. So much control and authority over the system its unreal compared to closed source code as in M$ Windows.
 
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