Startup Business - PC/Laptop service/repair

[m25man]

Viruses, Malware & User Issues are a time consuming resource drain.

We always do our best for all clients both corporate and retail but when dealing with these the rule is, if you can't fix it within the hour, copy the data and re-image it!

 

That way the "No fix no fee" should never see you out of pocket.

Time is your most precious commodity so log every minute of it on every job as lost time is the equivelent to a hemorrhage.

 

If you can fairly bill for every minute that you actually spend fixing stuff you will do all right!

 

And lastly, no more freebies charge everyone, no more mate rates!

[synaesthesia]

It's something I considered many a time, and each time I did the thought of the paperwork behind it all dragged me back into common sense As eldergeek correctly points out, you could be the best in the area at your job but the competition with other companies and cowboys as well as with people's perceptions, it's an uphill struggle with a slope that appears to get steeper. So, I decided that servitude would be a safer bet - especially as I don't have to worry about too much financial paperwork

[apoth0r]

It takes a long time to be that 'word-of mouth' - Year 2 for myself, still not loads of business. I work full time also and refuse to spend money on the business unless it pays for itself. Which is probably the downfall, but hey I'm still here after 2 years and I've been trying hard to build the reputation.

It's a tough game, if you can't be flexible with your time then you really will struggle.

I hope if you do decide to that you have the drive because it does take a lot to keep the motivation when the business isn't there.

 

Good luck and best wishes

[AyatollahPies]

This thread is a great antidote to the rubbish about how the IT industry apparently needs to grow up.

 

[OverWorked]

Just to comment on theeldergeek's posts. He may sound negative, but in my experience he's largely right.

 

I have my main job in a school, and a few bread-and-butter clients (a couple of charities and a small school) who I see regularly.

 

Another big problem with becoming self-employed and working on people's home computers, is that your technical skills won't advance with the technology.

 

In a school or corporate environment, I'm kept reasonably up-to-date with the constant push for technology, servers, server operating systems, web filters, firewalls, etc...

 

If I were to give this up and just fix home computers, (and I was seriously considering it a while ago), I think I'd soon find my career at a dead end. I'd be stuck knowing the latest MS home OS inside out, but not much else.

 

Another thing, if you do want to go for it, don't get a high street shop front - they're very expensive. Better to work out of a car with a small toolbox and visit customers in their home. It's the personal touch, more convenient for them, and a lot cheaper for you. Have a small workshop somewhere (spare room) as a base for bigger overnight jobs, and as an office. These little computer repair shops are popping up all over, and have to sell hardware at ridiculous mark-ups, because of their high costs. (£12 for a USB cable, anyone?)

 

Another thing: don't do it for beer (or peanuts!). It harms your credibility. In this trade, your credibility is your only real asset. Charge a decent honest rate.

 

Just my 2p worth.

[OverWorked]

It takes a long time to be that 'word-of mouth' - Year 2 for myself, still not loads of business. I work full time also and refuse to spend money on the business unless it pays for itself. Which is probably the downfall, but hey I'm still here after 2 years and I've been trying hard to build the reputation.

It's a tough game, if you can't be flexible with your time then you really will struggle.

I hope if you do decide to that you have the drive because it does take a lot to keep the motivation when the business isn't there.

 

Good luck and best wishes

 

Steve,

 

Good for you! I hope you do well.

 

I wasn't being down on people who do do this. It's just that it's not the easy way to riches that it may seem to be.

[synaesthesia]

This thread is a great antidote to the rubbish about how the IT industry apparently needs to grow up.

 

 

If anything it's proving that if anything needs to "grow up" (bad choice of words from the original author IMO) or move forward, it's people's perceptions and naivety when it comes to technology. Not that it's the average joe's fault by any means, as has been mentioned numerous times, it all moves forward far too quickly. The media need to stop both patronizing and scaremongering (the amount of rubbish I've had to field today courtesy of the BBC and their "IE is dangerous" wasn't funny - it's no more unsecure than it was yesterday, this time last month or this time last year.) One of the best skills someone supporting IT can have is the ability to explain problems and solutions to users in english, and just about all the media like to use big words and acronyms in jargon, very unnecessarily.

[apoth0r]

Couldnt agree more syn.

I'm not a big jargon buster at the best of times, 'thingies and wotsits' (not the cheesey ones). You just have to speak english to people. At the end of the day, they don't care whether your AVG is better than your McAfee as long as it "ent poppin up with that bloomin 'buy me' webpage mcDizzle every 2 minutes".

Simply explain how to avoid it in the future! "Don't press that me old china ;)" usually works.

 

I really do love my job though!

[OverWorked]

Another thing...

 

Getting phone calls at home in the late evenings, Sundays, when you're putting the kids to bed or any other inconvenient time isn't much fun.

 

Most recent example was 8:30 pm Saturday night "could you just come over and ... ?". I have to grit my teeth and calmly explain that I'm not working at the moment, when what I really want to do is tell them to get lost.