[myspauyijbv]

Some good advice there. I should follow it myself. I also wonder how i'm still in business. I don't advertise at all (unless you count the phonebook) We have VERY low over head. I'm the only employee. And I do stuff probably a little to cheap. ($75 for format/windows install) and i also don't sell software at all (except windows). Always recommend avg free/zone alarm. Or try to push routers on to people.

I also do some work for local businesses/government agencies and I somehow got on the good side of officemax. (they send people my way)

i'm in almost the same business model i haven't opened an office simply because i'm only doing comp repair on a temp basis. I too get by with word of mouth, but my bread and butter is a large university contract.

[Gintovtosik]

I'm having a hard time finding a new job. I want to have a job as a computer technician and I'm A+ certified and have a bachelor''s degree in Marketing but I noticed that my certification is not paying for itself because I have a hard time getting a job as a computer tech and other jobs as well mainly because I'm don't get any calls to most places I apply to

You might do something wrong with the aplication then, your combination of skills might be interesting for some positions you don't even think of.

[mincarlie.frymyer]

Tough industry mate. Your going to need a lot of dedication and persistance just to survive. If you want to do more than surive you will need to think of your own 'x factor' to make your service better than the other ten thousand people that do it. In my opinion its better to do such a job as a secondary income rather than rely on it for a primary income.

[sportbos]

If I where you I would test the waters first. just put a small add in a local shop or newspaper and see how many ppl ring you up and how many computers you can fix in a week.

Newspapers adds are not always the best, I got loads of work from a £2.50 advert in a local newsagent

Don't worry about it starting slowly, as long as you are nice to all you customers and fix their computers on time you will have customers for life (and probably their friends too)

Here are a few things that I found worked well.

Put a set price on you advert i.e.
any upgrade for $x.xx
virus removal $x.xx
secure wireless network setup $x.xx
ppl are worried about being ripped off by techies/mechanics etc but if you put a price down they feel more comfortable.

Customers love free things so put free anti virus software on there computers for them and tell them you have saved them spending $xx.xx on symantec

Get some stickers made up with your logo and phone number and put them on any bit of hardware you install or fix then they can ring you back next time they break it.

Lots of ppl can not even unplug their PC, Offering pick up and drop off with installation got me loads of work.

Try and keep as much old hardware as you can, you will always be getting 10 year old computers in with dead PSU's etc and they don't really want to hear you need a new computer.

If after a month you find you making a reasonable wage (don't worry if its not much it will get better with time) then I would think about getting you business license and you probably wont need a business premises for ages, a garage will do, just make sure you put the customers phone number on each computer so you don't get mixed up.

[myspauyijbv]

If I where you I would test the waters first. just put a small add in a local shop or newspaper and see how many ppl ring you up and how many computers you can fix in a week.

Newspapers adds are not always the best, I got loads of work from a £2.50 advert in a local newsagent

Don't worry about it starting slowly, as long as you are nice to all you customers and fix their computers on time you will have customers for life (and probably their friends too)

Here are a few things that I found worked well.

Put a set price on you advert i.e.
any upgrade for $x.xx
virus removal $x.xx
secure wireless network setup $x.xx
ppl are worried about being ripped off by techies/mechanics etc but if you put a price down they feel more comfortable.

Customers love free things so put free anti virus software on there computers for them and tell them you have saved them spending $xx.xx on symantec

Get some stickers made up with your logo and phone number and put them on any bit of hardware you install or fix then they can ring you back next time they break it.

Lots of ppl can not even unplug their PC, Offering pick up and drop off with installation got me loads of work.

Try and keep as much old hardware as you can, you will always be getting 10 year old computers in with dead PSU's etc and they don't really want to hear you need a new computer.

If after a month you find you making a reasonable wage (don't worry if its not much it will get better with time) then I would think about getting you business license and you probably wont need a business premises for ages, a garage will do, just make sure you put the customers phone number on each computer so you don't get mixed up.

this is also rock solid advice.

[Enjoymms]

I'm having a hard time finding a new job. I want to have a job as a computer technician and I'm A+ certified and have a bachelor''s degree in Marketing but I noticed that my certification is not paying for itself because I have a hard time getting a job as a computer tech and other jobs as well mainly because I'm don't get any calls to most places I apply to. I'm considering starting my own computer repair business from home. I do know that I need a business license to have my own business. Are business licenses expensive to start your own business? Also what worries me is potential law suits in a home business in computer repair in which all the blame may go to me and getting calls at inconinient times of the day for technical support. Also would I be able to buy computer parts at huge discount prices if I had my own home computer repair business? Having spare computer parts I believe would come in handy for testing for bad or incompatible components on customers' computers. So has anyone here had a home computer repair business? How hard was it to get started? Was it too stressful that you had to close down the business?

[TorryJens]

Just my little insight into local computer shops:

Everyone I see seems to shut down because theres so many people who know people who work as I.T. Technicians (or know someone who knows someone) who will fix the computer as a foreigner out of work hours for less than what a computer shop will charge.

Buy part online = cheaper than shop
Get someone in the know to fix problem/install part = cheaper than shop



Doesnt "always" happen but seems to be the case in this area.

[AXGreg]

Just my little insight into local computer shops:

Everyone I see seems to shut down because theres so many people who know people who work as I.T. Technicians (or know someone who knows someone) who will fix the computer as a foreigner out of work hours for less than what a computer shop will charge.

Buy part online = cheaper than shop
Get someone in the know to fix problem/install part = cheaper than shop



Doesn't "always" happen but seems to be the case in this area.

[thumbdown] Same thing could be said about car mechanics, but you don't see them going out of business everywhere because so many people know how to fix cars.

Main bit of advice i can think of is don't do it out of your house. Find a cheap place to rent and do everything there. As far as lawsuits (say you erased their data or something) have them sign a sheet when they drop of their computer.

[Ecurrexchangess]

[thumbdown] Same thing could be said about car mechanics, but you don't see them going out of business everywhere because so many people know how to fix cars.

Because a garage is an investment. It has loads of expensive tools and equipment. Plus I'd be willing to bet more people know how to fix a PC than fix a car. Kids these days are quite tech savvy.

Also, ever watch a garage put a rim on a tire. How about car lifts? Hundreds of tools. Those scanners for getting errors codes from cars from when the check engine light comes on. Garages have tons of equipment.

When I go to fix a PC what do I bring? Software and a screwdriver.

[Liaptoono]

Plus I'd be willing to bet more people know how to fix a PC than fix a car.

Does that include the large percentage of people in that category who say they know how but really know dick all? [rofl]

I don't understand those people. Its not like they don't get found out [rolleyes]

[TorryJens]

Because a garage is an investment. It has loads of expensive tools and equipment. Plus I'd be willing to bet more people know how to fix a PC than fix a car. Kids these days are quite tech savvy.

Also, ever watch a garage put a rim on a tire. How about car lifts? Hundreds of tools. Those scanners for getting errors codes from cars from when the check engine light comes on. Garages have tons of equipment.

When I go to fix a PC what do I bring? Software and a screwdriver.

Agreed. Unless its fault finding on a network etc then it doesnt take much to fix a stand alone PC, and most people who will come into the shop will have a standalone PC that they want fixed.

Go for it if thats what you want to do though ...

[CamVideoQl]

[thumbdown]Main bit of advice i can think of is don't do it out of your house. Find a cheap place to rent and do everything there. As far as lawsuits (say you erased their data or something) have them sign a sheet when they drop of their computer.

Make your business a Limited Liability Company, or LLC. This would protect you from anyone suing you or taking your house. They could only sue your business and NOT you. Worst case scenario is your business would go under.

Always make customers sign before and after you do service work. Have them sign off on what you want to do as far as the repair goes, and then have them sign again when they come pick it up.

You WILL get people who will try to screw you over. They will try to say they took the PC home and it didn't work as you say and they want their money back. You will also get people who come back 6 months after you fixed it and say you didn't do it right because they NOW have a virus.

Get a small shop somewhere besides your house like said above. It will give more people more confidence in your business and you won't have to worry about people bugging you at your house.

If you want this to work, expect to work tons of hours, probably 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for quite a while until you get a name for yourself. You have a degree in marketing so you should understand that advertising is very very important. I have seen so many shops in my area try to work off of word of mouth and close their doors within a month of opening.

Any other advice I can give is don't try to take on more work than you can do. Be completely honest with your customers, and always tell them it will take longer than you think it actually will. If you get it done sooner, great. If not, well you will have some extra then to get it done.

[EnvellFen]

getting started is the hard part, but once you got good customer service, people will refer other people to you, and soon you will have a constant flow of customers, but its alot of initial cost, you need alot of software, and I dont mean the free crap, I mean the real deal, like good av, anti spyware, probably a couple of licenses of vista/xp, tools, etc coz if a pc needs to be formated, your not gonna want to have them wait a week for you to order xp/vista and format it, you want them in and out quick. Probably have some kind of packages like if you notice someone had a virus, you could do a package for say 120$ where you remove all viruses and spyware, and install av for them or something.

[myspauyijbv]

Make your business a Limited Liability Company, or LLC. This would protect you from anyone suing you or taking your house. They could only sue your business and NOT you. Worst case scenario is your business would go under.

Always make customers sign before and after you do service work. Have them sign off on what you want to do as far as the repair goes, and then have them sign again when they come pick it up.

You WILL get people who will try to screw you over. They will try to say they took the PC home and it didn't work as you say and they want their money back. You will also get people who come back 6 months after you fixed it and say you didn't do it right because they NOW have a virus.

Get a small shop somewhere besides your house like said above. It will give more people more confidence in your business and you won't have to worry about people bugging you at your house.

If you want this to work, expect to work tons of hours, probably 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for quite a while until you get a name for yourself. You have a degree in marketing so you should understand that advertising is very very important. I have seen so many shops in my area try to work off of word of mouth and close their doors within a month of opening.

Any other advice I can give is don't try to take on more work than you can do. Be completely honest with your customers, and always tell them it will take longer than you think it actually will. If you get it done sooner, great. If not, well you will have some extra then to get it done.

great post. totally agree! good luck w/ your new business gameplayer.

[AXGreg]

Some good advice there. I should follow it myself. I also wonder how i'm still in business. I don't advertise at all (unless you count the phonebook) We have VERY low over head. I'm the only employee. And I do stuff probably a little to cheap. ($75 for format/windows install) and i also don't sell software at all (except windows). Always recommend avg free/zone alarm. Or try to push routers on to people.

I also do some work for local businesses/government agencies and I somehow got on the good side of officemax. (they send people my way)