Freelance Computer Business, I Need Some Confidence Boosters Repair, Upgrade, Custom, etc

[adrianator 0]

I am often able to help out in tech forums where people ask for computer-related help, so I figured I should take it to the next step and charge for people to do it in person.I work full-time at a job that I really don't want to work at my whole life or much longer (I've strained my back once, don't want to make it worse). It's factory work and I don't like it. I'm going to school for an associate's degree in computer network systems, and I'll be graduating in October. In the mean time, summer is here and I want to give a crack at a low-budget computer repair business. I'm not going to quit my shift job unless this thing blows up on me and gives me a good income, then I might buy or lease a store front...My first concern is that, even though I know what I'm doing when it comes to computers, I have no certifications. I plan on servicing both Windows and Linux machines. Can anyone suggest some certifications? It's not a state requirement and I've been told that it's not all that necessary if it's your own business. I would just like to have them to fall back on if I choose to sell out my services to an established shop.My city's population is 100,000 and more in the surrounding area. The population is very diverse and hispanic services are easily profitable as there aren't very many spanish-speaking professional freelance services in the area.Anyways, I got a check list of things I need:Business card and magnetic backings, going to place them right on their computers or their fridge and hand them out at every opportunity I get.Price Comparison sheet with popular pricing and my own discounted pricing and what general services I offer. I've looked at some of the services listed by the competition and I can easily perform those services for a lot cheaper than what they charge.I still need a tool kit and some testing equipment and a static clip thing.I'm going to throw up a web-site and create an in-home presentation. I'm going to advertise on social networking sites to local people and in the newspaper and hispanic magazine. I am spanish bilingual but not fluent, another issue I need to overcome if I advertise in that magazine. That magazine is free and thousands of hispanics read it through and through because it's not that large of a publication. I looked and there were no computer-related advertisements and it's only a few bucks to advertise. I'll be putting a posting on craigslist and maybe some other networking sites (any suggestions?). I don't know if I can create an eBay 'store' for services offered, can I? or are there sites for that?Every 10th routine service will be free (incentive for repeat business). I plan on tracking customers using a database with their name, address, phone number, and the equipment they have. That way I know their name and what I'm servicing when they call again. I have a book a receipts to write what they've purchased or got serviced. I also plan on making satisfaction calls after the fact. I also plan on keeping a list of things I've done for personal reference and customer feedback for new customers to view.I need backup software and storage media to back up everything before I touch it (how long should I keep a backup for?). Anti-virus type of software... should I have that installed on my own computer and run a check on the media? Is that how the shops do it? I can always offer the software for purchase or with a package even. Which brings me to another question: Linux is free, but Windows requires a license key. How do I go about getting a customer a license instead of making them spend so much on a windows cd?There is a tigerdirect.com warehouse very close by and the last time I ordered anything, it showed up on the next business day. What my question is, their affiliate program is limited to purchasing items through a referral id linked from a web-site. I know with paypal, and other services? you can accept a customer credit/debit card and transfer funds to your account, I'll be able to purchase the parts/items that way. I suppose this question should be for their support, but would or how do I get a referral commission, if I am the one purchasing it through the account, like if they paid me cash? What kind of contracts should I have them sign and is it better to take their computer with me or service it right their in their home? I know if I take it with me, they have to be reachable to get it back to them when it's ready or after a set amount of days it can become my property.-------------------------Has anyone done this type of business, do you mind if I see your business plan? Does anyone have any comments or suggestions? I'm not sure if I'm missing anything important. I feel like I can easily do these things, but I get so jittery and nervous if someone even mentions that they have someone they could refer to me. It's that feeling I get, "what if I can't solve their problem" or like, "what if they aren't satisfied?".I would also like to see some people discuss some experiences they've had doing this sort of work and the things they've fixed and how,. I'm very savvy but I don't really know what to expect servicing people's computers. I also am considering throwing together custom build computers or even do work for businesses and set them up with a small network with whatever they need.

Edited April 26, 2008 by adrianator (see edit history)

[rvalkass 5]

I am often able to help out in tech forums where people ask for computer-related help, so I figured I should take it to the next step and charge for people to do it in person.

I have just started to do the same thing, along with a bit of web design and stuff like that. It makes sense to stick to what you know, and should hopefully get me some money for university in the autumn.

 

My first concern is that, even though I know what I'm doing when it comes to computers, I have no certifications. I plan on servicing both Windows and Linux machines. Can anyone suggest some certifications? It's not a state requirement and I've been told that it's not all that necessary if it's your own business. I would just like to have them to fall back on if I choose to sell out my services to an established shop.

As odd as it sounds, qualifications are not important. The average home user will not, for example, understand the meaning of being Red Hat Certified, or whatever qualifications you can think of. Even one of the major PC support firms in the UK doesn't require any qualifications to get a job working for them! All they really want is:

# A good working knowledge of PC technology and computing operating systems# A proven track record of achievement in problem solving for customers in a highly demanding environment

If you do want qualifications then on the Linux side, the Red Hat Certification qualifications are well respected. Some distributions also offer qualifications and schemes, such as Ubuntu's Partners scheme. On the Windows side, Microsoft offer a range of training and certification programs, depending on what you want to be certified as.

 

Business card and magnetic backings, going to place them right on their computers or their fridge and hand them out at every opportunity I get.

Business cards are a great way to get people to know who you are. If you can, always give someone two or three after you finish, so they can easily pass your card to someone else. Also, even if you are aiming at the cheaper end of the market, get good quality business cards printed on good quality card. They will give the impression of quality and high standards, which are obviously good things to have associated with your work.

 

Price Comparison sheet with popular pricing and my own discounted pricing and what general services I offer. I've looked at some of the services listed by the competition and I can easily perform those services for a lot cheaper than what they charge.

An excellent idea, but don't make yourself look too much cheaper. If people see that you are, say, half price, they might wonder what they are missing out on compared to more expensive services. Make sure you can back up that your service is just as good, if not better, by getting details from your competitors' websites or leaflets and showing you will do exactly the same (or more) for less.

 

I still need a tool kit and some testing equipment and a static clip thing.

Very cheap, not a problem. The static clip isn't actually essential, but better safe than sorry, especially when working with other people's machines. As for the tools, get a good quality and comprehensive toolkit from your nearest shop selling computer repair toolkits Also try to keep a stock of some parts that often get overlooked and don't really get outdated. Keep a few fans of varying sizes with you, some thermal compound, and if you can, a few hard drives and some cheap RAM. The fans and thermal compound are cheap and useful to keep around. The hard drives and RAM and two of the most common things people will want upgrading, so it can be handy to keep a few lying around but only if you think you will use them quickly. Buying a few together saves on delivery, but as prices constantly come down it can sometimes be cheaper to buy things when you need them if business is slow.

 

I'm going to throw up a web-site and create an in-home presentation. I'm going to advertise on social networking sites to local people and in the newspaper and hispanic magazine. I am spanish bilingual but not fluent, another issue I need to overcome if I advertise in that magazine. That magazine is free and thousands of hispanics read it through and through because it's not that large of a publication. I looked and there were no computer-related advertisements and it's only a few bucks to advertise. I'll be putting a posting on craigslist and maybe some other networking sites (any suggestions?). I don't know if I can create an eBay 'store' for services offered, can I? or are there sites for that?

Local Yellow Pages can be a good way to advertise, depending on cost. If you can also get your card in local shop windows or anything, that can also be good.

 

I need backup software and storage media to back up everything before I touch it (how long should I keep a backup for?). Anti-virus type of software... should I have that installed on my own computer and run a check on the media? Is that how the shops do it? I can always offer the software for purchase or with a package even. Which brings me to another question: Linux is free, but Windows requires a license key. How do I go about getting a customer a license instead of making them spend so much on a windows cd?

Buy yourself a big external HDD or two so you can do backups and store them. When you're working on a PC you should only need to keep a backup until you've got the PC running again. Keeping a backup is the client's responsibility really, although if you offer a backup service that is something which is very popular these days. Set yourself up with a file server at home and you can store disk images of clients machines for them. Take a new backup each month and charge a fee for storing it or however you want to charge them.

 

If you're gonna use a Windows machine for your work then armour yourself to the teeth with the best anti-virus and backup software you can get hold of. The computers you are dealing with will likely not have any anti-virus software, so who knows what you'll be dealing with. A Linux machine would be a better bet due to the reduced risk of viruses, and the fact it will be able to read Linux partitions, which you'll need if you intend to work with other Linux PCs.

 

As for the Windows licence, you can get OEM licences much cheaper than a retail licence. However, you won't get a manual or anything with it, and it is locked to that PC. You'll need to make your client aware of that if you let them choose between retail and OEM. You could also offer some free training along with the purchase of the licence or something.

 

What kind of contracts should I have them sign and is it better to take their computer with me or service it right their in their home? I know if I take it with me, they have to be reachable to get it back to them when it's ready or after a set amount of days it can become my property.

You need to make the client aware that you are troubleshooting and that you don't necessarily know all the answers, like a mechanic working on a car. You'll also need to tell them that, despite the fact you're taking a backup, you can't be responsible for any data loss.

 

It always used to be that you would take the PC away and repair it, but the trend now is very much moving towards doing repairs at the client's home. You can charge a little bit extra for that if you want, or just offer it as standard if it is no hassle for you to get around (and especially if your competitors are charging for it).

 

Has anyone done this type of business, do you mind if I see your business plan? Does anyone have any comments or suggestions? I'm not sure if I'm missing anything important. I feel like I can easily do these things, but I get so jittery and nervous if someone even mentions that they have someone they could refer to me. It's that feeling I get, "what if I can't solve their problem" or like, "what if they aren't satisfied?".

Try to gauge the situation. Start by talking through what you are doing so that the client has a very good idea what they are paying you for. If, however, it is clear that they don't want to know then just get on with it as quick as possible. If you can't solve their problem then be honest and say so. It is unlikely that you won't be able to solve a problem, but if you can't then tell them that. Don't charge them for your labour if possible, and refer them to someone else you trust who might be able to help. If they're not satisfied, ask them why. Did you take too long? Charge too much? Not explain what you're doing? Whatever it is, take it on board and thank them for their feedback.

 

I would also like to see some people discuss some experiences they've had doing this sort of work and the things they've fixed and how,. I'm very savvy but I don't really know what to expect servicing people's computers. I also am considering throwing together custom build computers or even do work for businesses and set them up with a small network with whatever they need.

I've done a bit of tuition in using digital cameras, scanners and a whole host of applications on the PC. Repairs and upgrades are quite simple as long as you buy the right part. I haven't yet got into doing whole system builds, but I hope to in the near future. It is something I enjoy doing, and I can tailor PCs to what people want. I've also done aftermarket setup (i.e. setting up a PC they have bought elsewhere), installation of broadband connections and stuff like that.

[adrianator 0]

Here in town there is a billboard that advertises a computer business, but it says "Warning: We are EXPENSIVE!"It's attention getting, but the word expensive is the first thing people notice about it. My friend and I thought it to be kind of strange to advertise like that.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

People often associate EXPENSIVE with HIGHER QUALITY/SERVICE. What cost more must be better since it costs more; ironic yet often times so true.So if it's not an actual true statement, at least psychologically it becomes a true statement to them.In advertising marketing the first rule of stating the cost of a good product is to stay away from the word, "cheap." Perhaps they were doing the opposite. You want to use "affordable" as a substitute. And a key to successful and consistent sales is to point out the difference between your product and other products. Never bash your competitors. It just makes you one of them.And don't be discouraged by other competitors. A healthy competition is a sign of healthy market. If computer service business is not lucrative as it seems, then you wouldn't have all those competitors in the first place.One of my last advices to any business owners--don't put all your eggs in one basket. It's admirable to put your faith in your business but you also need to be smart. Find that small percentage area that no one is dominating. And go after that as well. Instead of one giant contract of $10,000 business, small volume sales of $100 among 100 customers may be just as equal, if not important.I just love this line from a movie, "...before you can kick some *butt* you have to kiss some *butt*" I've always kept this phrase in my mind. Before you can call your own price, let the small fish go, or turn other business away you should be willing to take every kind of job even if you might lose money a little. Don't forget to consider that $20 job while waiting for that $1,000 gig.

[iGuest 3]

Oddesey Point of Sale program

Freelance Computer Business, I Need Some Confidence Boosters

 

Hello all could any one help me find the oddesey file pregram or send me one coppy I have a new buissiness and have been aproached to run a buissiness from one town to another please help. Thanks

 

-question by tony

[mikeyboy63 0]

My friend owns Diablo PC Medic. Most of his customers are small business owners with windows PCs at their offices. Many, though, are home users. The number one problem is viruses. Most of his service calls are for viruses, so have Avast with you at all times. It can be boring and time consuming doing a virus screen on premises, so he often takes the computer with him, especially if he has another customer to see.Yes, you'll need hard drives, since another big problem is customers losing their drives. They'll want you to also reinstall their OS and software. Many people will ask you for MS Office for free! Advise them to install OpenOffice instead, and have it with you to install. It's free and better than MS Office, and completely compatible with MS Office doc. format. It's also available for Linux.It's good to be affordable, but don't work for free. People expect to pay. Don't disappoint them! You need the money!It's best to be in the phone book, but there are other ways to advertise. The founder of UPS would tell you: doorhangers, doorhangers, and more doorhangers. You can buy 10,000 doorhangers from doorhangers.com for $299.00. There should be a doorhanger distributor in your area who will hang them for $800.00-$1200.00. Pricey, but you should be able to split the costs with another business who agrees to be on the flip side of the doorhanger. If you can put out 5000 doorhangers every few months to THE SAME houses, you'll get plenty of business from them within 4-6 months. Make sure your doorhanger directs them to your website, and choose a simple and memorable domain name. Once you can get into the phone book, you can throttle down on the doorhangers.Another advertising source is small, giveaway newspapers which are usually printed and distributed biweekly or once a month. These papers charge substantially less, and you can take out a larger ad space cheap.If you plan on starting your new service within the next 2-3 months, you should already be working on your website. You'll need to post free links to it in web directories, and the major search engines may take a month to index your site and many months more for your site to float toward the top of the natural listings. You'll want a wordy site since the search engines like that. If you know somebody who can design websites, then you might hook up with them since some customers will ask you about creating a website for them. If you can do it, great, but if not, you can outsource it and keep a little money for playing the middleman. Good luck!

[spamimi 0]

Hello:I am new to the site and am participating to build credits by making connections. This is a unique approach, which I like very much.Have been a freelance writer for many years, with specialized expertise in a couple of areas. One marketing strategy that works well both offline and online is to write a report and give that away to people free of charge. The idea is to get it into as many hands as possible and build good will and provide valuable content.One of your previous post replies stated to stick with what you know, and that of course would be the focus of the report. An attractive 6 to 12 page document that provides some sort of solution for your audience, elaborating on a particular thing you're really good at. Of course, having a clear sense of your demographic helps know where to go to get the word out. Am looking forward to employing this strategy in a new industry very soon!Hope this helps!SpaMimi