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Setting up a computer repair / IT contractor business
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20-01-2008 9:47pm#1
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Hi everyone,
I've been thinking about setting up by myself for a while now but I don't have the first idea of how/where to start.
I currently work as a network administrator but I find myself looking for something more challenging.
My goal would be to setup in the midlands, I was just wondering if people have any advice/tips.
How much do you think it would cost to setup?
Would i be better off running it from home and investing in a VAN (would this seem unprofessional)?
HOW do I get customers , what has been the most effective method for you?
Working for yourself is great
but you must be disiplined and be prepared to put in the hours (me doing accounts at 10pm)
Set up costs are equipment you will need+transport+setup cost accountancy stuff legal stuff software etc + advertising budget + 3/4 months wages for your self until you get up and running.
keep your overheads low! work from home! sleep in the van! people don't care as long as you do a good job.
go for the small business market and domestic market first do a door to door service(i know that i can't find anyone to fix my PC fan and it keeps crashing due to overheating and i don't want to use PC world's etc)
flyers are good advertising cheap and get it with local PC sellers to leave them on the counters/ shop windows etc (referals are best advertising)
think about where every penny goes !! and do you get value for money
give a great service!!!! call people when they are expecting it and go over and above what is expected "customer service is the Key to sucess"
Best of all enjoy the ride 0 -
I've done the PC repair thing for a while now and still continue to do it. It's not my primary focus anymore, but it's where I cut my teeth, basically, so I'm more than happy to advise.
There's two ways you can go about it. The first is to get yourself a storefront that people can bring their computers to you. You can also do computer and peripheral sales, stationary, printing, photocopying, etc, etc.
Depending on your location this could turn out to be quite a success as these sorts of services are hugely in demand.
The advantages of this is that you have a presence and people will be more inclined to bring their computers to you. If you find a good area you can eek out a nice little niche and bring in a lot of money.
The disadvantages of this - and I can tell you this from personal experience - is that, if it's a solo effort, you end up spending a considerable amount of time dealing with people walking in off the street asking you all sorts of questions - many, it must be said, not even remotely related to computers. You'll get old people wandering in to "have a gawk" or ask can you fix their toaster. You'll get kids looking for work experience or jobs and as many more asking for you to write a job rejection letter for the dole office. And you'll get guys who are basically just big kids who want so much for you to be impressed with their computer knowledge.
You'll also get people to collect for charity, talk to you about Jesus, hang flyers on your window, try sell you vacuum cleaners or teddy bears out of a bag. :rolleyes:
So, unless you've got somebody else to sit out front - your own PFY basically - you're going to waste a whole lot of time with people who talk lots and pay little. And you'll never get anything done.
The second option, I think, is that of the IT Ronin - the man with the van.
Being the man with the van has considerable advantages over having a storefont, because, basically, you don't have massive overheads with a van, like ESB, Telecom/internet, rent/lease/loan, rates...
You also don't have all the inconsequential rubbish to deal with in a van and you won't have angry mothers storming into your shouting how you never fixed their computer because her son's reinfested it with spyware after just two days. You have less hassle in a van, and more freedom too.
Just use your own home as a base - especially if you've got a garage - as a repair area/storage area/PC graveyard and keep the really important stuff in your van. But because you can't just download things like you can in the shop you better make sure your van is packed with everything - and I mean everything - you'd ever need to fix computers (like OS discs and boot discs and dozens of drivers) and be prepared to fix everything right down to gammy 98 boxes and businesses who still run Windows NT.
Best advantage of the van setup, of course, is the setup costs are lower - close to zero if you already have a van. And no, it's not unprofessional, IT is a trade, just like any other, and like any good tradesman you need a good, solid van.
Things the way they are I can't find any major disadvantages with a van other than rising fuel costs, so I'd go with the van option. I'd also advise a mix of different clients, like if you can get yourself a few maintenance contracts then you're set, but you should also focus on domestic customers too. These can be handy money, for the most part, usually they're just tiny things like setting up a netopia modem or a printer for somebody, just set a minimum call-out charge, so no matter what, you get paid.
Domestic calls can be interesting to say the least (indeed some can be borderline disturbing) but I'll tell you something, you'll learn much more doing that kind of work than you'll ever learn in a sterile admin environment.
If you're up in the midlands I'd say you're doing well, especially if you're in a mid-sized town with no immediate competition. Even so there are lots - and I mean LOTS - of cowboys out there, and, whilst there's always competition, I've learned that if you give people a good service and you're not too greedy about the price, they'll not only return for more, but they'll also refer more people to you that way. That, to me, served as my best form of advertising; word of mouth. Flyers and notices are a good idea, as are local newsletters, but I'd avoid newspaper advertising as its too much money for no real benefit.
As in any business, develop your patrons, people who not only like your work but like you, the ones who come back time and time again and keep referring their friends and family. These people are gold, treat them well and they shall treat you well in return. These are the chosen few, the ones who'll never take the piss, the ones you'd gladly have a pint with. So give them discounts, do them favours and send them a card at Christmas.
You should also think about sustainable work. I've caught one yokal yahoo who used to deliberately sabotage computers so they'd come back again. That's fine unless you get caught. Then kiss your reputation goodbye. Instead offer a very low-cost service for people who just want their computer "speeded up/boosted". Such a strategy served me quite well, as people are more inclined to bring in their computer for maintenance if it's cheap, whereas if you charge them an arm and a leg, they won't come to you unless things get really, really desperate. Another one to consider - especially if the areas surrounding you have no broadband - is the "update" service. Take their PCs and perform Windows updates and application updates which would otherwise take them eons on dialup. Just charge a little bit for that but it's still handy money. Another handy little earner - and one I've made a few bob off myself the past year - is retro-installing XP onto Vista machines. I made a nice tidy bit of cash doing that. :cool:
The absolute best-best scenario though - if you can swing it - is the drop'n'fix scenario. In this scenario you get the combined advantages of the shop and the van with none of the drawbacks. How it works, basically, is that you do your man-in-the-van routine as normal, but also negotiate a drop-off point with a local business owner or shopkeeper.
There might, for example, be a shop that handles computer sales but doesn't do repairs, or a local stationary/office supply store, an internet cafe, though it doesn't have to be related to computers at all, maybe a friend's or relatives shop or even the local GAA hall - just have a place where people can drop off and pick up their computers. You get the money but not the hassle.
Probably a good idea, too, is to give whoever your host is some extra incentive, so you could maybe offer a commission deal or offer them a discount flat fee for repairs onto which they can add their own cut. People love this kind of offer, actually, because it's money for nothing for them and it gets you more exposure and advertising too, so it's well, well worth checking out, believe me.
Oh yeah - one last thing - be careful who you give your mobile number to otherwise you'll be expected to troubleshoot wireless connections at three o'clock in the morning or get woken up on a sunday morning because "I can't burn a cd."
Anyways, the best of luck with your endeavors and I'll leave you with this thought - no matter how the economy is doing, no matter how much oil costs or how badly the property market is doing, even now, with everyone talking about a recession, people are always going to need you to fix their computers.
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