Startup a Computer Business? 93
RapDes asks: "I've been a long time Slashdot reader and I've had years of experience working as a computer admin (secondary to my main job title) at a few different companies. I'm constantly being asked by my friends to take a look at their PC's to fix problems or to setup home networks (like I'm sure most of you fellow Slashdot readers are, as well). Anyway, I've decided that I'd like to make a little extra beer money on the side by starting up my own computer service/upgrade/repair business. I'm looking for any input from the readers who've already been down this road. How much do I charge? What should I be focusing on, hardware upgrades? Virus and spyware removal? Home networking? Any advice would be greatly appreciated."
Malware removal (Score:4, Informative)
Malware removal accounts for about 70% of my business's revenue...that and data recovery are very big. In today's economy of throwaway computers, you can't make a living with hardware, but protecting and recovering people's data will always be worth something.
Re:Malware removal (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Malware removal (Score:2)
I do some computer business on the side, and it's about the same percentage as his wrt to malware.
Most of the time I spend in front of customers machines is watching progress bars (virus scanners, spyware scanners, update installers, etc, etc). Leaves plenty of time to play on my other machines
(the rest of the time is usually spent surfing google and trying to figure out WTF some obscure error message says...)
SB
Re:Malware removal (Score:1)
Pricing (Score:4, Informative)
My rule of thumb is this:
Charge an hourly rate for time spent, and log your hours. Charge what you think your time is worth - I've seen 15 bucks, to 50 bucks for PC troubleshooting.
As far as what services you should offer, don't limit yourself if you want to make a regular steady stream of cash. Offer troubleshooting, repair, and upgrading. AV services is a must.
Networking services can net you 100-200 bucks an hour, depending on the area. This is assuming you know what you are doing and work relatively quick. If it is just basic home networking, I'd lean towards 25-50 bucks an hour or less (just because it is stupid easy to set up a home network :P)
Re:Pricing (Score:5, Interesting)
My two cents on pricing:
My partner and I initially priced our services very low...the idea was to gain a customer base and spread favorable word-of-mouth before we raised prices...but it didn't work out that way. Our customer base remained very small until we raised our rates...and then suddenly it expanded precipitiously.
It seems that customers didn't really take us seriously with the lower rates, but when we raised them, they asumed that we must know what we're doing to command such rates, and the business flooded in.
Just something to consider...
Re:Pricing (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Pricing (Score:3, Insightful)
I hear that...we've had more than our share of cheap bastards that essentially want us to work for free. After a certain amount of hassle, they simply aren't worth keeping as customers any longer. It's difficult to perform this sort of customer base weeding when you have precious few clients, but it's absoutely essential...those parasites will suck the lifeblood right out of your business.
Re:Pricing (Score:2)
Re:Pricing (Score:2)
Re:Pricing (Score:3, Funny)
Sorry, I had to stop reading at this point. Your post might be really important but it is just so cheaply priced that I can't take it seriously.
Re:Pricing (Score:3, Insightful)
As an undergraduate, I took a marketing class and the professor once told us an interesting story. He had, for a while, operated a successful mail-order catalouge. One product that sold well was a small plastic contraption that quickly cored and sliced an apple into smaller pieces. He sold it for $4.
One month he sent the catalouge off to the printer and, due to the printer's mistake, a 1 was added to the price. When the customers received the catalouge, the price was therefore $14.
He, of course, exp
Re:Pricing (Score:2)
Re:Pricing (Score:2)
Seriously, guys, it's not even fun to give you shit when the post begins "My mother and I.."
It took all my willpower not to use the word "basement" or "Cheetoes"
Re:Pricing (Score:2)
I live with my mother for a few good reasons. I'm a college student, and will graduate in one more semester - money tends to be pretty tight, so it is MUCH cheaper for me to live with her during the summer. The college I attend has crap scholarships for off campus students, so getting my own apartment every summer would be pretty inane.
I don't exactly enjoy living with my mother, but right now there isn't much of a choice. I don't have any problems getting dates because of it, either - most girls like
Re: (Score:1)
Check out smallbizgeeks.com (Score:2)
For more advice... there are a couple hundred people discussing all of these things, exhaustively, on this site.
One common thread is that focussing on *home users* can be a pretty painful route to take. If you go that way, price yourself high enough so that you don't have to deal with the nickel-and-dimers, and make it very clear to customers what they are paying for and what their own responsibilities are.
You'll want business cards (give a few to each customer to facilitate word of mouth advertising)
Saturated Market... (Score:3, Insightful)
I feel that this sector of side business is pretty much saturated. You will likely have to have to rely on friends, as everyone else has their own friends doing the same thing. Good luck, but I don't think you'll make much beer money...
Re:Saturated Market... (Score:3, Insightful)
so instead (Score:2)
Then sell their old computer with Linux or recovered from the windows partition..
Sam
Re:Not really... (Score:2)
If it is, there are probably lots of people out JUST for the money, that don't really know what they are doing. I seem to remember reading an article somewhere about someone posting their offering on the bulletin board in a local grocery store, and was dumbfounded at the number of calls he received from people who needed something fixed that had been screwed up someone that didn't have the competence to solve their problem.
It's like any other industry- just because you take your car into get the brakes repa
Re:Not really... (Score:1)
Re:Saturated Market... (Score:1)
Toss it (Score:2)
From last week, as suggested with computers so cheap, toss the computer (or keep it), and charge $50 consultation fee.
Disposal Fee (Score:2)
Call it a "disposal" fee, and than either fix and sell or break down for parts.
well... (Score:3, Insightful)
Word gets around, especially in smaller towns, if someone is going around fixing stuff well, and doing it for a good price then the phone will always ring. My mechanic and I have been trading favors back and forth for awhile now, it started with me fixing his comp, and he fixing my car, and now a few years later we're advertising each for each to our respective customers.
Great for college. (Score:1)
Don't give them a personal phone number. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Don't give them a personal phone number. (Score:2)
Got called while I was at work (office job) the other day by my girlfriend's second cousin, who was incredulous that her Office docs wouldn't load after I got her network going (yeah, sure, it was something I did . . .). Only after I walked her through some troubleshooting steps and said, "Sorry about the echo, I'm in the atrium," did she actually realize that I was at work. Imagine that, at 11:30 on a weekday!
What if you break something? (Score:3, Interesting)
Good luck!
Stick with service and stay away from hardware (Score:3, Informative)
PC's are becoming like TV's. It's almost cheaper to get a new one than it is to fix a broken one. The local repair shop charges $60/hr for repair. Spyware takes from 1 to 3 hours to remove depending on how big the drive is, how many files there are, and how bad it's infected. 3 hours is $180. How many trips until you just paid for a new pc?
Considering they go obsolete in 3 years anyway the market for pc repair is going to dry up quickly.
There is a market in service though. Helping people *use* computers will always have a demand.
Re:Stick with service and stay away from hardware (Score:2)
Yes, but remember he will not be spending that whole 3 hours with the one single machine, scans, removal and such will for the most part do a lot of work unattended, while he works on a different machine. A semi-flat rate might be appropriate...
One big difference (Score:1)
TV's don't contain all your documents, passwords, pictures, movies, email, etc. For most people, the trouble of migrating their data is a huge deterrent to upgrading. Of course, there's a business opportunity for the poster in migration services.
Re:Stick with service and stay away from hardware (Score:2)
so once you have some experience with virii/spyware and have a good toolset and procedure, it can be done quite fast..
The major success is that people drop off their computer at your place, you cl
Re:Stick with service and stay away from hardware (Score:1)
Considering they go obsolete in 3 years anyway the market for pc repair is going to dry up quickly.
There is a market in service though. Helping people *use* computers will always have a demand.
Yeah, and also people want some functionalities that are not trivial for them . ... ...
They want to share printers, they want to share data, they want to access wirelessly, they want a secure backup plan
These kind of things can make a few bucks, althought maybe not ennough to make a living
Re:Stick with service and stay away from hardware (Score:1)
Besides, you may be able to come up with a way to transfer all those Gig's of mp3's and ogg's over t
been down that road (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:been down that road (Score:2)
bad idea (Score:2)
Re:bad idea (Score:1)
I found this to be true if you charge neighbors/ friends for fixing anything. Complete strangers won't call be back 6 months later and demand that I fix thier pc (at no cost). Unless your going to open up a small buiness, don't take cash payments. Work out a barder system. It will save you headaches and phone calls at 10 pm demanding computer service.
Rent Boy? (Score:3, Funny)
There is a market for geeky looking bald guys with a beer gut??? SIGN ME UP!
Re:Rent Boy? (Score:1)
Re:bad idea (Score:1)
"Computer Services" not "Hardware Upgrades" (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't think it really benefits you to try to focus on one of these individual things. Just call it "Computer Services". If you are skilled in any of these areas, offer it. Usually (and this is true with nearly every business), the customer will have a need for one of your services (install some additional RAM, for example) and while you are working on that issue, three other issues will bec
Re:"Computer Services" not "Hardware Upgrades" (Score:2)
Re:"Computer Services" not "Hardware Upgrades" (Score:1)
Re:"Computer Services" not "Hardware Upgrades" (Score:1)
Re:"Computer Services" not "Hardware Upgrades" (Score:2)
How much to charge is totally dependant on your market (home users, small business, etc.). I'm in Chicago and my customers are small businesses and the home networks of some doctors/lawyers/etc. I never charge less than $50/hour for on site services (that is a "friends and family" rate) and usually it is $75 or $100. Try not to under value your services too much, but also, you have to recognize your value in your individual marked.
As an example of a smaller market, I live in a rural community in northwe
Once You Work On Someone's Computer... (Score:2)
In some ways that is good, but in many it is bad. Many times you don't get the freedom to do all you want. For example, when someone gets a new DSL modem and you set it up, you can advise them about virus checkers and firewalls. They may say, for example, that they want a firewall, but if they have one, why should they need a virus checker, since the firewall keeps it out. You're discussing it with someone that knows less (if possible) about
Business Book Recommendation (Score:2)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/141
Re:Business Book Recommendation (Score:1)
Re:Business Book Recommendation (Score:2)
Re:Business Book Recommendation (Score:1)
Re:Business Book Recommendation (Score:2)
Alex.
quick turn around and high profit margin (Score:2)
2) HD defrag, MSFT padding, etc. Removal of unneeded applications/data.
3) OS updates with auto-update, configure for best privacy settings
4) Easy upgrades that make a big difference (HD & RAM upgrades, and maybe a newer videocard)
5) security configuration for people with wireless connections
6) simple OS settings (higher refresh rates/resolution/colour depth) that people don't know to check for. Turning off the 'personalized menu
Wrong motives for this work (Score:3, Interesting)
That implies that you're at least partially doing this for fun and personal enjoyment.
Don't.
There's a vast difference between fixing a friend's machine for fun and for money. Almost without exception, the kind of people who would need to pay someone to fix their system in the first place (ruling out those who want you to fix it so they can watch and learn) are the ones that cannot be made to understand causality and coincidence:
"You removed that virus last month, but it broke my monitor. You owe me a monitor."
"I was surfing t3h intarweb just like I had been before and now my computer's slow again. You didn't fix it right."
"What do you mean, I need to buy a computer? The hard drive is the only piece that caught on fire. Besides, new computers are disposable, unlike this tank I bought brand new nine years ago."
Trust me, friend: you really, really don't want to go there unless you're perfectly comfortable losing friendships by not giving people what they think their money's worth (which is patently impossible). Tell a man that he needs a new transmission and he'll believe you. Tell the same man that 64 MB of RAM isn't enough to run Office XP and he'll think you're trying to steal his hard-earned money.
Small Computer Business (Score:1)
I found a good price point at $30 an hour for residential, $40 for non-profits and $50 for business. Most of the work you'll find will be replacing blown hardware from power surges, virus and spyware removal, people not doing the system updates and small home or bus
Consulting (Score:5, Informative)
Hardware upgrades are a valid path. Because of my location, I look at what the client wants and then put together an order on Newegg. I let the client use their own creditcard and shipping address. When the boxes arrive, I come over, check everything out, and assemble it.
When things go wrong, you need to have a testbed. Have at least one PC with PCI-E and another with AGP. Have one for socket 939 and another for Intel. If you suspect that a part is bad, test it to verify. Then contact Newegg and request a RMA with a cross-shipment of the new part.
I usually charge $100 flat rate for assembly.
For OS installs, I charge $30 an hour. Mainly because most of that time is sitting and waiting for something to finish. After a while, you'll get a CD with drivers for virtually every product you support to make things easier.
I also install AVG Avtivirus, Spybot, and Firefox with the "View in IE" extention as standard.
If you do hardware, get a standard install base. I install AMD 99% of the time. Usually on the MSI Neo2 or Neo4 Platinum mobo. I always install Nvidia cards. 6600 for home users, 6800 for casual gamers, and 6800GT for mainline gamers.
I usually try and keep the client from bothering me while I install stuff. I make it clear before I start that installing has one price; teaching has a completely different price.
I *do not* remove spyware. I do, however, charge $50 to back up the user's stuff using Knoppix and a removable hard drive and then to a reinstall of WinXP. Removing spyware/virii is too time consuming.
Home networking is fairly easy. I keep the Linksys firmware and a general config file on the disc with drivers for most Linksys NICs. Takes maybe 30 minutes to set up. I include a one hour training session to show users how to share a folder and copy files from one computer to another. $50 to $100 depending on the client.
I do just about all of my work in the evenings after work. I let the clients now that they can get discounts in exchange for dinner. Plus, it gives me a chance to sit with the customer and talk about general computer stuff.
Get to know a lot about different subjects. Learn to fake interest in the client's hobbies. "Oh, you play Tyco drums! That's cool. Do you do any festivals nearby?" Shit like that can keep clients coming back for more.
You'll always have to deal with the client that wants "free" Office or doesn't want to buy WinXP "because my neghbor has a copy." My clients know that I won't install anything without the original disc. That being said, I never ask for proof of purchace or a recipt. When buying hardware, I let them know WinXP would be a good purchace.
I've never had to deal with any contracts. I don't buy anything for the customer. I always wear a grounding strap and treat all the parts like they are the baby jesus. If a part fails to work, I RMA it before I leave. Sometimes I provide a replacement while waiting for the RMA. If shit breaks within a month, I provide a free analasys and arrange for RMA or provide a discounted reinstall.
Never point out that the customer broke something. If they claim you broke something, calmly fix it and then never visit that client agian. Remember, most stuff is RMAable and it isn't worth the stress of a "he said, she said" encounter.
You'll know within about 5 minutes if you *want* to help a client. If you don't, just excuse yourself and reccommend they go to BestBuy.
If they client needs a new part like a CDROM or NIC, I charge nothing for the inital troubleshooting as long as it takes less than 30 minutes. I charge $30 to install new hardware. $20 to update drivers.
Agian, hardware will have a thin margin, but the services will help you make some extra cash. In a bad week, I can make $200 just by doing reinstalls. In a good week, $500+ by doing system builds.
Don't do it (Score:2)
Your friends and family ask you to work on their machines because they know you will do it for nothing. Once
Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:5, Interesting)
You should be able to diagnose whether the computer has a hardware problem or a software problem real quick. Use a bootable CD or something to do this.
Replace the harddrive, add more ram, replace mouse and keyboard, replace fans, replace the PS, if necessary. If its not clearly one of those, tell them they need a new PC.
If they have a software problem, just tell them they need a new harddrive and reinstall windows on it. That's a whole lot faster than trying to remove all the crap they've installed on it.
If they just need more ram, do that.
Keep the drives you swap out, format them at your leisure, and sell them to the next customer who has a malware problem.
Seriously, get real quick at diagnosing things, and be able to do what you need to do in an hour or two.
I've had to do this with family members. If they think you can sit there for a few hours and tune things up, they'll get you to do it, and you will waste your time and not make money. If instead they know that probably you're going to charge them $50 for an hour and replace their harddrive for $100, they will understand AND be a little less likely to hit you up the next time. And maybe they will learn to keep their system clean.
Re:Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:2)
Re:Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:1)
Re:Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:2)
Re:Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:1)
Or it might be the CD-ROM. Or it might actually be a software problem.
"If they have a software problem, just tell them they need a new harddrive and reinstall windows on it. That's a whole lot faster than trying to remove all the crap they've installed on it."
A good way to lose freinds and customers. Data-retention is of paramount import
Re:Do it quick, dont be a hero.. (Score:2)
Certainly, if you can get away with just doing a reinstall, that's great.
Dont misunderstand, I'm saying to pull one over on the customer. Certainly not. Be completely honest. Try to recover data, of course. But let them understand that it may cost a lot more to clean things up (and they may still have odd problems afterwards) then to just start over
Focus on Maintenance (Score:2)
A great advice... (Score:1)
Slashdot covered this in the past and (Score:2)
Here [koozie.org] is another link directly to articles on Freelance Tech Support.
I personally run a small computer repair business in Western Washington and have found his insights of value.
My only suggestion is not to do it for 'extra beer money' it makes you sound like a schmuck. Do it for the money and the experience and always be professional. No one is going to let you at their computers so you can earn beer money. good luck.
Re:Slashdot covered this in the past and (Score:1)
I see alot of part timers come and go, and they either look unprofessional by not charging enough (I charge $60/hr with an hour minimum, which is what the market is here), or they really don't know what they are doing and get no repeat customers. 85- 90% of my business is all repeat from a customer base of about 700 that I have built up over the years.
Re:Slashdot covered this in the past and (Score:1)
I've also associated with the second and third tier
My experiences as a self-employed PC repairman (Score:1)
These days, you can't sell computers or parts and expect to make any sort of money. Have you be
I did it but was not really worth it (Score:1)
Just don't. (Score:1)
The last thing we need is more computer "consultants" who are really just recreational sysadmins. If you really want to make money fixing computers, then get a couple certifications (even an A+ is fine for fixing Windows issues) and open it as a real business instead of pretending to be something you're not and defrauding people.
If I sound particularly bitter, it's because the company I work for has been taken in by such people. They hired a guy with
Just charge beer (Score:2)
Supply and demand. (Score:2)
Here is my thoughts:
*Charge to low ($20) and people will abuse you. You'll get to much work and be miserable.
*Carge to high and people will expect you to do magic and resent/hate you.
So ch
Extremely unworthy business (Score:2)
Hardware or software upgrade is even worse. Conflicts might appear later in usage and youll be held responsible. In fact, any subsequent problems with the computer will be your responsibility and their call will just me 'my computer doesnt work' followed by silence implying you should just FIX it since you
Cover your 6 (Score:1)
Remember... (Score:3, Insightful)
My experience is that you can always lower your price, but never ask more the next time for the same(ish) job with the same customer. Also people take exception if they hear that you give lower rates to someone else, no matter what the circumstances. Take that to heart. State your price and keep to it. People are generally inclined to pay surprisingly well if you make a difference to their business. Fixed price agreements also work very well if you have some more experience.
Remember also that you will not always have work. The network you have now may seem big to you now, but it will grow less willing to call you once they have to pay for your services. Then again, if you dont have work, you have at least 40-60 hours a week to find it. That is a LOT. If you play your cards well you can easily make a living of virtually anything. This was my biggest eye opener so far since I started for myself!
I'd say: go for it. I did almost 2 years ago and I am never going back
Cheers!
What I've learned (Score:3, Informative)
Along with that thick skin, you need to decide on pricing and enforce it without exception. You will have no less than one customer per week call you with a "dead" printer. You'll ask them whether or not it's plugged in, and they will scream at you for thinking they're an idiot. Then, when you finally agree to make a trip out to look at their problem, you will arrive, plug the printer into the wall, and everything will be fixed. The customer will proceed to raise holy hell when you hand them a bill for the full price of the visit, because "all you did was plug it in." But, if you don't charge full price for every case of this that happens, you will be out of business before you know it.
Along with pricing, there is something else to keep in mind: None of your time can afford to go for free. Every hour you spend helping someone over the phone is an hour you didn't spend fixing a machine in the shop. You absolutely must charge that phone customer. Every hour you spend in the car driving to a customer's house is another hour you could have spent in the shop. Long trips for any sort of troubleshooting are almost always a losing venture. Consider charging extra for any trip over a certain, small distance.
These suggestions come from my experience at a beige-box and repair shop in a small town. They went under because they'd sit on the phone for hours trying to get people to push the power button on their monitor. They also offered free support to anyone who bought one of their machines. But, when they were only making $200 at most - often much less - on a machine, that profit would vanish after a trip to their farm for troubleshooting.
Good luck with your venture, should you choose to go forward with it.