Have you considered getting paid for fixing near-



fatal errors and turning your PC prowess into a

business? Besides coming up with a business name,

getting a business license, there are a number of

things you need to do to get started on the right

foot. Here are 10 tips that will help you

successfully launch and run your own PC repair

business

Know your street (and hourly) value.

In the early 90's, running a PC repair business

centered around selling parts and products, with

service on the side. Today, it's about selling

hours. To determine what your time is worth,

investigate what your local competition is

charging.

Determine who your ideal customer is.

If you're looking to sell and service computers

within your local community and remain a one-

person operation, residential clients may suit

you best. They're generally more responsive to

advertising and marketing than small-business

owners are. However, a downside to residential

customers is that your clients will tend to be

more budget-conscious than if you target the

business owner.

Realize that financial stability doesn't happen

overnight.

It's going to be tough to juggle a day job with a

side gig, especially if you're honing in on small-

business clients. But if you're not running your

business full time, you run the risk of losing

clients, especially if you're targeting the

business market. You'll need to build up a

financial cushion--six to nine months salary is

advisable--for when you ultimately do turn in

your pink slip and become fully self-employed.

Know your strengths and weaknesses.

If your background is strictly technical and you

aren't very business savvy, hire bookkeeping or

accounting experts to handle the busywork and

keep you at your most productive so you can

steadily increase your billable hours. You can

also invest in software products to handle

administrative tasks.

Market your business every day.

While you don't have to walk around wearing a

sandwich board when you're out on the street, the

phone on your desk isn't going to ring until

people know you exist. And you can't rest on your

past successes either. Whether you choose direct

mail, pamphlet drops, telemarketing or web

marketing, you need to come up with a marketing

mix that works for you. For instance, advertising

in your local community coupon book may prove to

be a waste of money, while networking at business

trade organizations and chamber of commerce

meetings may pay off big.

Keep your skills current.

Techies can easily fall into the trap of

believing they can pick up new skills on the fly

or after quickly reading a manual. But if you

fail to partake in continued education and

training, your knowledge base may become obsolete.

Reach out if you need assistance.

There are fantastic web sites out there where you

can bounce a question off an "expert" and get a

response within a few hours. Learn what you can

and cannot do well, and ask for help when you

need it.

Customize your workspace.

You'll need a clean, dedicated workspace with

room for a repair bench area for your tools and

easily accessible storage shelves and bins. The

area doesn't have to be too big to start out with,

but it should be able to accommodate at least

two tower PCs and monitors.

Don't sign on the rental line just yet.

Before committing to a lengthy, expensive

storefront lease, you might opt to set a more

realistic goal of bringing on technicians within

a year and opening up a space where customers can

drop off their computers up the road.

Hire smart.

Your first hire is going to make the main

impression about your company with your customers,

so be sure to screen candidates on more than

just their tech skills and certifications. Your

first employee should be driven and well-versed

in both technical expertise and interpersonal

skills