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
- Be professional. You will sometime be unable to save their data or their broken motherboard, but you can explain why while keeping it simple. And there are few software problems you cannot solve at all, so do not admit failure unless necessary (repairs that would cost more than the computer's value for example). You will gain a reputation as an expert, not to mention people will come to view you as honest, which can be invaluable if you have a serious problems one day.
- Always have business cards on you. You never know when you could end in a discussion about computer, giving you a perfect opportunity to sell your services. You can also leave cards on community boards and the like.
- Likewise, make sure your customers have an easy way to find you and call you back. Put stickers with your contact information on all computers you fix, or at the very least, give your business cards to all your customers.
- Don't underestimate your personal network. Your family and friends will most likely be happy to help you promote your business. After that, the news will spread to friend of your friends, who will be quick to recommend you if you do a good job fixing their computer.
- Do something special for your customers, a little extra they cannot get anywhere else. Most people will install Antivirus and firewalls, but you can go the extra mile and add useful open source or freeware software like Open Office to your standard installation routine. Games, especially cards and board games, can be a pretty effective bonus for no additional cost, except a few minutes of your time to install.
- Make yourself visible to potential customers! Classified ads in the local newspaper, or a few flyers left on the counter of a friendly shopkeeper can go a long way. You can also add special offers to your flyers or for people who mention your ad to make them more attractive.
As you can see, you can do a lot of things to improve your image and promote your business. Just use your imagination, and you can surely find an original way to promote your services and grow your business. But never forget, your customers are your greatest asset, treat them well!
Both Danny Austin & Hans Hasselfors are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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