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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
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