If you are like me, you grew up always having a love for computers and technology. I spent my time reading through computer books for fun, exploring the inside of my family’s computer, and started collecting more computers until I was able to setup my own home network. Eventually, I became so confident in navigating around computers, that I felt I could fix any problem. That was not far from the truth. Then the business aspect started. My friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. started asking me for computer help. In the beginning, I was generous and helped them out as a hobby without charging anything for my time. The work load continued to increase, and I eventually found myself debating whether I should be charging for fixing computers, instead of doing it for free. I wasn’t sure how much to charge for computer repair, or when to do so. If you feel like you are in a similar situation, the following advice should help you in starting your computer repair business.
In business, you get out of it what you put in from the beginning. You can’t expect to start a computer repair business without putting any effort or capital into marketing. So, you should consider spending a little money on advertising and promotion to get your business off the ground and running. The first step in starting a successful business, is you have to make your business look successful. I know that sounds like the chicken and the egg problem, but it really isn’t. The best way to start is with some professional looking business cards and a clean, professional website. The next step to looking like a successful business is to add credibility by posting testimonials from your friends and family. Ask people you’ve helped in the past to record a quick testimonial video. That is always more powerful than text-based testimonials. You can also join the BBB and your local chamber of commerce, and post their logos on your website. This will boost your credibility as well and deliver the right message to people in your community. Make sure to get a thousand or so copies of your business card, so you can seriously hand it out to enough people to get your name into the community.
The most common method of promoting a computer repair business is through word of mouth. That can help on a small scale, but it will never be enough by itself to sustain your business. Consider putting a small 4 line ad in your local newspaper. Most papers feature a services section on the classifieds page. The cost is only about $60/month and it is well worth it. You can also post to Craigslist for free in the gigs section.
Also, the majority of the people that tend to call for computer repair services are older retired folks. That is why a major selling point is to go onsite and fix the computer at their home. Retired people, especially those who live in rural areas, don’t want to have to go into town just to get their computer fixed. It’s a hassle, and unnecessary work.
The majority of the problems you will fix will be related to viruses, spyware, adware, and general Microsoft Windows errors. Viruses and spyware are the greatest thing to happen to the computer repair industry. They keep thousands of computer techs in business and repeat work is almost guaranteed within 6 months. You will find, that the majority of the work you do will involve re-installing Microsoft Windows, as this is the most effective way of getting rid of serious problems related to viruses, spyware and adware. If you are considering starting a business just upgrading and replacing hardware, you won’t find too much of a demand for it. The majority of the money is in software-related problems within Microsoft Windows. Most people are just want a computer to get on the Internet and check their e-mail. It’s always a good idea to be willing to setup a new computer online. Also, setting somebody up with Mozilla Thunderbird for e-mail and Mozilla Firefox for Internet is a pretty fool-proof system.
A great place to get computer parts is from Newegg. Older parts you can get from eBay. Most of the time, new parts are not necessary to fix the problem but it is a good idea to carry a small stock of common upgrades like DVD burners, hard drives, memory, etc. The next time you are on-site and you notice the computer could use a few upgrades, having these parts on handy dramatically increases the possibility that you will upsell the client and get the added work.
In terms of hardware, power supplies are the biggest culprit of failure issues. You will replace more of these than any other part. Having a few of these around is a good idea, and make sure they are at least 350 Watts with a P4 connector and a 20_14 pin connect. That way they are more versatile. When you sell parts, sell them slightly over retail and charge a small installation fee. Don’t charge too much for parts, but don’t try to cut your clients a deal. After all, they are hiring you to perform a service and will gladly pay accordingly.
While I cannot provide everything you need to know about starting a computer repair business in one article, I hope that I’ve given you enough tips to get started. If you have a love for computers and technology, consider starting a computer repair business. It is a very rewarding career to establish for yourself. You will be helping a great deal of people and making their lives more enjoyable and stress-free. Seeing someones reaction to their computer running fast again never gets old. It is very rewarding.
