Thinking of starting my own computer business...suggestions, help, info...thanks

I do a similar thing,I fix friends and family computers and some electronics (DVD Players,Stereos.......) for free.People also donate electronics and computers to me aswell.I Sell computers,computer parts and electronics on ebay too (i make about $200 AUD A month).Also (Im not sure in america or otherplaces) at council cleanup time(Where the neigbourhood put's all there junk and rubbish on the sidewalk for the council to pickup and take away,only happens twice a year) i walk around with my wheelbarrow picking up computers and electronics,You will be suprised what you will find.Markets and swap meets are good also for buying and selling electronics and computers.Also buying old computer parts on ebay in bulk saves money.Also as muz said,when your unsure about something,just ask us here at the computerforums :D.I Find aslong as your honest,dont charge family members and close friends,sell parts at competitive prices and have a good clean and neat work area,your mini-bussiness will prosper.You wont become a millionare,but you will have a bit more cash in you pocket :)

great advice!! yes, i am also very educated with other electronics so i could throw that in with my little plan as well....yes i just want to start off small earning just a bit of money on the side of my part time dj job....thanks again for your input!
 
OPening up a computer repair business is risky at this point because the market for them are so saturated. It would be ok to do it off the side with no major committment, know what I mean?

I do that too, fix, upgrade, build PCs off the side and I get a little extra money here and there but not enough to justify cost of actually having a business. Sometime I do it for free, while at times I do it for favors. Your reputation will grow just from doing all that.

If you open a computer store, start out big, not small. You will need a business loan and business license as well as knowing who your foreign supplier is. That's the best way to start out a business. Buying parts here locally doesn't tend to do a business well.
 
you guys...im keeping my but parked in this forum....i was over at tomsharware forum and just because im a "new user/noob" there, they keep telling me to f-off and calling me dirt and stuff and its just getting annoying...so thanks to all for your help!!!

Some people just dont apreciate that you have to start somewhere and learn off someone . You arent born with a superior knowledge of computers so .I also find with large comunities like this you are guranteed someone will be able to help you as we all have different experiences and areas of expertise so you have a better chance of someone knowing what you are on about .And if someone makes a mistake with the help they give someone is there to correct it .
Anyway good luck with the venture . If you keep it small at first you may expand later . A good clean work space helps with great organistation so you can find stuff . Although i w ouldnt keep a large range of spares i usualy find a few spare hd's,some spare cables and a few spare sticks of ram can come in handy for testing stuff . Also a memory stick loaded with software like anti virus and system info stuff would help out a lot and not realy expensive . Maybe $20 max for a 1 or 2gb
As for how much to charge people well thats all down to you , maybe free or like $5 for close friends/family then $10 for not so close friends and other people you dont know .
ANother idea is to print off some leaflets that you make with like some info and prices and a number then post them in your local area
 
Some people just dont apreciate that you have to start somewhere and learn off someone . You arent born with a superior knowledge of computers so .I also find with large comunities like this you are guranteed someone will be able to help you as we all have different experiences and areas of expertise so you have a better chance of someone knowing what you are on about .And if someone makes a mistake with the help they give someone is there to correct it .
Anyway good luck with the venture . If you keep it small at first you may expand later . A good clean work space helps with great organistation so you can find stuff . Although i w ouldnt keep a large range of spares i usualy find a few spare hd's,some spare cables and a few spare sticks of ram can come in handy for testing stuff . Also a memory stick loaded with software like anti virus and system info stuff would help out a lot and not realy expensive . Maybe $20 max for a 1 or 2gb
As for how much to charge people well thats all down to you , maybe free or like $5 for close friends/family then $10 for not so close friends and other people you dont know .
ANother idea is to print off some leaflets that you make with like some info and prices and a number then post them in your local area

yes...more great ideas!..thank you very much...

yes right now I'm working on just a basic little wesite that has some info on it about my services and pricing..i haven't had too much time to work on it but now that i mention it..i think i will....yes i probably won't charge family anything...unless i do like a build for them or such, then maybe like 5 or 10 bucks just for the time it takes..and then probably like 5 bucks for regular maintenence on friends computers and like 15 to 20 for a build...but most of my friends know some things about computers so they like to help with builds, which means I really shouldn't charge them anything..plus theres always donations which i have heard that most people have gotten from family, which doesnt surprise me....yes and again, I dont plan to get rich, just a little bit of money here and there, maybe by the end of the month so i have something new i can do with my PC....maybe save up for that q6600 thats gunna bottom out on price the 22nd!!! Woohoo...can't wait for those price drops!!!

Thanks again

Zac
 
Well since ur only 16, wait until u get to University, and then u will have a better understanding.
 
Well since ur only 16, wait until u get to University, and then u will have a better understanding.

better understanding of what? If you mean the business world, then I have a great understanding...i have had many classes just in highschool already dealing with the ins and outs of businesses...I just wanted ideas and suggestions from other people...
 
Well since ur only 16, wait until u get to University, and then u will have a better understanding.

If you mean of computers...I have heard you don't get any hands on experience on computers in the university. Graduating computer techs may know more than me about computers, but having hands on experience for 2 years for me has helped me learn a lot. No, you don't have to wait until you get to a university to do that.

For running a business, something small and running out of your own house isn't going to get you a bunch of business, therefore you don't need to know a whole bunch about running a big business. You just gotta know to be kind to the customers (even if you want to kill them inside for various reasons),tell them what they need to know in a timely manner, and do what you say you will do. You don't need a university to tell you how to run your VERY small home business...
 
If you mean of computers...I have heard you don't get any hands on experience on computers in the university. Graduating computer techs may know more than me about computers, but having hands on experience for 2 years for me has helped me learn a lot. No, you don't have to wait until you get to a university to do that.

For running a business, something small and running out of your own house isn't going to get you a bunch of business, therefore you don't need to know a whole bunch about running a big business. You just gotta know to be kind to the customers (even if you want to kill them inside for various reasons),tell them what they need to know in a timely manner, and do what you say you will do. You don't need a university to tell you how to run your VERY small home business...

thank you jesusfrk...you took the words out of my mouth!! Yeah you just can't wait for a university, you are correct in saying that there is little to no hands on experience....
 
Yeah hands on experience is prolly better in any case .
Also i meant to say this in another post but forgot if you are repairing something for someone like say a software problem then i tend to walk them through the problem and show them what went wrong aand how to fix it if happens again . That way they will feel much better about the whole thing cos they will know for future reference what to do
 
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