Starting a PC Repair Business

[Jaydee]

Hello all,

I'm brand new so let me introduce myself. I'm a student in the UK taking Physics. I'll be done in two years so I'm starting to think about alternative business ventures. I'm very competent with PCs, built many, never been a problem I can't fix, hate the fact that the only time I've ever had to wipe a hard drive was when a "PC Repairshop" decided they couldn't fix the microphone so, well, Poof.

Anyway, I want to start charging for the services I currently provide to friends businesses for free. Getting my own company registered, probably a website, (got the space), advertising locally and good low rates (at first right?).

But what's the best way to get started? I want to offer home pc repair, home networking setup and repair, small business technical support, file recovery, basically to be able to solve anyone's problems that I can. How do I start to do this? How long do I need? What do I charge?

Ok, so please help me to get this started.

Many thanks,

Jaydee.

[samg]

get a company registered. theres companys in london who sell companys and jsut change there name and hand them over to you. saves you doing all of the paper work. Get a limited company :)

Run some ads in the paper, local services etc. Charge little to see if it will work Something like ?35/hour. Maybe build cheap pc's.

Tell your friends that your going to start charging professionally, and what your rate is.

Get some invoicing system. looks professional.

one thing going againest everything i have said, is with a company you will need to do a tax return and everything like that, so maybe just trade as you. a private person, not everyone will like the idea, but it would be so much easier on your behalf. My computer repair company spends hundreds of pound a year on accounting and tax returns, you would proberly loose any profit you make.

[Jaydee]

Thanks for the fast reply Sam.

I think that you might be correct in saying that the cost of setting myself up as a limited company (i've been quoted around ?150) and then yearly tax returns and accounting on top of that might well screw any profits i make in the early days. I o, however, not want to give off an unprofessional air. How can I achieve this without trading as a limited company? What are my alternatives?

Also, if I may ask a personal question, you say that you have a PC repair company. Mind if I ask how it all started? Do you have a website?

One thing I want to offer is good support at good hours, with reliability. Clients should be able to call me with their problems and I'd drive over to their place as soon as I could. Obviosuly I'd have to charge for travel expenses, 40p per mile or whatever. Could even get some decals put on the mini. There's a quirk.

As for building cheap PCs, wouldn't I have to become a reseller? Are there any resellers who would take me on? Is there not more money to be made now in repair?

Jaydee.

[ncoday]

I would suggest starting out with low rates on a trial basis to gauge the interest.

Make sure people knwo this though, so there won't be an uproar when and if you decide to make it a full-time thing.

[JayArias]

I would suggest offering lowcost repairs at first then slowly rising the price

Also if you need any webhosting for your site drop me a line at [email protected]

[Jaydee]

Thanks for the input ncoday and klatz.

As I'm still in full time education here's my plan:

For the next couple weeks i'm free.

Then I've got until June in university.

Then I've got three months off where I'm doing nothing. That will be my main time to work. So should I go on advertising now, or just try and spread the word, do the limited work I can and tell people I'll be back for the summer?

Cheers.

[Max Veteran]

Okay, don't go charging ?35 as that won't attract customers.

Be competitive, charge ?10/hour (I was at a customers house for 6 hours doing his task.....easy money).

I created an entire business plan on this, and it works.

[tlogank]

I have done the same thing and have done fairly well so far, check out my thread...

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=294971&st=0