Fixing Computers to make extra money

[DPK]

I just graduated college and am currently looking for a job. One possibility that I keep thinking of is to start my own business fixing computers or to get a real job first and fix computers on the side until I could build up a decent reputation. I really don't know where to start though. What do I need to know? For example, what are the going rates for time put into fixing a computer? Should I look into legal issues? I appreciate any input.

 

[RanDum72]

Get an A+ certification.

 

[amdskip]

I'd get a real job first and do computers on the side.

 

[VBboy]

Running your own PC business (selling or fixing) is a minimum-wage job nowadays, unless you deal with large businesses and set up their networks and handle large deals. Ask anyone if they would rather buy from a small local store or from Dell. I knew 4-5 people who had computer businesses a few years ago, and now they are all closed. No customers. Fixing computers is a little better than selling as you may get more customers, but large boys like CompUSA with their no-knowledge techs but professional-looking stores will get more business.

I think running a Web store and selling cooling gadgets and other hardware is more profitable (OutsideLoop, CoolCases, CoolerGuys, all those).

Also, you may get sued if someone zaps themselves while using your PC, or they lose their data, or drop your slippery PC on their foot. While a judge would dismiss those cases, you still need a lawyer to at least initially set up your disclaimer, store policy, insurance for your store, etc...

But good luck

 

[Jayczar]

Originally posted by: VBboy
but large boys like CompUSA with their no-knowledge techs but professional-looking stores will get more business.

It is funny that you mention Comp USA , as the no name company I work for sells
custom built PC's to them for cheap and they mark them up $2-300. We sell to about
46 stores nationwide, if you live in the NY area look for MCV computers for sale.
I guess they don't want to bother to build them on their own, and since I have spoken
to their techs I can see why.

 

[Acts837]

don't forget the numerous calls you will get that generate no income. "Oh, the monitor has a power button?" Hey, I don't know about most of you but I get calls all the time from my friends about PC questions. Multiple that times ?? and that's the game for a small PC repair business. Just my opinion but how can someone honestly compete with Dell?

 

[dkozloski]

If you have to deal with the public you will die with stomach ulcers.

 

[Jeff7]

I had considered doing that already, but it can be too risky. If you accidentally delete files, or if something breaks while you happen to be working on it, then they can blame you and demand to be reimbursed - forget about making money in that case. I've done work for people I know and they do pay me, but they also trust that I'm doing all that I know how to do, and that I'm not out to screw up PC's. The general public may not know that. I had a thread about this in Off Topic awhile back - link. It just isn't as easy as it may seem.
Business can fluctuate greatly too. A company I recently worked at needed temps because several schools in the area decided that they needed lots of computers - a month before school started! The place had to hire like 7-10 temps to build and deploy the systems. But in between the big orders, they say that they are almost totally dead.
Acts837 said it right too - some of the people you will deal with will be utterly clueless about PC's. Some will ask the same questions a few times too because they forget the answers. One person I'm working with now is not a computer person, however, she is good at taking notes and categorizing them. And some people will realize that they don't know what they're doing, and they can get very defensive about it.

Just my opinion but how can someone honestly compete with Dell?

Hire "Steve" to say his usual line, replacing Dell with your company name of course.

And lastly, here is a fun page of stories of....uh, let's just leave it at "when computer illiteracy attacks."

 

[newbiepcuser]

If you have to deal with the public you will die with stomach ulcers

I had enough of the public working as a tech for Micro Center. The horrors, horrors

 

[VBboy]

Don't forget that you will have to explain to the customer WHY he needs to buy this $1500 PC when he get "the same" PC for $500 online "Pentium what? DDR who?" You tryin' to sell me garbage, college boy?!
CDRWHDRAMCRTLCDDVDZIPIDEUSB will come up more than once

 

[VBboy]

No one asked what your major was... Why don't you try to get a job in your field instead of fixing computers?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: VBboy
No one asked what your major was... Why don't you try to get a job in your field instead of fixing computers?

Could be like me - have a pretty fair amount Cisco, Win95-XP, Novell, and PC hardware knowledge, but no one seems to be hiring for that, at least not around here.

 

[brtspears2]

You basically are going to support any computer you fix/make for the rest of its life...

 

[dkozloski]

The term I use is that you are married to it.

 

[DPK]

Thanks for the link Jeff. You are right, I am currently looking for a job, but even with an Information Science degree from a university and 3-4 years experience, I have yet to find a job that doesn't want to pay an insulting amount and contract me out for 6-9 months. One guy even called me and offerd to pay me $8 an hour and sounded like he was doing me a favor. I figure that one problem call would earn me more money then that job would have paid in an 8 hour day.

I may just advertise a bit for my services and see what happens. My main concern would be legal problems. For example, asking the customer to sign a waiver of some sort. I have no idea what it should say however. Could I get a lawyer to write something up. Also, does anyone know the going rated for Best Buy, Circuit City, and Comp USA?

My plan would be to look at their computer for the first hour and if the problem is something that would take longer I could take it back home and work on it there, allowing me the freedom and use of all tools and software I may need. I am currently thinking about doing this until I get a job offer I like unless it becomes too profitable, in which case I would do it full time and make it my own business so that I won't have to put up with Bill Lumberg type bosses who don't know **** but still dictate what needs to be done.

 

[NOX]

Oh man? I like what both VBoy and Jeff have stated. It can get f**k up in a hurry... I tried this about a few years back taking about 5 customers. All I can say it that I'll never do it again. I lost all of them because I was too tick headed to accept the fact that most people don't know jack s**t about computers!

I had this one customer that always insisted he was running Windows 99. When I told him do you mean Windows 98, because there is no such thing as 99, he flipped out! I?m assumed he thought it was 99 because it was 1999.

Go figure! I also had this one lady who put her floppy in her CD-ROM, and it got stuck. That wasn?t the worst part about it, what was, was the fact she called me 11:30pm, because on that floppy was her term paper which she needed to work on that night and turn in the next day.

Get a computer job if you want to be around computers. Be thankful for your paycheck and just be thankful you don?t have to deal with payroll, medical and s**t like that.

 

[VBboy]

Last but not least... If you're good-looking, consider starting your own paid porn site
You'd be surprised how much people are willing to pay to see you pull your left nipple ring while peeing in a jar

 

[Sniper82]

DPK if you want to try and get started working on them yourself. Do a bit of advertising(in major news papers and stuff). Call around your area and see what everyone else charges then go a bit lower than everyone else is charging. You will get more business if you charge less than everyone else(but not too low). I been fixing a few PC's for free just to help out some ppl I know but here lately they have been bothering me alot and its started to get to me. I told them I was gonna start charging they didn't act like it bothered them. But of course I guess I do a good job. I redid Windows for them once and told them that would have been $100 or more if you took it to one of these shops around here.

I am gonna start charging by how much hassle I have with the computer not by the hour. I am gonna set a minimum price and a maximum price. Of course if I don't fix it they pay nothing or if the same problem comes back after a certain period of time I will fix it for free.

Of course you can decide which you think would be the best way to charge ppl.

 

[alkemyst]

I ran a part-time computer business when I went back to school.

Some of the repeating trends:

No matter how many times you repeat your hourly rate they will forget, after having you there for 6 hours fixing everything else besides what you came over prepared for, they will insist you only have been there 15mins and the rest of the time was conversation.

You will have at least one customer go to a closet when you hand him the bill, returning with various 286 and 386 machines and parts insisting the trade he is offering is worth at least $5000 since he paid at least that much for it and it's only been a 'few' years.

You will have to battle with 'their computer expert friend/relative/child' who knows so much about PC's yet for some reason they still called you.

You will have quite a few 'experts' you have hired you and second-guess every move you make or constantly utter 'Be careful with that you may break it'

After upgrading their CDROM they think the CPU upgrade is free two months later since 'you already billed me once to upgrade'

'You were only here a little while, I don't feel I should be billed anything'

You will have a ton of people wanting to choose their own hardware despite you telling them incompatibility issues are rampant with some. They have a $9.99 piece of hardware they found when the average you found was closer to $75...after 6 hours of trying to make it work at their request they insist they shouldn't have to pay because you couldn't get it to work, which was precisely what you told them 6 hours before.

 

[yakko]

Originally posted by: Acts837
don't forget the numerous calls you will get that generate no income. "Oh, the monitor has a power button?" Hey, I don't know about most of you but I get calls all the time from my friends about PC questions. Multiple that times ?? and that's the game for a small PC repair business. Just my opinion but how can someone honestly compete with Dell?

That is why you don't answer questions with anything but CTRL+ALT+DEL until they pay you.

 

[Red Dawn]

Some of the repeating trends:

No matter how many times you repeat your hourly rate they will forget, after having you there for 6 hours fixing everything else besides what you came over prepared for, they will insist you only have been there 15mins and the rest of the time was conversation.

You will have at least one customer go to a closet when you hand him the bill, returning with various 286 and 386 machines and parts insisting the trade he is offering is worth at least $5000 since he paid at least that much for it and it's only been a 'few' years.

You will have to battle with 'their computer expert friend/relative/child' who knows so much about PC's yet for some reason they still called you.

You will have quite a few 'experts' you have hired you and second-guess every move you make or constantly utter 'Be careful with that you may break it'

After upgrading their CDROM they think the CPU upgrade is free two months later since 'you already billed me once to upgrade'

'You were only here a little while, I don't feel I should be billed anything'

You will have a ton of people wanting to choose their own hardware despite you telling them incompatibility issues are rampant with some. They have a $9.99 piece of hardware they found when the average you found was closer to $75...after 6 hours of trying to make it work at their request they insist they shouldn't have to pay because you couldn't get it to work, which was precisely what you told them 6 hours before.

That's about it.
If you don't suffer fools well then don't do it

 

[thebestMAX]

Yeah and repairs for Corporations arent much better.

 

[Garet Jax]

I did in the summer for a few months before I started my real job. I kept it simple and only helped people with upgrades/installations etc... I made some good money at it. I don't think I would want to do it full time though. The customers would wear me down....

 

[ElFenix]

i wouldnt' do it... not my own biz... well... maybe just to service computers near college... a friend of mine is doing something similar... going out to peoples houses and fixing computer problems...

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: thebestMAX


Yeah and repairs for Corporations arent much better.

I worked for a pretty big company and we had corporate accounts that were under contract with us. As soon as the Head Honcho knew that I was competent, I didn't really have to deal too much with the end users.
If their own MIS director told them what was up, they believed him.

Individual clients, however, were often difficult to deal with for all the reasons mentioned previously.
"Ever since you replaced my floppy drive the computer runs slower."