Is there a market for a home networking consultant?

[spidey07]

Judging from the number of questions about home network (I rarely see anything else) a lightbuld has been slowly burning in my head. How do I make some money off this?

I live in a medium size city (one million) and there are numerous broadband options available to just about everyone. Now the way I see it I could charge $100 in labor, 1 hour for most jobs...get a TAX ID for resell rights for the most common network gear (router-hub, router-wireless, router-nics) and make most of my money on labor. Charge 5% for the gear plus a flat install fee.

Keep in mind I work 50 hours per week and totally love my job, BUT if I only do two installs a week that's still extra change in my pocket ($800 + 5% on gear/mo). I've got the cash to support a 2 month inventory. Heck, even my parents have two computers.

what do you think? Is there a market for a little moonlighting?

Sound off and let me know what part of the country you're in!

spidey

<edit> I promise not to gouge like the bid I received today for a network install in atlanta. 19 DOLLARS PER 6 FOOT CAT5 PATCH CABLE!!!??? Thank you and good day sir, please don't EVER call me again.

 

[Xanathar]

Spidey, only thing I would like to point out (as I have done moonlighting on the small scale before). They WILL call YOU when things dont work, even if its their cable modem unlocking or their homepage is down, or they got a virus.

Now if you want that, I am sure there is a market.

 

[spidey07]

don't want that. Call @home and have fun!

I'll lable the cables religously and provide diagrams of how to take the whole &quot;home network&quot; out of the picture. Then they can call their provider!!

&quot;serivices are provided as is with no support. for technical support please call xxx-xxx-xxxx&quot;

 

[Damaged]

I've done it as well and as much as I tried to idiot proof things it became more than I wanted to bear with calls like Xanathar is describing. The extra money was nice though. I just prefer my time I guess.

You'll also get some calls about how you overcharged them because a month later their friend &quot;the expert&quot; told them so. Then you end up trying to unravel someone who doesn't know dink fscked up thinking. That's alwasy fun.

It's easier to setup servers for businesses. Pays better, you do the admin crap and they don't ask many questions. Easy as pie there. I only do Linux stuff for them though. Keeps them in the dark and me with steady monthly cash payments for admin work. Really have to get all those boxen I've setup changed over to Debian though. Much easier to keep the distro up to date.

 

[pdo]

Good luck man. Normal don't seem to know where the problem is. And without good service and tech support you're not gonna make it. In this business word of mouth gets around.

 

[spidey07]

Heck! I charge $200/hr to billion dollar companies to design their networks. I figure the home stuff would be cake walk.

But I'm hearing a lot of push back do to the support issue. I can understand that. Once I design the big networks, I simply refer the company to their preferred provider for install and support. (each time you call me....chaCHING). Guess it doen't work like that for home, eh?

I appreciate all the feedback!

 

[SemperFi]

Spidey, I have thought of doing the exact same thing. The main thing holding me back is what Xanathar said.

I build systems for friends only because I enjoy it. I have one guy who calls monthly saying I just downloaded................... and now it won't work right. aaaarrrrrrrrgh :disgust:

I see you and I think similar on pricing also. I was figuring $800-$900 on a 2 system network. I was thinking about spelling out something like 2 weeks support for problems that occur. But if runs for 2 weeks hardware and setup are probobly fine. I don't want to be responsable for someones kid playing with settings etc. .paldo makes an excellent point but on the other hand spell out the support up front upon inquiry if they are not interested they can call someone else. Word of mouth will probobly catch up eventually though.

Just a thought. or should I say just sounding off.

 

[Russ]

The biggest problem with the home market is that most of them have some teenager who &quot;knows all about computers&quot;, so Mom and Dad are reticent to hire a professional.

Of course, most of my worst tech support disaster phone calls start with, &quot;My son, who knows all about computers was doing something and...&quot;

Russ, NCNE

 

[twren]

Well the one thing you have to guard against is doing anything for fringe friends. I have set up a few of my relatives networks and some close friends, but then they start name dropping and you have someone calling you saying, &quot;Hi I know your....&quot;. My mother recently made me go to one of her friends house to fix one of those darn phoneline networks, I fixed it and said no charge because if I charged it I figure I would have to support it. Sure enough a week later I get another call from my mother, &quot;Can you go back there?&quot; I begrudgingly went fixed it again nc and then they actually asked for my cell phone number because I am never home! I explained to them that I actually would charge $110 and if they would like my cell phone number I would bill accordingly. My father told me something a while back, &quot;Never do anything useful.&quot; Boy was he right.
Spidey07, if you want to go into the home market deal with people that you do not know and use this pricing system $100/hr if they are not home,$150/hr if they want to watch, $200/hr if they want to help.

 

[Workin']

I set up networks (among other services) for small businesses and home-based businesses. I would NOT do it for a private citizen, except in special circumstances (good friend, relative, or deep pockets). In fact, most relatives (except Mom) pay me a discounted rate, because they know I am busy and (usually) passing up other opportunities so I can help them. Cost is $75/hr, 2 hr minimum charge, for network setup. Parts are purchased using client's account for no extra charge. If I have to go to the store then it's parts cost + $75/hr + mileage. I don't sell parts directly because dealing with sales tax is something I do not want to experience.

I make it perfectly clear before I accept a job that after the initial set up and check out, and the client and I agree that everything is working to their satisfaction, any additional support or help of any kind will cost them $75/hr. Since all my paying clients are small business people like me, they understand that things cost money, and time is one of those things. I have agreements with many where I keep track of the time I spend helping them (via phone or e-mail) and then send a bill occasionally. &quot;House calls&quot; are always payable at time of service.

Funny thing is, I'm in the same geographic market as Damaged, but I'm sure we'll never compete for work - I am focused pretty heavily on specific industries, and most setups I do are peer-to-peer or quasi-server affairs. Lots of companies I deal with are now former customers of his &quot;real&quot; employer, I believe.

 

[Damaged]

Heh. Well possibly, though I haven't noticed a huge number of dedicated connects leaving us, in fact that's still growing quite nicely. Dial up, sure. Hard to compete there w/cable and all the DSL now, though we offer DSL as well.

It's no secret who I work for, I've stated it before: the company formerly known as ExecPC (once the world's largest BBS), formerly known as Voyager.net, now known as CoreComm.

I'm am the last person actually hired by ExecPC. An interesting distinction of sorts.

 

[twren]

Damaged,
Is it true that Corecomm is going under. You guys provide our T1 and I would like to know if I need to jump ship.

 

[Workin']

Former web hosting customers (and small ones, at that), not dedicated connects. Should have been more clear.

Hehe, I remember dialing in to the ExecPC BBS with my trusty old 2400bps modem. Those were the days. How many here remember the old Wildcat BBS software, I wonder.

 

[Damaged]

twren, dont' put a fork in us yet. Times have been better, but I wouldn't say we're done.

 

[Bloodstainedboots]

But how would a person (me!) go about finding people who will pay to have a network setup?

 

[Workin']

The best way to find customers is by networking. With people, not computers! Make up a nice-looking flyer listing your services, and then figure out where people who would want those services hang out. If you have any friends or relatives who like you and maybe belong to the Rotary Club or Lions Club or Kiwanis, etc., see if they can make some introductions for you or bring you into their circle of associates. There's lots of other ways, be creative. Probably the worst way is to advertise in the newspaper. You want to be very discriminating in your clientele while you are getting started. You need to get a couple successful jobs under your belt, and do whatever it takes to make those first clients who took a risk in hiring you more than happy. Hell, I swear my first 2 clients wanted to adopt me as their son. But I solved problems for them that others were unwilling or unable to solve, and for very little money. But at least half of my other clients have been referrels from the original 2 - and I had to spend zero time or effort to get that additional work.

 

[Russ]

Damaged,

If something does happen, can I have the tasty redhead pictured at the company's web site?

Russ, NCNE

 

[todays]

LOL Russ -

I produce real estate publications for a living. But, my degree and training are in computers/electronics. I do networking on the side. The real estate offices love me. I give them a good deal and they give me lots of ads. So there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you can walk into an office and tell them that you can put 16 machines on a DSL connection and save them all those dial up lines and connect charges, they will easily pay you when you show them the numbers of what you can do. When you save an office $500 an month in phone bills and replace it with a $49 DSL connection, add up how many months it will take them to pay for a network installation. But it is easy to give someone a sales pitch, especially if you have references. So get those references under your belt. But I also have a college degree, an FCC license and a certification in electronics. No networking or CISCO stuff though.

 

[vegetation]

Just make sure you get a real lawyer to draft your client contracts. Make sure to cover all holes. These types of computer related home service jobs are always lawsuits waiting to happen when the smallest problems come up.

 

[Santa]

After reading this post I was thinking WOW Ive been charging so little for my services. $25 for the first hour $15 each additional hour.

The area I am in has much potential (Stay out of the north pole its mine!!)

In concerns to your inventory comment. Unless you have clients all the time I wouldn't hold an inventory. You as well as I know that parts drop in price each day and to hold inventory without buyers all the time will just be worthless. If you see a good deal that should be a lowest price for over 6-12 months I would go with it but unless its a deal don't bother. Give them an estimate according to the recent pricewatch/buy.com store or something and tell them that it will be a week or so to get the product. They will usually understand. I too work about 50-60 hours a week easy and find it easy to just post get side jobs if I want them.

Support issue should be handled up front whereas you tell them how long you are willing to help them out. If its just networking I usually say 1 month free of charge to work out the kinks but after that I will charge.

I should start raising my rates huh!

 

[bigshooter]

I don't know that many home users that will pay $100/hour for you to do this when they can find some kid down the block to do it for $10. $400, they might as well pay $5/month to get extra IP's and have the provider support it.