Looking for ways to advertise a computer repair business (without much money).

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
A

Arkitech

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2000
8,356
4
76
I'm just getting started and really have'nt tried a lot of avenues yet, so far I've ran an ad on Craigslist and I have a flyer at the barber shop I got to. So far I have'nt gotten any business yet.

I'm thinking of trying to do a postcard mailing to every address in my zipcode, not sure how much it will cost yet though (hopefully not more than 50 bucks). I'm also considering copying a bunch of my flyers and handing them out in the parking lot of a few nearby grocery stores. Another idea I'm toying with is calling the the Bar Association in my city and trying to offer 1 free computer repair to a couple of attorneys with the agreement they would refer me to their associates (not sure how that would pan out).

So how do you guys advertise your repair services? What do you charge?

My pricing is 50.00 for most repairs - virus removal, OS installs, hardware upgrades and repairs (desktops only). I'm hoping that since I'm not charging much I can get heaps of business once people see that I do good work. As for onsite repairs I have'nt figured out a price point yet, it might fall somewhere between 35-45 bucks per hour with a 40.00 charge for showing up.
 
BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
Feb 24, 2001
14,513
4
81
Considering a postcard is already like $0.30 a pop to mail, not including materials, that's only a few hundred. I imagine your zip has up to tens of thousands of addresses...

The thing to do would be name your something like Aardvark repair services, or AAAA Repairs. That way you come first in the yellow pages under computer repair.
 
A

Arkitech

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2000
8,356
4
76
purbeast0 said:
is this a parody thread or something?
Click to expand...

This is a desperation thread. I'm currently working at a PC repair shop, but I'm barely making enough to cover groceries and utilities. I gotta get something else going, either that or a new job.
 
A

Arkitech

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2000
8,356
4
76
BrunoPuntzJones said:
Considering a postcard is already like $0.30 a pop to mail, not including materials, that's only a few hundred. I imagine your zip has up to tens of thousands of addresses...

The thing to do would be name your something like Aardvark repair services, or AAAA Repairs. That way you come first in the yellow pages under computer repair.
Click to expand...

I live in a small suburb, so I think it's less than 8 or 9 thousand addresses in my zipcode (it might be under 5k). Also from what I've read postcard mailings are supposed to be fairly cheap, I need to contact the post office to get the exact rates though.
 
RichUK

RichUK

Lifer
Feb 14, 2005
10,341
678
126
35-45 bucks per hour with a 40.00 charge for showing up
Click to expand...

Isn't that a bit extortionate considering the service you will be offering?

It's probably a waste of time anyway.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,242
9,749
126
I don't know about other people, but when I get a crappy flier in the mail, it immediately goes in the circular file. Can you afford a custom paint job for you car? Geek Squad has it down. Advertising cars get noticed, and people will remember you if you have a distinctive design.
 
purbeast0

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,515
6,351
126
Arkitech said:
I live in a small suburb, so I think it's less than 8 or 9 thousand addresses in my zipcode (it might be under 5k). Also from what I've read postcard mailings are supposed to be fairly cheap, I need to contact the post office to get the exact rates though.
Click to expand...

dude do you not realize that it costs 1 stamp to mail out a postcard?

i believe stamps are like 42 cents or something.

with your budget you'd have enough cash to mail out about 120 post cards, and that is if you get free post cards.
 
Ika

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Why don't you do laptops? If you include laptop virus removals your business will probably increase at least twofold.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,242
9,749
126
Arkitech said:
Is it that hard to get a home repair business going? I know I'm not overcharging, my rates are 2-3 times less than most repair shops I've seen in the area.
Click to expand...

Why not work on your neighborhood first, Get a few yard signs printed up, and put them in your yard. If you can get some neighbors to bite, word of mouth will get you more business if you do good work.

Edit:
purbeast0 said:
dude do you not realize that it costs 1 stamp to mail out a postcard?

i believe stamps are like 42 cents or something.

with your budget you'd have enough cash to mail out about 120 post cards, and that is if you get free post cards.
Click to expand...

Postcards mail at a cheaper rate. I don't think it's significantly cheaper when dealing with a very small budget though.
 
A

Arkitech

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2000
8,356
4
76
purbeast0 said:
dude do you not realize that it costs 1 stamp to mail out a postcard?

i believe stamps are like 42 cents or something.

with your budget you'd have enough cash to mail out about 120 post cards, and that is if you get free post cards.
Click to expand...

I don't think you need regular postage stamps for postcards, which is the reason they are supposed to be a cheaper form of advertising. At least that's what I've heard from a couple of real estate investors I've talked with.
 
Blackjack200

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
lxskllr said:
I don't know about other people, but when I get a crappy flier in the mail, it immediately goes in the circular file. Can you afford a custom paint job for you car? Geek Squad has it down. Advertising cars get noticed, and people will remember you if you have a distinctive design.
Click to expand...

Car wraps (the fancy stuff you see on PT Cruisers and Hummers sometimes) can be upwards of $6,000. People remember Geek Squad because they're associated with Best Buy and they have big budget marketing. So you see them on TV, in the Sunday circular, on the cars, on the internet, everywhere.

OP, I would go to the library and get some books on marketing for small businesses.

I would also reconsider those prices. If you charge $50, people will assume your work is worth $50.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,242
9,749
126
Blackjack200 said:
I would also reconsider those prices. If you charge $50, people will assume your work is worth $50.
Click to expand...

Yea, they look low to me also. If you took a bunch of money off Geek Squads prices, it would be higher than your proposal, but still be significantly cheaper than the big box repair.
 
Juddog

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
6
81
Arkitech said:
Is it that hard to get a home repair business going? I know I'm not overcharging, my rates are 2-3 times less than most repair shops I've seen in the area.
Click to expand...

Yes it is hard and it's more of a pain in the ass than what it's worth. That's just my opinion after trying to do what you describe for several years. As it is now I only do services for friends and family, for a small fee, and do it more as a personal favor. It's just simply not worth it right now unless you have a large amount of starting capital and you want to put your MBA to use. There is a reason those big shops charge so much, keep that in mind. When you're working for yourself, balancing your small fees with your W2's, health insurance, and other monthly expenses add up.

People will do stuff so incredibly stupid that you will want to choke someone. People will sweat you for little items and many people will just buy a new system rather than spend money repairing something. People will try and nickel and dime you to death.

I'll give an example. Fixing someone's virus issue. You fix it, reinstall OS, spend several hours tweaking their system, then they call you a week later, infected again because they clicked on a banner or did something retarded. They will then demand that you fix it for free since you didn't do it right the first time (nevermind the fact that you completely re-imaged their system from scratch, installed antivirus software, installed safe browsers, etc.). To clarify the work itself is easy, it's dealing with the people that is a major pain. Especially out of your house, because people will bug you in the middle of while you're doing stuff and make it seem like their issue is bigger than anything in your life.

My advice is to get your skills up and do repair work for a big corporation instead. If you're serious about wanting to do computer repairs, companies like Unisys will hire you to do house calls and you can make a decent buck as long as you are certified in whatever computers they are working with (e.g. Dell, Lenovo, etc.), or even if you are just A+ certified they might hire you and pay for your certifications on specific companies.
 
T

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
12,089
45
91
BrunoPuntzJones said:
Considering a postcard is already like $0.30 a pop to mail, not including materials, that's only a few hundred. I imagine your zip has up to tens of thousands of addresses...

The thing to do would be name your something like Aardvark repair services, or AAAA Repairs. That way you come first in the yellow pages under computer repair.
Click to expand...

There is actually a computer company in my town called Aardvark, I always thought it was a stupid name. Apparently they were clever.
 
A

Arkitech

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2000
8,356
4
76
I know what you mean about people going nuts over the smallest things. I've been in IT for about 17 years but this is my first time going out on my own.

Juddog said:
Yes it is hard and it's more of a pain in the ass than what it's worth. That's just my opinion after trying to do what you describe for several years. As it is now I only do services for friends and family, for a small fee, and do it more as a personal favor. It's just simply not worth it right now unless you have a large amount of starting capital and you want to put your MBA to use. There is a reason those big shops charge so much, keep that in mind. When you're working for yourself, balancing your small fees with your W2's, health insurance, and other monthly expenses add up.

People will do stuff so incredibly stupid that you will want to choke someone. People will sweat you for little items and many people will just buy a new system rather than spend money repairing something. People will try and nickel and dime you to death.

I'll give an example. Fixing someone's virus issue. You fix it, reinstall OS, spend several hours tweaking their system, then they call you a week later, infected again because they clicked on a banner or did something retarded. They will then demand that you fix it for free since you didn't do it right the first time (nevermind the fact that you completely re-imaged their system from scratch, installed antivirus software, installed safe browsers, etc.). To clarify the work itself is easy, it's dealing with the people that is a major pain. Especially out of your house, because people will bug you in the middle of while you're doing stuff and make it seem like their issue is bigger than anything in your life.

My advice is to get your skills up and do repair work for a big corporation instead. If you're serious about wanting to do computer repairs, companies like Unisys will hire you to do house calls and you can make a decent buck as long as you are certified in whatever computers they are working with (e.g. Dell, Lenovo, etc.), or even if you are just A+ certified they might hire you and pay for your certifications on specific companies.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom