Starting my own mobile computer repair business. Thoughts?

[gbeirn]

So I think it's time for a change of work. I've been doing IT/computer repair for the past 15 years. Not to sound cocky or arrogant but I know my stuff and I know what my time is worth and feel it's time to cut out the middle man.

I work for/manage a computer repair shop and it's a nice place and I enjoy my employees but it is a dead end job. There isn't an opportunity for more money, which, while not everything for me, it would be nice.

I'm thinking about buying a Ford E-Series van and fitting it with a mobile computer repair shop. I don't want to work out of my house and don't want the overhead of a store front.

My current job offers on-site service but I think I can expand to more than what we offer. I think people would like the convenience of someone coming to them plus I can park downtown and fix things over people's lunch breaks while they are at work.

I see people who need their machines all the time and can't be without them, so I think there is an untapped market for certain services.

Anyone do anything similar to this?

My plan is over the winter to acquire the vehicle, tools, build a website, research setting up a business in my state, business cards etc. stay at my current job and hopefully come spring time, quit and start my own gig. I would have an savings to live off of as I realize it will take time to advertise and get clients.

 

[Greenman]

Sounds like a plan. Is anyone else in the area doing the same thing? Are they busy? Most people prefer a flat rate as opposed to an hourly charge.

 

[gbeirn]

Sounds like a plan. Is anyone else in the area doing the same thing? Are they busy? Most people prefer a flat rate as opposed to an hourly charge.

I don't know of any specific mobile service like I'm thinking of.

The great thing about my current job is I know things like flat rate over hourly. I know approximately how long a particular job should take so I can price accordingly. I know part suppliers and vendors and how to setup accounts with them. I know what parts to stock for 80% of repairs.

I think it would be awesome if someone calls me and says I have a cracked LCD screen or broken DC jack and I can say it will be $xxx + part and I can have it done this afternoon for you.

I can charge cheaper than my current employer, make more money and have happy customers. So many computers are becoming not cost effective to repair vs. replacing them.

 

[lxskllr]

So many computers are becoming not cost effective to repair vs. replacing them.

This is the part I have an issue with. Seems like there's a market for repair, but for how long? Even something as trivial a hd replacement, and o/s reinstall starts getting dangerously close to the cost of getting a new machine, especially when age is factored in.

 

[gbeirn]

This is the part I have an issue with. Seems like there's a market for repair, but for how long? Even something as trivial a hd replacement, and o/s reinstall starts getting dangerously close to the cost of getting a new machine, especially when age is factored in.

I know that's why I don't see my current employer lasting much more than another 10 years, we aren't really adapting to the changes going on. I hope that if I offer a more convenient service I might stick it out a little longer but even if repair didn't that's 10 years of me making more money than I would now.

 

[goobernoodles]

This is the part I have an issue with. Seems like there's a market for repair, but for how long? Even something as trivial a hd replacement, and o/s reinstall starts getting dangerously close to the cost of getting a new machine, especially when age is factored in.

A lot of people don't really make that connection.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

A lot of people don't really make that connection.

They don't. They're also just used to their machine. They don't want change they just want what they have fixed.

 

[highland145]

Good luck.

Get in with a high $$ old people community. Branch out to wifi, cable, roku, etc...

My Mom, 74, dropped her cell in water. Calls my sis on said cell phone. "What do I do." Sis says put the cell in rice for a few days and let's see. Mom puts the cell battery in the rice... My Bro tells her she's doing it wrong. After a few days of the phone being in rice, she calls me saying it doesn't work.

I pressed the on button and charged her $75. Profit?


j/k about the $75 but she did bring me a plant. "Shields of Infidels" or something.

 

[gbeirn]

They don't. They're also just used to their machine. They don't want change they just want what they have fixed.

Yes these are both true. I see customers who have no idea how much a new machine costs. I also see people who are attached to their particular computer and want it fixed even when it makes no financial sense to do so. I also get people who are concerned about e-waste and sustainability and want to fix things because of that reasoning, that might be a good market to target too.

 

[gbeirn]

Good luck.

Get in with a high $$ old people community. Branch out to wifi, cable, roku, etc...

My Mom, 74, dropped her cell in water. Calls my sis on said cell phone. "What do I do." Sis says put the cell in rice for a few days and let's see. Mom puts the cell battery in the rice... My Bro tells her she's doing it wrong. After a few days of the phone being in rice, she calls me saying it doesn't work.

I pressed the on button and charged her $75. Profit?


j/k about the $75 but she did bring me a plant. "Shields of Infidels" or something.

Yes, I've thought of that too. Smart TV setups, Netflix, etc. Wireless setups or troubleshooting.

 

[Ns1]

I checked CL and there are > 100 ads today alone for computer repair

 

[gbeirn]

I checked CL and there are > 100 ads today alone for computer repair

You know I won't knock CL because hey, it's free advertising, but that really wouldn't be my target market. I'm not looking to fix people's systems for $25 or barter for other goods. If it came to that and I had no other choice, possibly, but not really worth my time.

 

[highland145]

Yes, I've thought of that too. Smart TV setups, Netflix, etc. Wireless setups or troubleshooting.

And your personality/self presentation for that market is the deal maker. Most of my customers love me even though my rates are high. I know their names, kids, problems, politics, have a sympathetic ear, give them grief when they need it, etc, etc.

Hey, I should be a used car salesman. That's a step up according to Ex and Zin.:biggrin:

 

[highland145]

I have a friend that started a "clock in" service. The staff would ask, "Can you look at our fax?" Hell yes. He's making more on the "side business" than he was on the clock service.

 

[Red Squirrel]

This could work but you'd have to do more than just the repairs to make good money. You can always slowly branch off to other things like networking and managed services as well. Where you can make money is getting contracts with small businesses where you take care of their whole environment. So setup a proper network, firewall, router etc... monitor their server(s) and so on... once you have a proper platform and are well organized it wont be too hard to manage and make decent money. Eventually you can hire someone to do all the running around while you take care of the bigger things.

Going to take lot of initial work though.

There is also a small market for fixing phone/tablet screens and such too, though definitely not enough to specialize in just that.

 

[sdifox]

Bad idea. Replacement cost is pretty low these days.

 

[xaeniac]

Residential business sucks; stay far away.

 

[gbeirn]

This could work but you'd have to do more than just the repairs to make good money. You can always slowly branch off to other things like networking and managed services as well. Where you can make money is getting contracts with small businesses where you take care of their whole environment. So setup a proper network, firewall, router etc... monitor their server(s) and so on... once you have a proper platform and are well organized it wont be too hard to manage and make decent money. Eventually you can hire someone to do all the running around while you take care of the bigger things.

Going to take lot of initial work though.

There is also a small market for fixing phone/tablet screens and such too, though definitely not enough to specialize in just that.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far everyone. I like the idea of manged services, I did quite a bit of that at my old job and I've been trying forever to pitch at my current one with no luck.

Phones and tablets are one thing I want to avoid personally. I've tried it before and the volume wasn't there to justify the headaches it produced.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

People don't get rich or suddenly become happy working for someone else. If it goes to sh@t at least you tried. Besides there isn't much of a future in what you're doing. If you think you can cash in on whats left of your trade then more power to you.

 

[highland145]

Residential business sucks; stay far away.

Sounds like someone's doing it wrong ( including the side work). It's all about the sell. Not cheating old people but being useful/helpful. Hell, grandma gives my kid $2 to get the paper. Yeah, I bitch about it but they don't care.

 

[Markbnj]

This is the part I have an issue with. Seems like there's a market for repair, but for how long? Even something as trivial a hd replacement, and o/s reinstall starts getting dangerously close to the cost of getting a new machine, especially when age is factored in.

You could probably milk the back of that curve for another ten years at least, though.

 

[SSSnail]

I think you'll make more money and would have far more customers if your business was mobile mobile device repair.

Time has changed, adapt.

 

[bononos]

This is the part I have an issue with. Seems like there's a market for repair, but for how long? Even something as trivial a hd replacement, and o/s reinstall starts getting dangerously close to the cost of getting a new machine, especially when age is factored in.

I guess thats because the cost of parts has gotten relatively cheap in relation to labor, by shifting factory production over to China. And the cost of old parts being stuffed into landfills to slowly poison groundwater isn't being factored in today's low prices for new products. Its thoughtless and bad for everyone except for the 1%.

 

[gbeirn]

I think you'll make more money and would have far more customers if your business was mobile mobile device repair.

Time has changed, adapt.

You know, I have considered that too. My problem with mobile devices (tablets, phones) is I have almost no experience repairing them. It something I might like to get into but I don't really know where to start.

I realize that my trade is slowing dying. I mean computers will always have their place in business for the foreseeable future but most personal home PCs are being replaced by mobile counterparts.

Maybe it's time for a career change altogether.

 

[lxskllr]

Maybe it's time for a career change altogether.

Not necessarily, but you should prepare for doing something different before you *have* to. If you want to try fixing mobile, maybe buy broken devices, and see if you can get them going again. It's a small outlay in money, and you can recover it if you're successful.