Before you start a part time business on the side, there are a few things you need to consider first.

When you make the switch, your tax setup may also change. For example, in Australia our primary and secondary income are treated separately tax wise (secondary is taxed more) and you need to specify to your accountant or to the government which one is your primary income. This can greatly change how much tax you pay so be careful not to get caught out.

Conflicts of Interest
Before you start doing computer work part time, you need to make sure that there isn’t a “conflict of interest” in you doing so. I talk about conflicts of interest fairly extensively in this article. Basically, a conflict of interest is defined as “when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other”. For example, you might be subconsciously sabotaging your current employers business to help your own.

Think about it like this: If you owned a computer repair shop, employed a young technician and then found out he’s starting his own business to compete with yours, what would be the first things going through your head? “Is he stealing my customers? will he copy my work processes? I trained this guy and now he is using my knowledge against me”.

You need to make sure that your part time business doesn’t conflict with your current employer. If it does, the right thing to do is to quit completely and start your own business full time.

Non-Compete Agreements
Another consideration worth looking at is whether you are on some sort of a non-compete agreement. If you signed a contract with your current employer you should check it for some sort of a non-compete agreement. You may find that you are not allowed to start your own computer repair business within a certain time frame, even if you have quit the job completely.

9 to 5? Not a Problem
I have heard many computer technicians say that the problem they have is that they still have a 9-5 job so they can only get on-site after hours. They need to keep in mind that most residential clients work 9-5 as well.
Instead of your work hours being a disadvantage, turn it into an advantage by making it a selling point. I remember there was a technician on the Technibble forums a few years back who had this problem and turned it into a selling point by making their business slogan “We work when your not” (or something to that effect).

If you can only work after hours, I recommend that you don’t take on business clients because most businesses are open 9-5 and you may be needed to come in during those hours (especially in an emergency). Also, many new computer repair businesses don’t have the appropriate insurance to do computer repair for businesses. So you shouldn’t touch a business computer until you have adequate insurance in place. If you make a big mistake such as losing their data, they can sue you into oblivion for loss of business and opportunity.

Starting a computer business part time is how I started and it is the method that carries the least risk. Hopefully, you will encounter that magic moment when you realize that your side business is making more than your main job or your main job is hampering the growth of the side business. Then it is time to make the switch.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Considerations For Starting Your Own Part Time Computer Business

The computer repair business can be one of feast and famine. There will be some months you will have so much work you can hardly keep up. The next month could be very quiet. Save during the busy times to make up for the slow times.

Don’t be afraid to tell a client that you don’t know the answer to something. Instead, say “I dont know the answer to that currently, but I can find out”. Don’t ever lie.

Don’t ever install or sell pirate software. Aside from the obvious moral reasons, it only takes one disgruntled customer or competitor to report you. Besides, there are plenty of good freeware alternatives for most software now days.

Always return phone calls as soon as possible. If you wait too long you may miss the job.

Be careful asking friends and family for their opinion on your business (such as the business itself, logos, flyers, business cards, your new store sign etc..) They are unlikely to tell you if something is bad. Instead, ask them what their favorite is.

Be careful when entering partnerships. Be sure to outline what each person’s roles and responsibilities are BEFORE you go into business, otherwise it can get ugly.

If the time comes where you have to fire an employee, always try to be as broad as possible. The employee will want to know the exact reason that got them fired, but don’t give in. Tell them that “its not working out, they aren’t a good fit for the company etc..“. Why shouldn’t you tell them? Because they can think of 100 things that’s worthy of getting them fired that you don’t know about. However, if you tell them the single action that got them fired, its probably one of the smaller fire-able offences they have committed.

If you are running late for a computer repair job (as in, more than 5 minutes), give your client a call that you are going to be a little late. Most of the time they don’t care. However, they will get upset if they are kept waiting around. “A quick phone call saves all”.

Client data is one of the most important things to us technicians. Always assume the client’s data is irreplaceable and treat it accordingly.

Get paid as soon as possible. Get cash from residential clients and get checks from business clients. Once you have a check from a business client, try to deposit it that day. Financial issues can happen to good people whom you know and trust, so don’t leave yourself open.

Don’t undervalue your work. Sure, you find it easy and you love it so much that you’ll almost do it for free. Keep in mind you are doing something many other people can’t do, so charge accordingly. Its no different to dentists, electricians etc..

Get to know your residential clients and become a friend. It takes you from “just another tradesman” to someone they would call again and again.

When working for businesses, they usually just want you to go in, fix it and leave. Their employees are already behind on work because the computer was down, so get it fixed and get out of there fast.

Don’t be afraid to turn down a job. It’s better to just say no and lose that little bit of money than to make a large mistake that will cost a lot of money.

Don’t have the lowest prices in town. Clients want the job done right and they often expect the cheapest technician in town to do shoddy work.

Don’t look like you do computer repairs for a hobby. Instead, look like a professional computer technician with a nice pair of dress pants and a collared shirt.

Don’t “talk geek” to your clients. Instead, try and say it in laymen’s terms. Eg. “defragging is like having paper scattered all over your office but and then putting it back in alphabetical order so you can find it quicker”.

Dont give out too much free technical help on the phone unless the person calling is known to be a good previous client. You will get many phone calls from people who want technical help but have no intention of ever paying you for it. Don’t give away the farm.

Get business insurance. If someone trips and hurts themselves on your premesis they can sue you into oblivion. They dont even have to have an accident inside your house, it can even be on your driveway.

Always ask new clients where they heard about you. This allows you to determine what advertising of yours is working and what isn’t.

I would love to hear your bite sized advice. Drop us a comment.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

20 Pieces of Bite-Sized Advice

Keep a Client Database
For a business of just about any size, one of the most valuable items (aside from its reputation) is its client database. You should keep good records of your clients from your very first day and gather as much information as you can.
You can make it easy on yourself by using a customer relationship product like CommitCRM. Not only will this store all of your clients contact information, but it ties in with other important information such as jobs you have done for them in the past, how much they were charged, when they paid you and more. This complete record is attractive to a potential buyer because it gives them a look into your past relationships with the clients they are soon going to be serving.

The Business Phone Number
Another important item to a potential buyer is the phone number the business uses. Since this phone number is all over the advertising material that you have given to your past clients, that is the number they are going to call when they need their computer fixed. Obviously, the new buyer is going to want that. It is often a good idea to either get a specialized number for your business (like a 0800, 1300, 1800 number) or a dedicated land line or mobile phone as it is a major hassle changing numbers when your friends and family are used to calling you on your joint personal/business number.

The Business Name
The way you name your business is also an important factor. If you plan on selling your business one day it is a good idea to name it a brand name rather than after yourself. For example, “Joes Computer Repair” wouldn’t be much of a “Joes Computer Repair” without the actual Joe.

Client Diversity
Another important factor to a potential buyer is the diversity of your clients. If you have a single client that generates a large percentage of your work, it can be dangerous to you and the potential buyer. Let’s say your business generates $100,000 per year which makes it worth $200,000. You also have (or had) a big client that generates 50% of your income. One day this big client either finds someone better or just doesn’t like you or the new owner. Suddenly, the value of your business drops massively since your turnover is now only half what it was.

Procedures and Systems
Have you ever noticed that all McDonald’s restaurants operate the same regardless of who the franchisee is?
When a franchisee is buying a McDonalds franchise, they aren’t just buying the use of the McDonalds name. They are also purchasing the procedures and systems that made McDonalds successful. I am sure you can agree that there are better burger places than McDonalds, but what people like about McDonalds is its speed and predictability. It is like that because they have a refined system that they have perfected over the last 50 years and can replicate and any McDonalds restaurant.
You should document your own procedures and systems as the new buyer will want to replicate what made you successful. Also, by having this documentation, it makes it easier to train new employees since its all written down for them to read.

Keep Good Financial Records
Last but not least, keep good financial records. You should be doing this anyway but having a good record of your past finances is attractive to potential buyers. This can show them when the seasonal peaks and troughs are going to occur and whether the business itself is growing or dying.

Obviously, profitability is one of the most important things that will increase the value of your business. However, if the above factors are done right it will result in a much fatter wallet when you go to sell your business.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Selling Your Business: How to Increase Its Value Right Now

1. It is a good idea to get experience while working from someone else before you start your business.

2. It is a good idea to build up your client base after hours, until it reaches a point where your day job is affecting your computer repair business. That way, it’s a soft slide into the shallow end rather than a jump into the deep end.

Stand alone, each of these lines are good advice. However, they not good advice if you were to do both of these at the same time. Let me explain.


This topic came up when a member on our forums mentioned that he currently works as a technician for another computer business, while starting up his own computer business on the side. He was trying to do the right thing by keeping his clients and his employer’s clients completely separate, so he wasn’t poaching any clients from his boss. So there shouldn’t be a problem right?

This is what you would call a “conflict of interest” which is defined as “when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other”.

While I highly doubt this forum member would do anything to harm his boss since he already has taken the moral high ground in keeping the clients separate; the potential is always there, even if it’s an unconscious decision.

There are also “insider secrets” that this person could unconsciously. For example, let’s say that his boss had developed a system where they could always fix computers in a very short about of time (shorter than most) and was always cheaper than everyone else. This gives his boss a competitive advantage over everyone else in the town and since this technician had to made use this system while he was working for his boss, he is obviously going to remember it. Once this technician goes out on his own, I doubt he is going to purposely use a slower and less efficient method to fix computers when he already knows a better way.

Now that there is a competing technician in town that going to do the exact same thing, the boss just lost his competitive advantage. This is why working for someone else as a technician and running your own business on the side is a conflict of interest.

This technician would also need to take a look at his work contract to make sure there is no non-compete clause in there which prevents him from starting up at all. In order for this technician to do the right thing by his boss, it would be better for him to quit his job completely before he starts his business to avoid the conflict of interest – and if his work contract allows it.

So, while working for someone else to gain experience and building up your business on the side are good advice separately, they are not good advice when put together.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Before You Go Out On Your Own – Conflicts of Interest

So, how can you compete with the big box stores?


If you want to complete against those $400 computers that the big box stores sell; you can’t compete in regards to cost, or at least you shouldn’t. While I am sure you could scrape together some cheap parts to possibly match them in price, it won’t be worth your while in the end because it will probably come back for warranty work because you used cheap parts.

If a client mentions one of these low priced systems to you, you can either educate them about the improved speed and reliability of a higher priced system or if they still want to go with the low priced big box system, you can offer to set it up for them after they buy it because it is likely they will have a printer or a wireless network that it needs to be set up with.

Technical services are just about always the best way to compete with the big box stores. While you may not have the purchasing power of some of the big boys to buy parts and therefore cant mark it up enough to make it worth your while; the big boys often take days to get some of the simplest computer repair jobs done and many of the technicians working at these places are very young and inexperienced resulting in mistakes being made.

Most of the employees at big box stores are also unable to bend the rules even when the situation needs it citing “corporate policy”. There is no quicker way to annoy a customer if an employee cites a stupid policy or one that doesn’t apply to the situation. You know your own costs, you know how much this client is worth to you and therefore you can make decisions like working on computers for free to keep the client happy if you have to.

The prices for technical services at big box stores are also much more than your average “mom-and-pop” store. A certain big box store in the US charges $199.99 for in-house virus removal or a whopping $299.99 to do it onsite. It’s not hard for you to pay for your overheads like insurance and advertising and still beat those prices.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

How To Compete With Bigbox Stores

Many technicians that are just starting out would love to accept credit cards, but the idea of accepting them right from the start is daunting. While starting up my personal business, I ended up deciding to take credit cards right from the start, but I learned a lot along the way.


Your Business Needs
First, you need to think about your exact needs for accepting credit cards. Are you more of an on-site company or working out of a shop – or both? Here’s a quick run down of your options along with Pro’s and Con’s:

• Computer Based – Most smaller businesses use one of two products to create customer transactions and invoices: Quickbooks or PeachTree accounting. Fortunately, both offer credit card transactions directly inside the programs. The pro is that you don’t have to do anything else, just enter the details and your done. The con is that if that shop computer crashes, gets stolen, etc – you’re out of your credit card processing until your machine is replaced or fixed.
• Mobile Computer/Phone Based – Mobile based credit card systems, like what Merchant.com offers, are simple to setup and simple to deal with on the road. You just fire up your mobile laptop or phone, go to a webpage and enter the details. The pro for this is method is it’s cheap and works almost anywhere. The con comes in when you’ve just removed a virus from a customer computer and they’re hesitant about submitting information across the web.
• In Shop, Phone Line Based – In shop solutions are almost always a swipe machine of some caliber. These work either off of a secondary phone line or your internet connection. The pro is that these options are what most shops utilize and they offer a quick option for transactions that consumers are use to seeing. The con is that you are physically tied to your shop. Any remote credit card processing has to be done over the phone by calling the shop.
• Mobile, Cellular Based – Mobile solutions are typically swipe machines that work off of batteries and use a cellular connection instead of a phone line. The pro is that this solution will work in a shop or customer site. There are two cons to this option: your batteries can run out and you could be in a location that doesn’t get a proper signal (some machines offer phone line and network attachments as well.)
• Google/Paypal Based – This option is free, except the low transaction fees that you or the customer pays. The pro is, this is a well-known and generally accepted method of payment. The con is, this doesn’t look professional, at all.

Fees
I can’t talk about credit cards without talking about fees. I can’t be specific on fees and percentages since they vary by area, bank and business. This is where most people get scared. The fees are attached to specific card types and networks:

• In network – These are cards that have agreements with your bank. Typically, this is Visa and Mastercard, but can include others such as American Express and even Diners Club. Typically, these fees are the same across the board, but the actual credit card companies usually charge more fees on top of your bank.
• Out of Network – These are other cards that you’ve typically never heard of. They’re few and far between, but they are out there. These cards are charged more per transaction.
• Consumer Credit Cards – Consumer cards are self-explanatory. These are your typical cards that everyone carries around. Typically, it does not include debit-based credit cards.
• Business Credit Cards – These are the credit cards that your typical business owner carries around. These always have a company name on them. These cost more per transaction as well. Talk with your bank, because if you transact more business cards than personal cards, you may qualify for “wholesale” pricing on your transactions.
• Debit Based Cards – Debit transactions are not included with a typical machine, unless you request it. These typically cost more per transaction as well. If you choose this option, your machine must be programmed for them as well, which can cost more.
• Also, your fees are based on your average transaction amount. Someone that charges an average of $19.99 will pay a larger percentage rate than someone that charges an average of $199.99.

Hardware Fees
While I listed the pros and cons of machines, there’s actually a little more to consider. Leasing vs buying the machine as well as programming fees.

Leasing will offer you a lower price to start with, but much higher over the long run. A typical lease with a bank is 4 years. Multiply the price they give you by 48 and that’s the price you pay for the hardware over the lifetime of the lease. Leasing helps when your machines get abused on a normal basis. Your bank will be more likely to replace it if you lease. If you buy your machine, you can normally save over half the price of the lease! But, you need to be careful because if you break it, it’s already yours…

Buying gives you a cheaper price, in the long run, and you own the hardware. But, again, if you break it, oh well. This also allows you to put your logo on the terminal, when a lease option may not allow that. I would recomend that you buy any machine through your bank. Machines purchased from other parties may include pre-braned machines with another business or something has physically been done to the machine that can ruin your business (ie: an extra hidden SIM to phone ‘home’). Purchasing your machine from your bank will also allow you to save money since a pre-purchased machine will require fees for programming (as long as it meets the security requirements for your bank.) If you purchase the machine directly from your bank, you also save on shipping times – pre-purchased options could cost you 3-4 weeks in shipping things back and forth.

Ultimately, if you’re worried about credit card processing, the best thing you can do is do your homework on your bank’s website or speaking with them directly. You’re not going to get hurt just talking to the sales department. I personally spent about an hour on the phone with my bank and got my overall price dropped by more than $500 for my machine and my rates dropped a lot off the normal price due to my situation. The more the rep on the phone knows about you, the better things will go.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Accepting Credit Cards

What is the single, best piece of advice you could offer someone starting a new computer business?

As always, you dont need to sign up to leave a comment and you can even post anonymously if you like.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Your Best Piece of Advice For a New Computer Business

One of the first things you will find out in this business is that it usually takes a while to find out what advertising works in your area and you will lose a fair bit of money doing this.
Dont let it get you down and make you think you arent cut out for this job. Instead, analyze your advertising and get someone else to look at it.
Perhaps your target market wasnt correct? Lets say you put an ad in an industry specific paper like a builders magazine so you can get networking jobs wiring up new buildings. When a builder needs to find someone to do the networking, will they think to look in the builders magazine? or the Yellow Pages? They wont expect to see a networking ad in their builders magazine so will probably reach for the Yellow Pages.

It is possible that your targeting was correct but your ad was hard to see amonst all the other computer repair ads. You have to be analytical with your advertising as it wont work immediately. Tweak your advertising until you find out what works. Success is actually a series of failures.

You have to be passionate and believe in what you are doing in this business. If you go the self employed route you need to love having your abilities tested and keep on improving yourself. If you are in it just for the money then you will get burnt out because there are too many times where the amount of work is not worth the money, but it is worth learning the lesson and improving yourself.

In this business, you really need to know how to control your money. If you earned $1000 in a week, it doesnt mean you can go out and spend $1000 at the end of the week (this is often the mindset of many 9-5 workers). You should invest about 20% of that into advertising, save another 10% to cover the tax bill you are going to get nailed with at the end of the year and then put some aside to get you through the slow weeks. Once you start doing well, you should keep your overheads low because things can change.

How much you earn is often not proportional to how much you worked. There will be many times where you will work all day and earn very little, but there will also be times where you do very little and earn a lot.

In just about all businesses where you are working for yourself, you need to keep pushing forward and taking things to the next step because if you arent growing, you’re dying.

Once you enter any service industry, your time becomes extremely important. Many people say they dont have the time to run their own business (or have their own business already but keep running out of time in the day). These people need to look at how much time they spend watching TV and doing other unproductive things. I actually know someone who is quite wealthy from owning mutliple businesses, has a wife and kids but still has time to get things done. I asked him how he manages it (especially with two young children) and he says that he doesnt really watch TV or do any other avoidable time wasting activities. He works flat out for 8 hours a day and spends the rest of the time with his family. When you think about it, how much TV do you watch in a day? What could you have achieved if you spent that time working on your business?

I am not saying you should completely avoid TV as it can be a great education or relaxation tool, but there are many shows that I could personally do without watching and I am sure you have some too.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Business and Life Lessons That Helped Me Become Successful

Not Having Enough Start Up Funds
I believe that the bare minimum amount of money you should start a new business with is at least $1000 and that is not taking into account the amount of money you need to survive while you are starting up. You need to pay for official business registrations, accountants, tools, stock and advertising. I go into this a little deeper in my Computer Repair Business Start up Costs article.

Charging Too Low
We cover this a lot here at Technibble and it’s one of the most common mistakes. There are many young computer technicians believe that they can beat their competition by having lower prices but don’t realize the costs of running a real computer repair business. There are taxes, ongoing advertising costs, depreciation in your cars value, petrol, aging stock, business insurance and licenses for software. There is also another side effect of having very low prices and that is you attract cheap clients who want more for less and will eventually consume most of your time yet you will be making little money. Also, once you raise your prices to something more sustainable these clients most likely wont have any loyalty towards you because they will always be looking for the cheapest price.

Pirated Software Or Inappropriate Licenses
It is extremely risky to use pirated software or inappropriate licences on both your business computers, or your clients computers. Not only is it unethical, but it is dangerous for your business because your competitors can take you out with one phone call to Microsoft, Adobe or any of the other big brands who go after pirates. Even if you don’t have any competitors in your area, all it takes is one angry client to “tell on you”.

Not Having Business Insurance
I find a lot of new businesses skip on having business insurance because of the costs involved. This can be a very dangerous move because you are more likely to make mistakes in your early years than you are in your later years. There are many factors involved in calculating the cost of insurance such as your location and the sort of clients that you deal with, but you can get good insurance for somewhere between $200 – $500 USD per year. Shop around for a good price using both local insurance agencies and online brokers such as InsuranceForTechs.com and TechInsurance.com

Getting In Over Your Head
I talked about this recently in my article “Don’t be afraid to turn down certain computer technician work” where I personally had a job in front of me that would have put me in over my head. While I could have done the job, if it went wrong I could have been sued into oblivion. Know your limits and don’t bite off more than you chew.

Learning On Clients Computers
This mistake goes hand in hand with the above “getting in over your head”. If I brought my car into a mechanics garage and found out that their mechanic was learning while fixing my car, I would be really upset. If you don’t know what you are doing, hand it onto someone else.
Of course, you need to learn somehow and there are many ways to do it without learning on a clients computer. You could work under someone else for a while or if you were like me and learning when you were young and penniless, I used to find abandoned computers on the side of the road and turn about 5 dead computers into 2 good working ones. If I did damage to any of the hardware, I would just put it back out on the side of the road. I would spend 3 hours trying to fix a problem that now takes me 5 minutes to do onsite. Its not fair chargrge the client for those 3 hours of learning time when it could be done in 5 minutes.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Top 7 Beginner Mistakes for New Computer Businesses

If you have any family that relies on you such as a wife and kids then making the jump now may not be the wisest choice. If you were laid off from your job and have no clients on the side then it may be a better idea to work part time elsewhere until you build up your client-base. Your responsibility is to the welfare of your loved ones first first and to follow your dream second.

If you already have a decent client base while you are still at your current job or before you left, then you are halfway there. Rather than a jump in the deep end you are sliding into the shallow end and your chances of success is much greater.

If you have the choice (as in, you weren’t laid off), work on building up your client base after hours until it reaches the point where your 9 to 5 job hampers the growth of your computer business, then your income wont be taking as much as a hit and you have already learned some of the hard lessons this industry has to offer.

Do you want to work on computers?
Did you work on computers at your last job, found you are great at it and thought about starting your own business fixing computers? You need to keep in mind that once you start working for yourself, you aren’t always doing technician work anymore. You are doing marketing, office administration, dealing with customers, answering phone calls, doing accounting and just about every other job that was probably done by someone else at your old job.

Doing the job you love (repairing computers) and actually running a business are two different things. This is one of the major reasons why many new businesses fail as the owner simply gets burnt out doing jobs they don’t love.
Of course, you can always hire someone to do your marketing or accounting once you have some good cash flow coming in, but in the beginning you will most likely have to do it yourself. Also, keep in mind that when you are self employed the amount of hours you worked verses amount of billable hours are two different things. I have personally had days where I worked all day but didn’t make a cent because it was all unbillable hours.

So ask yourself, do you want to work on what you love but not have any freedom? or work on computers and don’t the stuff you don’t like, but have the freedom of being your own man?

Other Considerations
If you were working for another computer repair business such as Firedog, Geeksquad or a “Mom and Pop store” and the clients you consider “your clients” are really your old employers clients then some issues can arise such as:
1. You may be under a non-compete agreement with your old employer not to start your own computer repair business.
2. They can sue you for stealing their clients so don’t go handing out your business card when your employer sends you out on a repair job.
3. Its unethical to do so (even if it is legal) and you better hope the same thing doesn’t happen to you when you start having your own employees.
If this is the case then its probably a good idea to discount all of their clients as your clients and start new.

I don’t want to scare people from following their dreams, but I do want them to make sure they are prepared for it. In the end, I believe starting your own business worth it. My own business has given me the freedom to travel for many months of the year which is very important for me. The job is always interesting because just when you think you have seen everything, something weird happens. It can sometimes be hard (such as me working at 2am last night getting a mission critical system ready by morning) but the pros always outweigh the cons. Its a great business to be in.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Making the Jump to Self Employment