To help prevent this, consider getting some small stickers made that you can stick onto their computer case with their permission. It won’t get lost like a business card and the number is right there when they need it.

Is your answering machine message up to date?
It’s easy to forget what your answering machine message says because you simply don’t call yourself. It’s quite possible you changed it before you went on holidays to let your clients know you will be unavailable and forgot to change it back. Make sure your answering machine message is up to date.

Do you return calls quick enough?
Most of your clients should have some sort of loyalty towards you. They have met you; they trust you and know you are competent. They would rather not try out another technician because they have fears of getting someone that doesn’t know what they are doing. However, if you don’t answer the phone immediately they will only wait for so long. Try to return calls as soon as possible. The same day is ideal but the next morning should be the very latest. Don’t give them a chance to try out another technician and possibly replace you forever.

Do you “close” phone call enquiries?
When someone calls you and asks how much will it cost to have a wireless network setup, do you just say “$200 for parts and labor” or do you say “That will cost $XXX for parts and labor. I am available to go onsite tomorrow. Would you like to book in a time?”

The first way just encourages them to call around for the best price. The second way helps you “close the sale”.
This is what the marketing world calls a “call to action” and it gives the customer a way to take it further. It is easier for them to say yes to you and be done with it rather than continue calling around for the next hour.

Do you always provide value?
Just this week I went to a repair job that was about an hour away from my location and I fixed the problem within 10 minutes. I asked the client if there was anything else they wanted me to do and he said that I had fixed everything that he needed. I could get paid and go home then and there but I felt like I didn’t provide value. I noticed he was asking me a lot of questions about basic word processing. I told him that because of the distance I have traveled, I have to charge my full hourly rate regardless of whether I am here for 10 minutes or the full hour, so if he likes I can fill the rest of the rest of the hour and teach him some basic word processing, which I did.
After the hour he got his computer fixed, learned a lot and felt like I delivered value for money.

If the client feels they are not getting value for money, they will simply replace you with someone cheaper.

© 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 You Are Losing Clients

For example, if a client had virus that used to take you 2 hours to fix at $60 per hour and you can now do it in one. You just cheated yourself out of $60 for being good at your job. Doesn’t seem right does it?

The solution to this is to evaluate your rates every year or so, look at how much you are making per job and keep raising your rates as your experience grows. In the example above, you would need to double your prices just to remain at the same level you used to be as an inexperienced technician. Additionally, the cost of living usually rises so you are often forced to raise your prices just to keep your head above water.

You may be thinking that you might lose clients when you raise your prices. However, you will find that if your clients know you and trust you, they won’t care about a small price hike. They are often just glad that they have found a technician that knows what they are doing and can trust. I talk about raising your prices in more depth in this article.

Don’t let this sneak up on you, keep raising your rates as your experience grows or your income will decline.

© 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.

The Problem with Getting Good..

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

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

One of the lessons I would like to share with you is that by giving something away or spending more money can actually save or make you a lot more money.


A great example of this is the story of my fiancée’s previous and current workplace.

Her old work place was run by somebody who was always trying to save money. I mean, he was really counting the pennies to the point where they would often not have enough stock to complete the job. He would constantly bring in new nurses on an unpaid “trial basis”, string them along and eventually let them go at the end of the trial so he was essentially getting nurses to work for free.

He would have a Christmas party at the end of the year like most businesses do but he would pay for very little even though this guy was very wealthy.

This business has never really ran smoothly because the place was often short of essential stock, the boss would chew out the nurses for something little like using one too many staples (again, to save money), the nurses would get frustrated because they can’t do their job properly and get in trouble for it resulting in a high staff turnover.

My fiancée is no longer at that business due to the reasons mentioned above and is now working at a Dental practice that is almost the opposite of her old work.

The Dental Practice that my fiancée current works at has found “its groove” and everything runs smoothly. It always has enough stock and the boss spends money doing nice little things like bringing in cups of hot chocolate every Tuesday.

So what’s my point? My point is that by spending that little bit extra it actually saves more money than “counting the pennies” like the previous boss. By having enough stock the place runs smoothly which allows everyone to be more efficient and get more done which eventually leads to more income. When the boss buys $20 worth of hot chocolate every Tuesday he is keeping everyone happy and makes them feel like they are appreciated which results in less staff turnover.

The old Dental practice thought he could save money but the process of placing ads and training staff is actually quite expensive. First, there is the actual cost of placing an ad on the job sites (usually around $100) and then you have to spend time training them. You also have to pay the trainee for the training time (where they aren’t 100% useful yet) and you need a fully trained staff member to train them. This takes the fully trained staff member away from other jobs which makes them less efficient as well.
So, by spending that little bit extra on his practice and making the staff feel appreciated, the new boss makes far more money than the old boss who counts the pennies to save money.

© 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.

Make More Money By Being Generous

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

Once you have been in business for a year or two you may want to raise your prices again because your experience is now greater than it was when you first started.

In fact, you usually need do this because can fix problems faster. If you charge according to time, you will actually make less than when you first started because you can do it so much quicker.

Of course, raising your prices is the easy part. The hard part is convincing your clients that you are more experienced than the guy down the street who charges half what you do per hour. The client often doesn’t know any better so you need to educate them. Here are a few ways to go about it:


Mention you experience in your sales pitch
I often do this when someone asks me to quote them a new computer. My computers are definitely not the cheapest around but I would say something like:

“As you know, I work as a computer technician and because of this I get to see which parts are troublesome and unreliable out in the field, because, well, its my job to go fix them. The salesmen at the big brand stores may know the features of the product he is selling, but he doesn’t know how reliable the product is once it has been used.

I only use brands that are known to be the most reliable and easy to setup.”

I know of some businesses that also mention their experience in their slogan (and having a stab at Geek Squad at the same time) by saying “Why hire a geek when you could hire an IT Professional?”.

Advertise that you are insured and/or certified
Advertising the fact you are insured looks great in the eyes of business clients. If you have any certifications, it might be worth listing them in small text down the bottom of your advertising material. Don’t focus on the certifications though since most people don’t know what CCNA or A+ means, but just having them listed helps build credibility.

Guarantee Your Work
When a customer is choosing a tradesman in just about any job they are taking a risk. Will this plumber be any good? Will this mechanic try to rip me off? and will this computer guy be competent in what he is doing?
By guaranteeing your work, it helps takes the risk out of potentially getting scammed by an inexperienced computer technician.

Look The Part
Looking professional isn’t just one thing, it’s actually an entire package that comes together to give a professional image.

A professional looking website can massively help with credibility. However, keep in mind a poorly made website can actually damage your company’s image. If web design isn’t your forte then don’t be afraid to pay a professional to make one. Computer technicians like to figure out anything computer related by nature and believe they can design a good looking website. The problem is while our technical minds can create the backend code, but most struggle with the design side of things resulting in a bad looking page. It’s kind of like the equivalent of your client’s 16 year old cousin doing tech work because he “knows computers”. Unless you have design skills, just get a professional to do it.

The same thing applies to your business cards. The ones made and printed at home just scream amateur. Get some cards professionally made at a proper printer for around $150 to $300 depending on volume. It’s well worth it.

To further separate yourself from those who charge less than you, wearing a uniform makes a massive difference. While some technicians wear a proper suit (though these guys are usually technology consultants) but I personally wear a nice black, long sleeve collared shirt. I believe it look professional, but not overpriced.
I have seen technicians do computer repairs in tracksuit pants and hoodies and it just looks unprofessional. I am sure you would question your dentist’s ability if he was wearing a hoodie and trackies rather than a white dental gown.

To further push the official look of a uniform, it might be worth getting a few shirts embroided with your logo as it only costs a $5-10 USD per shirt.

Lastly, having paperwork such as Work Orders with your logo up the top makes your business look very official since just about all of the “fly by night” businesses don’t have any paper work at all.

© 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 Demonstrate Why You Charge More Than The Tech Down The Road

Clients who ask too many questions
I am sure all of us have had a client that asks too many questions at some point in their career. While this can be annoying when you are trying to work, you can turn it around into a brilliant sales tool. I personally believe that we as computer technicians are not only “the guy that fixes computers”, but educators and consultants as well. The client is usually asking questions for a reason so try to find out why they are asking these questions and see if there some way you can help them with it.

For example, if a client was asking me how computers get viruses, I would tell them that many ways a computer can get a virus but some of the most common ways to get a virus are through applications like Limewire or fake antivirus messages that pop up when you visit a website.

So, that answers their question but we now need to figure out why they were asking it in the first place. In most cases they are asking this question because they have already been infected in the past and want to know how they can avoid it in the future.
If they haven’t got an antivirus solution already, this is a great time to recommend one. You can help alleviate their fears of getting a virus and possibly make a sale.

Clients that talk too much
There are two good ways deal with a client that talks too much and which once you choose depends on how you are charging. If you are on a fixed rate basis, some technicians will come right out and tell the client that they need to concentrate.
If you are on an pricing structure where you charge for your time or you feel uncomfortable telling them that you need to concentrate, you can stop working and give them 100% of their attention while they talk. This will show them you care but client will soon realize that you are not working because you are listening to them and if they want to keep the price down, they will let you get back to what you were doing.

Clients who ask for more than time allows
Sometimes a client will call you onsite to do a relatively small job that shouldn’t take much more than an hour and you have organized your day around this.
Once onsite, the client will keeps asking you to do extra tasks that will take more time than you have. Instead of being late for your next appointment which is a huge no-no in this business, tell them that you would love to help them with their other problem, but unfortunately you will have to schedule it for another time because you have another appointment soon.
This shows that you care and want to help them, but simply don’t have the time to do it now.

Clients who don’t trust Computer Technicians
This one is often a tough one to deal with because they question your every move. I find the best way to deal with this is to always keep them in the loop and explain what you are doing and why you are doing it for their benefit.
For example, if you were called onsite to remove a virus you could say something like “I am going to install this antivirus to help you protect your computer from viruses. Prevention is the best way to deal with them and it will save you money in the future”.

If they feel you are looking out for them, they are much more likely to change their attitudes and know they can trust you.

© 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 Manage Difficult Clients While Onsite

Why am I talking about cleaning cloths on a computer business site? Because your computer businesses can become like this. When things have been a certain way for so long, it becomes part of the background even though its out of place. You see it, but you don’t notice it.


If you ever watch a show like “Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares” you’ll know that Gordon Ramsey does this all the time with the restaurants he visits. He would go into a failing restaurant and tells the business owner some things that you and I would find to be very obvious mistakes as the lack of signage outside the restaurant and perhaps some cockroaches running around the kitchen.

So, lets take a step back and look at our own business with a fresh eye. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it easy for your clients to find your phone number? Your phone number should be on all your advertising material.
• Do you make it easy for your client to keep your number? Fridge magnets, case badges and stickers work well for this.
• If you have a store front, is your sign visible from the street, from the footpath and also at night?
• Are you keeping a record of your clients? Its a good idea to have a database for marketing purposes and it makes your business more attractive if you are selling it. If you need a client management system, check out something like CommitCRM.
• Call your own phone number. Is your answering machine message up to date? Does it give the customer the information they need such as your operating hours or an alternate phone number? If you have staff or an answering service where a real person answers, are they polite, easy to understand and provide the right information?
• Are your prices easy to understand?
• Does every part of your operation look professional? You may be wearing a nice shirt and carrying around a nice case for your technician tools but it the whole professional image doesn’t quite work if you are also wearing white runners.
• Do you know how much it costs for you to operate? Are you making more than that amount?
• If you have a website, does it load quickly? If not, optimize it and perhaps find a new host.
• Are you appropriately insured? If not, check out something like TechInsurance.com (US Only)
• How does your business stand out from the local competition? Why should they choose you over someone else?
• Lastly, whatever you answered for the last question, do you advertise this to your potential clients? There isn’t much point being more experienced or having better prices if your potential clients don’t know about it.

© 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.

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