Ideas going through my head

[Rocco]

OK, I have spent the last 3 days doing nothing but reading the forums. I do believe in the Business and Legal forum, I read up to page 30, all the others I read to page 5 or so. I apologize this post will be long, and some of it I am sure will sound like rambling. It just helps me to write it out.

First, a little about myself, if you have not read my introduction. I am a 10 year veteran of the Air Force, where I worked on network servers and computers. I have A+, Network+, Security+, CEH, MCSE, and Microsoft Office 2010 trainer certificates. Why the CEH? I got that 3 years ago, just before my service was up. The 2 week classes cost over $6K. At that time, I thought it would be a great direction for me to head. However, a divorce and single parent status later, I can't see traveling in my future. I live in Wyoming, so the chances of getting many opportunities to do penetration testing here locally at the prices it deserves is slim to none. That is one certificate and license I am just going to let expire. :-(

Anyways, in the AF, I was in charge of over 500 computers, with about 2000 users. Many things can go wrong with those numbers, as I am sure you are aware. Now, one thing I am lacking at, and it seems to be the most prevalent thing you face is viruses and cleaning.

What? With all your background Rocky, how can that be? Well, hardware issues were tested and tested until we fixed it. Software issues, including slow computers or viruses, it was faster to re-image it. If you have never used a military computer, every computer on a base is set up exactly the same. (Some have special software, but that is all animated.) Basically, it took 20 minutes to format the computer and use an image disc. Any updates were then automatically done at bootup. So, with how many computers I had to look at daily, it was normally much easier and efficient than spending a couple hours trying to make it right.

So I know my shortcomings, and admit them freely. It doesn't seem such a hard task to learn, and until my business starts, I will be doing it for friends and family. My girlfriend uses P2P, so I get the opportunity every few weeks to really practice.

So what all have I learned from this website?

First, I am nowhere near ready to start doing computer repair. I do not want it to look like a by the seat of my pants business. So I have come up with some ideas to get me to that place. Please let me know what you think.

1) January 1st-ish, buy Quickbooks. This way I can record all purchases, including QB, for 2013 tax break.

2) Buy the TN business kit. It comes highly recommended. Change things around, make it look like mine.

3) Come up with a name. I am leaning towards Wild Horse Computer Services. (I own a Mustang that we broke. Great horse, and love her to death. I was going to use her name in the business name, but a post on here said long term, if want businesses to hire you, it may be a bad idea.) What do you think of Wild Horse as a business name?

4) Open mailbox at local UPS mailboxes for $200/6 months. I am never home to receive packages now, let alone when running around.

5) File for federal tax ID, and state reseller certificate.

6) Create business bank account. With a bank card for online purchases.

7) Apply with a couple distributors. Order parts I think I will need, probably closer to opening date. (What parts are good starter parts? A couple IDE/SATA hard drives, RAM is so varied, do you keep it in stock? Do you keep video cards in stock? If so, which ones? Gaming, or basic? Ahh, that's another thread altogether, sorry. )

8) Hire a designer to come up with a logo. Probably somebody local.

9) Design website, brochure, and business card. Hire printer to do brochures, business cards, and work order forms with carbon copy. (I know the last is questionable on a lot of threads. We use them at my current job on a different type of home repair. Customers here seem to like it.)

10) Either attempt to design own ads, or hire somebody. Only thing I don't know the cost of, LOL.

11) Create Access database to track jobs. I want to use mHelpdesk, but I really want to stay away from monthly bills right now. If there is another system out there for computer repair, where it is one payment, please let me know.

12) Either apply for a Intuit card reader or a Square card reader. I know some people are still cash only, but again, I want this to be done right. I want to look legit from day one. I think this is one convenience for the customer I want to ensure I have. I don't carry cash with me, why should I expect them to?

13) I only wear button up shirts, even on my day off. Long sleeve during the winter, short sleeve during the summer. Thinking of buying about 10 plain ones and getting them embroidered with name and logo, but that can wait until after opening day.

14) Purchase D7. Free version is full of awesome. Paid version, looks even better.

15) June 1 - Opening day. Deep breath. Full ads in the paper, local traders, possibly even CL, but the others locally on there are saying $20/hour. LOL. Perhaps in my ads for the first week, I can offer 25% off any service though. Will have to mull that one over.

16) Sep - Hopefully give 2 week notice to full time job? LOL

17) +3 years from now. Buy Ford Transit for work vehicle. Anybody use this vehicle, or something similar? When I was stationed in England, most work vehicles were about that size. It seemed to work great. They aren't huge, so gas is good. I can't see how you need a huge vehicle for computers, but maybe I am wrong. Also, do you see a difference in how you are perceived? Maybe I am taking my own biases into account here, but I would look differently at a guy who pulls up in a work vehicle with company logo, than I would a guy pulling up in his Ford Focus.

Anyways, I think that is it for now. I know I had a lot more on my mind earlier, and it will come back to me. If you have made it this far, thank you. Please, share your ideas. Fix my ideas, tell me why I should do something different. Tell me I am an idiot if you must, but tell me why. What do you really think of the name Wild Horse Computer Services? Remember, I live in Wyoming, where wild horses still roam free.

 

[CLC]

I applaud the effort that you have put into this post, for a moment I was looking for page 2 It sounds like you are most definitely on the right track. Get started on that business name and website right away, it takes time for search engine rankings and you will have to spend less money on advertising the better your website does. You may want to break this down and post into several sections to get better responses though.

The thing that sticks out to me is the virus/malware cleaning and tune up portion. Virtual machines are great for practice, if you have windows 8 pro it comes with Hyper-V which is very simple to set up. If you need help with this specific topic though I would suggest posting in the technical eyes only section. That section is not searchable by the public and most business don't want their routines on a Google search.

 

[Rocco]

I applaud the effort that you have put into this post, for a moment I was looking for page 2:. The thing that sticks out to me is the virus/malware cleaning and tune up portion.

This is very important, especially for residential work. If you need help with this specific topic I would suggest posting in the technical eyes only section. That section is not searchable by the public and we don't need them knowing all the tricks of the trade

I am certain once I get access to it 5 days from now, I will spend a few days reviewing the first 30 pages of those posts too. LOL. Yes, it is a weakness, and one I hope to overcome easily before I begin by doing free work for friends and families.

Oh, before I forget, 14.1) Get insurance!

 

[mraikes]

I think this is first time I've ever I've +1'd someone on their very first day here.

You've obviously given this a lot of thought, planning and (apparently) absorbed a lot from your reading here at TN.

Wild Horse Computer Services? Why not? If it's going to work anywhere it should be Wyoming.

But snag that domain name ASAP (like RIGHT NOW).

EDIT: MustangComputerServices is also available as a domain name and is a little shorter.

 

[Rocco]

I think this is first time I've ever I've +1'd someone on their very first day here.

You've obviously given this a lot of thought, planning and (apparently) absorbed a lot from your reading here at TN.

Wild Horse Computer Services? Why not? If it's going to work anywhere it should be Wyoming.

But snag that domain name ASAP (like RIGHT NOW).

EDIT: MustangComputerServices is also available as a domain name and is a little shorter.

Didn't even think of registering already! Just did that. If I decide I want to change to a different name, then I will just sit on it for a year.

The reason I didn't want to go with Mustang is I didn't want anyone to somehow think I had anything to do with the car, LOL. I know, probably wasted thoughts on my part.

 

[carrcomp]

Didn't even think of registering already! Just did that. If I decide I want to change to a different name, then I will just sit on it for a year.

The reason I didn't want to go with Mustang is I didn't want anyone to somehow think I had anything to do with the car, LOL. I know, probably wasted thoughts on my part.

It is and it isn't.

Depends on the branding used on your site and your business card. The way people are visual these days, if they don't see a car on your card or your site they won't make that assumption.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Love the Wild Horse Computer Services name! No connection to computers, but I suspect it really doesn't matter, given it local appeal. My only concern would be that you may be getting a little ahead of yourself, in terms of expenses, without having first acquired the practical, hands-on experience and required knowledge that will carry the business. Have you thought about a business plan, your target market and competition? Seems to me you need to focus on business accounts rather than residential, as there is no way to cover those expenses in the short term as a one-person operation if you just address residential. Personally, I wouldn't worry about image as much as acquiring the required skills and experience, creating a base of satisfied customers, and thinking about the viability of the business. Although it's probably very important, it's kind of tough to get your name out there and establish credibility when you won't really be available for quite some time. I think it will be key to strengthen your analytic and trouble-shooting skills with real problem solving opportunities as a priority.

 

[carrcomp]

Love the Wild Horse Computer Services name! No connection to computers, but I suspect it really doesn't matter, given it local appeal. My only concern would be that you may be getting a little ahead of yourself, in terms of expenses, without having first acquired the practical, hands-on experience and required knowledge that will carry the business. Have you thought about a business plan, your target market and competition? Seems to me you need to focus on business accounts rather than residential, as there is no way to cover those expenses in the short term as a one-person operation if you just address residential. Personally, I wouldn't worry about image as much as acquiring the required skills and experience, creating a base of satisfied customers, and thinking about the viability of the business. Although it's probably very important, it's kind of tough to get your name out there and establish credibility when you won't really be available for quite some time. I think it will be key to strengthen your analytic and trouble-shooting skills with real problem solving opportunities as a priority.

I disagree.

I started my business with 1000$ so I'm not the example here, but if he sets up a business with everything he needs, proper marketing will take care of the rest.

Just be prepared to be in the red for at least a year.

And, if his only shortcoming is Virus removal .. plenty of sites on the net to help with that.

 

[tankman1989]

I really don't want to be a downer but I think you should really take a look at a few aspects of your situation before planning on this venture taking over as full time, profitable, employment. The main aspect is competition. If you read over all the threads here you will see about 2-3 people a week who decide to do what you are doing because they either feel the need to work on their own, were laid off or under employed, getting out of school or switching from a totally different career.

I've worked as a freelancer doing contract work for about 5 years. Before that I worked as a support technician, network admin, IT manager and a few other positions. I worked at a local repair company who is my competition and they are established (25 years or so). There are also about 100+ other local computer "repair" companies in half my county (the population of your state). I know how little business that can come from this size population and I think you will have an even tougher time because of the sparse population of your area. This is my biggest concern when looking at your situation. I don't doubt your skills or drive, only the market and existing (and future) competition. I think you really need to focus on researching this to best prepare you for what you need to do.

My best advice is to find something to specialize in which you can do remotely so that you can have this as an additional source of revenue in addition to local work. I think the CEH is a great start and that might be the right thing for you especially if you have you security clearance from the military (do whatever you can to keep or get this if you are doing CEH related stuff). The biggest downside with planning on doing remote work for a living is that whatever you can do remotely, so can that person in Asia. This is a love/hate relationship with me.

Good luck.

 

[Rocco]

Love the Wild Horse Computer Services name! No connection to computers, but I suspect it really doesn't matter, given it local appeal. My only concern would be that you may be getting a little ahead of yourself, in terms of expenses, without having first acquired the practical, hands-on experience and required knowledge that will carry the business. Have you thought about a business plan, your target market and competition? Seems to me you need to focus on business accounts rather than residential, as there is no way to cover those expenses in the short term as a one-person operation if you just address residential. Personally, I wouldn't worry about image as much as acquiring the required skills and experience, creating a base of satisfied customers, and thinking about the viability of the business. Although it's probably very important, it's kind of tough to get your name out there and establish credibility when you won't really be available for quite some time. I think it will be key to strengthen your analytic and trouble-shooting skills with real problem solving opportunities as a priority.

For 10 years, I did exactly what businesses want. However, how many businesses are willing to give a brand new business a shot? I would love to start and end only with business customers. However, I think I will have to prove myself in the private sector before too many businesses consider hiring me. I will keep all my business training up to date. The GI bill will pay for that for the next 10 years.

As for practical experience, so far in the last week, I have freely cleaned out 7 computers, did full scans, etc. I posted for my friends and family on FB, and of course they all jumped all over it. That is why I will not open my doors until 6 months from now. I know I can do it better. I know I can do it faster. In the next 6 months, I will probably work on more computers for free than I will do in the year after.

As far as problem solving, again, that is not somewhere I am weak in. 500 computers. I had to test, repair all sorts of problems. Yes, all in Windows. At home I have been using Ubuntu for about 4 years, so I may not be a master at Linux, but I doubt I have to, since most customers use windows or apple. I figure if someone is smart enough to use Linux, then they know how to remove their own viruses.

I do know my local competition. One of the business owners is an old friend of mine, and we went out for lunch just last month. We discussed all sorts of things, including him offering me a job for the 10th time, LOL.

You say you wouldn't worry about image as much as having a satisfied customer. In quite a few posts on here, and a couple articles on the main page, image is almost everything. Image of how you look. Image of how professional you look and behave. Image of how confident you are. How are you to have satisfied customers if you don't look like you should be in business for yourself?

As for expenses, I will keep my job. Once jobs start building up, I will go part time, I have already discussed this thoroughly with my boss. His father built that business 33 years ago. They will hate to see me go, however, they fully understand how it feels to be your own boss. If business really picks up, then I will go from part time to no time.

I have no illusions about this business. This is something I have thought of for a long time, since my first marketing class in high school. I still have that business plan I made in 1997 for that class. I have updated it quite a few times over the years, most recently 4 years ago when I completed my business degree. I will update it again. And probably again. Then I will probably update it a 3rd time before I open.

But I do thank you for your opinions. They do help me ensure I have not thought of something. That is what I like about this website.

Edit: Oh, the competition I talk about there is the biggest competition in town. Longest lasting, etc. One of the things we did discuss is referrals. He told me since he is short handed (again, the job offer came in here, LOL), the jobs that would take too long for them to get to, he would send my way. Any jobs that I felt out of my league, I would send to him. We also discussed a possible sub-contractor agreement, but he said he would have to talk to his attorney first. Has anyone done any subcontracting jobs for companies, basically the referral system we discussed, but I charge his rates (which will be higher than mine, he has a lot more overhead), and we each get a certain % of the fee. We did not discuss what % though.

 

[carrcomp]

I refused to sub-contract for the most part because of the terms.

Every company that has offered it up to me has not been doing me a favor.

I will, however, take a job under my own company name and kick back 5% profit for the referral.

 

[mhelpdesk]

Rocco, Pick up an annual plan today with the Technibble Black Friday sale. This way you don't have to worry about monthly bills.

It's just $114 for the year. It's normally $228. The deal is going on today.

 

[Rocco]

Rocco, Pick up an annual plan today with the Technibble Black Friday sale. This way you don't have to worry about monthly bills.

It's just $114 for the year. It's normally $228. The deal is going on today.

Will that price be valid for renewal?

 

[carrcomp]

Will that price be valid for renewal?

No,

It's just for the black friday sale if I read that right.

 

[Rocco]

No,

It's just for the black friday sale if I read that right.

Yeah, I am pretty sure that is the case. Since I don't plan on starting for 7 months, getting a product half off for a year doesn't seem like the plan. mHelpdesk, don't worry. I am looking at either your service or PC repair tracker. They seem to be the most used. Yours I like for many, many things. Theirs, I like because it is a one purchase deal. I already have the server space for another project I am working on. But yours, I like how it looks and feels more. I have plenty of time to do more research. If I still feel like yours looks and feels like the better product except for the monthly/annual payment, then I am still going to go with you, even at the higher price.

 

[SupportCover.com]

Hi Rocco,

Hope you don't mind me posting this in your thread, but have you thought about outsourcing some of your work to help grow your business (give yourself more time for marketing your services) and for times when you can't work (perhaps you're double booked or unwell)

We can take on virtually every aspect of your business except for marketing. Services we provide include:

1) Telephone Answering - we'll answer your customers calls in your company name using only English speaking technicians ensuring your customers always get to talk to a technician who can advise the correct information. We will email you a summary of each call we receive.

2) Email Answering - same as above but the benefit is that your emails will be answered within 15 minutes so your customers will get a near-instant response and be more likely to use your service

3) Remote Support - Still using English speaking technicians we can begin to resolve most issues for your customers almost immediately. If we can't resolve the issue or if you need an onsite service we can arrange an onsite booking for you to attend and put the booking in your booking system of choice (or just send you an email)

4) Upselling - After the end of a remote support session we can try to upsell any products / services you may offer. This may include monthly maintenance / support / antivirus software or backup software). We're not pushy and simply sell the benefits.

5) Invoicing - At the end of a service that we perform we can generate an invoice and repair report ready for you to send to your customers. We can even direct your customers to your online payment webpage (if you have one) so your customers can pay you immediately.


I understand that you're based in America, but at the moment we don't currently support American / Canadian / Australlian businesses so you may be wondering why I'm posting this post in your thread. However we're looking for enough interest in these countries to allow us to expand our service so I would love to find out if you are interested. Especially as you say you are not looking to start your business for 7 months as I'm sure we would have expanded by then

So if you are interested I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mind clicking on the "Register Your Interest" link below.
If you're not interested, please accept my apology. I'm really sorry for wasting your time and hi-jacking your thread.

Thanks,
Marcus.

 

[SupportCover.com]

I should probably add that prices would be similar to our current prices, but converted for your currency. For example:

Subscription Cost:
£199 English = $320 American

Hourly Remote Support:
£20 English = $32 American

However we're Always happy to work with you to work out the best pricing to suit your business.

Plus... we've got a great offer coming up - stay tuned

 

[FoolishTech]

Rocco, everything you've said sounds very well thought out (especially buying D7 ) so I don't have much to add, except +1 for Wild Horse, I really like it. We still have some wild horses up the beach here where I live, and my wife loves to ride - she would definitely pick you out of the phone book just based on the name as I'm sure a lot of local folks would in your area.

The only downside I can see to the name is that it begins with "W" which puts you in the last spot in the phone book, probably a "AAA Computer Repair" or similar being first - and people do tend to move down the list, plus if that puts your listing on a second page (if the Computer Repair category continues to another page) then you might not get noticed at all. Point being, you may need to make up for it with a decent yellow page ad.

In my area I have two phone books, we have a major national advertiser (Dex) that comes with the phone service, and we have a local phone book. I ended up dropping Dex entirely after they printed the wrong phone number my second year. But most of us use the local book as far as I know, and that's great - I was able to barter a nice large color ad in exchange for credit towards my services with the the local book producer. So I'm not paying for that ad (except in the rare event that they need my time) and perhaps that is something you can look in to in your area if you have a local book.

Just some food for thought...

Best of luck in your new business!