Comments on: Making the Jump to Self Employment http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/ A Resource for Computer Repair Technicians & to get PC tech support help. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:51:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: bily http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-10025 bily Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:52:07 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-10025 ok here is what i have done so far 1- i had self experience over 5 years but just to be on safe side knowledge i took comptia a+ network + mcp, mcitp 2- i have 2 websites cost me £7 a month www.chesterfieldpcsupport.com , wwwchesterfieldcomputer.com i have all the best offer possible with no high or low prices 3- i went for professional seo company and both my websites appears first page top listing with so many keywords cost me £400 4- i manually submit my website almost all free classifieds ( I PAID 3 SITES ANNUALLY COST ME £250 )Almost 300 websites there isn't any websites i know that i am not listed. i have many first page ads in several towns, cities, counties near by. some sites allowed me to submit each area and post code 5- i had 80000 leaflets cost me £700 already distributed half of them 40000 6- i have priority ads on city local cost £200 7- i have 1 priority 1 other listing yell.com cost £1600 8- for messing about my ad yell.com gave me 1 free add worth £2000 9 -yell.com also build me pro website worth £500 for free ( this is new promo by them) 10- printed 5000 business cards best quality cost £120 11- printed 250 magnet to stick side of customers computer pc towers almost run out of them cost £90 12- 4 car magnet on each side of my car and my girl friend car cost £60 13- booked yellow pages half column ads buy one get one classification free cost £800 starting 2010 14- second biggest business directory Thompson local half column £500 starting 2010 15- left my leaflets over 40 shops that i know 16- purchased accounting software cost £100 intuit 17- i have stock worth £1000 all necessary parts i need including laptop parts 18- i am aware all essential business tactics and most from this site forums and others. i do my best to keep my customer happy 19- i contacted trusted trader paid £50 for submission starting 2010 20- i contacted all member magazines 2 of them agree to submit my ads annually free 21- i contacted disable people centres and submitted my business ads to their sites 22- had 6 months test trading under the control of business link and job centre ( according to them they can not advice anything for me as i already doing more than they can advice . 23- told everybody i know in this planet so word of mouth can spread also i know all my customers doing for me since they pleased with my services 24- i emailed almost all business in yellow pages cover my area let them know about mu company. HERE IS RESULT OF ALL MY WORK DONE after 9 months i get round 8-12 email enquiries a month approximately 2 - 3 phone call a day usually Monday to Thursday only so about 8 call a week not many weekends or after hours lucky days can turn all in customer leaflet = ivgot my money back but made nothing extra . i thing it was a good advert for me yell. com = some days 1-2 enquiries some time 1 week no call but made my money on that nothing on the top yellow pages = don't know yet Thompson local= don't know yet Google, yahoo , msn = most from Google 3-4 enquiries a week 300 free classifications = 1 -2 jobs a month area i cover 25 mile radius about 2 million people after all in 9 month i made £5000 from this business i know not enough but least iv got my money back and next years marketing budget will be £3000 that almost ready too i plan to make £2000 more before 12 months up and double the figure end of 24 months . at the end of third year i am planning to have good wages that i can live on i have other job i relay on. without it i cant survive and i am not planning to leave the job before i reach end of 24 month target so please guys be realistic and don't accept to start making money without investing some other vice you will be waiting 4-5 years before you see real money and remember you have to act like a business man save every penny invest for all necessary and don't think you will only repair! you will be chasing all business side of it. at last please look in to my websites and tell me if i am doing anything rong? or if i need to know something that i dont do? thanx ok here is what i have done so far

1- i had self experience over 5 years but just to be on safe side knowledge i took comptia a+ network + mcp, mcitp

2- i have 2 websites cost me £7 a month http://www.chesterfieldpcsupport.com , wwwchesterfieldcomputer.com i have all the best offer possible with no high or low prices

3- i went for professional seo company and both my websites appears first page top listing with so many keywords cost me £400

4- i manually submit my website almost all free classifieds ( I PAID 3 SITES ANNUALLY COST ME £250 )Almost 300 websites there isn’t any websites i know that i am not listed. i have many first page ads in several towns, cities, counties near by. some sites allowed me to submit each area and post code

5- i had 80000 leaflets cost me £700 already distributed half of them 40000

6- i have priority ads on city local cost £200

7- i have 1 priority 1 other listing yell.com cost £1600

8- for messing about my ad yell.com gave me 1 free add worth £2000

9 -yell.com also build me pro website worth £500 for free ( this is new promo by them)

10- printed 5000 business cards best quality cost £120

11- printed 250 magnet to stick side of customers computer pc towers almost run out of them cost £90

12- 4 car magnet on each side of my car and my girl friend car cost £60

13- booked yellow pages half column ads buy one get one classification free cost £800 starting 2010

14- second biggest business directory Thompson local half column £500 starting 2010

15- left my leaflets over 40 shops that i know

16- purchased accounting software cost £100 intuit

17- i have stock worth £1000 all necessary parts i need including laptop parts

18- i am aware all essential business tactics and most from this site forums and others. i do my best to keep my customer happy

19- i contacted trusted trader paid £50 for submission starting 2010

20- i contacted all member magazines 2 of them agree to submit my ads annually free

21- i contacted disable people centres and submitted my business ads to their sites

22- had 6 months test trading under the control of business link and job centre ( according to them they can not advice anything for me as i already doing more than they can advice .

23- told everybody i know in this planet so word of mouth can spread also i know all my customers doing for me since they pleased with my services

24- i emailed almost all business in yellow pages cover my area let them know about mu company.

HERE IS RESULT OF ALL MY WORK DONE after 9 months

i get round 8-12 email enquiries a month

approximately 2 – 3 phone call a day usually Monday to Thursday only so about 8 call a week not many weekends or after hours lucky days can turn all in customer

leaflet = ivgot my money back but made nothing extra . i thing it was a good advert for me

yell. com = some days 1-2 enquiries some time 1 week no call but made my money on that nothing on the top

yellow pages = don’t know yet

Thompson local= don’t know yet

Google, yahoo , msn = most from Google 3-4 enquiries a week

300 free classifications = 1 -2 jobs a month

area i cover 25 mile radius about 2 million people

after all in 9 month i made £5000 from this business i know not enough but least iv got my money back and next years marketing budget will be £3000 that almost ready too

i plan to make £2000 more before 12 months up and double the figure end of 24 months . at the end of third year i am planning to have good wages that i can live on

i have other job i relay on. without it i cant survive and i am not planning to leave the job before i reach end of 24 month target

so please guys be realistic and don’t accept to start making money without investing some other vice you will be waiting 4-5 years before you see real money

and remember you have to act like a business man save every penny invest for all necessary and don’t think you will only repair! you will be chasing all business side of it.

at last please look in to my websites and tell me if i am doing anything rong? or if i need to know something that i dont do?

thanx

]]> By: Bob Kanji http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8893 Bob Kanji Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:42:07 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8893 Don't underestimate the amount of money you will need to get you on the road of success. In the computer tech business three out of four startups go broke in the first two years, one out of two of the remaining don't survive the third year. Call your chamber of commerce, get the stats and get help from these people before you start out. Chambers of Commerce or Chambers of Trade (or their equivalents) have courses (usually free of charge) for self employed giving you the essentials of business management in 2 or three day courses. Last, don't start out on your own without having three essentials : 1) a business plan 2) a good lawyer 3) a good, experienced accountant don't rely on yourself only in front of the law. Don’t underestimate the amount of money you will need to get you on the road of success.
In the computer tech business three out of four startups go broke in the first two years, one out of two of the remaining don’t survive the third year. Call your chamber of commerce, get the stats and get help from these people before you start out. Chambers of Commerce or Chambers of Trade (or their equivalents) have courses (usually free of charge) for self employed giving you the essentials of business management in 2 or three day courses.

Last, don’t start out on your own without having three essentials :

1) a business plan
2) a good lawyer
3) a good, experienced accountant

don’t rely on yourself only in front of the law.

]]> By: East Bay Computer, LLC http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8887 East Bay Computer, LLC Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:20:06 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8887 Self-employment can be gratifying but it's a rough road. Starting out, prepare to work 60-70 hours per week and bill for 10-20. You've got to deliver the best service possible, which means late nights and weekends fixing computers in order to get them back to customers within 24 hours. You want to build a great reputation right off the bat! You want people talking about how extraordinary your service is. That is the key to success. If you half-ass it you'll never make it...you've got to be the best. Good luck! Self-employment can be gratifying but it’s a rough road. Starting out, prepare to work 60-70 hours per week and bill for 10-20. You’ve got to deliver the best service possible, which means late nights and weekends fixing computers in order to get them back to customers within 24 hours. You want to build a great reputation right off the bat! You want people talking about how extraordinary your service is. That is the key to success. If you half-ass it you’ll never make it…you’ve got to be the best. Good luck!

]]> By: Tampa Computer Services http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8780 Tampa Computer Services Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:19:56 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8780 I'm thinking it's not just a year of salary to sustain the business model... it's all overhead & operating capital too. Having 6 months of salary may sound like a lot, but starting out... you gotta spread your name aggressively. I’m thinking it’s not just a year of salary to sustain the business model… it’s all overhead & operating capital too. Having 6 months of salary may sound like a lot, but starting out… you gotta spread your name aggressively.

]]> By: Dunne_Computing http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8743 Dunne_Computing Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:51:47 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8743 THE most important paragraph of the lot "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." Like me i have kids and soon to be married but i have a job while i get my business off the ground and up and running. Great article A LOT of wise words in there. THE most important paragraph of the lot

“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.”

Like me i have kids and soon to be married but i have a job while i get my business off the ground and up and running.

Great article A LOT of wise words in there.

]]> By: New York Computer Repair http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8737 New York Computer Repair Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:53:41 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8737 If you can save up some money before making the jump it makes things a bit more smooth. I've read that you should be able to make it between six months and two years before expecting a big profit, but really it all depends on your expenses and how hard you work at it. If you can save up some money before making the jump it makes things a bit more smooth. I’ve read that you should be able to make it between six months and two years before expecting a big profit, but really it all depends on your expenses and how hard you work at it.

]]> By: Brian http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8730 Brian Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:39:26 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8730 I got laid off in December and decided to jump right in with a full time work from home business. I used to work on my fellow employees computers for extra cash so I have them and their referrals plus friends and family are always asking me for more business cards. I have done well with the word of mouth aspect. The fact that I am one of the only businesses in the area that have a website helps tremendously too. There are good days and bad. Paid days and unpaid ones. I don't mind the marketing as I am a people person...I love to hear my phone ring. In the end, I get to stay at home with my family and do something I love.. that is awesome. I got laid off in December and decided to jump right in with a full time work from home business. I used to work on my fellow employees computers for extra cash so I have them and their referrals plus friends and family are always asking me for more business cards. I have done well with the word of mouth aspect. The fact that I am one of the only businesses in the area that have a website helps tremendously too.

There are good days and bad. Paid days and unpaid ones. I don’t mind the marketing as I am a people person…I love to hear my phone ring. In the end, I get to stay at home with my family and do something I love.. that is awesome.

]]> By: Computer Repair Royal Oak MI - C! Tech Solutions http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8720 Computer Repair Royal Oak MI - C! Tech Solutions Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:28:06 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8720 Great article Bryce. I feel like I spend 2 or 3 hours working on non-billables for every hour I bill out, and it's something I definitely wasn't considering when I started things up. Great article Bryce. I feel like I spend 2 or 3 hours working on non-billables for every hour I bill out, and it’s something I definitely wasn’t considering when I started things up.

]]> By: Web Design Beach http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8709 Web Design Beach Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:24:42 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8709 Great post for clearing some thoughts and dreams. Self employment jobs are not as near to easy ones, and surely headaches are bigger then if you working for your boss. Anyway, if you are passionate enough, and really have high aims, then you can make a much better life for yourself, being as independent from others. Great post for clearing some thoughts and dreams. Self employment jobs are not as near to easy ones, and surely headaches are bigger then if you working for your boss. Anyway, if you are passionate enough, and really have high aims, then you can make a much better life for yourself, being as independent from others.

]]> By: Internet Age http://www.technibble.com/making-the-jump-to-self-employment/comment-page-1/#comment-8700 Internet Age Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:46:01 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/?p=3161#comment-8700 The joys of being self-employed! No matter how good a techie you are, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be a good receptionist / marketer / PR person, but trust me, you'll learn quickly! The joys of being self-employed! No matter how good a techie you are, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be a good receptionist / marketer / PR person, but trust me, you’ll learn quickly!

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