Finally Started. Need ideas?

[cleanwithit]

Hello, all. I'm 22 years old, and I have an Associates Degree in Network Administration, and I'm now a year away from a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. I hold a few Comptia, Microsoft, and Cisco certifications. It has always been a dream of mine to start a business; Since I was 14. After graduation, I worked at Geek Squad "City" for about nine months; Which is the main hub, and I couldn't take working at a place that ripped people off so bad.

So, I decided to start my own business. Got my LLC, Bank Account, State/Federal Tax ID's, Logo, Shirts, Square up, business Cards. Now, I'm looking at insurance. But, I got all of the equipment I need to start up. I'm also working on a layout for a website.

Today was the first day that I went out and gave business cards. My friends Mom owns a local restaurant here, so I went there, and now she wants me to be her computer guy because they have computer problems all the time. That felt very good! I left a few at the bank tellers counter, at the grocery store bulletin board. Gave them out to friends and family. Any more ideas on how I can get my name out there?

 

[Paul Rodgers]

Hotels and motels are a good spot. You may also want to check out your local chamber of commerce. If you have a presentable vehicle you could put vinyls on it.

 

[callthatgirl]

How many people live in your area?

 

[cleanwithit]

Hotels and motels are a good spot. You may also want to check out your local chamber of commerce. If you have a presentable vehicle you could put vinyls on it.

I drive a 1993 Honda Accord, that's in amazing condition and I'm considering that. Thanks for the tips!

How many people live in your area?

As of 2009 Louisville has a population of 1,258,577

 

[callthatgirl]

wow, huge market! My first market was around 660,000 and I'm still doing underground marketing. To do anything large, takes a huge budget.

Hand/foot marketing
Networking groups in your local area
LinkedIn
Teach classes
Craigslist

Most of these are free, there are many more ideas in the Marketing forums.

 

[othersteve]

Welcome, cleanwithit! I'm also in Louisville, though I'd suppose we are hardly competitors at our size. I don't have any wonderful advice because my business has really been driven nearly entirely by word of mouth for the past five years. Having said that, however, it's really only beginning to get large enough to where I've considered it for full-time (and it still isn't there).

What part of Louisville are you in by the way? I operate (currently) out of an office near Poplar Level and the Watterson, but I actually live (and prefer to work) in Fern Creek/J-Town.

I love Louisville!

 

[cleanwithit]

wow, huge market! My first market was around 660,000 and I'm still doing underground marketing. To do anything large, takes a huge budget.

Hand/foot marketing
Networking groups in your local area
LinkedIn
Teach classes
Craigslist

Most of these are free, there are many more ideas in the Marketing forums.

Great ideas, callthatgirl. I'll be sure to look through the marketing forums.

Welcome, cleanwithit! I'm also in Louisville, though I'd suppose we are hardly competitors at our size. I don't have any wonderful advice because my business has really been driven nearly entirely by word of mouth for the past five years. Having said that, however, it's really only beginning to get large enough to where I've considered it for full-time (and it still isn't there).

What part of Louisville are you in by the way? I operate (currently) out of an office near Poplar Level and the Watterson, but I actually live (and prefer to work) in Fern Creek/J-Town.

I love Louisville!

lol. What a coincidence. I never see anybody on forums that are from Louisville, KY; Nice to meet you! I had no idea that Louisville had such a big population. I'm near Preston Highway & Fern-Valley Road. I don't have an office just yet, I'm still living with the parents' house, so I'll be working from there. Gotcha, I know where that is. I graduated from Louisville Tech/Sullivan College of Technology & Design; Off Newburg. My Grandparents live out in Fern Creek(FarmGate) Nice area!

Congratulations for growing over the last five years. That's a great accomplishment, and hope it grows more!

lol I kinda like Louisville! I want to travel more, then I can make my decision.

So, guess I will start out with Hand/Foot..Flyers? I'm guessing, or just handing out business cards, and getting my website done with SEO. Maybe put an ad up on Craigslist. And, research some networking groups.

 

[callthatgirl]

Do what I did when I was first starting out.

1.) Go to a bar
2.) Bring a notebook
3.) Drink a beer
4.) Meet strangers/Make friends
5.) Create lists upon lists of ideas/brainstorm yourself til you're drunk

Seemed to work ok. I didn't have a marketing budget until year 4.

 

[cleanwithit]

Do what I did when I was first starting out.

1.) Go to a bar
2.) Bring a notebook
3.) Drink a beer
4.) Meet strangers/Make friends
5.) Create lists upon lists of ideas/brainstorm yourself til you're drunk

Seemed to work ok. I didn't have a marketing budget until year 4.

hahahaha. I might do that! Haven't been out for a couple weeks anyway!

 

[PR Tech]

Word of mouth is huge. So, be sure to show extra attention to your clients now, while you have the time to do so. Not that you won't in the future, but take time to follow-up on tickets. Place a phone call and ask how things are going a day or two after a job. It may lead to additional jobs the client wasn't really thinking of at the time of the first job. Hand them a few extra business cards and make sure they know how much you appreciate referrals. Possibly even give the referrer a 10-15% discount on their next job.

Computer services is really about details. The more I pay attention to what the client is "really" saying the more referrals I seem to get. It doesn't matter if they are a 50 year old man and want Winnie-The-Pooh as their computer desktop. Give it to 'em! Try to see where the client is coming from and why. It will serve you well.

By the way, you are doing a good thing up front pounding the pavement and passing out business cards. Try to make all of your marketing media PROFESSIONAL looking. You will be taken more seriously. Read E-myth Revisited...then you will be a Rock Star.

 

[othersteve]

Yep. Seconded/+1 on everything PR Tech said. My strategy is quite simple:

• I do reliable, often extremely good work, but I also go the extra mile for my customers.
• I hand five business cards to everyone with their PC once they come to retrieve it.
• I place a phone call 24 hours later to ensure everything is working properly.
• My business cards and website are (in my opinion) very clean and professional-looking.
• I am direct in my speech but simultaneously friendly; I am brutally honest and have no partnerships with any companies (the latter may eventually change, but for the time being, it's working well for me).
• I offer a guilt-free 100% Satisfaction money-back guarantee which I have never yet had to use once.
• I never lose data or settings unless absolutely, positively unavoidable. This includes never reformatting due to an infection, at least not once over the past two years.
• I'm cocky but humorous in my communication.

These things alone have earned me a reputation. Most of my customers swear by me and consider my word religion. Nearly everyone has referred me to at least one other person. Word of mouth is the best way to go, but growth is often slow!

 

[K007]

How many people live in your area?

With his qualifications I would've asked him to work for me

 

[mcarpani]

For a new start up, word of mouth and your website will be your best advertising until you start to build a reputation. I have had some sucess with newspaper advertising but it really comes down to your demographics, you will get some great ideas from this forum though.