Business Experience Advice
Hi All,
I'm a newbie here on Technibble forums, and I havn't posted much in the short time since I have joined, because I have been spendind time reading alot of the threads and revising the Computer Business Kit I purchased.
I have been in the computer field for over 25 years working for government and as an employee subcontracted. Never did own my own Computer Business because of being paid enough to work for someone else. After watching Major Companies building PC for pennies on the dollar, programming being outsourced for very low bids, and watch friends of mine shops dwindle down to no business and close, I never did open my own PC company. Now I'm retired and would like another income doing something I love to do anyway for free.
BUT !!!! I have owned businesses other then computer businesses that I built up and sold and made MONEY and was very BUSY. I think I'm a little older then most of you guys and girls out here, so I would like to pass some tips I tried that worked for me in the past, and will repeat these tatics now starting a small Computer Service Business.
Everything is a cycle, when things are bad they turn around and and come back. We are seeing this with outsourcing that was cheap but got expensive, which created a limited amount of educated and hands-on computer techs and programmers for the past 15 years. With PC becoming a more then a mainstream item in homes and OSs changing people are seeking solutions. Users who do internet searches and go online to chat consider themselves computer literate, till things go bad. Social Networking is on fire and becoming bigger by the day. They want to be connected or life as they know it will be sad! Why do you think GeekSquad does so well, people will pay anything to post to facebook or twitter. I can't tell you the amount of people I had to rescue in a panic because they couldnt be online!!!!
OLD School Tatics
Referrals are the best clients you can get. Always Rember this.
Please don't spend large money on advertising it don't work. Small classifieds in local papers and get in the phonebook.
Join Networking Groups in as many areas as you can. Go to the meetings, breakfasts, party, whatever they do to get together. People like to do business with people they know, and love to say I know a Great compter guy to thier friends or associates. Mingle, be professional, and if you can't dazzle them with Brilliance, Baffle them with bs.
Always have business cards. Hand Them out! Introduce yourself to people you are introduced to or just meet. Use them they are a tool.
Flyers, Brouchures, Coupons, Etc. These things were expensive years ago. Now click click print and You got what you need at your PRINTER.
Barter some jobs that might lead to a referral. Fix a friends PC and give them cards or flyers to hang or hand out. If they aint going to give you money for your effort then a least let them do some legwork for you.
I have more things I used but I don't want to make this longer then it is.
NEW SCHOOL
SOCIAL NETWORKING - WOW make up all different profiles, pages, groups, interests, anything to make friends nearby you or if you do remote then from anywhere. MY kids have thousands of friends online, I make them my friends!!!! People destroy PC's everyway imaginable, let them tell Mom or Dad they know someone who fixes computers!!! Target people my age 40 and up, who don't know anything about PC's but are on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Dont over push your services but make it know that you do it and you are good at it. Recommend stuff and offer do help them out, but get paid some how in the helping part. I love giving away old computers, they lead to upgrades, repairs, virus removal, etc.
Website or websites ( plaural) is a must these days. Everyone looks everything up online. YOU DONT NEED A FLASH DRIVEN MULTI THOUSAND DOLLAR SITE!!!! In fact use HTML and a lot of text about your services, location, products and please don't give out prices online. I always found Less is more in website SEO.
Use signatures in email, forum posts, fowards, replies, etc let users see that you work on Computers. Use email from your own domain.
Online capabilities or endless
Just a Note. Don't Give Up. Adapt. Work doing something elase while you build or get your name out. Experiment and change things up. Look for a niche not even involving computers and work it but let them know You Fix Computers. The economy is BAD, but people are buying PC's and need to get thier data moved, upgrade thier PC because they have to have Windows 7, etc. Nobody has money, but im amazed watching people pouring money out of thier pockets on cellphones, laptops, new, monitors, wireless connetions ( Hello....ipod touch connections) , new flatsreen TVs, etc. Look for these consumers and target them....1 0ut of 10 is not bad rule It works.
Just my opinion from past experience. Thank You.
PS I got 3 jobs this week just letting people know I was fixing PC's for money.
