Sheryl Mirenta
YOU are pretty fantastic. Finishing school early. WOW!!!! What are you up to?
April 20Michael Lierman
Well I graduated high school a year ago. Right now I'm doing a ton of advertising for my business, constantly handing out business cards and information and special deals for my computer services. How's everything for you going??!
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
Shifting gears. Doing a lot of remote tech support. Lots of eldery that can't bring their computers in. So I service them remotely. It is good. Lots of business. Lots of laughs. Miss your face there.
April 20Michael Lierman
Ahhh remote support! What do you use? LogMeIn?
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
I use Go To Assist. Easy.....Secure...Cheap Like it a lot.
April 20Michael Lierman
Are you a member of TechNibble? It's a forum for computer repair business owners, it's been fun to read some of the things that other people are posting about their experiences
Can I ask you a question? Being an entreprenuer and business owner yourself. What's the most important lesson you have learned?
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMER. When they are talking.... listen to them. They will be yours forever. If you just "show" them how much you know they will have bad feelings for you. BUT if you LISTEN to them, and provide what THEY need they will always come to you. Look them in the eye and take notes.
April 20Michael Lierman
That's good advice! I have a notes section right on my work orders, I sometimes use it when they are explaining things, I could improve on that. What about when expanding? Is it better to hire people than doing everything yourself?
Right now I do everything by myself.
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
Hire to do the grunt work....coffee making...cleaning....intake. Spend your time making the improvments to the customers items, and TALK to them yourself. Go to work 2 hours early to get the work done. Spend your day talking to people. Go out in your community and help your local services AT NO CHARGE.
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
I help the local food bank. My time to them is free. If they need parts then I give it to them at my cost.
BRB
April 20Michael Lierman
Hmm that's good. I like that. I never thought about offering free services to the community. That's cool. So like the the food bank has computer stuff too? I'm a little confused on that part.
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
And be up front about your prices. Give them a package deal.... with this reinstall you will get anti virus, updates, data recovered, yada, yada, yada.... for $5000.00. They don't care. They want YOU to look after them. If you can do that then you will have them.
The food bank also does computer classes for the eldery.
Also, the main office uses computer to dotheir work.
April 20Michael Lierman
Ahhhh that's true. And when you offered your services to help them, they didn't already have someone looking after them?
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
They are a food bank. They are poor.
They are members of my community, and I use those words to them. I SUPPORT my community.
April 20Michael Lierman
Wow, that's awesome!! That's a business aspect I've never really thought of, taking care of your community, because after all, if it wasn't for your community, you wouldn't have a business.
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
YES YES YES
You a SMART young man
But most of all LISTEN to them when they are talking.
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
Don't ever do more than they ask. It overwhelms THEM. You know more about this stuff than they do.
If they ever FEEL inferior (bad spelling) to you they will leave you.
Actually, we are all equal (bad spelling again) But you know more about this stuff.
I don't know how to cook. My customers are always bringing me food. They know I don't know how to cook. LOL.
Makes THEM feel good.
April 20Michael Lierman
Hahaha. That's way cool! I read a book called Sandbox Wisdom, and you are reminding me of it. "It's about feelings. It's about how they feel. We're in the feelings business."
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
We are on the planet to help one another. Touch the people. Connect with them. They will come to you. Then you can hire people to do the reinstalls. Hire people to do the drivers. And everyone makes a living. And we touch each other.
Yes. FEELINGS are important.
I need to jot a note on that book. brb
Sheryl Mirenta
OK. I want to read it.
There is a lot in this world we can do. But touching someone is the BEST. I have a few alzhiemsers (sorry spelling) clients, and I do screen shots with detailed text to help them function. They LOVE it. I know they will not be here in a year, but they are still functional NOW. That is what is important.
April 20Michael Lierman
Hmmmm that is awesome!!! I am loving these ideas!
April 20Sheryl Mirenta
So I guess what I am trying to say is SERVE the people. Be humble. and LISTEN. You are an AWSOME young man. You can do much with your world. But don't spend all your time at the computer. Cut the grass and smell it. Take a walk and enjoy it. Talke to a neighbor and listen to them. Life is GREAT. Explore it.
