Monthly Revenue Poll
- Thread starter Wheelie
- Start date
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
I just today bought a boat. Paid cash. After the wedding in June, I'm picking up a new triumph motorcycle. Since January, I have doubled the amount I'm paying into my investments for retirement. None of this would be possible if I were still trying to hang onto the old break/fix business model I started out with 9 years ago.
vtscomputers
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Glendale, AZ
Our business has consistently doubled every six months since January 2011. I would attribute this growth primarily to the offering of managed services, though it's definitely not hurting that our custom-built systems are making a name for themselves in the local market as well.
Sorry to get off topic but, angry_geek what kind of boat did you get?
Sorry to get off topic but, angry_geek what kind of boat did you get?
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
5 year old 24' pontoon. Family fun on the lake.
cmonova
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 23
ding ding on the break/fix model
I knew you were buying the Triumph but a boat
Ok i'll ride my Harley up there and we can ride then go our on your "boat"
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
ding ding on the break/fix model
I knew you were buying the Triumph but a boat
Ok i'll ride my Harley up there and we can ride then go our on your "boat"
Lol. I wasn't wanting to till this morning. My friend at the bank called me. Bank repo. I got the thing for 11k. I almost passed it up, but what the hell.
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
I just told my fiancee what I did this morning. Now, she wants my 2 month old Subaru to make up for it. I guess I'll be buying her a car later this year too. Doh! 
Encrypted Existence
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 87
What is your business model like now? Managed services?
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
Managed services, remote hosting (not websites), and consulting. We have consulting clients in 6 countries now. We help their it staff with planning and benefit analysis as well as compliance.
Encrypted Existence
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 87
Thanks. fiiiiiiiiillllllller
Wheelie
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 34
I've been working the break/fix model for almost 8 years now and have enjoyed a strong steady income stream during that time. My business has been so good in recent years that I have a bit more to enjoy than a motorcycle and a pontoon boat but I won't brag about all the stuff I own. 
Most of my business customers are those that refuse to fund the MSP model and that business stream keeps us busy and has been very profitable. But I do see a very real benefit/need to move to the MSP business model. Last fall I began seeing a drop in B/F revenue which has resulted in about a 10% loss over that time. Up to now I have hardly advertised ... about 85% of my business leads come though word of mouth so lately I have started advertising using Google Adwords and neighborhood newsletter ads.
Why am I seeing this trend? I think the trend toward tablet/smart phone usage is either completely replacing the need for a traditional PC or simply is allowing them to put off PC repair (reducing the urgency to have it repaired). I believe that lower PC costs and the reduced urgency to repair a PC is putting pressure on the break/fix pricing model. I also see homes that in the past have had 2, 3 or even 4 PC's are now deciding to not keep them all running. Last week my 81 year old dad commented that since my mom got her iPad at Christmas her iMac has only been turned on one or two times. A $2,000 iMac is "off the grid" and is now out of the B/F world.
The end result of this is putting pricing pressure on all PC repair business and will increase competition on the MSP business repair side since more of the B/F repairmen will now move over to the MSP side of things.
Another question is this: now with the cloud being firmly planted in place ... will the traditional PC (for most households and businesses) simply turn into a smart phone/tablet with full size keyboard, mouse, and LCD?
Think about that. A tablet that mates right up with a full size keyboard, mouse, and LCD at work or at home. It has a native 10 mbps broadband connection anywhere you have cell service. All the software vendors (Salesforce, QuickBooks, Quicken, MS Office, ACAD, etc etc) have or are creating apps for Android/iOS.
‘Personal Cloud’ to Replace PC by 2014, Says research firm Gartner:
“In this new world, the specifics of devices will become less important for the organization to worry about. Users will use a collection of devices, with the PC remaining one of many options, but no one device will be the primary hub. Rather, the personal cloud will take on that role. Access to the cloud and the content stored or shared in the cloud will be managed and secured, rather than solely focusing on the device itself.”
Things are changing.
.
Most of my business customers are those that refuse to fund the MSP model and that business stream keeps us busy and has been very profitable. But I do see a very real benefit/need to move to the MSP business model. Last fall I began seeing a drop in B/F revenue which has resulted in about a 10% loss over that time. Up to now I have hardly advertised ... about 85% of my business leads come though word of mouth so lately I have started advertising using Google Adwords and neighborhood newsletter ads.
Why am I seeing this trend? I think the trend toward tablet/smart phone usage is either completely replacing the need for a traditional PC or simply is allowing them to put off PC repair (reducing the urgency to have it repaired). I believe that lower PC costs and the reduced urgency to repair a PC is putting pressure on the break/fix pricing model. I also see homes that in the past have had 2, 3 or even 4 PC's are now deciding to not keep them all running. Last week my 81 year old dad commented that since my mom got her iPad at Christmas her iMac has only been turned on one or two times. A $2,000 iMac is "off the grid" and is now out of the B/F world.
The end result of this is putting pricing pressure on all PC repair business and will increase competition on the MSP business repair side since more of the B/F repairmen will now move over to the MSP side of things.
Another question is this: now with the cloud being firmly planted in place ... will the traditional PC (for most households and businesses) simply turn into a smart phone/tablet with full size keyboard, mouse, and LCD?
Think about that. A tablet that mates right up with a full size keyboard, mouse, and LCD at work or at home. It has a native 10 mbps broadband connection anywhere you have cell service. All the software vendors (Salesforce, QuickBooks, Quicken, MS Office, ACAD, etc etc) have or are creating apps for Android/iOS.
‘Personal Cloud’ to Replace PC by 2014, Says research firm Gartner:
“In this new world, the specifics of devices will become less important for the organization to worry about. Users will use a collection of devices, with the PC remaining one of many options, but no one device will be the primary hub. Rather, the personal cloud will take on that role. Access to the cloud and the content stored or shared in the cloud will be managed and secured, rather than solely focusing on the device itself.”
Things are changing.
.
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
I think Google is on the right track with the Chrome Book. However, I think that concept combined with the tablet will be the ultimate conclusion. Even with that being said, I think we'll always have some reliance on offline storage. No one wants to be without at least some of their data just because the connection is down. This, I feel, is where Google is missing it with the chrome book. I do think we'll see a day in the not so distant future where we're all walking around with tablets. We'll dock them to our keyboards and monitors at home and work and even with our tv's. A lot of these devices are already getting close to that scenario. They just need a bit of development. Compare Picard's tablets you see in every episode with the kindle. We're not too far away.
Wheelie
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 34
Whatever happens ... these are interesting times! There is so much going on right now it is a great time be alive - watching the dynamics of change. Market forces, companies investing billions to go in a particular direction only to see their dream die because consumers and/or competitors can make choices that determine the fate of a product overnight, products that change how consumers live and make a living, technological game changers like a 20 Mbps broadband hotspot from your cell phone, apps like Squareup that make our lives easier and the creators very wealthy overnight, and the list goes on and on.
I clearly see that we techs are destined to go the way of the TV repairmen of the 60's, and 70's. Soon we will have very fault-tolerant virus-free operating systems (like Chrome, Android & iOS), the rotating hard disk will be all but gone (data stored in the cloud), apps that come from virus-free online stores, wireless ISP is delivered through your phone or tablet, little children will laugh at the old clunky 40 lb tower PC collecting dust in the corner of the basement ... the one with that huge power supply, noisy hard disk, and 12" × 9.6" motherboard. Gone.
Interesting times for sure.
.
I clearly see that we techs are destined to go the way of the TV repairmen of the 60's, and 70's. Soon we will have very fault-tolerant virus-free operating systems (like Chrome, Android & iOS), the rotating hard disk will be all but gone (data stored in the cloud), apps that come from virus-free online stores, wireless ISP is delivered through your phone or tablet, little children will laugh at the old clunky 40 lb tower PC collecting dust in the corner of the basement ... the one with that huge power supply, noisy hard disk, and 12" × 9.6" motherboard. Gone.
Interesting times for sure.
.
dominexsus
New Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- uk / derbyshire
Strangely my repair PC Jobs drooped down dramatically bu on the other hand, my Computer, Laptop and Component sales raised up and I ended up making more money.
YeOldeStonecat
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 6,888
- Location
- Englewood Florida
What kinda boat did ya get, and which Triumph ya getting?
Great year for us too..just got a new truck..Hemi RAM. Wife just got a new car....her real estate is booming.
angry_geek
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 46
- Location
- herrin, il
24' pontoon. Taking it out next week for the first time as long as the marine company gets it finished. Talked the bank into paying for a tune up and a couple of other minor things. I'm looking at the America. Still trying to decide if I want the 2012 or save a bit and go with an '11.
16k_zx81
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 54
- Location
- South Australia
Not sure about the pattern (revenue) recently.
For me, February and March were brilliant and I had really great turnover both months. Extremely profitable, lots of work, high margins. All good.
April, on the other hand, has been abysmal. Just no phone calls - very few jobs coming in. Dont know why its like this. Things have just been awfully slow the last month.
For me, February and March were brilliant and I had really great turnover both months. Extremely profitable, lots of work, high margins. All good.
April, on the other hand, has been abysmal. Just no phone calls - very few jobs coming in. Dont know why its like this. Things have just been awfully slow the last month.
YeOldeStonecat
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 6,888
- Location
- Englewood Florida
Nice.
Just sold my boat last summer...my most recent boat was a Baja. Second Baja I owned. Not a big 40" cigarette type that most people think of when the brand Baja is mentioned..but in the mid 70's Baja used to make 16-20' runabouts, outboard engine types. Still quite racey in design. I used to love picking up used "fast" looking boats from the 70's and fixing them up. Baja's, Checkmates, etc.
I'm in my mid 40's now...I've owned boats since I was 12 years old. First time I've been without one. Purchased a house 2 years ago w/in ground pool, and projects on this property....for the first time figured I'd go without a boat for a few years. I'll be getting another one down the road. Enjoy yours....pontoon boats are so much fun....great party boats. Freshwater?
I don't know the details of the Triumph models...to know if there's much difference in the 11 vs 12 (like they fixed some issue or not). Either way...enjoy, "Shiny Side Up!".
joydivision
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 58
- Location
- Manchester, UK
I have a bit of a decision to make on this, I have been doing a part time teaching course (very part time) but I might have the opportunity to do a proper one next year. If I went down this route my business would be part time, the risk I have to work out is when the best time to do the course is.
I don't want to go part time until there is a real decline in business but I also want to get out before the death is near.
I don't want to go part time until there is a real decline in business but I also want to get out before the death is near.
