~* hey my name is Robert and im from harlem new york. i have been teaching myself about computers since i was young. ive been making money fixing computers in my own home for neighbors, i feel like i want to become cerified to start my own buisness but i have no idea how to go about it i am 19 and did not graduate highschool, i would love to know the exact steps on how and were to get certified (what school,classes,were,and how to enroll). thx =) *~
~* need guidence *~
- Thread starter minirob7
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basic
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Many people are going to probably say this, and I agree, certifications aren't really necessary for residential services. If you intend to, at any point, work as an employee at a company or as a consultant it may help you out. Other than that, it's still, at the very least, a good motivator to learn.
Most professionals or cert experts will tell you to first work on Comptia A+ and Network+. After that, you can decide if you want to go the Microsoft or Cisco track. A+ and Network+ are pretty basic certs and you can do self-study for those. Please do not waste money by enrolling in one of those cert mills to get those certs and end up getting yourself in a lot of debt. It's not worth it to do it that way.
Most professionals or cert experts will tell you to first work on Comptia A+ and Network+. After that, you can decide if you want to go the Microsoft or Cisco track. A+ and Network+ are pretty basic certs and you can do self-study for those. Please do not waste money by enrolling in one of those cert mills to get those certs and end up getting yourself in a lot of debt. It's not worth it to do it that way.
Vicenarian
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Yeah, go for CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications. If I remember correctly, 2010 is the last year you can take those certs and they will be lifetime (you will never have to renew). If you take the exams after 2010, you have to renew every three years or something....so it's best to take them this year.
14049752
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Honestly, don't mess about getting computer and technology related certs. Get your GED first.
The fact of it is, you don't need any certifications to start a business. You just need to do the paperwork required by your city, county, state and the feds for the type of business you want to run and how you want to structure the business.
The other fact about your situation is that you can't really just start a computer repair business because you like computers. I mean, ok...you CAN....but you'd just be setting yourself up to fail. You need more experience than just fixing neighbor's computers, otherwise you're just going to get in over your head and damage your reputation (and probably very early on).
To get that experience, you'll probably want to get a job working for someone, or apprenticing under someone. And to do that, they're probably going to want to see that you have some ambition, which probably means showing you followed through with some kind of formal education.
Seriously, that's the best advice anyone's going to give you on here (if I do say so myself.).
The fact of it is, you don't need any certifications to start a business. You just need to do the paperwork required by your city, county, state and the feds for the type of business you want to run and how you want to structure the business.
The other fact about your situation is that you can't really just start a computer repair business because you like computers. I mean, ok...you CAN....but you'd just be setting yourself up to fail. You need more experience than just fixing neighbor's computers, otherwise you're just going to get in over your head and damage your reputation (and probably very early on).
To get that experience, you'll probably want to get a job working for someone, or apprenticing under someone. And to do that, they're probably going to want to see that you have some ambition, which probably means showing you followed through with some kind of formal education.
Seriously, that's the best advice anyone's going to give you on here (if I do say so myself.).
Joines
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If you can't spell, you can't run a business.
PcTek9
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That's not true at all. I know a man that can't spell for crap. His handwriting really looks like egyptian heiroglyphics (it really does, i mean it REALLY DOES.) He has been very successful in business. He retired recently to his 600 acre farm in the country, and sold his store inventory for close to 2 million. He spells secretary as secretterry.
Anyway you get the idea, spelling has nothing to do with it.
“If I should really WANT to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer ANY question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, WHY I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?” -- Henry Ford on the witness stand in a libel suit against the newspaper who called him an ignorant pacifist, as Quoted in Think and Grow Rich
Anyway you get the idea, spelling has nothing to do with it.
“If I should really WANT to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer ANY question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, WHY I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?” -- Henry Ford on the witness stand in a libel suit against the newspaper who called him an ignorant pacifist, as Quoted in Think and Grow Rich
kagman
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First of all welcome to technibble. Glad to see that at your age you wish to make something of yourself and at the same time help others out. So far you have gotten some great advice here. Get yourself a GED first!!!! Then work on the A+, Network +, and so on. Good luck my friend.
Joines
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Do not let these naysayers get you down. I dropped out of college, have never had a single computer class and I own my own successful repair business.
Personality, ability to research and learn on your own, money management skills and integrity go ALOT farther in business than fancy degrees or diplomas. I have nothing against degrees and diplomas and they are nice to have and serve as a help to many, I'm sure. Everyone is different. I believe a person who is a wise business man can be in almost any industry and be successful because he knows how business and finances work. He will then surround himself by people who know much more than him about his industry and learn from them. He will also do the hard work of teaching himself. This is true on the computer business. There are so many wise people on this forum and so much free information out here online about computers, computer repair etc that it is easier than it ever has been.
The list of wildly successful business people in the US that never finished college huge. Their peers told them they would never succeed because they didn't have the proper training or education. Now those naysayers with degrees work for the guys who didn't graduate college. I'm not saying that I advise kids to drop out of school, actually just the opposite, but what I am saying is that life is what we make of it and hard work can pay off in huge dividends.
Personality, ability to research and learn on your own, money management skills and integrity go ALOT farther in business than fancy degrees or diplomas. I have nothing against degrees and diplomas and they are nice to have and serve as a help to many, I'm sure. Everyone is different. I believe a person who is a wise business man can be in almost any industry and be successful because he knows how business and finances work. He will then surround himself by people who know much more than him about his industry and learn from them. He will also do the hard work of teaching himself. This is true on the computer business. There are so many wise people on this forum and so much free information out here online about computers, computer repair etc that it is easier than it ever has been.
The list of wildly successful business people in the US that never finished college huge. Their peers told them they would never succeed because they didn't have the proper training or education. Now those naysayers with degrees work for the guys who didn't graduate college. I'm not saying that I advise kids to drop out of school, actually just the opposite, but what I am saying is that life is what we make of it and hard work can pay off in huge dividends.
NYJimbo
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There are hundreds of acceptable excuses for not getting your High School Diploma.
There are NO excuses for not getting your GED.
Find time to do it and get it done.
There are NO excuses for not getting your GED.
Find time to do it and get it done.
anonymous Mac Tech
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This is very true, and reason the successful dropouts are so well known is because they are exceptions to the rule. You don't hear so much about successful educated persons because its pretty common, although not a guarantee of success. I spent a lot of time and money on my undergraduate education, which I couldn't even have pursued without finishing high school, and believe it benefited me. Not so much benefited me in the sense it has gotten me good jobs and business referrals since I am a high school and college graduate, but it certainly has helped since we regularly do business with a couple of colleges, one of which is my al ma matter. Futhermore its been very benificial in a personal sense because I'm using and benefiting from what I learned in college. Formal education isn't so much what you learn as it is learning how to learn. The biggest difference I see between educated and uneducated persons is uneducated folks are far more likely to believe just about any hear-say information because they lack the experience and research skills to verify the information they receive is of a valid source and accurate, whereas an educated person takes everything with a grain of salt until they actaully do the legwork themselves and make their own conclusions that the information is valid and from credibal sources.
On the other hand, it is true that truly driven people whether educated or uneducated will be successful regardless of educational attainement. But I don't hear of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, although college drop-outs themselves, saying that dropping out was the best decision they have ever made. Also they seem to vouche for education since they seem to always hire college graduates to surround them and help run their corporations. Also, Bill Gates through all of his philanthrapic endevours has been shouting the importance of math and science education for years now.
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Elemdee
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THIS! You will feel such a sense of accomplishment getting that GED and it really is important to have.
-1 to this.... lol. I can't spell.... seems no matter that I do I have some type of spelling mistake or typo in every thing I write. Even if I look over it 4 times.
But... you do have to make sure that you communicate clearly and effectivley with everyone. So... this is where some more formal education will help. Running a successful business is demanding and will require you to develope a drive to accomplish what you have set out to do.
As someone else has said get you GED and consider that a requirement of starting your business. To make it easier find a way to apply everything you learn getting you GED to how it can and will be used in your business.
This schooling will be part of what you will need even though it is not a specific certification for the computer service industry.
Yes.... but we are talking about highschool and that is far different than High School. In most of the college drop out cases that I can think of they were pioneers in their industry and far ahead of their peers.
Absolutely 100% untrue. I know several people who can't spell to save their lives who run successful businesses. No, let me correct that. They run exceedingly successful businesses.
I know 2 people with dyslexia and they, despite their horrible spelling, run businesses. That are again very successful. In fact one of them trains other people how to run their own business and his business is worth millions.
You don't need any classes/certifications to fix computers. It's a more or less entirely unregulated industry. Having said that you'll get a lot further if you have some.
You've not said what your actual skills are so it's hard to say what skill sets you should try and work on. If I were you I'd look into an apprenticeship in your area. Maybe check with the employment department. Check and see if your state is participating in the Microsoft "Elevate America" program.
I would like to clear up a couple things on my comments......
As I stated, but probably not well enough, I am NOT suggesting someone should drop out of high school, college, trade school or anything else. Nor am I suggesting that education doesn't help a person in life and in business. Just the opposite. Yes the OP needs to go get his GED. Totally agree.
What I am saying is the people that make comments like "if you can spell, you can't run a business", they are NOT helping the situation and they are naysayers. Spelling, while important, is not a guaranteed requirement for owning and operating a successful business. I was trying to be positive and tell the OP that he CAN SUCCEED in life without having a college degree or even a high school diploma. Yes he needs to show the effort to go get his GED but again, it is not a requirement that will automatically equal success, nor will it automatically equal failure. I will be the first to admit that those without higher education are by far less successful than those who have it. However, the quick, snotty comments by one or two, do nothing to help the OP.
I believe in being honest but at the same time encouraging people. Sitting around and thumbing our noses at the less educated and relegating them back to the $7/hr jobs of life is not encouraging. Kindly advising them to get a GED and then attempt to learn and better themselves is encouraging.
That's all I'm saying and my original post might not have come across that way.
As I stated, but probably not well enough, I am NOT suggesting someone should drop out of high school, college, trade school or anything else. Nor am I suggesting that education doesn't help a person in life and in business. Just the opposite. Yes the OP needs to go get his GED. Totally agree.
What I am saying is the people that make comments like "if you can spell, you can't run a business", they are NOT helping the situation and they are naysayers. Spelling, while important, is not a guaranteed requirement for owning and operating a successful business. I was trying to be positive and tell the OP that he CAN SUCCEED in life without having a college degree or even a high school diploma. Yes he needs to show the effort to go get his GED but again, it is not a requirement that will automatically equal success, nor will it automatically equal failure. I will be the first to admit that those without higher education are by far less successful than those who have it. However, the quick, snotty comments by one or two, do nothing to help the OP.
I believe in being honest but at the same time encouraging people. Sitting around and thumbing our noses at the less educated and relegating them back to the $7/hr jobs of life is not encouraging. Kindly advising them to get a GED and then attempt to learn and better themselves is encouraging.
That's all I'm saying and my original post might not have come across that way.
