PC Repair business

Joseph

Hi all,

I've been doing nick nack PC repairs through word of mouth up until now, and now want to step it up a notch.

Hoping to get advice on what I should do / get to get up and running. I will be offering home call out PC repair and hardware mainteance etcera.

I've made a list of what I have so far and what I need to do/get, please add to it if you think I've left anything out.

What I have:

• Vehicle
• Laptop
• Equipment for repair
• Software etcera

What I need to get / do:

• Receipt book
• Flyers
• Cards

Thats just off the top of my head to get me going.


Q: When charging people is a receipt book acceptable?

Q: I won't be VAT registered so is it okay for me to not charge people VAT?

Q: I have Plain Lined Duplicate books - would this be acceptable? i.e. for me to write the service and price etcera and then give a copy to the customer?

T-Square

I wouldn't have thought it was a great time to get into the game,
as there are lots of fly-by-nights advertising fixes for €25 no-fix no-fee.

The use of a receipt book is a good idea,
as is some sort of form describing the work to be done,
and the costs (up front)

Best of luck!

Axwell

Q: When charging people is a receipt book acceptable?

Sure, you need to keep a record of the client and the amount charged and its a copy of the same for them. You could buy one of those rubber stamps relatively cheap and use it to "brand" the receipt then simply stamping it with say your business name and contact number.

Q: I won't be VAT registered so is it okay for me to not charge people VAT?

If you arent registered for VAT then you arent allowed charge people VAT, simple as.

Q: I have Plain Lined Duplicate books - would this be acceptable? i.e. for me to write the service and price etcera and then give a copy to the customer?

Again as above its good for you to have a copy of the fix you did and their details and for them to have a copy of the same so yes this would be fine.

CompFix

A website would be very helpful for your business, it's generally the first point of contact these days. I'm not set up long myself but when I was doing research, there was a high amount of techs with shoddy websites. (mine is far from perfect but it's been working for me).

I somewhat agree with T-square said about the €25. They may fix the system the same as you but it's the delivery of the service, turnaround time & communication that will set you apart. Might seem obvious but if you want to get paid professional rates, operate as a professional. Word of mouth is king in this line of work so it's good to hear you've made progress with this already.

Things to avoid:
gmail/hotmail/yahoo email addresses
No landline - buy an online number

There's more too add to that list as well, just have to go work on a laptop right now though. If there's anything specific you need to know drop me a PM and I'll either have the answer or point you in the right direction.

Good luck.

unnameduser

Re the comment above about the fly by nights. Unfortunately our game is full of them. It took me 2 years to build up a good customer base and to become known locally as the PC Guy. People will get to know you if you do a good job everytime and deliver on promises eg repairs times. Most people know that you get what you pay for.

Heres some advice I can offer based on my experience.

1 - Always charge enough - Do not try compete with people offering €25 repairs. Charge an amount that reflects the time spent on the job, expertise required and travel. Make sure to cover your travel time. Do not become a busy fool who makes no money.

2 - Allow extra time. Never presume a job will be easy. Allow extra time so that customers do not get narky that you are taking longer than expected to fix a job.

3 - Whilst onsite is more convenient for the customer I find that I take a lot of PC's & laptops back to the workshop. This allows me to have all tools available (and you can work on multiple PCs at a time)

4 - Open a business bank account, register for tax and be legit.

5 - Have paperwork. Record systems specs serial numbers etc. Give all clients a work report.

6 - Try stay away from hardware sales. It requires capital and there is v little profit.

7 - Team up with another tech. Even if he is just a mate you can call on when you have a sticky job. No matter how good you are, its great to have another set of eyes you can call on.

8 - At the start of every job back up data. Image the hard drive as well. Yes it takes time BUT IT WILL SAVE YOUR BACON at some stage.

9 - Get a website - Over 50% of my business comes through my website. (Mine could do with some updating)

10 - Do not do "big" advertising. People don't care that you do PC stuff until their PC is broken. Better off have small ads (maybe classifies) every week. People will know where to find your number when they need to.

11 - Stick a decent label on each machine you fix with your contact details. This helps repeat business.

12 - Research suppliers - There can be a big difference in prices and delivery times. Ebay is a great source for PC parts. Ensure the seller has good rating and check delivery times and rates. Note: customs are stopping just about everything from china these days. Making delivery times and costs larger.

13 - Build up a good base of PC parts. Get your hands on some old broken machines and strip them. It is imperative to have a vast amount of spare parts for testing failed components. Nothing worse than buying a replacement part only to find that it has not solved the problem and you are stuck with the new part which you may never use.

14 - When stumped, use google, forums, blogs, experts-exchange (paid), manufacturer manuals. The fix is always out there.

Best of luck!

CompFix

I agree with everything posted above, I just wanted to add more weight behind the point below. Hardware can easily be replaced but data can't. Every time you take a job, you have to assume that the customer does not even know what a backup is.

unnameduser wrote: »

8 - At the start of every job back up data. Image the hard drive as well. Yes it takes time BUT IT WILL SAVE YOUR BACON at some stage.

stepbar

unnameduser wrote: »

Re the comment above about the fly by nights. Unfortunately our game is full of them. It took me 2 years to build up a good customer base and to become known locally as the PC Guy. People will get to know you if you do a good job everytime and deliver on promises eg repairs times. Most people know that you get what you pay for.

Heres some advice I can offer based on my experience.

1 - Always charge enough - Do not try compete with people offering €25 repairs. Charge an amount that reflects the time spent on the job, expertise required and travel. Make sure to cover your travel time. Do not become a busy fool who makes no money.

2 - Allow extra time. Never presume a job will be easy. Allow extra time so that customers do not get narky that you are taking longer than expected to fix a job.

3 - Whilst onsite is more convenient for the customer I find that I take a lot of PC's & laptops back to the workshop. This allows me to have all tools available (and you can work on multiple PCs at a time)

4 - Open a business bank account, register for tax and be legit.

5 - Have paperwork. Record systems specs serial numbers etc. Give all clients a work report.

6 - Try stay away from hardware sales. It requires capital and there is v little profit.

7 - Team up with another tech. Even if he is just a mate you can call on when you have a sticky job. No matter how good you are, its great to have another set of eyes you can call on.

8 - At the start of every job back up data. Image the hard drive as well. Yes it takes time BUT IT WILL SAVE YOUR BACON at some stage.

9 - Get a website - Over 50% of my business comes through my website. (Mine could do with some updating)

10 - Do not do "big" advertising. People don't care that you do PC stuff until their PC is broken. Better off have small ads (maybe classifies) every week. People will know where to find your number when they need to.

11 - Stick a decent label on each machine you fix with your contact details. This helps repeat business.

12 - Research suppliers - There can be a big difference in prices and delivery times. Ebay is a great source for PC parts. Ensure the seller has good rating and check delivery times and rates. Note: customs are stopping just about everything from china these days. Making delivery times and costs larger.

13 - Build up a good base of PC parts. Get your hands on some old broken machines and strip them. It is imperative to have a vast amount of spare parts for testing failed components. Nothing worse than buying a replacement part only to find that it has not solved the problem and you are stuck with the new part which you may never use.

14 - When stumped, use google, forums, blogs, experts-exchange (paid), manufacturer manuals. The fix is always out there.

Best of luck!

I have to say as an ex techie that's an excellent guide for anyone wanting to get into the business. I'm impressed that you understand the business mechanics as well, as many are absolutely clueless.

unnameduser

stepbar wrote: »

I have to say as an ex techie that's an excellent guide for anyone wanting to get into the business. I'm impressed that you understand the business mechanics as well, as many are absolutely clueless.

All learned from the school of hard knocks! Thank you for your kind words

ToxicPaddy

unnameduser wrote: »

Re the comment above about the fly by nights. Unfortunately our game is full of them. It took me 2 years to build up a good customer base and to become known locally as the PC Guy. People will get to know you if you do a good job everytime and deliver on promises eg repairs times. Most people know that you get what you pay for.

Heres some advice I can offer based on my experience.

1 - Always charge enough - Do not try compete with people offering €25 repairs. Charge an amount that reflects the time spent on the job, expertise required and travel. Make sure to cover your travel time. Do not become a busy fool who makes no money.

2 - Allow extra time. Never presume a job will be easy. Allow extra time so that customers do not get narky that you are taking longer than expected to fix a job.

3 - Whilst onsite is more convenient for the customer I find that I take a lot of PC's & laptops back to the workshop. This allows me to have all tools available (and you can work on multiple PCs at a time)

4 - Open a business bank account, register for tax and be legit.

5 - Have paperwork. Record systems specs serial numbers etc. Give all clients a work report.

6 - Try stay away from hardware sales. It requires capital and there is v little profit.

7 - Team up with another tech. Even if he is just a mate you can call on when you have a sticky job. No matter how good you are, its great to have another set of eyes you can call on.

8 - At the start of every job back up data. Image the hard drive as well. Yes it takes time BUT IT WILL SAVE YOUR BACON at some stage.

9 - Get a website - Over 50% of my business comes through my website. (Mine could do with some updating)

10 - Do not do "big" advertising. People don't care that you do PC stuff until their PC is broken. Better off have small ads (maybe classifies) every week. People will know where to find your number when they need to.

11 - Stick a decent label on each machine you fix with your contact details. This helps repeat business.

12 - Research suppliers - There can be a big difference in prices and delivery times. Ebay is a great source for PC parts. Ensure the seller has good rating and check delivery times and rates. Note: customs are stopping just about everything from china these days. Making delivery times and costs larger.

13 - Build up a good base of PC parts. Get your hands on some old broken machines and strip them. It is imperative to have a vast amount of spare parts for testing failed components. Nothing worse than buying a replacement part only to find that it has not solved the problem and you are stuck with the new part which you may never use.

14 - When stumped, use google, forums, blogs, experts-exchange (paid), manufacturer manuals. The fix is always out there.

Best of luck!

+1 to everything said here..

The chap knows what he's talking about..

There are loads of fly by nights and you will come across their handywork in the future.

NCG

CompFix wrote: »

I agree with everything posted above, I just wanted to add more weight behind the point below. Hardware can easily be replaced but data can't. Every time you take a job, you have to assume that the customer does not even know what a backup is.

For good measure, have a few terms and conditions on your "agreed works" sheet, including no responsibility for data loss.

CompFix

NCG wrote: »

For good measure, have a few terms and conditions on your "agreed works" sheet, including no responsibility for data loss.

Work orders are a great thing to have, it protects both yourself and the customer.

rolion

unnameduser wrote: »

7 - Team up with another tech. Even if he is just a mate you can call on when you have a sticky job. No matter how good you are, its great to have another set of eyes you can call on.

Can you tell me what do you mean by that ? How does that work ? It worked for you !?
TIA

CompFix

rolion wrote: »

Can you tell me what do you mean by that ? How does that work ? It worked for you !?
TIA

It's basically bouncing ideas off each other, can be anything from marketing to a repair your stumped on.

John368

Toxicpaddy has given some very very good advice, but I cannot help from agreeing with Tsquare that you are going into a very tough market.

Toxicpaddy's point No. 1. is perhaps the key. Unless you are confident enough (and/or good enough at your repairs) to charge enough you might struggle. But I wish you all the best in any case.


John

rolion

Thanks for reply..not trying to be off-topic but,i'm planning in going in ICT Consultancy myself and tbh,i never thought to this one and/or i can't see where i can 'integrate' it in to my plans,purely i can't see it working !

There is a fierce competition...
Correctly if i'm wrong please !

CompFix wrote: »

It's basically bouncing ideas off each other, can be anything from marketing to a repair your stumped on.

rolion

few more things that i'm thinking on:

- get a free phone number,that may create an advantage for first time clients,then use a mobile account from O2 with unlimited calls at 99e;

-don't use only a single mobile,that give impression of 'cowboys',give a land line number as well;

-get possible two mobile phones,with two mobile numbers,diverting one another and try to take two calls at the same time;

-even if you are a single man band,don't let the end user to find out from the first touch;

- open two bank accounts,one for payments coming from customers and another only for payments going to suppliers with cheque on it;transfer funds online when payment needs to be done;

- is there ok to show on your website a list with partners (MS,Cisco,Sonicwall,CA,Symantec),your suppliers(A,B,C) and your clients (based that they accept a short description of their business);

-google based on words and find your local competitors,get address,coverage area,staff,domain name,website content,portfolio,white papers,area they are interested in to;

-google the results and find what,how are they doing to stay in business;

- get a remote support application to remotely control end user desktop and install some sort of remote health dashboard for servers;

- install and train (i meant force) your end users to use a web based service desk for logging calls and for keeping track of their inquires;

- get a feedback form after every call done,to assure that you are still in the game;

- go to Tas Books web site and download a free version of their software,as long as it stays free;

- get a well designed stationery,with your details well displayed so that can "spot" your invoice out of the pile,personalized envelopes as well

- avoid using your home address as the 'business' address,try sharing a well nice posh business address,even only for mail and delivery reasons;

- get registered with major software/hardware manufactures,get your status of "Registered Partner" / "Registered Member",put it on your website so that show you can supply many suppliers' solutions;

- get training and get certifications,display them on your web site and/or stationery / business cards;

- while on-site,allocate few extra minutes and talk to all/ most of the users and see where you can fit to get the extra thing for next ICT upgrade,replacement,solution.

- keep a very accurate asset inventory for most of the hware / sware items that fall under your hands...especially software licences that falls under BSA reviews,also good point for you when renewal is due;

-give the customers the feeling that you work for them,with them...

-give discount let's say 10% if they pay your bill faster then normal,30 days than 60 days,be careful with the credit terms and/or payments terms.

-find on the web templates for IT maintenance Terms & Conditions,ask a solicitor for Irish law governance/compatibility and make sure that you summarize them on the back of the quotation,pro-forma invoice,invoice or maintenance contract

-get a SLA and make sure that fits your end user / customer,sign it and review it every 6 months and so on.

-try and push for regular preventative maintenance,security tests,backup operations (backup to a tape,restore to another tape),all under SLA or chargeable separate

-make sure that you are covered for Professional Assurance,not sure about it,you might wanna check it for you

-watch local news for business,network meetings IT or nonIT related;

-get some local nonprofit institutions or schools,used them actively to show that you are not in the game just for moneys;

-make sure that your car has insurance for business usage and not only for pleasure and private use.

-don't claim tax for using your home as a home office,it will hit you in the ... later when you sell home CGT.

Myself,i'm struggling at marketing and sales,but working hard to get there... actually i'm thinking on start playing golf and beginning to drink more Guinness in my local pub

One last thing: contacts,contacts,contacts...you know what i mean ! !

My regards . . .

CompFix

rolion wrote: »

Thanks for reply..not trying to be off-topic but,i'm planning in going in ICT Consultancy myself and tbh,i never thought to this one and/or i can't see where i can 'integrate' it in to my plans,purely i can't see it working !

There is a fierce competition...
Correctly if i'm wrong please !

A single person will not have all the answers. Even if it's a tech that you either contract for or vice versa, it's always good to have someone to discuss things with.

rolion wrote: »

- open two bank accounts,one for payments coming from customers and another only for payments going to suppliers with cheque on it;transfer funds online when payment needs to be done;

- go to Tas Books web site and download a free version of their software,as long as it stays free;

There really is no need to open 2 bank accounts. Creating more work for yourself by having double the paperwork and bookkeeping is not the way to go about things.

Buy quickbooks for about €200. It will do everything a tech needs.

John368

I am in a small engineering consultancy business myself and agree with Compfix, it is good to have a colleague. It is nearly impossible to set up as he/she cannot be a competitor of yours or work for a competitor. It has to be for your mutual benifit.

I started my firm 14 years ago and the biggest thing I noticed was that when you "set up on your own" you are exactly that "on your own".

My advice is to keep all admin as simple as possible. Concentrate on the content of the business and keeping up to date and remaining an expert in your field. Even if it means just having ledger books for cash in and cash out with simple analysis books. I actually do my accounts on an excel spreadsheet, but regret starting to do it that way to tell the truth. Ledgers books certainly impress accountants and bank managers if you do it that way. Having two bank accounts as someone suggested will just complicate things and annoy every finance professioanl you have to deal with (accountant, tax man, bank manager). You need to keep fellow professionals like accountants, bank managers as well as suppliers that you deal with on your side and not mess them about.

John

rolion

Thanks for reply,two heads are better than one...

Re the two accounts,I was thinking of getting a better security protection rather than making life 'harder' for some guys hard-paid off my hardly made moneys...and i was planning to open a third account,with higher interest for transferring moneys ,monthly,for the end of year Mr Tax Man report (i know,can be a problem with the cash flow...but it might happen that at the end of year to don't have those moneys available in any current bank account).All these,not for hiding something but rather for a better management of cash and security...imagine losing your cards,cheques or wanting to cancel a cheque file...easy peasy,with less pressure than having all eggs in a basket,i meant all moneys in a single account !

Re peers,not sure how does that work,i have to sit down and digest it.That is something that goes through agencies ..or...playing golf !?

I still have queries regarding invoices,quotations,headed paper...where do you get them from,do they needs to be legal-standard or can be highly customised !?

Quite happy that from my list only the bank issue has been raised,not that i'm expecting 'thanks' ,but i hope they will help my competition as much as is gonna help myself !

Please correct me if i'm wrong...
Regards.

delllat

rolion wrote: »

Thanks for reply,two heads are better than one...

Re the two accounts,I was thinking of getting a better security protection rather than making life 'harder' for some guys hard-paid off my hardly made moneys...and i was planning to open a third account,with higher interest for transferring moneys ,monthly,for the end of year Mr Tax Man report (i know,can be a problem with the cash flow...but it might happen that at the end of year to don't have those moneys available in any current bank account).All these,not for hiding something but rather for a better management of cash and security...imagine losing your cards,cheques or wanting to cancel a cheque file...easy peasy,with less pressure than having all eggs in a basket,i meant all moneys in a single account !

Re peers,not sure how does that work,i have to sit down and digest it.That is something that goes through agencies ..or...playing golf !?

I still have queries regarding invoices,quotations,headed paper...where do you get them from,do they needs to be legal-standard or can be highly customised !?

Quite happy that from my list only the bank issue has been raised,not that i'm expecting 'thanks' ,but i hope they will help my competition as much as is gonna help myself !

Please correct me if i'm wrong...
Regards.

vista print are usually cheaper tan the copdetition when it comes to stationary
viking are good for bulk envelopes but im not sure if they customise them

rolion

delllat wrote: »

vista print are usually cheaper tan the copdetition when it comes to stationary
viking are good for bulk envelopes but im not sure if they customise them

Thanks ,i'll start looking for a good design & print stationery shop...

Also,on the same theme,i got the confirmation of that doesn't matter what you know ,more important is who you know !

unnameduser

how are things going anyway? busy i hope?

the_syco

You may have one already, but get one of these if you don't. That, a laptop, and some decent recovery software can allow easy data recovery. Have found O&O's DiskRecovery to be good. Trial a few different ones to see what works for you best. Have used it to get a few word & excel documents back after an accidental format + reinstall of Windows.

Have this, but may get this in the future. They can allow you to pinpoint the problem quickly, by simply plugging it in, and turning on the machine (great when nothing even comes on the screen), and it'll tell you the problem.

Finally, if you can get the 2003 version of "Sysinternals ERD Commander" (don't get the 2005 version: it's not as good), or the newer version "Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset" (have never used the newer version, though) as the locksmith itself is valuable, as are a few of the other tools. Unfortunately, MS is meant to be restrictive with the MDaRT licence, so not to sure how much it is now, and may be too costly if you're just starting out.

CompFix

Philips head screwdriver, nothing it won't fix!