It repair

catsbanter

So working in a full time role in I.T on a okay wage 35k. In Kilkenny there is around 10 villages in a 10 mile radius around with some decent enough populations I was thinking of printing a maybe a thousand or two business cards and putting it through people's mailbox.
Now where I'm stuck is how to register the side business with taxes etc. I will set up a website and collect and deliver back the computers. Eventually if it goes well ill set up a shop where I can get a friend to do the work for nothing and pay a decent wage then for him if business picks up.

Anyone any advice? I will take on the city when I get enough exposure.

Tippex

catsbanter wrote: »

So working in a full time role in I.T on a okay wage 35k. In Kilkenny there is around 10 villages in a 10 mile radius around with some decent enough populations I was thinking of printing a maybe a thousand or two business cards and putting it through people's mailbox.
Now where I'm stuck is how to register the side business with taxes etc. I will set up a website and collect and deliver back the computers. Eventually if it goes well ill set up a shop where I can get a friend to do the work for nothing and pay a decent wage then for him if business picks up.

Anyone any advice? I will take on the city when I get enough exposure.

What sort of repairs are you planning on? what sort of guarantees are you going to offer? Doing it in house for a company is very different from doing it as a business / side business. You are going to have to manage clients expectations of what the service is and the after sales end of things.

for example if you are asked to remove a virus and 2 weeks later the client gets another virus (multitude of reasons) you could have the client calling you demanding you remove the new virus as their expectation (rightly or wrongly) will be that it was not "fixed" previously.

I found in the past that a lot of the time it just is not worth the hassle doing this sort of thing especially if you start getting calls during you day job about repairs that were done out of hours.

Just some things to consider before jumping into it.

catsbanter

Tippex wrote: »

What sort of repairs are you planning on? what sort of guarantees are you going to offer? Doing it in house for a company is very different from doing it as a business / side business. You are going to have to manage clients expectations of what the service is and the after sales end of things.

for example if you are asked to remove a virus and 2 weeks later the client gets another virus (multitude of reasons) you could have the client calling you demanding you remove the new virus as their expectation (rightly or wrongly) will be that it was not "fixed" previously.

I found in the past that a lot of the time it just is not worth the hassle doing this sort of thing especially if you start getting calls during you day job about repairs that were done out of hours.

Just some things to consider before jumping into it.

Office in Kilkenny city for 50 a week in great location .I'm considering leaving my job now to take this on full time. I'm 28 and no dependencies and will never forgive myself if I don't give it a go and should easily enough get a new job if it doesn't work out. Probably starting out just pc/laptop repair, virus removal, software upgrades etc. Then maybe try and get a few tenures for something like office 365/file shares/active directory administration along with printers etc. Then down the line cloud, disaster recovery vpns, customer backups etc. Think I could give it a proper shot and have great expierence in the area.

ironclaw

I'd echo what Tippex said. I do this for family and friends, and on enterprise equipment. My professional background is Electronic Engineering. The big stumbling block is the general public as Tippex said. You need watertight agreements on trivial things like virus removal, After Sales etc. If anything, and I mean anything goes wrong, you get the rap for it. Even if its totally unrelated. I've seen very trivial things spiral into a huge cat fight as people just do not understand.

'You replaced my screen, now the battery doesn't last as long'

'That was 3 months ago'

Threats of Small Claims Court, post after post on your fb page, telling people you are thief etc etc. Also, people assume that if you do work then they are still within warranty of the manufacteur. Apple is a great one, I've done my fair share of screen's but people don't understand that although I can do it for a lost less than Apple, its not the same as going to Apple themselves (OEM parts etc etc) Honestly, I was going to do this myself and I just said No.

By all means go for it, but be properly insured professional / indemnity and have the paperwork to support your sales before you do.

catsbanter

Thanks for the reply. I know how to deal with those type of people. I deal with them the hole time and understand all the risks. People giving out over the most ridiculous things just cause there bored, lack knowledge or like to feel there important trying to talk down to you.

enricoh

I know its a bit different but I was in a shopping centre during the week with two mobile phone screen repair booths to get my screen fixed.
Both of them were flat out n this was in a shopping centre that was basically deserted.
50 quid for an iPhone 5c cover, only a tiny space needed - I smelt a few quid in it anyway!

pedronomix

Just because you are well capable of doing the work does not mean it represents a decent business opportunity. Plenty of experience on here cofirms it is not one! Your call!!

jmcc

Just remember one thing: you don't scale well horizontally.

Regards...jmcc

catsbanter

I'll easily get another job in I.T and insurance isn't too bad. I'll be handing in my notice Monday when I'm back from holidays. 50 quid a week I'll take the chance. Have got in contact with my uncle who knows some busniess owners who will advise me.

ironclaw

catsbanter wrote: »

I'll easily get another job in I.T and insurance isn't too bad. I'll be handing in my notice Monday when I'm back from holidays. 50 quid a week I'll take the chance. Have got in contact with my uncle who knows some busniess owners who will advise me.

The rent is €50 a week. But does that include rates, bills, insurance? A phone to call clients? You'll need a good deal of cash to get some flyers made up and get your name out there. Is flyering ok by the local by-laws? Some IT to process your repairs and a website. Some money aside for certifications so you can do more professional work.

Unless you are sitting on about €15k you can just load into this and still live, I'd strongly urge doing even an evening of math to check your costs. They can very quickly add up.

Atomico

Sounds like a bad idea altogether - you're handing in your notice on Monday when you were only asking yesterday about registering a business / taxes!

35k is a nice wage for someone outside Dublin and with no commitments - do you think you're going to make that each year fixing computers around Kilkenny? Not saying you wouldn't but it's going to be tougher than just collecting your pay every month. You get to walk out of the office every day at 5.30 while your managers deal with any major customer issues - now you'll have to deal with those yourself while also trying to get the work done, deal with accounts and taxes, chase payments, invoices, manage your rent, supplies, etc...

A smarter plan would be to keep your job and do this on the side for the next couple of months to see how you fare. That would give you a good idea as to whether this plan is actually realistic or sustainable.

Graham

Atomico wrote: »

A smarter plan would be to keep your job and do this on the side for the next couple of months to see how you fare. That would give you a good idea as to whether this plan is actually realistic or sustainable.

+1

Tippex

Atomico wrote: »

A smarter plan would be to keep your job and do this on the side for the next couple of months to see how you fare. That would give you a good idea as to whether this plan is actually realistic or sustainable.

If as it seems that you are ignoring every other piece of advice being given here, the one quoted is the the most important piece.

OP Keep your job for a few months and see how it goes as a nixer (I have my doubts you will listen to the advice being given)

lynvoh

So, How did it go?
I've just got to this thread looking for the same advice, but in other city. Freelance jobs have any legal scope?
If my neighbour pays me for remove a virus in cash, do I need to pay taxes? if I do it for a lot of neighbours?

ironclaw

lynvoh wrote: »

If my neighbour pays me for remove a virus in cash, do I need to pay taxes? if I do it for a lot of neighbours?

Yes, it's an income and you should be declaring it and hence paying tax on it. Plenty of people do work on the side and don't pay tax on the money earned. Thats for each individual to decide on. Personally, the risk far outweighs the reward if Revenue got word of you doing work for cash and not declaring it, also being auditing has far reaching consequences should you ever wish to form a legal business.

lynvoh

Yes, the normal thing, but I would like to ask, is it possible to make a one man company? the taxes depends on the company's size but there is a minimun size? I am always speaking about the original subject, cleaning dust from keyboards, reinstall windows, etc.
Thanks in advance for the data.

drunkmonkey

There's money to be made in it if run correctly. You need to be doing 5/10 machines a day. Screens for all devices, pads, laptops, phones etc.
The 15k to start up is off the wall if you rent is only €50 a week, your overheads won't be much, but you need parts but they can all be got next day, you need a staff member, thinking you can do it on your own and your bound to fail.
Flyer drop isn't that expensive, get some local young lads and pack them into the car, printing is cheap.
If your currently on 35, you could possiblly triple it but will take hard work and swallow all your time. There's a lot to be said for having a 9 to 5, your still young, I'd spend the next 5 years educating yourself and climbing the ladder in work until your on good money.

beauf

I've never seen any of these place do well. They either have a flashy roll out and disappear within 14 months. Or all look like they are run on a shoestring, and operated from increasingly scruffy premises. Until they also disappear. Just takes longer maybe 2~3yrs to learn the same lesson. ' no shortage of work, just not enough profit in it. IMO.

Just be aware there nothing special about fixing PC's. Most people know someone who can do it, for free. Most people will pay you more to do other things. Like cleaning windows, washing cars, etc. You might think you'll grow it into supporting small companies. But there even leaner margins in that.

If you've found a means of bucking the trend well done.