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Home computer support business?
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dexterwolf
Posts: 360 Forumite

I currently work fulltime but wanted to make some extra money by doing home computer support around my local area. Has anyone here done a similar thing?. If so have they any tips for starting up?. I want to do it mainly in my evening and weekends.
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Well in short get advertising, maybe setup a website and off you go.
Do a self assessment on your income and all is good.
On the technical level this isn't something I would touch with a barge pole, in short you will get customers who will load up there computer with virus/trogen/rootkits, you will sort it give it back and then they will do the same and say you never fixed it.
In short I wouldn't wnt to deal with the average customer you will get.Have my first business premises (+4th business) 01/11/2017
Quit day job to run 3 businesses 08/02/2017
Started third business 25/06/2016
Son born 13/09/2015
Started a second business 03/08/2013
Officially the owner of my own business since 13/01/20120 -
Thanks Percy, I take it I will need insurance etc?0
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dexterwolf wrote: »I currently work fulltime but wanted to make some extra money by doing home computer support around my local area. Has anyone here done a similar thing?. If so have they any tips for starting up?. I want to do it mainly in my evening and weekends.
Search here and on the other 2 money making forums on MSE and you will find this question is asked every couple of weeks and always get very similar answers.
Computers are increasingly things you replace rather than repair. Its very hard to get a constant stream of private customers, repeat business is low and a fair number of arguments over if you fixed the problem -v- if they broke it again.
If you can work office hours then small businesses are better in a number of these areas but if you have a day job then it'll be difficult being on call 24/7 for a business' mission critical systems0 -
We used to get people wanting to do part-time computer repairs/support quite often on the forum. I have not seen this come up on the forum for a while.
If you are getting insurance, you should be clear as to what it is for before taken it out.0 -
I've no experience doing this but have been a customer so thought I'd share my 2cents.
My laptop basically died last year so I searched online for a repair service. I called the guy, and he came by my flat, picked up the laptop and then took it to fix it. Installed me a new SSHD and then dropped off the laptop and collected payment a few days later.
I think he used a courier, but you'd have to have a service that was convenient like this.Faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.0 -
Yep, I'll also flag to beware of the kind of clients you'll get. Crawling through a browser with every single toolbar on earth limiting screen space to a vertical inch trying to resolve some hideous virus problem without being pinned for free lifetime support for everything technical forever, whether or not you touched it (printer, for instance, or just as likely the kettle that was never the same since you came, or TV). If you do your job right, there's very little repeat custom either!
So, as suggested above, try to service SME's maybe? Machines may be cleaner to begin with and they understand you'll charge by the hour, not be an all-you-can-eat technology buffet0 -
wanted to make some extra money by doing home computer support around my local area
Did exactly that for about five years, started small and grew.
Advertising did work in this sector, was quite busy by the second year.
Evening and weekends idea IMO won't get you too far, most people want a home visit during the day. Mondays are usually busy, plenty of people with weekend computer problems needing solving.
Unless you are good, and I mean really good, many virus/ spyware issues will need the unit taking away for scanning, cleaning and rechecking. It's time consuming and it is good to have a few in at once to disinfect at the same time.
Revisits to deliver and set up needed = more time.
Keeping customers I found fairly easy - bit of free guidance on the phone, if you can pop in when going somewhere else, often its the little things that keeps people happy.
Pay is not so bad for part time work, extra pocket money.
So why did I pack it in?
1) Cost of IT equipment spiralled downwards, repairs became less viable.
2) The Internet somehow became safer - think it was the development of much better security suites.
3) Laptop use has become widespread, in general less repairable mainboards and less upgradeable.
4) Laptop repairs not paying as well, screen replacement is a formality and does not pay well any more.
5) Many people use Android also, again less money involved in repair.
In short over 5 years I saw my revenue grow and then fall despite working more hours.
For pocket money, great, as a business proposition, you'll work many many hours for little money in real terms.
Business to business on the other hand does pay well and is interesting, you'll need a specific skill set for this work.0 -
You need to protect yourself. I remember reading a thread where they reinstalled the OS for a customer and then the hardware failed. They tried to sue the poster for damaging the hardware.
I do it for family and friends only. If they give me a drink i buy a takeaway on the way home.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0 -
You need to protect yourself. I remember reading a thread where they reinstalled the OS for a customer and then the hardware failed. They tried to sue the poster for damaging the hardware.
Good point, happens quite a lot.
Hardware is mostly failing when customer calls, but looks like a Windows fault.
Experience usually helps sniff out the faults, and a good hardware test kit confirms.
Windows reinstalls are rarely the answer, backing up, rebuilding, reinstalling and configuring a customers peripherals and software is a thankless task.
First do no harm was the norm. Image a system for safety if required and sort it out.0 -
I have now given up doing computers. The same one keeps coming back. Infected AGAIN.
They remove any AV/Firewall i put on and resort back to McAfee. 3 weeks and they are on the phone again...
In a bid to remove the virus and erase the traces from the naughty sites they visit they tried to use a laptop restore disc (desktop machine).
Of course when it comes to bootup and start the new laptop setup it can no longer find the right hardware and freezes. Its already erased the old OS and partitions which i always create with an Acronis image to make a full recovery quick and easy.
Lots interest in computers. If you go to their place your there hours waiting for scans to run. If you take it home they want it back 1/2 an hour later.
Get a paper round instead...Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0
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