PC Repair Business - Hints and tips

motorguy

far wrote: »

If they were caught later and it transpired you had had unfettered access to their machine, could questions not be asked about why you didn't report it?

If you were there to fix a broadband problem, why would you necessarily be rooting around on someones hard disk? Or there to put extra RAM in? Plus i would imagine Gary would be careful enough to not leave his crimes in an obviously named folder on the hard disk....

... BUT yes, if you found anything like that, say if you were doing a full scan, you would be obliged to report it.

clarkeyi

How about trying local small business aswell?. I work as a consultant in IT and some sites I visit have 3rd party contractors who are really poor and then the systems are in a mess. This is where you can come in, give a health check and try and get some business off the company with good work and try and sell extra services like firewalls ,proxy servers, security audits, etc.
This is what I am looking into especailly around security and VPN for remote access and site to site with partner companies.

braken2000

One thing about Remote access etc:

Make sure they know it is on there!

You dont want them uninstalling the client software and also, you dont want them saying your "spying" on them!

braken2000

Is there any free VPN client/server software out there?

The only one that I know of, and thats cos I use it is Cisco VPN.

Bit pricey for my liking!

motorguy

braken2000 wrote: »

Is there any free VPN client/server software out there?

The only one that I know of, and thats cos I use it is Cisco VPN.

Bit pricey for my liking!

Try ultravpn

skint999

just a thought for your business income, what if you were to work closely with small business' and offer to maintain their network for a monthly maintanence fee, the fee would be determined on the size of their network, estimated callouts based on roughly how many times your client has needed a techie in the past 3 months, and how often you are needed to update/upgrade software for your client, this could be reviewed after 3 months or so. this way you will have a regular income, and a good cash flow to start your business, get a few local business on board and you can quit your current day job :-)

sho_me_da_money

Hi guys,

Good thread and i am thinking of trying this as a sideline.

After reading everyones comments, i understand that success of this service relies on good solid terms and conditions.

My writing skills are really poor but im hoping that someone is kind enough to perhaps write a mini terms and conditions for a support service?

Something that will save your !!! from any hassle, any legalities etc.

This is a big favour but i would imagine that once something is drafted on here, it would be useful to many people.

I will do more research and try to compile something my copying and pasting some conditions from known support services such as The Geek Squad.

I would like this terms and conditions accepted by an email confirmation before i carry out any work.

What do you think?

motorguy

skint999 wrote: »

just a thought for your business income, what if you were to work closely with small business' and offer to maintain their network for a monthly maintanence fee, the fee would be determined on the size of their network, estimated callouts based on roughly how many times your client has needed a techie in the past 3 months, and how often you are needed to update/upgrade software for your client, this could be reviewed after 3 months or so. this way you will have a regular income, and a good cash flow to start your business, get a few local business on board and you can quit your current day job :-)

Local businesses will typically expect you to fix it when it happens and inside business hours. They wont necessarily appreciate having to open up again in an evening and paying someone to be there with you.

C_Ronaldo

pgilc1 wrote: »

I did this for over a year and heres my findings...

(a) people will have you come out, fix their machines - say you fix broadband - then they will ring a fortnight later saying - "two weeks ago you fixed my computer, and now Word isnt working and its your fault". Be specific, write out an invoice of exactly what you fixed, have them sign to confirm you fixed it and that they are happy with it.

(b) Try to draw a line at one visit, £30 for an hours work is decent, not so decent if you end up going back twice for something fiddly, suddenly its three trips for £10 a trip.

(c) Buy a cheap pay as you go mobile. Use that number and that number only when advertising. I still have people ringing me over a year later, OR as happened recently TURNING UP ON MY DOORSTEP AT TEN OCLOCK ON A SATURDAY NIGHT!!! If it doesnt work out, you simply switch the phone off and forget about it. Also handy to be able to switch it off at weekends.

(d) Consider a one liner in your local paper - probably costs £6 a week. Offer free collection & return too.

(e) if you are taking any of their hardware off site, have a receipt book, note down what you've taken and have them sign it. That laptop you take away to repair will suddenly have been a laptop & power supply and you need proof of what you took.

(f) Wireless broadband installs & problems. Take a wireless laptop with you. That way you will be able to tell whether its their laptop or the router, also handy to download drivers. If you're booked out for a broadband install, make sure they have their username & password ready BEFORE you get there. Also, invest in a couple of wireless routers, wireless usb sticks, wireless PCI cards. That way you can swap out their wireless hardware on the spot if faulty

(g) You will be able to spot the numpties and trouble makers at 20 paces. Install logmein or similar (www.logmein.com) so that you can remotely access their computer if they have a problem.

(h) Tell people up front what your rate is, so if its £40 callout, then £20 per hour or part hour thereafter, then let them know, so they dont be surprised. Peoples lives now revolve more around the internet and computer use, yet they expect computer people to work all evening for a tenner, yet a washing machine engineer theyll happily pay £50 an hour.

(i) Charge a flat rate for windows reinstalls, add an extra £10 if they dont have the drivers disks.

(j) If you're doing hardware too, carry a small stock of Power supplies, RAM, hard disks, keyboards, mice. These can be bought for buttons on ebuyer etc, and you can double your money on them plus fitting.

(k) Tuition of senior citizens is fine, but i found it hard to get a reasonable hourly rate out of it. By the time you drive to them etc, it might not be that viable.

(l) GOOD LUCK - i started out naively thinking i was offering a people a local alternative to having to go to the likes of PCWorld, but so many people expect something for nothing, it just wore me down in the end.

Good post, some good ideas

Savvy_Sue

pgilc1 wrote: »

Local businesses will typically expect you to fix it when it happens and inside business hours. They wont necessarily appreciate having to open up again in an evening and paying someone to be there with you.

After DH stayed out ALL NIGHT because his tame techie was re-building a machine, I'll certainly support that one! As I said to him at the time, if one my colleagues breaks their computer, they do without until I can get it fixed at a God-given hour ...

So this is another piece of advice, whether you're doing this as a favour for a friend or as a business, learn when to stop. That job which will 'only take 10 minutes if it goes right' but you know it will take 10 hours if it doesn't, consider starting it early in the day rather than late.

I thought it was bad enough when DH's tame techie came to our house to fix something and didn't leave until 3 am (yes, that's three in the morning, ladies and gentlemen!) but this latest experience really took the biscuit!