Open Forum → PC repair getting me sick

Well I say continue on but let them know that after the first freebie then it will cost something for your time. I started that way and now I have my own computer company and I am loving it. I do mostly repair and upgrades but have also got into building custom systems. It use to be only comsumersbut now it has grown into businesses as well. I now live well off of what i make and the skies the limit.

Check out these 2 Yahoo groups:

»finance.groups.yahoo.com ··· usiness/ - If you want to move from "for free to for-fee" computer support. Excellent discussions on how to make that change.

»groups.yahoo.com/group/c ··· chforum/ - Sister group to the one above but focuses more on the technical issues faced with computer repair and solutions (how to remove a virus, OS errors and how to resolve, etc).

I am about to put out some flyers around my neighborhood advertising "for-fee" computer and networking support. Also, I am putting together forms that limits my liability for things I have no control over.

I only fix PCs for close family, and then usually its when I am visiting anyway. They provide the meal, beers, etc.

I have a friend at the local computer store. They charge $125 per hour, minimum, for house calls. (Of course, this is Long Island where everything is costly.) The local BestBuy and CompUSA charge less; I think maybe $100 minimum. However, my friend's business does a fantastic amount of business, probably because they offer a more personal service, and know what they are doing. This is contrary to BestBuy & CompUSA, whose efforts on probably 50% of the computers they service consist of reinstalling Windows.

My suggestions are as follows:

- establish a legal business (fill out 3 DBA forms, available at any Staples or quality stationary store - get them notarized, take one to the county clerk, one to you bank, and keep one for yourself).

- Set up accounting. I prefer QuickBooks Pro - its easy.

- If you will be selling parts, don't forget to apply for a sales tax certificate. (Also easy.)

- set up a fee structure. Charge about 80% of the local CompUSA or BestBuy. (Get their fee structure, and model your's after theirs.) For family it should be free or a really discounted rate. OH, and if you have any paying business, FAMILY COMES SECOND! If you were an electrician, you wouldn't walk off the job to go fix a circuit breaker at your Mom's house for free.

- If you provide any discounted or free service, use your accounting software to write a bill at the full rate, and then include the discount. The discount legally qualifies as a business expense and will lower your profit and save you money on taxes! This is rightfully so, as you are losing money on these deals. A discount is also a great way to offer business to new customers - make sure they know up front that it is a one-time deal, and only offer it to people you know will be back.

- Make sure your invoices, consent forms, etc offer the proper legal wording. After you reinstall windows, you don't want to be sued by the idiot that lost their photos, financial records, porn, etc. You can get this wording from a CompUSA or BestBuy form, etc.

- Buy and read the following book: "How to Be a Successful Computer Consultant", by Alan R. Simon. It will explain everything you need to know about this business and how to establish one properly.

In no time, you will be surprised at how lucrative it is; and you may want to give up your day job, as you may be making a lot more money working for yourself.

When I set up a new computer for someone I stick the reinstall CD's and driver cd in an unused drive bay inside the case. So if they have problems I just have to pop the case off and grab the cd's. That way they are always with the computer and will never get lost.

i do the same thing just don't have the heart to say no but if you are going to still fix pc's such as spyware scans ect... just do that all on msn messanger with remote.may be alot easier on you.

I started to charge $60.00/hr PLUS a $60.00 trip charge (then $1.00 more per mile if they are too far away) just to knock on their door cause I had too many people bugging me. I told them get smart or pay big.

That was wrong, absolutely incorrect. In fact, in pratice and in law.

Any "person" has a right to barter and trade their goods and services for other goods and services. The vender you are trading with is not giving you "free" apples if you fixed his PC. He is paying you in apples, or it could be said that you are paying for the apples by fixing his PC. This is done all the time all over the country and world. It is both legal and lawful to do so. All that is legally required is that both sides must agree to the terms of the trade.

Even large business use barter to exchange goods and services among themselves.

There is no requirement in law that says you must pay for goods and services in “Federal Reserve Notes” (The current currency used in the united States) or other soft currency. This is in the Uniform Commercial Code and other U.S. Statutes and regulations.

I’ve even done business in alternative hard money such as silver and gold coin. I have done business in private instruments (private money) that have the same kind of legal standing.

It is more common that most people realise.

A few references on alternate currency and barter.
»www.libertydollar.org/
»www.reinventingmoney.com/ »www.kuro5hin.org/story/2 ··· 2939/637
»www.greenmac.com/hours/* ··· nks.html
»www.madisonhours.org/

EDIT IN:

Just now really realized that you wrote "When I set up a new computer for someone". So I basically made this post for nada.

Apologies

Anyone wanna experiment with lobotomies? heh
Er, maybe that's my problem, someone already did? lolBut that does not work within the context of my grunt - that being, they don't HAVE the CD's that came with the PC.

Because they may have an (eg)HP PC, does not mean any HP recov CD will work; unless it is from the same series (and even then they often differ) the setup will only say "wrong CD" and terminate the process. Drivers online, ya, but jeez, one is going to track all those down under being "free"? Many crap I mean retail PC's take some hell-a-doing to even determine a beginning referrance number per part. Especially on older boxes, hell I have one here that does not even HAVE any referrence numbers on, of all things, the mobo itself ....... so it sits, and sits (was a gimme, no one waiting on it, lol).

DV

Charge the men money and tell the women to put out......And if your gay do the reverse.:D;):):p

Once, I had a brand new client who I was visiting the first time, and she was going through her PC issues, since the last PC guy "wasn't that good."

She asks me "So, what free programs can you get us?". and by "us" she meant her and her husband. She asked it just like that. Turns out she wanted a free copy of Microsoft Office 2003. Politely, I said "Nothing. That's illegal."

As time went on, I'm not sure whether the last computer guy truly "wasn't that good", or just refused to work with them. Know what I mean?

I don't understand how people expect a legitimate business to install pirated programs.

Moderator Action
The post that was here, and all followups to it, were moved to a new topic .. »PC repair business?

well, what you do in that regard is say "Why, yes we do!! "charge them $30 (an hour of your time to install and configure. Go to openoffice.org, download a copy, and install it. Donate $20 for the software and keep $10 for the install.

There you go..

I think thats a great idea. From now on, I'm going to do that.

I do like that idea. I just got back from doing another free repair for my cousin. She's 14 and locked herself out of her laptop. She has Win. XP and forgot the windows password to log on. And, she has the only account set up on the computer. So good old kind hearted me went over with my ever expanding software kit, and had her password cleared out and reset in about 5 minutes. I'm certain most shops would of either wiped out the hard drive and did a reinstall of Windows or charged about 100.00 to do what I did in 5 minutes. It's a good thing that there are still honest knowledgeable people like us around that just wanna make a few extra dollars and not rape consumers for a small fix or repair. Anymore, I don't think you can trust any shop to be honest with you about what you really need done. They wanna make the most money in the shortest amount of time. Usually, it's a windows install to fix most problems.
FYI: In this past Sunday's Best Buy flyer, they had a small pricelist of what their Geek Squad charges for most common repairs. If you want a real laugh, look at it. Virus and spyware removal was like 249.00.

Generally if people do not see a consequence to thier actions, (read: need to pay $) they will repeatedly take advantage of you.If you have to pay taxes, health insurance, overhead, assume liability or account for travelling time and vehicle expenses, that 5 minute job easily winds up eating up the better part of an hour (assuming travel to and from).Seems like you contradict yourself here. You suggest a windows reinstall is the common quick fix, and when someone does estimate a significant chunk of time for repair of a system (virus/spyware removal) they get crapped on.

It is easy to see that you have never considered what life is like on the other side.
Imagine that you do that for a living, and someone like you comes along and claims that computer repair people are rapists, who want to get the most money in the least time.

You are sand in the Vaseline. Not nice for anyone.

Yep, just tell them "Why, yes there is free alternatives!!" and just find the freewares...

After all, all most of them are thinking is just some money for donations, it don't have to be a large amount.