The modern world is entirely dependent on computers. While there’s been a definite shift in recent years away from traditional desktop machines and laptops, and towards phones and other handheld devices, the demand for silicon has never been greater. Since computers, like every other machine, are prone to breaking down occasionally, there’s always going to be demand for skilled professionals who know how to correct these problems.
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WHAT IS PC REPAIR
Computer repair also know as PC Repair is the process of identifying, troubleshooting and resolving problems and issues in a faulty computer. pc repair is a broad field encompassing many tools, techniques and procedures used to repair computer hardware, software or network/Internet problems.
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PC Repair Technician
A computer Or PC repair technician is a person who repairs and maintains computers and servers. The technician’s responsibilities may extend to include building or configuring new hardware, installing and updating software packages, and creating and maintaining computer networks.
IS PC Repair Business SAFE?
Yes, computer repair is a very safe business, to start with, Laptops get bad everyday, imagine if you have 5-10 laptops everyday and you charge 5$ to troubleshoot and 50$ to repair, that’s alot of money you know?
How much does PC Repair Cost?
The average cost for pc repair is $65 an hour. Hiring a pc repair technician to get you back up and running, you will likely spend between $50 and $150. The price of pc repair can vary greatly by region (and even by zip code).
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How to Start PC Repair Business
1. Location
Determine where to set up your business. This allows you to estimate the costs you are likely to incur on rent, renovations, or repairs. Also, the location should factor in your clientele location. The ideal location ought to be close enough for your clients to access without any problem.
2. Determine the Characteristics of Your Ideal Clients. Before you start your own computer repair business, you need to figure out who you want to serve. Know who your ideal clients are and which characteristics they share. How large are their businesses? Which major business problems do they face? As you start to fine-tune your idea of the ideal pc repair business client also think about whether you are serving a niche and what your specialty is. Are your clients all in a specific industry or do they naturally all use the same specific software or hardware? Having a niche and a specialty can really help you with marketing and sales. You will position yourself to offer solutions that no other technology professionals in your area are offering and thus be even more indispensable to your clients.
3. Tools of Work
After establishing the services that you plan to offer, get the right tools to facilitate this work. The tools should be both hardware and software. The tools help in diagnostics and repair. Using the correct tools reduces damages on computers. It also reduces the effort and time used to the repairs.
4. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses. As you figure out how to start a pc repair business, you need to know your own strengths and weaknesses. You might have a very strong technical background but are not very business savvy. In order to succeed, you need to have a good balance of business, technical and also strong social skills, so you can best respond to the needs of your clients and build long-term relationships with them. Make sure you take the time to go outside your comfort zone and work on honing skills that come less readily to you than others.
5. Set Your Rates Right from the Beginning. When you run your own pc repair business, time is money. You can’t afford to set your rates too low in the beginning. Not only will you have to work incredibly hard just to make ends meet, but you will also have a hard time raising rates substantially once you’ve already started your business, without losing clients and compromising relationships and your reputation. To make sure you start your business using competitive rates, identify your local competitors and research what they are charging their clients and how their services compare to yours.
6. Be Patient and Let Your Business Evolve Over Time. You can’t expect to instantly get a full roster of clients and steady revenue for your business. When you are starting your pc repair business, you should expect it to take a while to get off the ground – sometimes as much as 6 months or even a year. Why? A successful pc repair business is built on strong client relationships and relationships take time to evolve. You need to get prospects for your business that know, like and trust you in order for them to turn into steady, high-paying, long-term clients. Be patient and follow clear steps when qualifying clients and forging connections through marketing and networking events. And take each client carefully through the sales cycle. If you are diligent with your efforts, they will pay off in time.
7. Remember that Marketing is Key. When you are just figuring out how to start a pc repair business, you’re going to be wearing a lot of different hats. You will probably have to do the marketing, sales, administrative and all other tasks by yourself in the beginning. Establishing a well-crafted, diversified marketing plan that incorporates a lot of different targeted activities is the only way to build your business and make sure your sales funnel is fed. So this way, you can attract new clients on a regular basis and still have time to manage other elements of your business.
Pros and Cons of PCs Repair Business
Advantages
If you are considering starting a pc repair and maintenance business, make sure you remember these advantages:
- Basic start-up costs should be minimal. If you already are an IT professional or otherwise, and are experienced with pc repairs and maintenance. You likely already have much of what you’ll need.
- You have a large target market beyond only individual computer owners. Many small businesses or home businesses do not have dedicated IT departments and rely on contracts with outside vendors.
- Contracting with small businesses, if you are able to do so, can provide a solid foundation of regular work for your business. If you do good work for them, they will be apt to keep using you and refer you to others.
- You can choose how much or little you want to work. Your business can be a side job to earn extra cash, or it can be a full-time career once you’ve built up a large enough client base.
Disadvantages
Although the pros are significant, there still are some potential challenges you may face when starting a computer repair and maintenance business. They are not too difficult to overcome:
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- It’s not enough just to have the technical knowledge and skills. You’ll need good communication skills. You have to be able to translate your actions in nontechnical terms for those that are not as technically inclined.
- Marketing your business is always expensive. In order to acquire clients, you need to let them know you are out there. You might want to network with business owners in your community and establish a presence online with a website, social media campaign, and advertising.
- You will need to purchase and maintain your own tools and testing equipment. Basic pc repair tools—such as screwdrivers, power supply testers and grounding straps—are not that expensive, depending on the services you want to provide. Some equipment, such as an oscilloscope if you are wanting to test and fix individual components, can be costly.
- You may need to be a business license to perform repair services. Check with your state to determine exactly what you’ll need. If nothing else, registering as a limited liability company will keep your business and personal assets separated, in case of legal issues.
- You also may need insurance and to be bonded since you may be entering clients’ homes. Again, check with your state to determine exactly what is required.
- Some clients may want you to be certified to work on their systems. Some common industry certifications are ACMT and CompTIA A+. It is helpful to have some networking certifications as well if you’d like to work on business networks. CompTIA Network+ and CCNP from Cisco are a few of the more common certifications.
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- Screwdrivers and nut drivers. …
- Pliers, cutters, and strippers. …
- Let there be light! …
- PSU Tester and Multimeter. …
- Thermal-interface material. …
- Straps, zip ties, and tie-downs.
- Sabrent USB-DSC9 USB 3.0 TO SATA/IDE converter. …
- Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. …
- Knipex crimping pliers. …
- Hand sanitizer. …
- PassMark PCIe test card. …
- Fluke multimeter.
- PC cleanup.
In a Nutshell, you will need the below four equipment for PC repairs.
- Hardware – This will be determined by the types of hardware you support – basic tools of course are necessary.
- Software. All virus removal software of course is needed, all of your tune up tools, Windows repair disks, Winsock utilities, drivers, etc. you get them here.
- Remote support software – If you are going to be doing remote support, you will need to do testing on products you will want to use.
- Forms – You will need forms for your clients and also forms for your business for general use. Ticketing – There are many ticketing programs out there to review and try.
How to Grow Your Computer Repair Business on a Budget
- Develop partnerships with local competition. …
- Increase the average sale price per customer. …
- Start selling pre-paid service packs. …
- Use the free advertising channels. …
- Trade computer services for referrals. …
- Participate in local events. …
- Do highly targeted Google Adwords campaigns. …
- Use Facebook advertising.
CONCLUSION
n this article, we explored all the critical tips needed to start a computer repair business, however, the computer repair industry is an open field for everyone, you don’t need really need to learn how to repair a pc before you can start the business, most business CEOs have little technical knowledge of the business they run, for instance mark of facebook isn’t a coding guru but his tagged one of the best developers in the world, employing well educated workers will do your business a lot good.
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