# how to start a Computer repair shop..



## Salvadorian Stuff (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi guys, I'm a A+ certificated and I been thinking for a while about to open a computer repair shop on my town, I have experience troubleshooting computer (I'm the one who always receive calls from friends and family to get their computer fixed  ), actually I'm just doing house calls,  but I feel I can have my own repair shop, soo I dont know if some people here have some experience doing this.. you can share your own experience and give me (us) some advices.

and someone knows about a good store to buy computer hardware to resell for a reasonable price? newegg give a good prices but I want someting better 

Thanks for everything!


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## freaksavior (Feb 23, 2010)

Take a couple business management classes.


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## Phxprovost (Feb 23, 2010)

dont, thats my 2¢


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 23, 2010)

Yeah if you want to open an actual shop I would seek advice and information about running a small business in general first and foremost. A great many fail within their first year and not because they don't have a good product and/or service.


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## freaksavior (Feb 23, 2010)

Honestly, go the the local community college, take one class on it, then decide if you want to do it. im in one right now, and there is no way I would run my own business. To much work, liability and other issues.


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## DirectorC (Feb 23, 2010)

Most businesses fail within the first year.  Restaurants most notoriously, and my mom opened a restaurant and limped along for four good years--but it wasn't her first business, I come from a long line of business owners on my mother's side.  The whole thing about opening up a computer shop is demand.  You have to know that people are going to come and seek your services.  And you have to advertise them well.  Invest into fliers and and people to go dropping them off at residences.  Also, you'll need a decent loan, especially to stock up with a decent supply of cases, monitors, video cards and sound cards, etc.  One thing I can tell you as a descendant of business owners is that persistence is key.  Stick around long enough, find a way to make it through the rough patches, and more people will come to know you and seek your services and supplies.


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## department76 (Feb 23, 2010)

1) be prepared for failure

2) as others have said, find something unique to offer, offer it in a creative and original way.  there's been half a dozen of such shops open and close in my hometown over the past 10 years.  the one that's been around the longest also offers broadband net service.  pretty sure that's what's kept them going.


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## Salvadorian Stuff (Feb 23, 2010)

freaksavior said:


> Honestly, go the the local community college, take one class on it, then decide if you want to do it. im in one right now, and there is no way I would run my own business. To much work, liability and other issues.



yeap.. that is right.. maybe I dont have experience on that... I'm actually on.. reading some books and also have my parents helping me out


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## 3volvedcombat (Feb 23, 2010)

You can try, your own @ home craigs list deal.

But when i tried that, Some people in the local area asked if i had a business license
and what i was going to do, how i was going to help out, and work with my offer/business.


Also there could be ALLOT of competition around your area, computer shops, with guys going getting there A+ certified degree'z and going to college courses and stuff. 


Here is how im going to start moving into the business, i have a program at my high school that will allow me to take internships on my loved jobs, see how there like, learn how to respond and fill out resume, dress right, and see if i like being a on field, or at shop technician which ill probably love. I might go work at geek-squad over by best buy(for idiots).


You have to sustaine yourself, and your probably not going to be so lucky, or be born into your dad himself working on computers and having his own shop/companies. 

Think about being a computer technician hardware/software fanatic like being in a carshop, it that kind of drop off, change some tires(graphics cards) and send em off charging a crap load for what a little kids thought could do for someones computer .



***********NOTE***********Didn't really get into reading your first post, my bad, haahahaahaha, well i wouldnt know much about having your own place/building and offering prices, showing credentials, keeping track of employees if it gets bigger, advertising for a business, and going threw licenses threw city, state, country ordeals, so i couldn't help you there. but from what the Op says it looks like you should be prepaired for failer, and if you put money into it which is guaranteed that you'll loose it if something goes wrong(highly possible).


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## Salvadorian Stuff (Feb 23, 2010)

department76 said:


> 1) be prepared for failure
> 
> 2) as others have said, find something unique to offer, offer it in a creative and original way.  there's been half a dozen of such shops open and close in my hometown over the past 10 years.  the one that's been around the longest also offers broadband net service.  pretty sure that's what's kept them going.



I talked with a guy who have a PC shop and he said the only way to survive is begin cheap! lol I would offer competitive prices.. the only pc repair center around its best buy.. and you know guys.. how they work and charge, insanity on computer repairs..


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## TeXBill (Feb 23, 2010)

Start doing it on the side. Have some business cards printed and pass them out as much as possible. The best way to advertise is word of mouth, make sure your customers like what you have done with their computers and they will tell other people about you and the work you do. Always give people a warranty on your work. Be polite and dress nice. Learn about routers and advertise setting up wireless in houses and business's. Last but the most important and I can't stress this enough is do good work and always keep your customers happy and you will get repeat customers coming back.


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## CJCerny (Feb 23, 2010)

Repairing hardware would make it much more tricky--you will likely soon tire of having to explain to someone why you can't get the same 10 year old motherboard to replace the one that they had that just burnt up. A better business would be on-site PC repair where you perform services like repairing PC's that are infected with spyware and viruses. No overhead. No inventory. No store front to worry about--just you and your software repair toolkit.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 23, 2010)

Salvadorian Stuff said:


> Hi guys, I'm a A+ certificated and I been thinking for a while about to open a computer repair shop on my town, I have experience troubleshooting computer (I'm the one who always receive calls from friends and family to get their computer fixed  ), actually I'm just doing house calls,  but I feel I can have my own repair shop, soo I dont know if some people here have some experience doing this.. you can share your own experience and give me (us) some advices.
> 
> and someone knows about a good store to buy computer hardware to resell for a reasonable price? newegg give a good prices but I want someting better
> 
> Thanks for everything!



You probably feel it's a lucrative venture now because your making money doing it on the side so with a storefront it can only get better right? The reason you get by now is partially due to the fact you have no overhead besides putting gas in the car to get to the next job. Once you have a store front you'll have a lease, utilities, insurance , business licence, inventory, advertising, and tax expense. Trust me I've been doing it in the Chicagoland area for 20 years and every time I start crunching numbers the overhead of a store will destroy my profits.
But...
If you can make people believe your less expencive and do a better job then the next guy then you might make it. That's where your marketing and personal skills need to shine. People will buy anything if you make them think they need it.


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## Delta6326 (Feb 23, 2010)

Well its going to be tough at the git go, my dad has his own business for around 28 years,(not with computers). some days it can be hard some days it can be easier, make sure you are always nice to a customer, thats how you can get repeat's. and watch out for those tax's that will take a big chunk of your profit.


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## Mike0409 (Feb 23, 2010)

Don't bite off more than you can chew.  Start off with a small customer base, and don't rent a shop.  Work from your home, pick up the PC's to work on or go to the customers location.  Limit your overhead and cost. 

I'd say give it a shot, just don't get yourself all screwed up with Loans.


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## Fourstaff (Feb 23, 2010)

Try setting up a website instead, then develop your business from there. That way, you don't need to pay for all those rents, taxes etc. Then slowly expand, but don't overdo it (say, you have 300,000 people in your town, and you plan to open 10 stores <---- way too overkill). Always have something to fall back on (like a stable job until you have a large enough customer base). Of course, you have TPU and generous souls to help you if you get stuck.


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