Suggestions for ways to make money for team by building PC's.

[BrokenHardDrive]

Current problem of the day,

I am currently a university student on a project design team supporting four teams working on multiple high-power rocket systems. We are currently hitting a budget shortfall of thousands of dollars. I am currently brain storming ways to make money for the team. Current plan was to go on GovDeals and find some old optiplexs for cheap and try to refurbish them to make some profit and contribute it to the team. If there are some easier ways to make money building computers or ways to crowdsource or any better ideas they would be welcome with open arms. 

[Bombastinator]

Hearing you are forced to do this makes me angry.  I weep for what science in the USA has become.  I doubt if I’m able to be any help but I’m willing to try.

[Enderman]

Building computers is a horrible way to make money.

Linus has talked about this like 50 times, do you not even watch the videos?

[BrokenHardDrive]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Building computers is a horrible way to make money.

Linus has talked about this like 50 times, do you not even watch the videos?

Literally this the easiest Idea I could come up with and this is why I'm for suggestions

[BrokenHardDrive]

3 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Hearing you are forced to do this makes me angry.  I weep for what science in the USA has become.  I doubt if I’m able to be any help but I’m willing to try.

Not exactly the universities fault that volumetric flow sensors for cryogenic fuels are thousands of dollars. Just we don't get any grant money from them so we are all self funded. 

[Bombastinator]

Who makes these volumetric sensors and how many do you need?

[Roswell]

Finding deals on used office PCs is easy, reselling them after you upgrade them is near impossible.

[Sat1600]

I build and upgrade PCs and sell them, but it's a hobby first and foremost. Sometimes a PC will sit for weeks before being sold. I would never do it just for the money.

 

Have you tried gofundme?

[Kisai]

4 hours ago, BrokenHardDrive said:

Current problem of the day,

I am currently a university student on a project design team supporting four teams working on multiple high-power rocket systems. We are currently hitting a budget shortfall of thousands of dollars. I am currently brain storming ways to make money for the team. Current plan was to go on GovDeals and find some old optiplexs for cheap and try to refurbish them to make some profit and contribute it to the team. If there are some easier ways to make money building computers or ways to crowdsource or any better ideas they would be welcome with open arms. 

I'm not sure that's a smart idea (buying old kit), at least not without having a buyer already around.

 

See the problem with previously owned equipment, is that there is no shortage of any equipment that is less than 10 years old. There's literately lots of it out there.

 

I used to have an uncle who would go to these things and he asked every year if he "could pick up a truck load" for me and yet I couldn't even being to describe what was worth bidding on.

 

There is no quick solution here, but if what you're doing is of educational value, please put it on Youtube, monetize it if you're allowed, and promote it through social media.

[dizmo]

Horrible idea. While it would work, it's basically a full time job in and of itself, so I don't know how you plan to run that as well as study. Nothing tech related in terms of building is going to net you the kind of quick cash you're seeking. 

 

It's probably be quicker if you all just (another) part time job...

[Sauron]

6 hours ago, BrokenHardDrive said:

thousands of dollars

Sorry, not going to happen by building or refurbishing PCs in your spare time.

 

Try to get an investment, or get a loan. Crowdsourcing might work but only if you have something to give to the backers at the end of the project, nobody is going to give you money just because you asked nicely.

[RonnieOP]

Im gonna be that guy but...get jobs?

 

Whatever you try and do to earn money is going to be time consuming. And in the case of selling pcs theres no for sure sale of the product. You could end up losing time and money.

 

With a job you know you will be paid for every hour you work. So no worries of "i need x to sale in the next two days"