pc building mini business?

[Avocheeseado]

Hi guys, I have build my own PC and built  a few for family and friends. Ideally I would like to setup a little pc building business to earn some money over lockdown. (I am 15 btw) This would probably be selling PCs on ebay. Do you think this would work? And if so how would I deal with if their computer had an issue or something (I'd rather not have to do that). Is this something worthwhile doing or should I just stick to building for people I know? Thanks for anyones ideas

[zeusthemoose]

If you do want to start a pc building business, I would build them on a per customer basis. That way you know it’s going to sell and you won’t take a loss on it. You could advertise in your local area or to friends and charge a fee in addition to the cost of parts. Sites like eBay take 10% of your sale price so you would have to charge a lot more than the cost of parts to make any profit doing that.

[aisle9]

Build PCs and sell them on Craigslist/Letgo/OfferUp. You'll have better luck with custom-built workstation style machines right now, which is actually good because there's no expensive GPU involved.

 

If you sell a PC to someone on eBay and they have a problem with it, they can open a return. There's nothing you can do about it, and they will be able to send the PC back to you with you having to pay shipping in addition to giving their original purchase price back. Not a line of business I'd advise getting into for something as heavy and expensive to ship as a desktop.

[Escapenz]

Personally i would stick to building for people you know. If you start selling pcs and they have issue you will A. have to pay to repair them from your own pocket or b. not and get bad rep. 

[Drama Lama]

10 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

You'll have better luck with custom-built workstation

 

16 minutes ago, Avocheeseado said:

I am 15 btw

But there might be very few people who let their workstations getting build by some „ semiprofessional „ 

@Avocheeseado I don‘t want to say you can’t build good PCs but there are these things called reputation 

[Enderman]

Linus has talked about this before, you're not going to make any money from it unless you start scamming people.

 

There already are plenty of companies that build PCs and they buy products in bulk, and they get lower prices motherboards and PSUs and cases, etc.

So there will always be someone selling a PC with the same specs for cheaper than you can do.

 

The only way you can make a profit is by building full custom systems with watercooling and modded cases, something that nobody else can do, or by scamming dumb people that will pay a premium for the same hardware that other retailers sell for cheaper.

 

You should also keep in mind that shipping a computer will cost a few hundred dollars due to the size and weight.

[QuixoticFin]

Simply selling random computers from your garage may not be the best option. I think building custom ones would be really good per customer basis.

 

I personally have a 3D printer and I can print custom fan grills and things like that. Offering a service that can make customization PCs with people's names or star wars themes might be a pretty good way of making yourself stand out. 

 

So like many have said, be unique but also do things on a customer kind of basis instead of building a bunch of the same computer and selling it on ebay for money

[dizmo]

I think the biggest issue you're going to have here is your wording. You can do it, and you can make money, but don't call it a business. It would be a hobby that you're doing on the side that you just happen to make money at. Legally a business, yes, but don't call it one, as you wouldn't be doing any of the things (or shouldn't, at least) that an actual business would be required to do.

 

Don't try selling on eBay. As @aisle9 pointed out, there's the chance of returns, not even if it's defective, but they might simply change their minds, say it's defective, and since eBay isn't going to look into it much further, you'll lose. However on top of that you have the overhead of shipping, shipping insurance, gas to the post office, packing materials (don't discount this, it can be incredibly expensive for larger items), etc.

 

One of the hardest obstacles you're going to have to overcome is your age. A lot of people simply won't feel confident purchasing from you. You're immature (regardless of how mature you are, you're 15, you're life experience isn't that of an older person), they'll question your knowledge, and since you're young they'll figure they can strong arm you into getting a better deal. Then there's the capital. How do you plan to make money to start?

 

If you'd like to make money, here's my suggestion: buy prebuilts on eBay, add a low powered graphics card, and sell them locally on Craigslist/FB/Kijiji etc.

You can market them as FortNite machines, and you can usually get some interest. Will you make tons? No, but you'll be making something.

Don't offer any after sales support. Don't offer repairs. Don't market yourself as a business.

 

I'll leave you with this: don't always listen to those that doubt you.

If you feel you can do it, have researched it fully, and don't mind the potential financial loss, go for it.

I started flipping mountain bike parts in my early 20's. My friends laughed at me, parents said it was a poor investment. Until I started making $1,500-$2,000/week.

I started flipping computer parts. My friends laughed at me. Until they noticed I was consistently making $400/system, and would find deals where I'd make $1,000+.

That said, you take risk, you will experience loss. You just have to make sure your profit outweighs that.

 

People, generally, are afraid of risk. Those people are many. Those people will say it's a bad idea.

 

1 hour ago, Escapenz said:

Personally i would stick to building for people you know. If you start selling pcs and they have issue you will A. have to pay to repair them from your own pocket or b. not and get bad rep. 

Not really, you don't actually have to offer any support.

1 hour ago, Enderman said:

Linus has talked about this before, you're not going to make any money from it unless you start scamming people.

 

There already are plenty of companies that build PCs and they buy products in bulk, and they get lower prices motherboards and PSUs and cases, etc.

So there will always be someone selling a PC with the same specs for cheaper than you can do.

 

The only way you can make a profit is by building full custom systems with watercooling and modded cases, something that nobody else can do, or by scamming dumb people that will pay a premium for the same hardware that other retailers sell for cheaper.

 

You should also keep in mind that shipping a computer will cost a few hundred dollars due to the size and weight.

From a business standpoint, sure. But he's 15. I don't think he actually meant he's starting an actual business. It can work as a side hustle.

Shipping a computer doesn't cost anywhere near a few hundred dollars, plus shipping is generally paid by the purchaser, not the seller.

22 minutes ago, QuixoticFin said:

Simply selling random computers from your garage may not be the best option. I think building custom ones would be really good per customer basis.

 

I personally have a 3D printer and I can print custom fan grills and things like that. Offering a service that can make customization PCs with people's names or star wars themes might be a pretty good way of making yourself stand out. 

 

So like many have said, be unique but also do things on a customer kind of basis instead of building a bunch of the same computer and selling it on ebay for money

Exactly this.

 

[Avocheeseado]

11 hours ago, dizmo said:

I think the biggest issue you're going to have here is your wording. You can do it, and you can make money, but don't call it a business. It would be a hobby that you're doing on the side that you just happen to make money at. Legally a business, yes, but don't call it one, as you wouldn't be doing any of the things (or shouldn't, at least) that an actual business would be required to do.

 

Don't try selling on eBay. As @aisle9 pointed out, there's the chance of returns, not even if it's defective, but they might simply change their minds, say it's defective, and since eBay isn't going to look into it much further, you'll lose. However on top of that you have the overhead of shipping, shipping insurance, gas to the post office, packing materials (don't discount this, it can be incredibly expensive for larger items), etc.

 

One of the hardest obstacles you're going to have to overcome is your age. A lot of people simply won't feel confident purchasing from you. You're immature (regardless of how mature you are, you're 15, you're life experience isn't that of an older person), they'll question your knowledge, and since you're young they'll figure they can strong arm you into getting a better deal. Then there's the capital. How do you plan to make money to start?

 

If you'd like to make money, here's my suggestion: buy prebuilts on eBay, add a low powered graphics card, and sell them locally on Craigslist/FB/Kijiji etc.

You can market them as FortNite machines, and you can usually get some interest. Will you make tons? No, but you'll be making something.

Don't offer any after sales support. Don't offer repairs. Don't market yourself as a business.

 

I'll leave you with this: don't always listen to those that doubt you.

If you feel you can do it, have researched it fully, and don't mind the potential financial loss, go for it.

I started flipping mountain bike parts in my early 20's. My friends laughed at me, parents said it was a poor investment. Until I started making $1,500-$2,000/week.

I started flipping computer parts. My friends laughed at me. Until they noticed I was consistently making $400/system, and would find deals where I'd make $1,000+.

That said, you take risk, you will experience loss. You just have to make sure your profit outweighs that.

 

Thanks, yeah I think a hobby is a better choice for that! I wouldn't really feel comfortable selling on craigslist or other sites where you have to collect in person, I would prefer to sent them off instead (like on ebay). 

[Avocheeseado]

11 hours ago, QuixoticFin said:

Simply selling random computers from your garage may not be the best option. I think building custom ones would be really good per customer basis.

 

I personally have a 3D printer and I can print custom fan grills and things like that. Offering a service that can make customization PCs with people's names or star wars themes might be a pretty good way of making yourself stand out. 

 

So like many have said, be unique but also do things on a customer kind of basis instead of building a bunch of the same computer and selling it on ebay for money

Yeah, that makes sense. Any ways I could customise them as I dont have a 3d printer?

[aisle9]

19 hours ago, Drama Lama said:

 

But there might be very few people who let their workstations getting build by some „ semiprofessional „ 

@Avocheeseado I don‘t want to say you can’t build good PCs but there are these things called reputation 

I could go out today, buy 10 decommissioned Optiplex 760 SFFs, clean them up, get them all to 6GB of RAM, add a 250GB hard drive, install W10 with an eBay license and have cheapo workstations that will handle WFH requirements for 90% of people (and I'd steer the ones it wouldn't work for to something else). It would cost me about $40 to get each one put together, and I could resell them for $80 with my eyes closed. No "reputation" required. In fact, unless you're in a small geographic area without a ton of population, reputation is irrelevant. Even then, it doesn't matter much. People care about price and little else.

 

The only reason I wouldn't build custom workstations from scratch is that the cost of getting the parts would be too high as compared to the ROI to justify that kind of financial outlay. If I wanted to, I could get an LGA 1156 system put together for well under $100...but the sale price would only be $120-150, so not worth it. Now, if someone dropped an HP Elite LGA 1156 system in front of me, yeah, I'm in.

 

18 hours ago, QuixoticFin said:

Simply selling random computers from your garage may not be the best option. I think building custom ones would be really good per customer basis.

 

I personally have a 3D printer and I can print custom fan grills and things like that. Offering a service that can make customization PCs with people's names or star wars themes might be a pretty good way of making yourself stand out. 

 

So like many have said, be unique but also do things on a customer kind of basis instead of building a bunch of the same computer and selling it on ebay for money

A 3D printer is a really steep investment, though. For customization purposes, it's much easier and much more practical to paint side panels or fan grills. Spray paint is cheap and making some amazing pictures with it is incredibly easy.

 

18 hours ago, dizmo said:

<<snip>>

 

All of this.

[Drama Lama]

@Avocheeseado I‘d start by selling „ Fortnite mashines „ ( cheap used prebuilts with low end graphics cards added)

[dizmo]

19 hours ago, Avocheeseado said:

Thanks, yeah I think a hobby is a better choice for that! I wouldn't really feel comfortable selling on craigslist or other sites where you have to collect in person, I would prefer to sent them off instead (like on ebay). 

You're not really going to make any money selling online and having to ship it.

[Enderman]

On 7/7/2020 at 5:50 PM, dizmo said:

From a business standpoint, sure. But he's 15. I don't think he actually meant he's starting an actual business. It can work as a side hustle.

Shipping a computer doesn't cost anywhere near a few hundred dollars, plus shipping is generally paid by the purchaser, not the seller.

You should go to UPS or DHL or whatever and put in the package size and weight for a computer, you'll be amazed how much it costs.

It's not cheap.

Linus has previously talked about the problems of shipping EMPTY pc cases from manufacturers like fractal design.

As a manufacturer you need to get a business shipping account for special bulk distribution discounts otherwise the shipping costs more than the case itself.

 

Building PCs locally is a much more feasible idea.

[dizmo]

11 minutes ago, Enderman said:

You should go to UPS or DHL or whatever and put in the package size and weight for a computer, you'll be amazed how much it costs.

It's not cheap.

Linus has previously talked about the problems of shipping EMPTY pc cases from manufacturers like fractal design.

As a manufacturer you need to get a business shipping account for special bulk distribution discounts otherwise the shipping costs more than the case itself.

 

Building PCs locally is a much more feasible idea.

I don't need to, I get PC's shipped to me all the time. It's never hundreds of dollars. Most I paid I think was $120, and that was case, monitor, keyboard, mice, speakers all in one large crate. 

 

The price to ship an empty case and a full case isn't that different. Reason being most shipping is based on volume, with slight additions for weight. The case is also most of the weight. 

 

"Business" shipping accounts are ridiculously easy to obtain.