Small time business Idea

[GeorgeKellow]

Me and my friend want to start a small little business for ourselves. Like building and selling on pcs, flipping old parts parts around, virus removal and software/hardware install etc etc 

 

Any pointers? Positive and negative feedback welcome!  

Thanks

George! 

[TetraSky]

The only advice you'll need is "Advertise". So many small business that does the same thing you do already exist, many more will show up, you need to be first in the mind of people when they need something computer related. If you fail at advertising, your small business will never take off and will die out within a few months, if that. Also, don't expect to be profitable for at little while. So if you're not working another job, make sure you have enough saving to last you a few months. Unless you can manage to get some money from the government for starting a business.

[GeorgeKellow]

11 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

The only advice you'll need is "Advertise". So many small business that does the same thing you do already exist, many more will show up, you need to be first in the mind of people when they need something computer related. If you fail at advertising, your small business will never take off and will die out within a few months, if that. Also, don't expect to be profitable for at little while. So if you're not working another job, make sure you have enough saving to last you a few months. Unless you can manage to get some money from the government for starting a business.

How would we go about advertising? Me and him are in college (UK) so we can afford not to make a lot of money! I already knew making a profit in the first year (Or second) Is hard to do 

[Hackentosher]

37 minutes ago, GeorgeKellow said:

How would we go about advertising? Me and him are in college (UK) so we can afford not to make a lot of money! I already knew making a profit in the first year (Or second) Is hard to do 

Flyers. Paper and photocopies are cheap, so offer your services to classmates and people in the surrounding town.

[TetraSky]

46 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

Flyers. Paper and photocopies are cheap, so offer your services to classmates and people in the surrounding town.

Advertise online as well.

If there's a classified ads website where you can just put an ad for your services, that's already something.

Then there's facebook, reach as many people as possible. Advertise anywhere that's permitted. (it's not permitted here)

 

But flyers that you distribute to every houses or so in your neighbourhood and the next over is probably your best bet. The first round of flyers probably won't amount to much, but distribute them again a month or two later and it might catch on a bit more. You could also put a flyer ad with detachable info(number, what you do, address) on it at local grocery stores (the ones that have a billboard for advertising near the entrance/exit, dunno if that's a thing in England).
Basically anything that gets your name out there. If you're willing to pay to advertise, there's a lot more options though, like dealing with a marketing firm if you don't want to do it yourself.

 

Also, if you have an actual store front, and doesn't just operate out of a regular house, will make people more likely to deal with you. Especially if the aesthetic of the store is "clean" and "modern" looking. I sure wouldn't go to a store that looks cluttered and dirty... which there's a few around here like that and I've yet to ever see anybody in them. It's a wonder how they are still in business.