Question for experienced Techs...

[JackCall]

Hello World! I'm new to the community. Nice to meet you!

 

Essentially my question for you is, given your experience in the industry and hindsight, and given $5000 of no-strings-attached funding, how would you spend it if you were to restart your career from scratch?

 

     Over the coming weeks and months, I intend to develop my very own tech services business! Housecalls, troubleshooting, PC, smartphone, data backup and recovery, networking, security, home entertainment systems, all of the above. I have joined a local business mentoring program with the end product being a fully formed business plan and possibly $5000 worth of funding with 25% personal contribution ($1250 personal investment + $3750 grant money = $5000. I am hoping to pick your brains on the industry.

 

Given the experience and hindsight you now have, what decisions are you happy you made when you were starting out, and which would you change? What types of software would you have purchased or not? How about tools? Training and certificates?

 

tl;dr what advice do you have for someone looking to break into the industry?

[HeyKitty]

Form an sole-proprietary LLC

spend on marketing

• website
• facebook/socials
• flyers + flyer distribution
• business cards

Get a SECOND phone.  strictly for business.

Setup an email (usually with website)

 

open a business checking account.

 

put aside as much as you can. Business won't boom out the first few months.

 

use the last little bit of money to buy parts

 

Are you going to have a physical location?  You may need some town permits +signage fees

[JackCall]

Real quick response! It seems as though we are of the same mindset. I registered my business, have set up a second phone, set up an email, and have an appointment with an agent at my bank for setting up a business account. I intend to start just running out of my house and simply making house calls. I do kind of hope that eventually I will have enough awareness and clientele that it would be feasible to have a brick-and-mortar location, but for now just housecalls and pickups.

 

It occurs to me that in this industry, there is so much tools and software and training availiable that your best strategy is holding on to your funding until it becomes necessary to expense the purchase.

[HeyKitty]

7 minutes ago, JackCall said:

It seems as though we are of the same mindset.

Well I've owned and operated a brick/mortar computer repair business for almost 2-years.

 

Make sure you start meeting business owners.  look at joining local Chamber-Of-Commerce (you can join more than 1),  Rotary-clubs. and other business organizations.

 

making local business friends is a great way to spread word FAST (aside going mailbox to mailbox with flyers with discounts/free services.