Starting a business

[Masamune]

Since I've been fruitlessly looking for a job for months, I've decided it's time to try and start my own business building, repairing, and upgrading computers for people. I've been doing shit for free for my friends for ages, and I don't really want to charge them for shit that takes minimal effort from me. But I'd really like to get my name out to other people local to my area who're about to spend X amount of dollars on a piece of shit from Best Buy or get something serviced, when they can just come to me and get the same shit for (X-$100) or so. Does anyone have any experience doing something like this? Because I could really use some pointers.

[Dark Nation]

Signed agreements up front. Clearly state what you will be doing to the machine and what responsibility you have if something goes wrong (short out a motherboard accidentally because you weren't grounded) or missing (only copy of someone't wedding photos vanish after you touched the machine).

Here are some examples:
http://www.geeksquad.com/detail.aspx?id=209
http://www.apple.com/legal/terms/repair/naonlinerepair.html
http://www.computergeeksonline.net/terms/index.asp
http://www.engineering.sdsu.edu/main/computer_support/Computer%20Repair%20Agreement.pdf
http://forms.ou.edu/Cases.pdf

Charge a diagnostics/consultant fee before any work is done. If a customer brings in a machine and says, "I don't work", then you charge $25 (or whatever you feel is acceptable for your area) up front to find out what is wrong with it. If they decide they want you to fix it, the $25 is applied to the repair charge. If not, the $25 is yours to keep. If a customer wants memory or hard drive upgraded, have them pay a certain amount for you to look at the system and determine exactly what is needed/compatible. Again, get them to sign something up front regarding liability before you put your hands on the system. It's possible they may want you to "upgrade" their hard drive when it's actually dead and if you open the case to examine it, they might claim that you killed it and have to replace it out of pocket.

Also, check other places in the area for their pricing structure to see what your area can support. Pricing can be very different between New York City and Backwoods Village.

[Brasel]

I was thinking of doing the same thing, but unfortunately, the competition in the St. Louis area would be a bit much. There are all kinds of accredited people already doing this and have been doing it for years. I don't know if it would be successful or not, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Keep me posted on how yours is going if you decide to do it or not Masa, I'm interested.

[Beldaran]

You were in the army. You could kill them and then take over their business.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2p9QMRZ1S4I/R1mYo6KjBtI/AAAAAAAAAKY/HnLEv2LPDvM/s400/Don+Corleone.jpg

[Brasel]

You were in the army. You could kill them and then take over their business.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2p9QMRZ1S4I/R1mYo6KjBtI/AAAAAAAAAKY/HnLEv2LPDvM/s400/Don+Corleone.jpg

Have I ever told you that you're my hero?

[Masamune]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep you updated if anything progresses.

[Pryme8]

Send me a PM with all your information on what you want to do, and Ill give you tons of examples of things that will help you out.

I currently do something similar, so It would not be tough to help you get an idea of where to start!

[Manwich]

i think its great that you want to get into business. but if you want to be successful, i recommend you stay away from fiddling with computers and do something very difficult with your hands. like my poppa always said, you aren't working if you don't have dirt under your nails. when i got out of high school, i started my own lawn mowing business. now i'm supervising the maintenence of 7 highways and 30 roads and i still work harder than my men even though i'm a supervisor.

[Brasel]

i still work harder than my men even though i'm a supervisor.

That makes you a poor leader. You should still work, but you need to motivate them to work harder than you. What is their incentive to work hard and do good if their supervisor is just going to do it for you. I doubt you supervise anything to be honest.

[Pryme8]

That makes you a poor leader.



you are wrong about that one... that makes him a great leader!

he leads by example, just because his crew does not keep up does not make him a bad supervisor. Only thing it does make him bad at is firing people.

[Brasel]

There's a difference between leading by example and doing your subordinates' work for them. One thing about being a leader is inspiring those who chose not to work hard to work harder, be it from leading by example or through disciplining them.

[Beldaran]

Don't argue with him, Tony. It's been firmly established before that Pryme8 is a genius.

[Brasel]

Don't argue with him, Tony. It's been firmly established before that Pryme8 is a genius.

Oh has it? My mistake then. Sorry Pryme8, you win, your genius outdoes my 3 years of experience as a leader in an Army unit.

[firebug]

Oh has it? My mistake then. Sorry Pryme8, you win, your genius outdoes my 3 years of experience as a leader in an Army unit.
Yeah, because leadership in the army is the same thing as management in the business world. I would never work anywhere my supervisor wasn't willing to do the same work I was. I fucking HATE when managerial-type people come to you and tell you to do something they could have taken 15 seconds to do themselves. I'm not a slave. And they're not my parents. What we have going on here is a trade: My hard work for your money.

How is the trade worth it if you see your 'leader' sitting on his ass doing nothing while profiting like a motherfucker off of your hard work? Anyone would be more willing to help someone make more money (because that's what's actually happening here) if they saw that person was dedicated to the job.

I work at a Steel Mill/Shop. I don't have to deal with a 'corporate ladder' - type situation because my direct manager is also the owner. I come into work happy each day because I know my boss is already going to be there working his ass off and I'm going to be doing something productive right beside him all day long. I hold absolutely no resentment towards him for any reason, and I'm happy to be paid well for my hard work.

I've also worked many places where I was simply an 'employee', where I had to work my ass off for someone who shuffled papers all day long, then came down and told me I wasn't working hard enough. In that environment, no amount of money will be worth my work. I can get a job elsewhere thank you very much. You still have to hold this business and deal with a constant disgruntled employee turnover.

[Beldaran]

Yeah, because leadership in the army is the same thing as management in the business world. I would never work anywhere my supervisor wasn't willing to do the same work I was. I fucking HATE when managerial-type people come to you and tell you to do something they could have taken 15 seconds to do themselves. I'm not a slave. And they're not my parents. What we have going on here is a trade: My hard work for your money.

How is the trade worth it if you see your 'leader' sitting on his ass doing nothing while profiting like a motherfucker off of your hard work? Anyone would be more willing to help someone make more money (because that's what's actually happening here) if they saw that person was dedicated to the job.

I work at a Steel Mill/Shop. I don't have to deal with a 'corporate ladder' - type situation because my direct manager is also the owner. I come into work happy each day because I know my boss is already going to be there working his ass off and I'm going to be doing something productive right beside him all day long. I hold absolutely no resentment towards him for any reason, and I'm happy to be paid well for my hard work.

I've also worked many places where I was simply an 'employee', where I had to work my ass off for someone who shuffled papers all day long, then came down and told me I wasn't working hard enough. In that environment, no amount of money will be worth my work. I can get a job elsewhere thank you very much. You still have to hold this business and deal with a constant disgruntled employee turnover.

I would never hire you. Your attitude is emo-gay-spoiled.

[firebug]

I would never hire you. Your attitude is emo-gay-spoiled.

And I would never hire you. Your attitude is obnoxious and elitist. :shrug:
Plus, I'd be afraid you'd spend all your time spewing masturbatory I'm-so-smart-and-special-and-the-rest-of-you-don't-deserve-to-have-an-opinion diatribe all over the workplace. It's not so fun working (or even conversing) with people like that.

LOL at emo-gay-spoiled.

[Beldaran]

And I would never hire you.

I'm not real concerned that someone like you will ever be in the position to hire someone like me.

[rock_nog]

Busting your goddamn ass off is not the same as picking up the slack of the people who work below you. That's all I've got to say.

[firebug]

I'm not real concerned that someone like you will ever be in the position to hire someone like me.
Yeah, you're right. You'd need to find someone pretty goddamn masochistic and/or inane willing to hire you.

[Brasel]

Yeah, because leadership in the army is the same thing as management in the business world. I would never work anywhere my supervisor wasn't willing to do the same work I was. I fucking HATE when managerial-type people come to you and tell you to do something they could have taken 15 seconds to do themselves. I'm not a slave. And they're not my parents. What we have going on here is a trade: My hard work for your money.

How is the trade worth it if you see your 'leader' sitting on his ass doing nothing while profiting like a motherfucker off of your hard work? Anyone would be more willing to help someone make more money (because that's what's actually happening here) if they saw that person was dedicated to the job.

I work at a Steel Mill/Shop. I don't have to deal with a 'corporate ladder' - type situation because my direct manager is also the owner. I come into work happy each day because I know my boss is already going to be there working his ass off and I'm going to be doing something productive right beside him all day long. I hold absolutely no resentment towards him for any reason, and I'm happy to be paid well for my hard work.

I've also worked many places where I was simply an 'employee', where I had to work my ass off for someone who shuffled papers all day long, then came down and told me I wasn't working hard enough. In that environment, no amount of money will be worth my work. I can get a job elsewhere thank you very much. You still have to hold this business and deal with a constant disgruntled employee turnover.

It may take your supervisor 15 seconds to do it, but is it HIS job or YOUR job? I agree that it sucks seeing a supervisor sitting on his ass while you work your ass off. Sometimes that paper shuffling is WAY more important than you think it is. Someone has to do it, and a supervisor is supposed to have the experience for it and has already put in his hard work doing the employee part. It sounds to me like you've had some shitty leadership who had some sort of a power trip. Sucks that you haven't had a good leader. Yeah, if the going gets tough, and there is way too much work for the employees to do on their own, yes, the supervisor should dig in and help, but it isn't his job to do it all the time with the employee.

[Pryme8]

at least we have established that I am a genius.