Start a Computer Repair Business from Home

Computer repair business can easily be considered one of the fastest growing home businesses in the US. There are scores of households who want their computers repaired but don't know where to go.

The same holds true of offices or small businesses that have avoided signing expensive annual maintenance contracts. They need computer repair personnel to come and fix their computers. But there are not enough computer repair personnel available. So, if you have a natural flair for technology, you can plan a computer repair business. It is one business where you will have more work than you can possibly do.

Qualifications
The ideal person to set up a computer repair business is a computer engineer. Such a person is well-versed with both the hardware and software side of the computer business. But there is no rule that says that you cannot repair computers unless you are a computer engineer. There are several computer repair professionals who have never been to a formal engineering school. Yes, they have attended part-time courses that teach computer repairing, but are not engineers.

More than that, these individuals have a passion for technology. They can't sit still. They need to put their heads inside their personal computers to know how it works. They want to load every new software package that comes along themselves. If you are one of this tribe, then you are the right person to start a computer repair business.

Otherwise, you need to differentiate between the software and hardware side of computer repair business. The hardware side is more difficult since it requires knowledge of circuits and chips. The software side is relatively easier. Each software has a help manual that makes installation easy.

Training
It is important to upgrade your skills constantly. There is a high degree of obsolescence in the computer industry. You need to know the latest versions of hardware and software available. This would require attending workshops run by computer professionals. Computer companies like IBM and Apple, too, hold training sessions for computer personnel. You must make sure that you attend these workshops once every quarter.

You should also visit the websites of major computer equipment manufacturers as a rule, and study the technical details of each new product. If need be, you should send mail to the technical team to clarify doubts. This is an economical way to keep yourself abreast of latest developments. Another good source of knowledge is technical forums. You can post questions on these forums and wait for someone to reply.

Investment
Your main investment should be on acquiring knowledge. After that, you will need four things: a car to attend repair calls, a telephone to answer queries, an internet connection to browse computer sites and visit technical forums, and a tool kit. You should never build an inventory. Set up relationships with computer part dealers so that you can buy a computer part or software as and when needed. Settle the bill as soon as you get money from the customer. This will help you develop a positive cash flow.

You should not waste money on setting up a swank office. It is much better to operate from your existing facilities. Maybe, you can use a garage or an inside room as your workshop.

Target market
The success of your business depends on how well you identify your target market. You can decide on households, for instance. In this case, you should be willing to travel to distant homes to repair a computer or bring the computer home for repairs. You can also consider servicing offices. In this case, you need to draw up a maintenance contract whose terms should be more attractive than those demanded by big companies. In either case, you have to work hard to build your customer base.

How to reach out
Do not wait for the customer to bring you a computer. Your unique selling proposition should be the speed of response. Attend a call as soon as it comes. Please remember that a person feels paralyzed when his computer breaks down. He feels helpless and wants the machine to be set right at the earliest. This is where you should step in.

Whenever you attend a call, leave your business card behind. Before you know it, you will have built a loyal base of customers, with one satisfied customer passing your number to another and then another and so on. You can also advertise in yellow pages, newspaper classifieds and online sites that target your city.

If you are looking at the office segment as your main customer base, then you should be ready to make personal calls. Visit as many offices as possible. You will find business coming on its own.

Charges
The advantage of computer repair business is that the customer pays you immediately. Your money is not blocked. Also, the repair rates are reasonable. You can easily charge $25 an hour plus. Besides this, don't forget to charge transportation costs, because you have invested both time and money in making a call. You can also make some money if you enter into a deal with a computer parts supplier.

There is little doubt that computer repair business is a great business provided you have a knack to repair computers.