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At one point, I wanted to be a computer repair person. It didn’t really pan out. After a summer of delivering pizzas, I realized I didn’t want to enter people’s homes on a regular basis. I really love the work I’m doing online, helping all of you for free via my blog and the live calls. Jeremy is a community member who happens to be a computer repair person. He sent in his top six list of tips to help you become successful in this venture.

• Don’t cut corners. Do the best job possible fixing your potential clients’ computers. Remember if you’re doing it yourself you have to market superior quality. Selling cheap components or cutting corners on repairs will lead to you never getting any repeat business. Be the best!
• Dress professionally. Hey, people are paying you a lot of money to fix their computers and you had better look professional even if you’re a newbie. Speak with confidence, and dress for success. Perception is reality and, believe me, handing your neighbor a $120 bill wearing a hoodie and ripped jeans gets a very different response as opposed to handing them the very same bill wearing a nice pair of slacks and at least a dress shirt (however, I still recommend a tie). If you don’t know how to tie a tie, learn like I did: on the Web (or ask your dad).
• Go above and beyond. Don’t just do the bare minimum. If they asked you to replace a CD-ROM or something, give their hard drive a virus scan. Grab a can of compressed air and clean out their computer from dust. Check their fans, and so on. Providing these value-added services really makes people happy. (Especially when you tell them right as you hand them the bill.) Think of it this way: people go to those quick lube oil change places not just because they are quick but because of all the extra things they do, like check your tire pressure and air cleaner and everything. The point is helping them out! (A lot of times you can generate some extra cash for yourself by recommending simple system upgrades as well)
• Don’t overbill. Regardless of the situation, have some ethics — I don’t care if you’re fixing Oprah’s computer! Bill her the same as you would anyone else. Its just fair, and good business. The key is having a consistent revenue stream rather than a one time big hit. Trust me, it is way more profitable. Eventually, customers will figure out that you’re overbilling; just remember why they likely contacted you in the first place — to save some money!
• Do leave business cards and a way to get ahold of you. Market yourself! If you’re anything like I was ten years ago, high schools kid with little to no money I doubt you’re looking to spend $500-1000 per month advertising in the local yellow pages. You must, however, fork over the cash to get some nice business cards printed, and leave a bunch of them with each client you service. When I got started I just used OfficeMax and paid like $50 for a couple thousand cards — believe me, the return on investment is huge. Also, do have a Web site. They are very inexpensive to operate, and you can project a lot more professionalism with a nice Web site and nice business cards. Even if you are working from your bedroom, the garage, or your basement, your customers never have to know with a nice Web site outlining all the services you provide. (I always used to offer a “free pick up and delivery” as a great way to avoid the question of “where are you located?”)
• Stick with what you know. Whatever it is, master it and then sell it, in that order. Taking on a job you cannot complete at a high level is business suicide and can lead to all sorts of problems you never want to deal with. If your specialty is PC repair, do that. If it’s networking, then do that — either way, don’t bite off more than you can chew. it’s always better to be honest and turn away a job you cant handle. It doesn’t mean they won’t maybe use you for something else. Take on a job you can’t do, and you’ll never see them or anyone they know again.

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