[colecampbell666]

I've been thinking, I need money for a new PC, and I'm quite good at repairing/tuning/building PCs, would it be prudent to put up posters around my neighborhood about repairing PCs? I live in a smaller but fast growing rural neighborhood, and there aren't any PC stores. I was thinking of getting old PCs, and selling them with something easy to use, like Linux Mint, to keep down costs. I'm thinking of selling basic office PCs (P3s and the like) for about 50-75 dollars depending on the speed of the PC. Also, I want to advertise PC repairs, as well as PC tuneups and hardware installs. I would do everything cheaply, repairs for about 10$, tuneup for 5, and each piece of hardware for 5$.

Will I make money? Will people trust a 15 year old with their PC?

[Hellstryker]

If you lived in the city they would. People in a rural area tend to be less trusting to young people i've noticed, they think they know everything and anything and it's infuriating. That's just around here, but still, I doubt it'll differ much.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

If you lived in the city they would. People in a rural area tend to be less trusting to young people i've noticed, they think they know everything and anything and it's infuriating. That's just around here, but still, I doubt it'll differ much.

You've never been to Asia, have you? They just raised the minimum driving age in Singapore from 18 to 21.

By the way, what's Auxiliary Ass Garlic?

[Hellstryker]

Check the "newest NTF fighter" thread in freespace modding...

[colecampbell666]

I dunno, the people around here might go for it. Other input?

[Jeff Vader]

I have been thinking about something remotely like that myself. There are lots of old people in the suburb where my mum lives, who just might have computers but would certainly be dumb enough not to know how to use them properly. There's good potential money to be made just by taking care of information security, running defrag and that kind of ****.

By the way, what's Auxiliary Ass Garlic?

Misheard lyrics...

[Topgun]

I find that old ladies are the most trusting with their computers. especially ones that didn't get an education.

however before you put posters up or anything, be sure that you really know what you are doing.
when I was 15 I knew how to build and safely overclock a computer, but when it came to viruses (what causes most computer problems) I didn't know much. basically just stop the process, find the exe and delete and fix the registry was all I knew. it can get rid of about half of virus problems if you have a antivirus but somethings are more "specialized" than that.

[colecampbell666]

I find that old ladies are the most trusting with their computers. especially ones that didn't get an education.

That's what I've found.

however before you put posters up or anything, be sure that you really know what you are doing.
when I was 15 I knew how to build and safely overclock a computer, but when it came to viruses (what causes most computer problems) I didn't know much. basically just stop the process, find the exe and delete and fix the registry was all I knew. it can get rid of about half of virus problems if you have a antivirus but somethings are more "specialized" than that.

Like you say, I don't have much experience either, but places like Trendmicro.com, Symantec.com and others have removal instructions for most viruses.

[Hellstryker]

I envy you guys, my grandma is fiercly defensive when it comes to her computer, even though she doesn't know what shes doing half the time.

[Tyrian]

My advice, other than the "Make sure you really know what you're doing," would be to charge more for your services.  Based on what you said about where you live, it's similar to my area.  I usually charge $20 labor for hardware upgrades, plus cost of part, $50 labor for viral cleanup/reformat, and $75-$100, plus parts costs for building a system.  (In addition, I have a "Hell Charge" for people who make it difficult for me to do my job or for particularly difficult problems.)  I also have three computer stores near me, yet people usually at least call me first. 

The tip off is that you said "fast growing" neighborhood.  Growth usually means people have more money to throw around.  You want to be a good deal for people, but you don't want to hose yourself in the process.  Rule of thumb:  It's easier to charge more starting out and discover your services are too expensive (resulting in a price cut), than to have to justify to your customer base a 400% price hike.  Plus, if you do need to drop your prices, it makes your business look good, compared to any other upstarts who try to copy your idea. 

[Al Tarket]

unless the up starter happens to be selling better merchandise for lower prices and the upstart is far more superior with the pc then you are..

ripping off your customers just to look at the pc and fix even small errors is not only rude but it is greedy. one rule about any small community is not the disturb the isolation by putting posters up because you will likely be getting hate messages about making their village untidy. just pay for what is needed and give them a manual about many basic problems and you can make some money off that and get some money off them for the service of getting the parts together, installing the software by the customers request, and if they ask for you assistance with a bigger problem like a part has malfunctioned you can then ask them to get a fixed price ready and you need to work within that window to try turn a tidy profit thats what makes a business man, albeit small however it will attract a lot less attention from any nearby police agencies and computer shops.  and all hell will break loose in that village if you overstep your limits.

[colecampbell666]

About the posters, at each mailbox set (large boxes of about 200 mailboxes in a central location) there are poster boards for personals, babysitting and the like.

And I guess you're right, Tyrian, I don't want to charge too much, cause then people will see that PC Medic and FutureShop have better  (or the same) prices, and go get ripped of by them.

[Tyrian]

unless the up starter happens to be selling better merchandise for lower prices and the upstart is far more superior with the pc then you are..

That's the purpose of the price cut.  Marketing bonus.

ripping off your customers just to look at the pc and fix even small errors is not only rude but it is greedy.

Not sure if that's directed at me or not, but that's not what I'm doing or saying.  My prices are cheaper than any of the three places near me by $50-$75.  (I check periodically to make sure.)  Two of those places I won't even recommend to people, because they actually ripped me off a few years ago when I was less knowledgeable.  (One overcharged, the other lied about functional specs.)  I'm advocating getting paid proportional to your skills, not getting paid the greatest amount of money. 

[Al Tarket]

i never directed it anyone, i never said names. it was a general comment i made, i think its a valid point also.

[Tyrian]

OK, I knew that you were responding to me in part; I just wasn't sure about that one point.  And it is a valid point.

[MP-Ryan]

Make sure you can fix their problems before taking it on.  I remember the network issues you had and how much trouble we went through trying to walk you through it on the forums.  Granted that was a weird issue, but it still should have been solvable.  If you're charging someone money and you run into something you can't figure out how to fix you'd best have a backup plan.

I've fixed enough PCs over the years that I could start charging for my services but frankly its not worth the hassle or the aggravation of constantly repairing mudane issues that people should be able to fix themselves.

That said, it's not a bad way for you to earn money as a kid.  Just make sure you have a backup if you can't do the job - I guarantee you I would raise holy hell if you promised to fix my PC and then either (1) couldn't or (2) made the problem worse, whether you actually charged a rate or not simply due to the TIME you would cost me.

[colecampbell666]

Well the network issue was because Ubuntu had overridden her WAN drivers.

And by backup what do you mean?

[Al Tarket]

i really think a homemade manual along with the original manuals with the items you have put on a disk or in folders with the manuals printed on sheets seems like a safer idea. when you run into a backup idea without known what your doing can be disastrous.

[colecampbell666]

You mean a log of what I've done?

[Al Tarket]

if you want...