Starting A Computer Support Business

I was doing some research on computer repair business and ran across a forum post from a young man, 18 years old, interested in starting his own computer support business.

I was kind of surprised that so many of the people who responded made a big deal about this kid's age. I think that's crazy!

Take a look at his question:

Hi, I'm 18 and graduated from high school about a month ago. I'm interested in starting up my own computer support and consulting business. I'm fairly knowledgeable about different computer topics and think that I can provide support for primarily small businesses and maybe some private citizens. However, there are a lot of questions I have about starting a small computer support business that I'm not finding answered in the usual "how to start a small business" books and sites. So I thought that maybe some of the people here who have maybe been doing this thing themselves for a while could help me out.

So in no particular order here are some questions I have:

* I'm located in Asheville, NC which is in the south. For the south what are some reasonable price ranges for work that I charge for the hour by? I'm thinking 25 - 40 or 45 USD a hour seems like a reasonable amount.
* I know a lot of businesses have computer problems they need fixed 'Right Now!", and for which I could be on call. I'm wondering what kind of retainer fee, or what kind of pricing system would work for something like being on call.
* For work contracts, what is a good way to word them? I've been trying to write up contracts, but I'm pretty lost. Can anyone suggest some sites or sources or tips for how to write contracts for technical work?
* Does it make sense to get any certifications if I'm working for myself? I know they help in getting a job, but likely none of my clients will understand any certification I show them.
* How do you deal with support afterwards? When whatever I did for them messes up? Should I have it already in my contract that they will need to pay for future work? How much of a "warranty" makes sense?
* For hardware does it make more sense to refer them to a vendor to purchase or just put it down as expenses? Since I'm going to be buying hardware in small quantities does it make sense to stick with a good retailer like NewEgg.com or try and get cheaper prices from a wholesaler or the like?
* Are there any "unions" or the like for IT professionals working on their own? Or other organizations that could be of use to me that I could learn from?
* I've been trying to think of a list of what issues and software that businesses most commonly deal with. One of my biggest fears is that most of my experience has been with troubleshooting and working with either personal computers or with servers. Any suggestions on what kind of work I will most commonly be doing for small businesses? I assume problems with like Windows and Office Word/Exchange/Excel seem obvious, but besides that any other suggestions?
* Are there any books out there about starting computer support business? I've been reading some books on small business, but none that really specifically address the tech industry.

If you want to start your own computer support business and you have a good working knowledge of computers...then it doesn't matter one bit whether 16 or 80 :)

Knowledge will equate to confidence and as you present yourself, telling the customer what the potential problem can be....well....if you know your stuff, it will show in the way you handle yourself.

Understand this...the market exists for computer support and repair business. As a one man operation, you can keep your overhead really low and make a great income. It can be a full time income or part time income...you decide by the amount of time you work.

More people have problems with their computer than you can even begin to imagine. You can market businesses, government agencies, schools and individuals. Some stores have small bulletin boards...stick your business card up and make sure your phone number and email are bold and obvious. Don't forget to have a website up and operating, even if you just have an index page and contact page......it will build credibility in the eyes of your customers or anyone looking to hire you for some basic computer repair.

You could specialize. Maybe you know how to fix a virus, spyware or malware. It might sound simple to you now, but many, many computer users are clueless when it comes to a virus or spyware infection. You can make home or office visits, clean a computer of all spyware or maleware for a set fee. Make it anything you want because I can almost guarantee that you won't have any competition from any other computer repair business.

If you want to learn a little more about how to repair your computer consider reading this book, Do it Yourself Computer Repair and Computer Secrets Unleashed!

[tags]computer support business, computer repair business, diy computer repair, computer secrets unleashed[/tags]