Starting a Computer Repair Company
So I'm one of the guys behind North Crest PC in Lacy Lakeview, Texas. Our name is our neighborhood, Northcrest, which until 1998 was its own city. Incorporated in 1958 it then merged with Lacy Lakeview and is now just a name on a map, a blip off the 35 interstate on the way from Austin to Dallas. Though we're neck deep in bleeding edge technology we like to roll old school here, having a beer with the neighbors after hours out in front of the shop and talking about the day's news from the interwebz.
Starting up a friendly local business is a little different than it used to be. Showing what it really means to be the "senior" partner when I was younger most neighborhood businesses used what we used to call 'cash.' Rent was just a bit lower and most folks just dropped by to do business. Now setting up means wrestling with Austin via fax (welcome to the twentieth century) or the mail (welcome to the pony express?) for our paperwork just to collect taxes for them and then set up to take checks, debit and credit cards and of course, PayPal. And everybody gets a piece.
And of course, what insanity is it that makes one want to open a business in the first place? Take computer repair: One might think it would be a no-brainer considering how many of my friends will get me on the phone at any given time of the day to 'walk them through' the latest problem with the home computer. One should be able to charge something for it, especially after the tenth phone call, but then who would have any friends (or family) left if you asked them?
But along with the barriers to entry listed above we also have to advertise in the local fish wrap (sometimes two or three of them), create a website, print business cards, get a permit for a sign, buy an accounting/ bookkeeping program, testing equipment and software, facebook page, Craigs List, set up accounts with suppliers (not easy for a new business with no credit record) and on and on. And let's not forget our search page rankings- and if you're reading this- you're helping, and thank you.
So what do we offer somebody with computer problems? Bring it to our shop, call us to pick it up or hit our website and we'll take a look at your computer right online- we have an awesome app for that. Sign on to our chat room and ask questions. In deciding on our pricing we took a look at the big guys and for the most part just cut their outrageous prices right in half. We're faster, we won't try and up-sell you products that you don't need and won't take advantage of you if you're not tech savvy.
And like most geeks we like to build computers. We challenge ourselves to source good but cheap parts and software for our barebones machines and really like to build custom hot rods for our gamer and heavy user friends. Like it or not, and I do, everybody's online. But we still live in our real flesh and blood neighborhoods and it's still fun to bring those two together and try and make a living from it.
North Crest PC [http://www.northcrestpc.com]
Starting up a friendly local business is a little different than it used to be. Showing what it really means to be the "senior" partner when I was younger most neighborhood businesses used what we used to call 'cash.' Rent was just a bit lower and most folks just dropped by to do business. Now setting up means wrestling with Austin via fax (welcome to the twentieth century) or the mail (welcome to the pony express?) for our paperwork just to collect taxes for them and then set up to take checks, debit and credit cards and of course, PayPal. And everybody gets a piece.
And of course, what insanity is it that makes one want to open a business in the first place? Take computer repair: One might think it would be a no-brainer considering how many of my friends will get me on the phone at any given time of the day to 'walk them through' the latest problem with the home computer. One should be able to charge something for it, especially after the tenth phone call, but then who would have any friends (or family) left if you asked them?
But along with the barriers to entry listed above we also have to advertise in the local fish wrap (sometimes two or three of them), create a website, print business cards, get a permit for a sign, buy an accounting/ bookkeeping program, testing equipment and software, facebook page, Craigs List, set up accounts with suppliers (not easy for a new business with no credit record) and on and on. And let's not forget our search page rankings- and if you're reading this- you're helping, and thank you.
So what do we offer somebody with computer problems? Bring it to our shop, call us to pick it up or hit our website and we'll take a look at your computer right online- we have an awesome app for that. Sign on to our chat room and ask questions. In deciding on our pricing we took a look at the big guys and for the most part just cut their outrageous prices right in half. We're faster, we won't try and up-sell you products that you don't need and won't take advantage of you if you're not tech savvy.
And like most geeks we like to build computers. We challenge ourselves to source good but cheap parts and software for our barebones machines and really like to build custom hot rods for our gamer and heavy user friends. Like it or not, and I do, everybody's online. But we still live in our real flesh and blood neighborhoods and it's still fun to bring those two together and try and make a living from it.
North Crest PC [http://www.northcrestpc.com]
