Can You Make Money Doing Pc Repairs?

Fixing computers for a profit?

Posted by robertthigpen

I'm new to the It business and recently decided to venture into fixing laptops and desktops for turn a profit. Not every bit an official business but out of the comfort of my own home and schedule. Are there whatsoever tips or guidelines to consider going about this try?

160 Replies

This is how I got my offset in Information technology. You say "not as an official business" but you volition take to get a business license, I believe. Nevertheless, I don't know very much about running a business, taxes, etc. Also, this may vary from land to state (I'one thousand assuming you're in the US).

From my feel, best tips I can requite:
- Get tools and go mobile. People don't similar to unhook desktops (some believe it or non, sometimes don't know how to claw the cables support).
- Get a credit carte reader for your smartphone. I used Square and it was wonderful: https://squareup.com/reader

Good luck and welcome to the community!

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Much depends on country. Business license, insurance, and split up corporate entity can be make-or-break type items.

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Get your LLC and insurance.

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out of the comfort of my own home and schedule

That'south the tricky bit.

Home users are the worst of all. You cannot just epitome the desktop, have them log in, and accept everything automagically configured for them like you can in a decent sized business. Things which are unimportant to united states (like the verbal layout of the icons on their desktops) are level-1 disquisitional, tin can't-wait-at-pictures-of-my-grandson-because-the-large-East-has-moved blazon problems.

If yous're doing it for feel and a little bit of spending money, that's fine. Don't expect to earn a decent hourly rate.

Y'all will spend a lot of time every bit a trainer rather than a tech.

Yous will get a lot of 'call backs' as people wait y'all to just apace ready this fiddling thing that's inverse, and they won't pay you because information technology's your fault it's not exactly how it used to exist.

You will see some ancient machines which will suck your fourth dimension and, if y'all're actually unlucky, your very living soul.

Y'all will run across habitation-fabricated porn. It will non exist the customers you wanted to see. Yous will turn to drink.

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If yous tell u.s.a. where in the world you are, somebody with local cognition will probably be able to help with the legals :)

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JoeWilliams wrote:

out of the comfort of my own home and schedule

That's the catchy bit.

Home users are the worst of all. You cannot simply prototype the desktop, accept them log in, and have everything automagically configured for them like y'all can in a decent sized business concern. Things which are unimportant to united states (like the exact layout of the icons on their desktops) are level-1 critical, can't-look-at-pictures-of-my-grandson-because-the-large-E-has-moved type problems.

If you're doing it for experience and a little fleck of spending money, that's fine. Don't expect to earn a decent hourly rate.

Y'all volition spend a lot of time equally a trainer rather than a tech.

You will go a lot of 'call backs' as people expect you to just speedily prepare this little thing that'southward changed, and they won't pay you lot because it's your mistake information technology'south non exactly how information technology used to exist.

You will encounter some ancient machines which volition suck your time and, if you're really unlucky, your very living soul.

You will see dwelling-made porn. It will non be the customers yous wanted to run across. Yous will plow to drink.

I can't spice this upwardly nearly enough.

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DON'T UNDERCHARGE. You devalue united states ALL when you practice.

TIME = MONEY.Cocky explanatory. You spent time on it, they owe you lot money. Every fourth dimension.

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100+ for needing to become your business license and insurance.

Small or not people will still blame yous for stupid stuff.... including someone trying to take y'all to court for telling them their crimson balderdash soaked laptop is fried, and their information gone - true story.

I too agree that you will spend more than time as an unpaid trainer than a paid tech, unless you lot are far better than I am about telling people no to 'quick questions'.

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If yous are of a higher moral graphic symbol, and plan to set other peoples machines as yous would your ain. This is not the field for you lot. You volition spend more time on them and then money y'all will make. This was my experience after attempting to provide "existent" tech service exterior of the workplace. And flat fees , forget about it..... sure yous demand to redo windows...back up all your stuff etc......what do yous mean you dont accept the CD'southward. ...ohh the other guy formatted the HDD and the recovery partition? Permit me see what we tin can do.....blah apathetic blah

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Brand them sign something that says that they backed their stuff information technology and if everything goes s its their responsibleness to restore information technology. Teaching people how to backup tin can solve quite a few problems. Also be very careful about making sure that they know if somebody else pirated some software for them.

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This is something I'd like to practise... It'south sad how many pc repair shops will gouge you for coin, when near of the time free software is used. I'd still ask for money for my fourth dimension, but more forth the lines of 10 bucks, not 100. Too depending on what exactly was going on. If I had to do more like, dorsum stuff up and what non, I might accuse xxx... just I have no desire to over charge. If I had to buy parts... No marker up for me, I'd just charge what I had to pay for said detail and shipping. Then fourth dimension to fix it.

Anyhow you get my drift. Proficient luck!

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I use to do this just had an LLC. Losing someone's data can go very expensive if y'all don't have insurance. I don't even know if I could remove a virus from a computer anymore. Spoiled with imaging now.

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Don't undercharge. Setup standards. I would do AV/Repairs for $100 apartment charge per unit, unless I encountered something "critical". Otherwise just take HDD out, scan externally, put dorsum in, run through some maintenance, setup Ninite or other update tools.

Side business organisation can abound chop-chop. Make SURE to accept some clear expectations on returning. I tin't tell you how many times I would but get handed a laptop of a friend of a friend and then bugged for "when is it set up and stock-still". I would usually promise a 7 day plough around then I could practice information technology on MY fourth dimension.

I also recomend creating an internal WIKI for yourself with client proper noun/contact info, and DOCUMENT all of their hardware / serial numbers / product keys etc etc etc. Tin use this to generate work too. E-mail all of your clients with XP end of life or whatever else - can very quickly ramp upward work.

If y'all go more serious, get a domain and setup Google Apps for yourself for $5 - $10 / month or any they charge these days.

I also would backup (image level with Macrium Reflect) all laptops / computers I worked on to a few TB locally and cloud offsite cloud replication and then when they have problems downwardly the line I would exist able to pull some data for them.

It's crazy how a few clients can ramp into 10, 20, 50+ clients. Tin make some adept side cash.

Again - DON'T UNDERSELL YOURSELF. I'd charge at LEAST $l/60 minutes for home users, and if you are supporting businesses double or more than that (if you are good what y'all exercise ;-) )

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It tin can't be said plenty what JoeWilliams said;

"You will become a lot of 'telephone call backs' as people expect yous to just quickly fix this piddling thing that's changed, and they won't pay you lot because information technology'south your fault it's not exactly how it used to be."

That is key if you are only doing this on the side. If y'all have a full time Job that will keep you from assisting them during normal working hours you better make sure you tell them when you can and cannot help them.

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Dr.Floyd

This person is a verified professional person.

Verify your business relationship to enable IT peers to run into that you are a professional.

thai pepper

As others have mentioned, check with your local government agency to see if you demand a business license. And you volition definitely want some type of insurance to cover you from frivolous lawsuits.

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Almost seems similar you want to do this as more of a make a trivial money on the side bargain, NO business license etc. Get contained contractor route and throw up a simple website, don't expect to make this a career and have fun!

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Bill6324

This person is a verified professional.

Verify your business relationship to enable It peers to come across that y'all are a professional.

thai pepper

RojoLoco wrote:

DON'T UNDERCHARGE. You devalue usa ALL when you practise.

Fourth dimension = Money.Self explanatory. You spent fourth dimension on information technology, they owe you money. Every time.

This one,000 times this!

Unfortunately, I have never mastered this.I write down Mode also much, this was especially true when I worked on personal equipment. I knew they actually couldn't beget me, so I would do it on the cheap.Then there is all the family unit that I end upward doing it for free....

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Get some business cards. Read and think about what everyone else has said.

Exist upwardly front and honest with people. Y'all need to be able to evangelize the bad news besides equally the good. Keep in heed the cost of a new budget laptop. I don't take a problem spending an 60 minutes on ii on a messed up laptop, but if it is not able to exist fixed in that time, I just offer to recover data from the hard drive and load information technology onto a disk. Otherwise they could spend more on a piece of junk that is never going to work correct than a new laptop would cost.

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I dont want to be a debbie downer hither, but you lot're gonna be working for cheeeeap. no 1 wants to pay what you're worth. parts are cheap so people believe that the work is likewise.

computers are relatively inexpensive that ordinarily people will only buy a new one, you'll end up transferring personal info and figuring out how to tell them that all the illegal software they had on their old computer you tin't exercise annihilation about - if they want to keep that way they demand to do that on their own - dont do the illegal software stuff.

good luck.

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Soph wrote:

This is something I'd like to do... It's sad how many pc repair shops volition gouge you for money, when most of the fourth dimension free software is used. I'd all the same inquire for money for my time, but more along the lines of x bucks, not 100. Besides depending on what exactly was going on. If I had to do more like, dorsum stuff upward and what not, I might charge 30... but I have no desire to over accuse. If I had to buy parts... No mark up for me, I'd just charge what I had to pay for said particular and shipping. Then fourth dimension to fix it.

Anyway yous get my migrate. Skillful luck!

If I worked 40 hours a week at that rate I would be somewhere around the poverty level (family of four = $24,250). Please see RojoLoco'southward post above.

It pros have a particular set of skills that took a big investment in fourth dimension and treasure and should be compensated as such.

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Soph wrote:

This is something I'd like to do... Information technology's sad how many pc repair shops volition gouge you for money, when most of the time free software is used. I'd still ask for money for my time, merely more along the lines of ten bucks, not 100. Also depending on what exactly was going on. If I had to do more like, back stuff up and what non, I might charge 30... but I accept no want to over accuse. If I had to purchase parts... No mark up for me, I'd merely charge what I had to pay for said item and shipping. And so time to fix information technology.

Anyway y'all get my migrate. Good luck!

You only value yourself at $10?????

Really?!?!?!?!

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Like all that accept said before, do not undercharge. Fifty-fifty though you may end up working 20 extra hours a week on your side business, not all of those 20 hours are going to be billable. The time you piece of work is going to include billing, tracking your piece of work, getting your tools updated, and so on. I take heard that if you are doing this full time and end up with thirty billable hours in a week, you are doing expert. Now effigy out how much y'all want to brand based on your predicted billable hours and you lot can run across why $100 per 60 minutes is not unreasonable. If you are doing a professional person chore, charge a professional rate. The people who only want to pay y'all $25 to remove a malware infection are not the client you want as they will add on to the scope of piece of work to with the extras they add on.

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Residential customers tend to be an impatient lot (not to say business organization customers are not). The same people who idea they would be able to strike it rich by following some emailed link and got Cryptolocker are likewise the ones who do non understand what realistic repair times are. If this is something you will only be doing in the evenings, you could discover yourself facing some customers who are upset that things are taking so long. Granted, about of the time, information technology is something the customer did, only don't try telling them that. If they cannot get to their porn or torrent files, they are going to focus on you lot as the alibi...never themselves.

So do non be afraid to turn down customers if you are going to exist holding a 24-hour interval job doing something else. Know what you lot tin do and how long it will take and turn away everything else. A successful business is not one that is always swamped with work. Information technology is one that can residuum all aspects of work. If your plough around time starts increasing, you volition alienate customers. Keeping a steady just flexible work load based on your abilities/target bug will permit yous to accomplish your goals without sacrificing your wellness, your sanity, and future referrals from your customers.

Also, if the problem is too difficult to accomplish and fourth dimension consuming...then just say no. The same impatient lot of people who practice not know how long it takes to fix something also underestimate the value of the service you are providing and will balk at the cost. Again, you lot are the focal betoken of their anger, non what they did to their computer. The solution needed will take a set amount of fourth dimension, only they just won't comprehend information technology and recollect you are gouging them. Unless y'all are short on piece of work, turn away the frustrating and fourth dimension consuming items, unless y'all have a working relationship with the customer so they know that it takes what time it will accept and information technology will toll based on that fourth dimension.

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BrentWassell wrote:

Don't undercharge. Setup standards. I would practise AV/Repairs for $100 flat rate, unless I encountered something "critical". Otherwise only accept HDD out, scan externally, put back in, run through some maintenance, setup Ninite or other update tools.

Side business organisation can grow quickly. Make SURE to have some articulate expectations on returning. I can't tell you how many times I would just get handed a laptop of a friend of a friend then bugged for "when is it ready and stock-still". I would normally promise a vii day turn around so I could do it on MY time.

I also recomend creating an internal WIKI for yourself with client name/contact info, and Certificate all of their hardware / series numbers / product keys etc etc etc. Can use this to generate work too. Email all of your clients with XP finish of life or whatever else - tin very quickly ramp up piece of work.

If you get more serious, get a domain and setup Google Apps for yourself for $5 - $10 / month or whatever they charge these days.

I likewise would backup (paradigm level with Macrium Reflect) all laptops / computers I worked on to a few TB locally and cloud offsite cloud replication so when they take issues down the line I would be able to pull some data for them.

It'southward crazy how a few clients can ramp into ten, 20, 50+ clients. Tin make some proficient side cash.

Again - DON'T UNDERSELL YOURSELF. I'd charge at To the lowest degree $50/hour for home users, and if you are supporting businesses double or more than that (if you are adept what you lot practice ;-) )

Some proficient points in that location but something stood out to me.
AV\Repairs for $100 and the propose to charge at least $50 an 60 minutes. Information technology appears to be on the low end to charge for merely 2 hours work.
In what i have seen, doing similar side work, virus repair is going to turn into a lot of business. You tin can not flatten the drive and get a reinstall and OS update in that time frame, fifty-fifty if they have the install media and license etc. Allow alone the time it takes to run AV clean up software if you become that road instead.

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JoeWilliams wrote:

out of the condolement of my own home and schedule

That'southward the catchy bit.

Home users are the worst of all. Yous cannot but image the desktop, accept them log in, and have everything automagically configured for them like you can in a decent sized business. Things which are unimportant to u.s.a. (similar the exact layout of the icons on their desktops) are level-one critical, can't-look-at-pictures-of-my-grandson-considering-the-big-E-has-moved type problems.

If you're doing it for experience and a little bit of spending money, that'south fine. Don't await to earn a decent hourly rate.

Y'all volition spend a lot of time equally a trainer rather than a tech.

You lot will get a lot of 'telephone call backs' as people look you to just chop-chop fix this picayune thing that'south inverse, and they won't pay yous because it'southward your error it'south not exactly how information technology used to exist.

Y'all will see some aboriginal machines which volition suck your time and, if you're really unlucky, your very living soul.

You will see abode-made porn. It will not be the customers yous wanted to see. You will plough to potable.

100% agree with this. Dwelling house users are an some other beast compared to SMB and Enterprise users. I would turn to home-based computer repair tech piece of work for two reasons only:
- You are only starting out and looking to proceeds experience (which you mentioned in OP, and so kudos)
- Yous have recently lost an IT job and need a source of income between jobs
As an alternative solution to the first reason, I recommend volunteer work for a not-profit as their calculator tech. That'due south what I did. Run across if there are whatsoever not-profits in your community that could employ It back up but don't have it within reach equally office of their budget. Or, contact whatsoever local computer/electronics recycling companies and see if they demand interns. I realize this doesn't solve the money problem, but it's great intro feel, maybe while you study up for A+ and Network+ if y'all are looking into IT certification paths.

Best of luck!

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With home users, once you work on information technology, you own all bug after that. I know information technology is at that place fault for clicking that link in another email but they will blame you for the infection that comes with clicking on said link.

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I worked for the public for years.....wont ever go back. Consulting for pocket-sized/medium business and government was good, only home users are on a whole other level. Hither are the highlights:

1. They wont pay you

two. You will always do something incorrect

3. The "virus" they are complaining about will ever come up back

four. Their automobile will always be your baby, fifty-fifty a twelvemonth later

v. They will never empathize why they have to pay you again to prepare something they bankrupt again!

6. You will constantly lose sleep

7. You will constantly lose hair

viii. You will constantly lose sanity

9. They will never understand what yous are telling them

10. You lot will never take a moment to yourself or with your family

Lesser line, don't practise it!

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Charge actress if Geek Squad worked on it showtime.

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Depending on where you are, you could be an independent contractor/freelancer (depending on your definition of the two), that way all yous really demand is your insurance. There were a couple sites I used to belong to that customers would call into, then they would put information technology out there for you to have\decline, and then you lot would become as an employee (or contractor) of that company. All I had to worry virtually was having my insurance and taking care of taxes at the end of the year. This worked out well since you could have on as many or few jobs as you lot wanted, and depending on where you live, they may exist willing to pay premium or above is in that location is no i else around, or they accept been paying a guy to come from a another city\state. (and now that I talk virtually it, I can not recall for the life of me whatever of the sites. I will see if I can find some old records and get back to you, if someone doesn't beat me to it and post i in the mean time).

And, accept at least a skilful idea of what you want out of the experience going into information technology. Are you looking to make your millions and retire past 30? Or are you trying to get some hands on with break\prepare stuff? Or, now that I haven't worked with home users for a couple years (and I don't think you could pay me to go dorsum), do you lot merely hate yourself? I knew way more about people and then I always wanted to know when fixing their dwelling house PC's, and that is not just from what was on their PC!

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Again - DON'T UNDERSELL YOURSELF. I'd accuse at Least $50/hour for home users, and if you are supporting businesses double or more that (if you lot are expert what you do ;-) )

Sorry... I think that is outrageous... I enjoy helping people... I also think I should be compensated for my time, however I'm not THAT coin hungry. I don't call up it's off-white to charge 100 bucks for using superantispyware or malwarebytes... Gear up to browse for 40 minutes, come dorsum.. Oh expect, lets remove this crap... All good. And and so accuse 100. Thats ludacris and makes me detest money grubbing people....

At present if I'm putting out a fire that is more involved and so pressing scan I'll charge more, but like I said.. I enjoy helping people and I'm not coin hungry.

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Your time is valuable. if y'all're working a regular chore, in your business concern you should be earning on what you lot would get paid if you worked overtime. For almost of the states it's 1.5X your hourly wage. Anyone can cheque http://www.payscale.com/enquiry/US/Task=Computer_Technician/Hourly_Rate for a rough estimate of what to charge.

For those folks on the higher end like system administrators will apparently need more per hour. just plug in your chore title and see.

Thank you :P

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I fix computers for family and friends only, unless they were referred past family or friends. A useful tool will exist to get an external USB to SATA hookup for removing viruses and testing HDDs. Also, become a copy of the latest Hirens Boot CD.

If I see a Windows XP machine I just tell them that they will need to get a new computer. The by two that I had were like this and I helped both of them go a new PC to fit their needs!!

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JoeWilliams wrote:

out of the comfort of my own home and schedule

That's the tricky flake.

Home users are the worst of all. Y'all cannot simply image the desktop, take them log in, and have everything automagically configured for them like you can in a decent sized business concern. Things which are unimportant to the states (similar the exact layout of the icons on their desktops) are level-1 critical, can't-await-at-pictures-of-my-grandson-considering-the-big-E-has-moved blazon problems.

If you lot're doing it for feel and a little bit of spending money, that'southward fine. Don't look to earn a decent hourly rate.

You volition spend a lot of time as a trainer rather than a tech.

Yous will get a lot of 'phone call backs' equally people wait you to but quickly gear up this little thing that's changed, and they won't pay you because it's your error information technology's not exactly how it used to be.

Y'all volition see some aboriginal machines which volition suck your time and, if you lot're actually unlucky, your very living soul.

You will see home-made porn. Information technology volition not be the customers you wanted to run into. You will plow to drinkable.

Is there whatsoever way to Spice upward simply the last line multiple times???....

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Focus on creating a written contract that can hold up in court. Basically you lot want to make certain you aren't assuming any sort of responsibility should the data/equipment/etc. become damaged, corrupted, or destroyed. Make sure you also have some sort of understanding in writing likewise.

I'd also recommend getting half of your payment upward front, because people will try to cheat you out of it otherwise.

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You might also want to include in the above-mentioned contract that you are not responsible for whatsoever follow-up support, unless they want to pay for it. Take information technology from the endless hours I've spent "supporting" friends and family unit free of charge...

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Soph wrote:

This is something I'd like to exercise... It'due south sorry how many pc repair shops will gouge you lot for money, when almost of the time gratis software is used. I'd still ask for money for my time, just more than along the lines of 10 bucks, non 100. Also depending on what exactly was going on. If I had to do more similar, back stuff upwards and what not, I might charge thirty... but I have no desire to over accuse. If I had to buy parts... No mark up for me, I'd just accuse what I had to pay for said particular and shipping. Then fourth dimension to fix it.

Anyway you get my migrate. Good luck!

skillful luck with that. y'all accuse peanuts and you go crappy customers with no money. its no fun doing piece of work for someone who'due south broke. you'll work on crappy, old computers that shouldn't exist anymore because the owners are besides cheap to upgrade. better dust off those win2k and XP skills.

its not gouging people for money. its providing a service for a rate that covers the visitor'south costs and gives them a minor profit.

be the all-time, take the best customers and get paid appropriately.

its like shooting fish in a barrel to have this perspective if you've always been on the paying cease and not actually owned a business. most people have no concept of where money comes from or how its fabricated

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If your in the Us the look for one of these chapters in your expanse. They will normally have a counselor that has been where you are starting.

https://www.score.org/

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Snufykat wrote:

BrentWassell wrote:

Don't undercharge. Setup standards. I would do AV/Repairs for $100 flat rate, unless I encountered something "critical". Otherwise just take HDD out, scan externally, put back in, run through some maintenance, setup Ninite or other update tools.

Side concern can grow quickly. Make Sure to take some clear expectations on returning. I can't tell you how many times I would just become handed a laptop of a friend of a friend and then bugged for "when is information technology set up and fixed". I would unremarkably promise a seven day plow around so I could exercise information technology on MY fourth dimension.

I too recomend creating an internal WIKI for yourself with client proper noun/contact info, and Certificate all of their hardware / serial numbers / product keys etc etc etc. Can employ this to generate piece of work too. Email all of your clients with XP cease of life or whatever else - tin can very quickly ramp up piece of work.

If you get more than serious, become a domain and setup Google Apps for yourself for $v - $10 / month or whatsoever they charge these days.

I besides would backup (prototype level with Macrium Reflect) all laptops / computers I worked on to a few TB locally and deject offsite cloud replication so when they accept issues down the line I would be able to pull some data for them.

It's crazy how a few clients can ramp into 10, 20, 50+ clients. Tin make some proficient side cash.

Again - DON'T UNDERSELL YOURSELF. I'd charge at Least $50/hour for home users, and if y'all are supporting businesses double or more than than that (if you are skillful what you do ;-) )

Some good points there but something stood out to me.
AV\Repairs for $100 and the suggest to charge at to the lowest degree $50 an 60 minutes. It appears to be on the low end to charge for simply 2 hours work.
In what i have seen, doing like side work, virus repair is going to turn into a lot of business. You tin not flatten the bulldoze and become a reinstall and Os update in that fourth dimension frame, even if they have the install media and license etc. Allow alone the time it takes to run AV make clean up software if you become that route instead.

I similar the feedback, thank you for that.

To clarify, a uncomplicated AV browse / removal / update I would do for $100 apartment. This would exist less than two hours ofagile piece of work, because I had everything scripted. I would accept out the hard bulldoze and mount externally on a "scanning computer", and kick off a flurry of automated scans (this would run overnight) and 95% of the time remove all Viruses/malware. Once the scans were clean I'd just boot the reckoner, and so run automatic unattended update tools to update all Windows patches and software patches for the majority of the software on the computer (again, maybe 15 minutes ofactive work). And then, I'd spend x-fifteen minutespersonally going through everything and checking information technology over. All in all, I was almost always under 1hr of active time, and always charge for "2" hours at $50/hr.

If I had to do a exercise a reinstall / recovery partition, then I'd exist looking at something "critical" and bill $50/hr and take anywhere from two-6 hours, commonly.

Often times I'd be working on 2-iii projects at a fourth dimension, so I might do three of these in ane day, in 10 hours, bill them all out at vi hours each, but give a "discount" of 2 hours, so just charge 4. Sometimes, they would "Tip" or pay on acme of the discounted rate.

This works specially well with something like SQUARE where the gratuity is built in!

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I don't do piece of work on stranger's machines. I don't want the headache that goes along with information technology. I work on friends or family machines but very sparingly. I practise less than 5 jobs per year but I do charge as an incentive non to bring it back for annoying little problems. My last task made me $100 to do some cleaning up of a Windows 8 laptop. I was only going to charge $50 because it was not in that bad of shape just the customer said I deserved $100. I won't mutter but that customer is the rarest of rare exceptions. Most desire to pay every bit little as possible and one time they get a agree of your phone number, it never stops!

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RojoLoco wrote:

DON'T UNDERCHARGE. Yous cheapen us ALL when you do.

Time = MONEY.Self explanatory. You spent time on it, they owe you money. Every time.

YEP. I learned this 1 somewhat the hard manner. Also, DO NOT give anyone a price break unless they are blood relatives. That sh!t snowballs: "So-and-then told me yous gave them a discount..."

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Soph wrote:

This is something I'd like to do... It's sad how many pc repair shops volition gouge you for money, when near of the time free software is used. I'd still ask for money for my fourth dimension, but more forth the lines of ten bucks, not 100. Also depending on what exactly was going on. If I had to do more like, dorsum stuff up and what not, I might accuse 30... but I have no desire to over accuse. If I had to buy parts... No mark up for me, I'd only charge what I had to pay for said item and aircraft. Then time to fix it.

Anyway yous get my drift. Good luck!

The hundred bucks includes the cost for the tools, the shop, the insurance, the licensing for whatever proprietary tools y'all employ, etc. etc. If you're starting a concern for yourself just a pocket-size portion of the money is money you'll exist able to have as income. The residual of it will end upwards going dorsum in to the business. Certain, perhaps they accuse $100 when they could go by charging $fourscore, but the hourly rate must include some per centum for the toll of running the business organization. Otherwise you lot wind up working your @$$ off for null.

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kfberns

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habanero

This may have already been said so forgive me if it'southward redundant -

You will desire to Comprise your business concern (LLC, C corp, etc. etc) Why? Incorporating your business protects your personal assets from legal action. Without a corporation, your Dwelling, Life Savings, 401k ... all your asserts are at risk of being lost in a lawsuit - Don't Hazard It. - Telephone call the folks at Legal Zoom http://www.legalzoom.com/ , they have experts for every state and for a few hundred dollars, they will take care of everything.

Insurance - You'll demand liability insurance in case there is a claim against you, else you may loose your concern which may or may not have substantial value.

As for your business model - recognize that PCs, laptops and the like are pretty much disposable these days - no one ever got rich fixing computers. Its labor intensive and oft times the repair is cost prohibitive. At present data recovery on the other paw can be a gold mine if you tin get the clients, every bit people will pay through the olfactory organ for their pictures and other data.

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kfberns wrote:

This may accept already been said so forgive me if it's redundant -

You will want to Incorporate your concern (LLC, C corp, etc. etc) Why? Incorporating your business protects your personal avails from legal activeness. Without a corporation, your Home, Life Savings, 401k ... all your asserts are at run a risk of being lost in a lawsuit - Don't Risk It. - Phone call the folks at Legal Zoom http://world wide web.legalzoom.com/ , they have experts for every state and for a few hundred dollars, they will have care of everything.

Insurance - You'll need liability insurance in case there is a claim against you, else you lot may loose your business organisation which may or may non accept substantial value.

As for your business organisation model - recognize that PCs, laptops and the like are pretty much disposable these days - no one e'er got rich fixing computers. Its labor intensive and often times the repair is toll prohibitive. Now information recovery on the other hand can exist a gold mine if you tin get the clients, as people will pay through the nose for their pictures and other data.

Information recovery is a nice idea if you have the capital to invest in it. The tools are thousands and the organisation that pulls data is over $4K lonely. Aye, yous demand the proper tools to relieve time and go better results. Freezing drives and taping platters together won't piece of work for a concern that tin can be held liable.

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JoeWilliams wrote:

out of the comfort of my ain habitation and schedule

That's the tricky scrap.

Home users are the worst of all. You cannot simply prototype the desktop, accept them log in, and have everything automagically configured for them like you lot can in a decent sized business. Things which are unimportant to united states (like the verbal layout of the icons on their desktops) are level-1 critical, tin't-look-at-pictures-of-my-grandson-because-the-big-E-has-moved type problems.

If you're doing it for experience and a little flake of spending coin, that'south fine. Don't expect to earn a decent hourly rate.

You will spend a lot of time as a trainer rather than a tech.

Y'all will get a lot of 'call backs' as people expect y'all to just quickly gear up this picayune matter that's changed, and they won't pay you because it's your fault information technology's not exactly how it used to be.

You will see some aboriginal machines which will suck your time and, if you're actually unlucky, your very living soul.

You will run across home-made porn. It will non exist the customers you wanted to see. You will plough to drink.

This. I can confirm everything stated is truthful and accurate. Peculiarly the function of turning to drink. You will. Home users tin can exist the very death of people. Plus if you screw upwards, you tin can be laid out to lose everything in a constabulary suite if you are not a business.

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CrimsonKidA wrote:
- Become a credit card reader for your smartphone. I used Square and it was wonderful: https://squareup.com/reader

Square has gotten insanely expensive per swipe. Many accept switched to Intuit & PayPal. I oasis't tried PayPal, simply Intuit worked well.

*If you go really busy, endeavor setting up a work/test bench (if you don't accept i already) in your garage (if you have one). Y'all won't accept and so much room for tools/woodworking on your bench if yous have one, but if this is for profit it'll be justified. It also keeps everything organized and clean.

*Brand sure y'all create work orders. You should really certificate all things that were done, to cover yourself.

*If you become a small business (if it'south for profit, you should really consider it for liability reasons), y'all should get legal insurance when it becomes affordable to protect your personal assets.

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If yous desire to make money yous must run information technology like a business. Open LLC, Have people sign consent, liability waiver, do what y'all promise. If you goof then gear up it on your time, otherwise charge for visits, dont offering gratis phone support. Its ever easier working when someone is not standing behind you, have them drop off equipment or offer pick up. Expect how geek squad prices and charge 1/two. Make sure people know what others are charging.

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I have a few clients, mostly doctors and retirees, whom I do in-domicile service for. I pretty much only work with Macs. Several other people here take pointed out that PC work is pretty thankless, but Mac owners tend to be improve off and their Macs take a tendency to keep their value much meliorate than PC'south. I've turned it from repair to calculation in-habitation preparation for things like their iPhones and iPads. I could probably ramp it up as this boondocks has very few good Mac people, but I value my off time.

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When you lot transfer files for someone, DO NOT look at the pictures. In that location are simply some things you tin can't unsee.

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