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I have a plan!
- Thread starter Mike McCall
- Start date
GTP
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Lol, I was more interested in the dog than checking the dates on the thread.
Mike McCall
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I did get things cleared out and a bench setup. However, after carefully considering the appearance to the customer I decided not to open it to the public. The customer would have to go through a 6' gate into the back yard, in the back door of the house, and down into the basement to the office. I think that's asking a lot of them, especially if they're female. So, I still use a table in the front room for intake & pickup, and the downstairs bench for actual work. Much more welcoming especially for my female customers.
Slaters Kustum Machines
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- Iowa
Any pictures of the current state? I need to get some more stuff on the walls in my new office. I've never been able to find posters or things that were IT related that looked nice enough to hang up though....hmm.
fencepost
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Vintage NSA security posters? https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...security-education-posters-from-the-cold-war/
Mike McCall
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It doesn't look any different, other than being cleaned up a bit. I don't have any posters or anything as no one sees it but me.
Also, my health has made stairs difficult for me to manage and carrying stuff up & down them is a pain...literally. So, I do most things upstairs in a small office area I've carved out of a second bedroom. In-depth repairs are done downstairs where most of my tools are, but the easier ones are done upstairs. No one seems to mind the arrangement. I make sure things like my business license, Square CC acceptance and such are prominently displayed. I'm in a small town where neighbors still don't lock their doors. Folks here don't mind someone working from their home, as long as their a legitimate & trustworthy business.
Got some decent ones from various sans courses I've attended I will see if I can find where I put them.
As for the dog she has a bed she refuses to use it. She likes the basement because it's cold for her even if I put her bed down there she still uses the floor.
I don't get many customers that come to my place but I would still like to get some drywall and paint up.
As for bringing back the thread it came up in my trending list didn't even look at the date
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GTP
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- Adelaide, Australia
Maybe get these printed and framed? I got one that goes from floor to ceiling!
http://futurist.se/gldt/
Or for IT stuff...
https://royal.pingdom.com/2008/06/04/it-posters-to-cover-your-empty-walls/
- Reaction score
- 1,530
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Fair enough with not wanting to freak out female customers going deep into your lair. The front desk is probably a better option there.
That said, and I cant stress this enough to every tech. The appearance of you/your shop is a huge part of how you appear to be a legitimate and trustworthy business.
YOU know you are a competent, skilled and nice guy. But a new customer doesnt know that just yet, so they go on other indicators. Like how professional, clean and "business like" your setup looks.
I know about a month ago my wife and I went to try out a new cafe near our house. Went in, sat down and started to notice things. The salt and pepper shakers didnt match and are $2 plastic cheapies from a discount shop. Duct tape repairs on the drinks fridge, the kids high chairs and play area was filthy (not that we were using them). It just seemed that a whole bunch of things were shortcutted, it just didnt look good so we NOPED out of there without ever trying the food. If things were so half assed in the front of the shop, I can imagine the kitchen was not much better.
It could have been the most amazing food ever, but I had to judge on other indicators like their appearance.
GTP
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- Reaction score
- 9,705
- Location
- Adelaide, Australia
As a "work from a home office" tech, I've found that having an uncluttered, airy, brightly lit (either artificial or natural lighting) area helps to put people in the right frame of mind when discussing their PC issues.
Of course being neat and tidy yourself, with clean cloths, a clean workspace, not having empty cans of V/Mother/Pepsi or half empty coffee cups laying around and keeping pets out when visitors arrive helps a lot too.
I've found that keeping your own personal work area neat and tidy goes along way to instiling confidence in people.
Having computers in various states of repair on your bench is totally acceptable but not on your own personal work area.
On the odd occasion that I've forgotten to shut the door to stop the JRT (Jack Russell Terror) from running in when people come in to the office doesn't help!
It causes kids and women some anxious moments, when a little (although very friendly) dog starts jumping up and scratching their legs especially when they wear skirts!
Of course being neat and tidy yourself, with clean cloths, a clean workspace, not having empty cans of V/Mother/Pepsi or half empty coffee cups laying around and keeping pets out when visitors arrive helps a lot too.
I've found that keeping your own personal work area neat and tidy goes along way to instiling confidence in people.
Having computers in various states of repair on your bench is totally acceptable but not on your own personal work area.
On the odd occasion that I've forgotten to shut the door to stop the JRT (Jack Russell Terror) from running in when people come in to the office doesn't help!
It causes kids and women some anxious moments, when a little (although very friendly) dog starts jumping up and scratching their legs especially when they wear skirts!
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