Starting a Computer Business

This article speaks about how to start getting clients when you are just starting from my own personal experience.

This story starts out four years ago when I had just finished my schooling and was wanting to start my own computer repair business. Being a computer person all my life I never really liked talking to people, I was just never on the same plain as them.

When I was still studying I worked as a video store clerk in a store in the center of town which required me to speak to customers alot. I had to get their name, phone number and frequently recommend movies if they asked. This helped me develop my talking skills and increased my confidence talking to older people greatly.

I first started introducing myself with my mothers art class which she runs a few times a week in a studio at my home. I would talk to the students every now and then even if its just a passing “hi, how are you?” as I was on my way out. They seemed to like me as I was polite to them.

They soon learned that I was very good with computers and I started getting asked computer related questions to which I gave free advice.

I have heard of people who speak against free advice saying “if you give it away then why should they pay you for it later”, I find this is not the case. Giving away free advice is a cheap way to prove your worth and show them you know what you are talking about. I ask them questions and try to steer the converstion into booking a time to visit their house to repair their PC.

One day through giving free advice and converting it into a job I got my first paid computer repair job which was a simple spyware removal. I removed the spyware for them, told them how they got it (which was downloading a ‘free’ screensaver) and told them that they can avoid it in the future by avoiding those free weather watching, BonzaiBuddy, Free Screensaver, Free Cursor type programs which they appreciated.
Before I left I gave them four cards which I had made and printed myself and said “Here are some cards if you ever need my services again or know anyone who could use them”.

A few weeks later I got a call from someone I didnt know saying their computer was having problems and they got my number from a friend, handing out those cards seems to have worked. I asked them the problem, arranged a time, fixed the computer and left them four cards just like my last job.

After only two computer repair jobs I had 8 cards ‘out there’ and I made sure that I did this every single time and soon 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 cards were in the potential clients hands. I continued giving away free advice every now and then and tried to convert it into a paying job.

By now I was getting called frequently and the amount of paying jobs kept increasing until it eventually reached a point where I could live off it full time and I didnt spend a cent in advertising. The rest is history.