Want to follow dream, but...

[DerekNewland]

Hello,

[I'm new here, and I'm not too sure if this should be posted under tech or under business. I'll post it here to see what happens.]

I have always (being about 3 years) wanted to work for myself and/or with good friends doing what I enjoy. My passion is technology. I enjoy everything from web design to programming to pc repair to troubleshooting electronic devices and, my favorite, networking.

I really want to someday work for myself / with friends doing something in the vast field of technology. I have noticed lately there may be an opportunity providing I.T. solutions for small to medium sized businesses in the area.

After listening to Steve's Kick-start Your Own Business PodCast I started thinking more and more about this. What's stopping me from doing this? "Nothing!" I exclaimed. Until I started thinking too much..

The first thing that I got worried about is that I have few actual certifications. Although I have plenty of experience servicing pcs and configuring networks and servers. Does real experience outweigh pretty certifications?

The next thing is liability. Do I write up my own service agreement or hire a professional? And would it hold up in court if someone filed a suit against me for their file server hd crashing while I was working? And what effect would having / not having certifications have on something of this matter?

My last worry is.. well, fear. What if I get in over my head and I can't live up to my customer's demands? What if I get so stressed out and worried that I just can't handle it anymore? Or I get so busy and caught up that I no longer have a life or spend time with loved ones.

There are a few other small worries. Business cards, what to put on them? Home address? Home/Cell phone number? Apparel, advertising, MONEY, etc.

So should I just get over myself and dive into it? Or do I need to play it safe and hold off until I have everything figured out?

ANY advice would be VERY much appreciated.

[Adam]

As far as certifications, well, they're bullet points, designed to get you an interview (or a job lead) but they don't do much beyond that. Don't worry too much about them, unless you find a lot of people asking about them. The training for the certs are invaluable, though, but it is more for yourself rather than potential customers.

As far as liability, if a person signs a paper, they're bound to the agreement. Depending on how good you are with legal speech, it may be a good idea to have someone draw one up for you... The chances of you actually needing one, however, are slim. Use your instinct, and don't be afraid to back off and refuse to service equipment if something seems a little fishy.

As for the fear of getting in over your head, have an exit plan in mind, even if that plan is to work at a fast food resteraunt until you can start your next business.

It sounds like you've done as much planning as you can without having the hard experience of actually doing that job. Remember the approach, "ready, fire, aim" (and don't forget to fire again, aim again, and continue until you have it right).

Oh, only print up a few business cards... Hand them out only to people who you are certain will call you back. This means talking to the people who need your services. An address isn't necessary, but your cell phone number is very important, since you want to give people a prompt response and appear as professional as possible. As far as appearance, a collared shirt is enough for most small businesses... A suit would be intimidating.

[ahimel]

Originally Posted by DerekNewland

Hello,
My last worry is.. well, fear. What if I get in over my head and I can't live up to my customer's demands? What if I get so stressed out and worried that I just can't handle it anymore? Or I get so busy and caught up that I no longer have a life or spend time with loved ones.

There are a few other small worries. Business cards, what to put on them? Home address? Home/Cell phone number? Apparel, advertising, MONEY, etc.

So should I just get over myself and dive into it? Or do I need to play it safe and hold off until I have everything figured out?

ANY advice would be VERY much appreciated.

Derek,

Congratulations! Not many people are able to overcome their fear and go for it. Good for you for taking the first steps.

About 2 years ago, my roommate was in pretty much the same boat you are now; plenty of knowledge about computers and how to fix them, but no business knowledge.

Things I'd do before you get started
Determine exactly what you want to do with computers -- repair? Set up networks? Web design? Programming? You'll probably do some of all of it, but I'd pick a focus to aggressivly market. If you do repair, for example, you'll still get people calling and asking about websites or networks.

Determine what you can charge for that. Call other businesses in the Yellow Pages and see what they charge. You'll probably be a little cheaper, but you don't want to undercut them by too much -- it'll make your potential customers wonder whether you're cheap because you're bad.

Look at your financial situation, and determine whether you want to do it full-time or part-time (or start part-time and move into full-time)

Put a box on your desk for reciepts. This is by far not the best way to keep track of your business expenses, but it's the easiest, and therefore the most likely that you'll consistantly keep it up. At the end of your first year, once you've done a set of taxes, you can decide if you want a different system.

Go to your favorite office supply store, and get an invoice book. That way you can request that your customers give you money.

Gather together the tools you'll need. (Odds are good you have them in your basement already). For repair, we've found a set of screwdrivers, a flashlight, and an external drive bay (you do A LOT of data recovery) adequate, which means we started the business with $100 in parts and $100 in business cards.

Make sure you have enough collared shirts you can look presentable 7 days/week. (Our dress code is collared shirts, polos are OK. Jeans and sneakers are OK, but you must be clean-shaven.)

Tell everyone you know that you (fix computers/make websites/write programs/set up networks) and they should call you if they know anyone who (has a broken computer/needs a website/program/network).

Go! That's the stuff you'll need to get started.

Things that will come up as you go along
Choose a company name and get business cards. It's easier (and more professional) than giving them your name and number and hoping they don't lose the scrap of paper on which it was written

Figure out a good way to answer the question, "What do you do?" Adam says, "We're computer technicians with social skills." I say, "When you come into work in the morning, push the power button on the computer, and nothing happens... we're the ones you call." Google "30-second commercial" and "elevator speech" for tips.

Join the chamber of commerce and a networking group. These are not great for automatic B-type businesses, but we found them incredibly valuable for our first 2 years. Because they members of your group have to pass a certain number of leads each week, you'll get a consistant flow of people who need your help. Also, it puts you in contact with a lot of people who (a) make their living the same way you do, or (b) make their living helping people like you.

Decide when you'll work. We eventually went with Monday-Friday, 8-5 PM, evenings if you can convince us you're desperate. Weekends we charge 150% the normal rate.

If it takes over your life, stop working. When someone calls, say, "I'm sorry, we don't have any available technicians until... um... looks like June. Would you like me to schedule you?" Or hire an employee. Or find another repair/networking/programming business to send them on to.

If you decide self-employment is not for you, go get a job. Consider this a 30-day trial, not a permanent decision that can never be changed for the rest of your life.

There'll be lots more than that, but it's been 2 years.... Anyway, PM me if something comes up and you have questions. Especially if you decide to do computer repair, odds are good that we faced that problem and have tried a couple different solutions. At the very least, we can tell you which solutions not to try.

[DerekNewland]

Wow. I'm ecstatic with the feedback I have gotten so far. I believe my main target would be small businesses for the time being. And possibly making house calls and personal fixer-uppers down the road. Or maybe I should just take all the business I can get?

I used to do a lot of personal PC work for people on site. That never worked out well for me, especially when it took hours to do virus removal. I'd like to avoid house calls but I just live in a small apartment.

The main question I have now is should I focus on providing to small businesses or take all the business I can get?

And who would I see about having a small liability waver written up? Are those expensive?

I'm full of questions.
Thanks a lot guys!

[mhdoc]

Originally Posted by DerekNewland

So should I just get over myself and dive into it? Or do I need to play it safe and hold off until I have everything figured out?

I don't think you will find anyone who has been in business for a while who thinks they have "everything figured out." Planning is fine to a point, but nothing will work out like you think it will. Think about ways to jump in without betting the farm on the outcome. Work evenings/weekends until you see what makes money etc.

[Andrew Brunelle]

The common saying is "If you fail to plan, then you're planning to fail." I agree with this saying to some extent, but if you start planning and you're not completely finished with your plan, but you have a direction in which you're headed and you have an idea for what you are going to do, then go ahead and start doing what it is you love and as you are doing this, you can fill in the rest. You should take action before you have a perfect plan. The whole ready-fire-aim approach. Works most of the time...

[tobyhede]

George S. Patton said:

A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.

I'd swap the "violence" for passion ...

To use an Australian colloquialism, it's better to "have a crack" at something than fret, worry and analyse endlessly.

It might be worth seeing a lawyer to get a contract written up, but I'm sure there are templates/boilerplate floating around the web you can use. Anything can be a contract though - as long as both parties agree and sign, you don't *have* to use legalese in a contract. This is not legal advice though .

Take as much business as you can handle in order to pay the bills ...