Starting Your Business - Advice and Guidance

Eight of ten U.S. households own a personal computer and nearly every small business has at least one to run their operation. Will they turn to service providers like Computer Troubleshooters to hunt out and remove viruses, replace dead hard drives or remedy the blue screen of death? This franchise review of Computer Troubleshooters takes a look at this business opportunity and the overall health of the on-site computer repair market to reveal key facts and trends anyone seriously considering entering this industry must know.

With over 6 million personal computers in the U.S., there would appear to be a huge market for fixes, repairs and upgrades. Most businesses and many households rely on their computers every day to pay bills, do homework, surf the internet and engage in social networking. It's easy to anticipate a high demand for these professional services and unlimited growth potential as more devices are purchased and installed every day. Check out these important facts and trends before making a final decision to become a computer repair business operator.

Low Price/Almost Free Competition. Starting at around $99.00 for an initial on-site visit, franchised computer repair services compete with many small, independent technicians that have much lower overhead expenses which allow them to charge significantly lower prices. Another serious competitor is the vast number of computer hobbyists -- sister, son-in-law, neighbor, guy from work, etc. -- who are happy to try their hand at fixing the problem for free as a favor.

On-Line Competition. Professionally staffed help desks equipped with technology to remotely perform many of the same diagnostic and repairs services as an on-site technician are grabbing market share. Eliminating all of the costs and challenges associated with dispatching technicians out to customer locations, this option works well for many small businesses requiring 24/7 managed services.

Evolving Technology. A combination of low cost replacement options and migration away from traditional desktop systems will put a ceiling on the market opportunity. Consumers can buy a new, near state-or-the-art system capable of supporting advanced operating systems and applications for nearly the price of a modest repair bill. Laptops, notepads, Ipads and smartphones offer little opportunity for the component replacements and virus detection/removal services which typically represent a significant revenue stream for the on-site service technician.

That still leaves a great deal of money on the table for quality, computer repair franchise businesses such a Computer Troubleshooters. With over 450 franchises in 25 countries, Computer Troubleshooters is doing something right. Relatively modest franchise startup costs ($28,000 - $82,000), franchisee-friendly flat rated monthly royalty fee and access to training and marketing programs are all included.

Owning and operating a franchise business is one way to be your own boss. Be a smart business person and consider a wide range of opportunities before you sign that franchise agreement and commit your life savings. Follow me now to http://www.decidefranchise.com and let me share with you my strategy and proven plan to make money and be your own boss.

About the Author:

Michael Petriello teaches, mentors and coaches aspiring online marketers and business owners to build profitable online businesses. To see his formula on how to achieve success online and get free training sessions go to http://www.decidefranchise.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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How to Start a Computer Repair Business: Making the Most of Craigslist

By Bob Keppel

When you are starting up a new computer repair business, you need to make the most of the broad reach and absolutely free cost of Online advertising. Not long in the past, brand new companies would have to promote in papers, in phone books, and even on the radio and TV to find new customers, but there are so many Online users now that you can bypass these expensive advertising outlets and go straight to online promotion. Remember, as opposed to so many other smaller companies, 100% of your prospects are on the internet. Before the rise of Web advertising, it was certainly necessary to spend money on print advertising and marketing in papers and phone books. However Internet use has become so widespread that many new companies find they can secure a lot of new business without having to invest a dollar. Also take into account that your customers--computer owners--own their computers for the purpose of surfing around the web. So for your needs, marketing online is a targeted and effective way of marketing.

Your first move is to advertise on Craigslist. Craigslist is without a doubt the dominating force within classifieds advertising and has essentially supplanted your local newspaper's community advertising section. The truly amazing benefit of marketing on Craigslist is that it receives massive numbers of searches. Yet, you are not on your own. Lots of other computer repair businesses can be found there. A lot of small computer repair companies promote on Craigslist every day, and it can be a challenge to 1st be discovered and 2nd be contacted. Getting discovered is a matter of composing an add with as many search words as possible. Have a look at the numerous ads on Craigslist. Figure out what the most popular words and phrases are. Be certain to list these all in your advertisement. Make sure that your headlines are attractive and attract attention. When an individual performs a search, he doesn't always click on the first thing in the search results. Rather, he clicks on the advertisement with the most attractive headline. What is most effective is including mentions of special offers, discount coupons, or expiring offers. The prudent use of capital characters and symbols can draw attention too.

After you have earned your searcher's click, employ a specific plan to gain their email or phone call. A lot of PC repair techs neglect to publish particular reasons why they're worth a phone call. They only list their services and prices. Putting up your photo, it's been found, can more than double the response you get for your ad. Remember that your customers are choosing a stranger they are going to bring into their home. A photograph helps to build trust in your services. A biography of yourself is extremely important. List any jobs, qualifications, and particular specialties. Finally, a unique offer for a discount is very persuasive. The discount should have an expiration date. You can also incorporate a free service such as a registry cleanup for all new customers. Creating urgency in your ad greatly improves its effectiveness. Never believe that Craigslist is a price battle. This simply isn't true. Customer do not instantly trust the companies with the cheapest rates because they make assumptions about their service quality being weak. In fact, the organization with the most trustworthy presentation wins the most calls, email, and ultimately, profitable business on Craigslist.

To summarize, I offer you one last helpful tip. For those who have a website (all significant computer repair companies have a website), be certain to include a link to your website inside each Craigslist ad. The hyperlink has to be clickable. Search engines crawl the list to identify the popularity of your web site. These links offer you a stronger position on the search engines as well as producing plenty of traffic from the Craigslist ads themselves.

Bob Keppel is the creator of mypcrepairbiz.com, a complete startup guide on how to start a computer repair business. It includes a pre-made website, Craigslist ad, and step by step instructions on how to launch your business with maximum online exposure.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Advertising Your Startup Business

By: Kaye Z. Marks

Sometimes what creates a long lasting impression in any customer’s mind is not just the product being sold. Watch any commercial, any ad campaign, and a noticeable trend can be seen: they are flashy, funny, eye catching, memorable, and rarely for just the product or service. Making a customer remember you can be one of the most important details with any business, even more so for a fledgling company just getting onto its feet.

Advertising and marketing are simply a must if you want anyone to realize you are there, but what kind of advertising is just as important. Simply showing people your products isn’t always going to make them remember you. People want to feel safe with a company if they’re going to do business with them.

For a young business, flyers, brochures, or catalogs are going to be the chief source of advertisement, which is where the idea of showmanship can really generate enthusiasm. Never underestimate the impact something as simple as color printing can have on a person.

If you are going to hand them a flyer, you are handing them an introduction into your business, and in the case of a small business, you are handing them an invitation to get to know who you are. Establishing that element of trust will keep customers coming back for years and generate the kind of customer base needed to survive.

It does not take much to add that much needed flair of personality to your advertisements. A simple splash of the right colors can give a person a good feel for not only who you are but the kind of business you run. Taking the time to design and add unique colors to a beautiful catalogue shows people the amount of passion a new business owner has. You want them to remember it as more than just another advertisement, something a black and white print out will certainly ensure. A vibrant color scheme can catch the eye and the mind and remain with a person for weeks to come.

People are surrounded by advertisements in every area of their life. They see company after company attempting to pull them in, and this is the competition you will be dealing with. The toughest challenge for the new business owner is standing out among the competition in order to form that bond and begin your base of loyal customers. There is no reason not to add the last touch of color printing in order to make people happy to give you their undivided attention, and that will put you one step closer to making your first sales.

About the Author:
Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in commercial color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to medium-scale business.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

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5 Things Every Startup Business Owner Must Know

By Karlene Sinclair-Robinson

Listed below are 5 things start-up companies need to be aware of when seeking alternative financing:

1. Business Foundation

As a new business owner, did you make the decision to operate as a Sole Proprietor, or did you choose to incorporate your entity? If you did incorporate, great! More financial opportunities are available to you. As an incorporated entity, financial institutions and alternative funding sources are more apted to possibly providing financial assistance. As a LLC, INC, LP, CORP, and so on, you show the funder that you understand the full ramifications of being an incorporated entity as oppose to being a Sole Proprietorship. As a Sole Proprietor, you are a greater risk to an alternative funding source.

Depending on your business module, this will help to identify whether you are a fit or not for these funders. Presently, there are fewer alternative funders financing Sole Proprietors each day, due to the high risk factors of tax evasion, fraudulent transactions, and so on. Not to say that Sole Proprietors cannot get this type of financing, it just means that there is a limit to the number of funding sources available to assist you in your time of need.

2. Locating Alternative Financing

Start-up business owners most times know only their banks as their primary source to get a loan or line of credit. Their alternative source(s) most times tend to be family or friends. Who knows, this could be something that can make or break a family or friendship when hard times hit a start-up company. Who do you turn to when you have run out of options? Alternative funding sources are available throughout the United States, and all have their own specialized area of expertise. There are funding sources for almost all areas of business, and as alternative financial experts, they make the deals happen.

They have the knowledge and the money to help take your business to the next level. How do you find them, you might ask? Ask questions within your business community, banking sector, and so on. You can also seek out financial consultants but better yet, the kind of cash flow consultant who have direct access to these types of funding sources who can put you with the right source from the get go. Understanding how your business operates, where you are presently, who your clients are, what your plans are, and so on, makes it easier to determine how a cash flow consultant will be able to assist you.

3. Understanding how Alternative Financing can help your business

Yes! It is great to know where to find the money to help your business but do you really understand how it can help you? Did you know that if you opted for an alternative financing option, it could possibly have saved your start-up entity from being a part of that 80% who go out of business within the first (1st) year? Did you know that understanding alternative financing could mean the difference between being able to bid on a contract and possibly winning it? Did you know that understanding these options could mean the difference between keeping and losing your employees (a business most-valuable asset)? Did you know that utilizing these options could help to make you a more bankable entity in the eyes of the banks within a short period of time?

Understanding what this can do for your business is a must. Develop a plan of action as to what type of financial services you might need, when you might need it and learn all you can about those solutions. If you are in the real estate, construction, medical, transportation, security and so on, learn what the funding sources are looking for in a company like yours, in order for them to be able to better help you.

4. Risk Assessment from a Funder's Perspective

Assessing risk from a funder's perspective is simple. If the funder lends you money (say Hard Money), advance you funds in the form of Factoring, Purchase Order financing and others, who stands to loose the most? The funders, of course, but remember they know how to analyze their risk level, and so they will not go into a zone that is 100% risk to them. Someone has to be responsibly for the payment of that debt, however it is structured.

Since more cases of fraud are occurring daily, funding sources are also getting more sophisticated in being able to determine if a prospect is legit or not. Going back to (1) Business Structure, funders will look at your structure and the type of business you are involved in to determine if you are at a higher risk level than others. On the other hand, if you are seeking 100% financing in the commercial arena, you are barking up the wrong tree. Most commercial funders will not do 100% financing. It is just not happening especially now, whether on a small or large scale. Depending on the funder, and how your business/project is laid out, you might just get what you are asking for, if you know what you are doing!

5. Decision Making

This is the single most important element to actually obtaining financing. After learning all you can about a particular alternative financial product, you have to weigh the pros and cons of how it will affect your business.

Questions to ask yourself: what will this do for my business in the next few months, years? How will this help? What other alternatives do I have? What are the requirements? Will they be as stringent as the banks? What do I have to do to get started? How will I be treated and what does the process entails? How long will it take to get the funding? What will it cost? Do I get to talk with the funding source directly? And so on....

After figuring out what your business actually needs, you then need to make a decision. This decision will help shape your business one way or the other. Take a sheet of paper, divide it into two columns. On one side, list five (5) positive things that come to mind in seeking funding, then do the same on the other side, but this time list the five (5) negative things instead. Then measure for yourself what both columns bring to the table. Does column one (1) outweigh column two (2) or not? This will help you figure out what you need to do. A word of caution though, business owners who procrastinate in making a decision about the usage of alternative financing, result in unfavorable situations for themselves, and sometimes are not able to obtain funding due to mitigating factors beyond a funders' capabilities.

It is my hope that as a new business owner, you will make informed decisions to enhance the building and sustainability of your business.

About the Author:

Karlene Sinclair-Robinson, dubbed The Queen of Business Financing is the author of The Small Business Owner's Guide to Alternative Funding: What The Small Business Owner MUST Know To Get Through These Financial Times.

She is a seasoned entrepreneur, alternative financing expert, business consultant, and speaker based in Northern Virginia. With access to capital, Karlene focuses on alternative financing options for small to mid-size businesses that have been denied the opportunity to access capital through traditional institutions. She assists business owners and real estate investors nationwide access a variety of financial options, even those with less than stellar credit. She also provide coaching services to those startups and small business owners who are in need of the support to get them to the next level.

She decided to write this book based on the issues she came across when dealing with individual clients and witnessing their inability to access capital through traditional sources while being unaware of alternative options.

The book will assist start-ups and small business owners learn more about how to access alternative financing options and much more to help them grow their business. It is her belief that an educated entrepreneur makes better decisions to move their business forward.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Things To Think About Before Starting A Small Business

By Sean Sweeney

Just the other day, a good friend of mine announced that he was going to start his own small business. He has some amazing ideas, had been talking about it for years and was finally taking the plunge out on his own. I would like to think that my endless pestering had something to do with it but he simply needed to feel that it was the right time for him. That's really the key, jumping in when it's right for you. My good friend took years to learn, educate and prepare himself for this step and I'm sure it will pay off in the end. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing more exciting or fulfilling than starting your own small business. If you have been pondering the decision yourself and have decided to do so; then give yourself a big pat on the shoulder on my behalf – you are in for one wild ride!

Just in case you are sitting on the fence, there are lots of things one should learn and consider before starting a small business. Just the decision to start one in itself is a huge step as you are likely leaving security behind. Consider as well, that even though the business may be small, it still requires good leadership, decision making, the willingness to take risks, a competitive spirit, an optimistic attitude and much more to survive. Small business management can be a huge undertaking. Consider the depth of courses offered privately and through today's business schools. Those courses are offered for a reason so ensure you are prepared. An escrow of capital to support you through your startup is not a bad idea either. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Perhaps the best place to start is by defining what a small business is. I'm not talking about small business as defined in the dictionary, more so what it is in basic terms. That's a good place to start.

So, what is a small business? The proper definition can vary between different countries, range of services and the industry that the business is operating in. However, the name really says it all. A small business is a small company with few employees; usually between 1 and 50. Its services are usually limited to a particular geographic location (pending it's not an online business) and their volume of sales is typically low. The capital required to start a small business is also relatively small. It can be sole proprietorship, partnership or incorporation. For the remainder of this article let's focus on this. In the case of partnership and incorporation, the profits and losses are shared equally between the partners and shareholders unless otherwise stated in the partnership or shareholder agreement. A partner can be active or silent. An active partner is one that takes part in the day to day operations of the business while a silent partner simply invests capital and contributes very little towards the business activities. They both expect to make money with their involvement.

Before you decide on partnering with anyone with your small business, make sure that you completely outline and understand all the financial and legal responsibilities you both will have. Always make sure that any other expectation each partner has are identified, discussed, agreed upon and committed to paper for signing. As well, and I know people don't like to think this way, but you need consider the process of how the partnership will be dissolved should it not work out for whatever reason. This is very important as I have seen many great small businesses destroyed due to a negative partnership.

You need to keep in mind that everybody is different; can have different perspectives or expectations. The only way to ensure that everyone is on the same page is to put some time into discussing it before going forward. A little bit of time properly structuring your partnership and small business before you get too far into things can save you a tremendous amount of pain and time should things not go completely as planned.

About the Author:
Sean Sweeney is known to be a chronic entrepreneur, small business junkie, opinionated writer, marketing enthusiast and social media addict. He provides business consulting, technology integration and development services aimed at identifying and achieving strategic advantage in modern business.

Article Source: Articlesbase.com

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How to Start a Computer Business

By Jennifer Moss

Google, Face book, Twitter, yahoo, Bing, You Tube, Yellow pages...These are some of the topics that interest everyone today because computers are part of life and they are here to stay. To start a computer repair business would therefore be a great idea because you can be assured of demand for repairs. To start a computer business and to get customers, you need tips and guidelines on how to make your business meet the demands of today’s market. This also applies to those who want to start a computer repairs service online.

You can start a computer repair business easily from home. For starters, you need to do basic planning, business registration under a proper name and buying equipments and tools. Company logos and vision are also crucial to act as a driving force to draw people to your service. Maps of your business location and contacts are crucial to guide people on where and how to find your service. You then need to get your computer registered under computer repairs directories for easy search by customers.

To start a computer repair service you need to be well versed with the problems encountered in computer troubleshooting. These are common problems encountered daily in the use of computers. To understand them you need to upgrade your knowledge of basic computer trouble shooting problems. For a wider scope of these computer troubleshooting issues, you can get e books, online information or blogs and videos on these problems for simple detailed step by step explanations on each problem and how to solve them. This will enable you to start a computer repair service with confidence and ease. For instance, you can take note of the most common problems that customers complain about then find creative ways to tackle them in a unique and exemplary way from other companies.

Most importantly, to start a computer repair business, you need good marketing strategies to survive the competition. Online marketing is one great strategy that you need for success in how to start a computer repair business. You can find customers by making proper capturing blog posts and adverts that will bring you more customers. Maximum use of social media like Twitter and Face book will add up to your marketing strategies. This will keep you in touch with your customers for better improvement of your services.

Once customers start coming for your services, money will begin flowing and you will need a way to get payments whether via credit cash or cash. Giving discounts is a good motivation for your customers to keep coming for your computer repair services. Having the right prices will require that you compare price listings of others repair services and find the best prices for your customers. Getting the right credit information will help you obtain capital for expanding your computer repairs business and you can use online information to get such funds.

A computer repairs business is a wise investment that you will have no regrets to have. Technology is expanding and computer repairs are bound to bring you money than you can envision.

About the Author:

For more details please visit our site to start a computer repair business or start a computer repair service.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Launching a computer repair service: ways to use Craigslist to secure your initial clients

By: Mark Clang

When you're starting up a new computer repair business, you must make the most of the broad reach and free cost of online advertising. It was not long ago that new computer repair companies had to invest 100s or 1000's of dollars in print marketing, but the Internet now offers more qualified clients than print advertising and the best outlets are cost-free. As a pc repair business, each and every one of your prospects is online, so you are advertising with complete precision. Prior to the rise of Internet advertising, it was certainly necessary to spend money on print advertising and marketing in papers and phone books. But Internet use has become so widespread that many new companies find they can secure a lot of new business without needing to spend a dollar. Also take into account that your customers--computer owners--own their computers for the purpose of surfing around the web. Therefore for your needs, marketing on the web is a targeted and effective means of marketing.

Craigslist should be your first advertising outlet. Craigslist dominates classifieds advertising in North America. Newspaper classifieds are very small or completely eliminated now because of Craigslist. Customers greatly prefer to search listings on their pcs than read through newspapers. It's faster and delivers more details about the things and services they're looking for. However, the popularity of Craigslist is also its most significant shortcoming because competition is very tough there. You will have to advertise among other pc repair services that offer lower prices. If you have a good strategy, however, you can field lots of lucrative calls and emails. First, it's very crucial that you include as many frequent search phrases as possible in your advertisement. Look at your competitor’s advertisements. Record twenty most frequent key phrases you find. Be certain to include these in your ad. It's also critical that you write a headline, which creates maximum clicks. The top item in the search results is not always the thing that gets the most clicks. Mentioning special discounts and expiring offers produces incentives for searchers to click on your advertisement and find out more about your offer. Also, capital letters, exclamation points, and different characters such as arrows and stars help to distinguish your ad.

After you have earned your searcher's click, have a distinct plan to earn their email or phone call. Lots of pc repair technicians fail to publish specific reasons why they are worth a call. Many of them simply list their prices and services and nothing else. Posting your photo, it has been found, can more than double the reaction you get for your ad. Remember, customers are allowing you in their home. A photo helps to build trust in your services. A biography of you is very important. List any jobs, qualifications, and particular specialties. Lastly, a special offer for a discount is quite persuasive. The discount should have an expiration date. You can also incorporate a no cost service like a registry cleanup for all first time customers. Producing urgency in your ad greatly improves its effectiveness. The greatest myth about Craigslist advertising is that the companies with the least expensive service get the majority of the work. This simply isn't true. Customer doesn’t instantly trust the companies with the cheapest rates because they make presumptions about their service quality being weak. In fact, the company with the most trustworthy presentation wins the most phone calls, email, and ultimately, profitable business on Craigslist.

One last piece of advice. For those who have a website--and you simply must use a website for credibility--be sure to incorporate a clickable hyperlink to your web site in every Craigslist advertisement you post. Search engines crawl the list to identify the popularity of your web site. Links on Craigslist not only build traffic to your web site, but also drive you up the search engine rankings themselves.

About the Author:
Mark J. Clang produced the most comprehensive manual on the market on how to start a computer repair company. His e-book and video tutorials demonstrate to new pc repair business proprietors how to rollout a new business for maximum web publicity in their local city.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

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Logo Design Ideas for Your New Business

By Chanre A Williams

Starting a new business takes so much time and planning that sometimes, the logo design process takes a back seat. Your logo says so much about your business and is at the forefront of any marketing strategy. So where do you start?

Firstly, decide on the image that you want to portray. Is it an elegant theme, feisty, cutting edge, subtle, daring or fun? This is the first step in good logo design. You need to know in which direction you want to take your business and your logo will be the pinnacle of your mission.

So now you've decided on an image or theme, then you need to decide on the colour or colours that will exemplify your image. Elegant theme colours include gold, black or silver, as well as white or purple. For a feisty theme, red, yellow or orange could do the trick. Something cutting edge or daring would require bold colours like red, black, dark grey, deep purple or a combination of colours. For a subtle theme, perhaps white, light blue, pink or pastel colours would work. Or if you just wanted to go with the fun theme then logos with bright colours such as yellow, orange, pink, green or an array of these colours could be an option.

Once your image and colours have been determined, your graphic designer or marketing consultants will create a few graphic design logos that would suit your theme and colours. Generally, you will have a chance to tweak the design of the logo that you choose until you are completely satisfied with it.

I always try to remind clients that the company logo is for your customers, so keep that in mind. Many times, as a business owner you get caught up in the excitement of designing a logo, that you lose sight of the primary purpose of your logo. But if you have a good marketing consultant to assist you, they will keep sight of your objectives throughout your company logo design process.

About the Author:

Chanre A Williams is a marketing consultant and the owner of Deschan Marketing and Promotions. Based in Gauteng, we offer affordable and customised marketing solutions to small and medium businesses.

Visit our website http://www.deschanmarketing.co.za for more information on our products and services.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Franchise Reviews: Taking a Look at Computer Troubleshooters

By Michael Petriello

Eight of ten U.S households own a personal computer and nearly every small business has at least one to run their operation. Will they turn to service providers like Computer Troubleshooters to hunt out and remove viruses, replace dead hard drives or remedy the blue screen of death? This franchise review of Computer Troubleshooters takes a look at this business opportunity and the overall health of the on-site computer repair market to reveal key facts and trends anyone seriously considering entering this industry must know.

With over 6 million personal computers in the U.S, there would appear to be a huge market for fixes, repairs and upgrades. Most businesses and many households rely on their computers every day to pay bills, do homework, surf the internet and engage in social networking. It's easy to anticipate a high demand for these professional services and unlimited growth potential as more devices are purchased and installed every day. Check out these important facts and trends before making a final decision to become a computer repair business operator.

About the Author:

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Franchise Reviews: Taking a Look at Fast Teks On-Site Computer Services

By Michael Petriello

On-site computers services, a no-brainer of a business that must generate great returns in an ever growing market segment. After all, over 80% of U.S. households have a computer and most have no idea what to do when the mess of wires, circuit boards and software stop working. Fast Teks is one of the many on-site computer service franchises targeting residential repairs and small business information technology support. This franchise review takes a look at this industry in general and Fast Teks in particular where we discover serious industry cyclical issues that need to be considered before buying into this business.

Yes, there are over 6 million personal computers in the U.S and yes, many of them break, get infected with a virus or need some form of attention every day. That does not, however, translate into a massive demand for professional services starting at $99.00 and often costing much more.

Many of those computers are very old. Most reputable service companies will advise customers that it does not make sense to invest a couple of hundred dollars repairing a machine that is well past its prime. -- Slice off a piece of the addressable market.

Replacement costs are low. Low end computers can be purchased at any big box retailer for almost the same price as a modest repair bill. Many prospective repair customers often make the decision to junk the old computer and buy new giving them access to updated operating systems and applications. -- There goes another piece of the marketplace pie.

Desktops are disappearing. First laptops, then notebooks, now iPads and smartphones are becoming the technologies of choice for home and small business computing. Many of these devices cannot be repaired by on-site service technicians, and some are seldom targets of the virus infection and subsequent removal which comprises a significant revenue stream for on-site repair businesses. -- The pie gets even smaller.

Fast Teks is a successful franchise operation with many satisfied franchisees. An initial investment of less than $20,000 is included in the $34,500 to $60,500 total investment. Royalty fees of 7% on revenues is standard fare for this type of business which does not require a brick and mortar storefront. Owners are not required to have technical expertise, but will have to depend on hired, industry-certified technicians to do the work. Managing employees and employee churn are continuing challenges for the owner that depends solely on hired help.

The success of your franchise business will be directly impacted by the cyclical fundamentals of the business climate that it operates in. Open your eyes to a low investment, potential high return business strategy in one of the worlds fastest growing opportunity areas by visiting http://www.decidefranchise.com.

About the Author:

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Entrepreneur's Coaching Center - How to Succeed in Your Start-Up Business

By Stephen J. Blakesley

Since most start-up businesses fail ( 8 out of 10 within 5 years), one might wonder what is different about those that succeed? As a Serial Entrepreneur myself, I have been intrigued by that question, for years. What is it that makes a start-up business succeed?

I asked that very question to my "entrepreneur panel" on the Blog Talk Radio show I host on a weekly basis called Entrepreneurs - R - Us. The panel was composed of three successful entrepreneurs and I asked the question; What is the single most important factor contributing to success?

Their response was:

1. Planning - Certainly, beginning a trip without a plan is ill-advised, but starting a business without a plan can be disastrous. Yet, many people not only start without a plan they fail without a plan.

2. Executing - It is true that you can have the best plan in the world, but if you do not execute it, the plan is worthless. Being able to understand the steps required to put the plan into action is sometimes difficult, but even more difficult is actually taking the steps.

3. Buy-In by Family - This is one that caught me by surprise and I must admit that I was not thinking along this line as I considered likely responses. Nathan Dagley, CEO of Dagley Insurance and Financial Services, in Houston Texas was my panel member who offered this response. He suggested that it was critical to get buy-in from your spouse, but not just your spouse, even your children, if they are old enough.

There are more keys to start-up success than these three, but if I had to pick just three and go with them, these three would not be a bad choice. So lets drill down a little deeper with these three.

Plan to Succeed

There is just something about making plans that makes things turnout better, not always, not every time, but more times than not, I believe. There is value in thinking about where you are, where you want to go, and how might be the best way to get there.

I have started 5 businesses ( 4 successful) and each time my planning got more sophisticated and became a more valuable to the success of the business. Don't start a business without a plan for at least the first 3 years.

Execute, Execute, Execute

In one of my business ventures, I had a guy working for me, we'll call him Dan. Dan was an educated man, an amicable and likable guy. His job was to manage and run a remote store selling professional services. He had some modest goals to achieve, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Dan always seemed to rank among the bottom dwellers of the 75 other store managers in the organization. Every time I would visit with Dan about his plans, I was always impressed with them and came away thinking that he just needed a little more time to implement his plans. You see Dan was always getting ready to do the right things, but for some reason, never got them implemented. Dan was always "Gettin' Ready To" do the right things but never got them done.

In your plan, attach some execution dates and create some milestones to measure progress, if you want to succeed.

Make It Our Goal, Not My Goal

I can't tell you how many times I have seen good ideas and good people fail because the stress of starting a business destroyed a relationship or even worse, a family. If you are just learning to swim, you don't jump in to untested waters without someone watching. The same applies to a business start-up. There is no place with less certainty than a business start-up.

Gaining family support before you jump is, one of the best things you can do to relieve the stress of starting a business. Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Give you family an opportunity to win with you.

For other interesting and informative insights into the wonderful world of Entrepreneurism listen in to Entrepreneurs - R - Us every week on Blog Talk Radio at 5:30 PM CDT. C U on the Radio!

About the Author:

Stephen J. Blakesley, Managing Partner, GMS Talent L P is an author and a speaker. His two, most recent books, "The Target-The Secret to Superior Performance" and Strategic Hiring - Tomorrow's Benefits today ( one of the top 50 business books of 2006 according to Business Book Review ) are top resources for business owners, mangers and C-Level executives.

Stephen also hosts a radio show on Blog Talk Radio every week on Tuesday @ 5:30 CDT. To join us: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sjb340/2010/11/23/entrepreneurs-r-us

The latest productivity tool for organizations is a full-day workshop "The Superior Performer Workshop" is delivering accelerated performance to individuals and organizations alike. Contact Stephen and GMS at mailto:info@gmstalent.com]info@gmstalent.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Five Nagging Start-up Questions Facing Small Business Owners

By Susan L Reid

Starting a business from scratch is intensely creative, exciting, and adventurous. In my work as a small business start-up coach and consultant, I've noticed that all of my clients tend to struggle with similar issues. Here are the five nagging questions they most often deal with:

1. Is my idea good enough?

2. How do I obtain the money to start up?

3. Can I run a successful business and still have a life?

4. Do I have the necessary education and experience to do this?

5. What if I fail?

IS MY IDEA GOOD ENOUGH?

By the time you have reached the place where you are thinking of starting up a business, you have likely accumulated a lot of life experience. You've acquired general information and developed expertise in one or more areas that is unique and specific to you. While you may share similar strengths and traits with others, in the final analysis, there is only one you. You have a viewpoint that is distinctly yours. The world wants to see what you have to offer and hear what you have to say!

It's impossible to know completely at the start of the journey whether your initial idea is good enough. You simply must go down the road, allow your idea to be tested, and see what comes out at the end. It's the only way to discover your niche and to know what your unique positioning in the world will be.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THE MONEY TO START UP?

Most people believe the only way to fund a start-up is through angel investors or venture capitalists. That was never true in the past, and it isn't true today. Yes, some opportunities require too much capital for self-funding, but certainly not all.

When considering the difference between funding your start-up yourself or funding it with other people's money, consider this: An outsider who makes a large investment in your business will usually want a say in how their money is going to be used. The same is true for family and friends who invest in your business. This is why I encourage my clients to get creative and find a way to fund their start-ups themselves. That way, they are in complete control of their success, are inspired to become profitable sooner, and won't be spending a lot of time answering to other people's expectations.

CAN I RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND STILL HAVE A LIFE?

You bet! The key is to realize that being a small business owner is only one piece of your total life pie. It's not the whole pie.

Just as your business is one piece of the pie, your family is another. Your friends, another. Other pieces include your physical and emotional well-being, your wealth and financial health, and your service to your community. You don't need to juggle anything. It can all flow beautifully together, one piece dovetailing nicely into another. This is called "having a life."

Many people think they have to give up having a life to start a business. Sure, starting up a business takes time. It requires focus, dedication, and energy, but not at the expense of everything else you value and enjoy.

DO I HAVE THE NECESSARY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE TO DO THIS?

As part of the start-up journey, one of the first things I address with my clients is the belief that they might not have the education or experience to start up a business. Most of the time my clients come in with a great deal of experience and education, but they don't realize it's applicable to their business idea. By focusing on what they have done in the past, we can quickly make a short list of what skills they might need to develop. They can work on acquiring these skills while they are starting up. Just because you don't have a business degree doesn't mean you won't be successful at running a business. Accounting can be outsourced. Teleseminars can be taken. Books can be read. Questions can be asked. Experience can be gained. You don't have to do it all! Whatever you don't have right now, you can learn.

WHAT IF I FAIL?

What if you don't? What if you don't fail? What then? It is better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all - to embellish upon an oft-repeated phrase by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Letting the thought of failure come into your mind whenever you are embarking upon a new journey seems only natural. After all, none of us knows if we will fail or succeed at something new. We can, however, set the tone for success. And setting the tone makes all the difference. Let yourself consider failure for as short a period as possible. Then move on.

GET ON WITH THE ADVENTURE

Don't let those nagging questions stop you from starting up your business. Instead, address each question straightforwardly and with an open mind. Once you answer them, you can start enjoying the creative, exciting adventure that starting up a business was meant to be.

About the Author:

Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her™ Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Starting a Computer Repair Business

By Brenden Bell

For most people who love computers, and think they want to go into business, they don't know where to start. Starting a computer repair business can easily be considered one of the fastest growing home businesses in the US. There are scores of households who want their computers repaired but don't know where to go. There may be questions on what skills you will need, other than computer skills you will need in starting a computer repair business, and the steps involved in getting it off the ground.

You will need to follow a logical, careful steps and plan very carefully to make sure you understand what you need to do before you are able to even provide services to your clients.

The same holds true of offices or small businesses that have avoided signing expensive annual maintenance contracts. They need computer repair personnel to come and fix their computers. But there are not enough computer repair personnel available. So, if you have a natural flair for technology, starting a computer repair business is the way to go. If done right, it is one business where you will have more work than you can possibly do.

The ideal person in starting a computer repair business is by nature a problem solver. Such a person is well-versed with both the hardware and software side of the computer business. But there is no rule that says that you cannot repair computers unless you are a computer engineer. There are several computer repair professionals who have never had formal training. More than that, these individuals have a passion for technology. They can't sit still. They need to put their heads inside their personal computers to know how it works. They want to load every new software package that comes along themselves. If you are one of these people, then you are the right person for starting a computer repair business.

You may want to differentiate between the software and hardware side of starting a computer repair business if you feel you aren't strong enough to be a problem solver for both sides. The hardware side is more difficult since it requires knowledge of circuits and chips. The software side is relatively easier. Each software has a help manual, books, courses, websites, and forums that make installation, customization and running it easy.

In this style of business, it can be essential to upgrade your skills constantly. There can be a high degree of obsolescence inside the computer system industry. You must know the latest versions of hardware and software available. This would require attending workshops run by computer system professionals. Computer firms like IBM and Apple, too, hold training sessions for computer pros to keep them in the loop. You should make certain that you attend these workshops once every few months.

You ought to also visit the internet sites of major personal computer equipment manufacturers as a rule, and study the technical details of every new product. If will need be, you should email the technical advisory teams to clarify doubts you have. This is an efficient way to keep yourself abreast of latest developments. An additional excellent source of knowledge is technical forums. You are able to post questions on these forums and wait for an individual to reply. Staying up to date is essential to starting a computer repair business.

Your principal investment really should be on acquiring knowledge. After that, you'll need four points: a car to attend repair calls, a telephone to answer queries, an web connection to browse computer web sites and check out technical forums, and a tool kit. You ought to in no way assemble an inventory. Set up relationships with computer part dealers so that you can purchase a computer element or software as and when necessary. Settle the bill as soon as you get funds from the client. This will help you develop a positive cash flow.

You should not waste income on setting up a swank office. It is much better to operate from your existing facilities. Maybe, it is possible to use a garage or an inside room as your workshop.

The success of your company depends on how well you identify your target market. You are able to decide on households, for instance. In this situation, you need to be willing to travel to distant homes to repair a computer system or bring the pc home for repairs. You are able to also look at servicing offices. In this circumstance, you need to draw up a maintenance contract whose terms really should be far more attractive to your clients than those demanded by big companies. In either situation, you have to work hard to create your customer base.

If you make out calls, then do a good job at it. It can be more lucrative. Don't wait for the clients to bring you their computers. Your uniqueness in making outcalls can be beneficial. If you're looking at the office visits as your principal customer base, then you really should be ready to make service calls. Go to as numerous offices as possible. You will find that business will eventually come to you on its own. Focus on the speed of your response. Attend a call as soon as it comes. Please remember that people feel paralyzed when their laptop or computer breaks down. They want the system to be fixed at the earliest time. This is one area where if you want a lot of business, you need to step up your service. Whenever you attend a call, leave your company card behind. Before you know it, you can have built a loyal base of customers, with one satisfied consumer passing your number to yet another and then one more and so on. You possibly can also advertise in online directory, newspaper classifieds and online on sites that target your city. Even get your own website.

How much you charge is totally dependent on the type of customer you have. The advantage of starting a computer repair business is that the customer pays you immediately. Your money isn't restricted. Also, make sure the repair rates are reasonable. You are able to effortlessly charge $25-$50 an hour plus. The main thing is set your rates from the very beginning. Be upfront with your customers about your rates, and give them good accurate estimates, just be honest with them. Besides this, don't forget to charge transportation expenses, because you've invested both time and funds in going out on a repair call. You can also make a few dollars upselling parts and to do this try to find a deal with a PC parts supplier.

There are some additional steps you can take that will help you in starting a computer repair business.

First, determine who is your ideal client. This may be individuals, small businesses, medium to large size business, you need to know who your target is before you go after them. You need to know who your clients will be, what your ideal clients are and what are their unique characteristics. When I say characteristics I mean how big, location, type of employees for a business or type of household. Also determine what is your niche and if you have a specialty. Also think about if your clients will have be in a specific industry, for business, will they have a specific type of hardware and software. Having a niche or specialty can help you position yourself to offer technology solutions that few others may offer in your area. As a result you will be a lot more indispensable to your clients.

Next determine your own strengths and weaknesses. If you really are a hardware person and weak in software then make it your niche or specialty. Also determine if your business skills match your computer skills, if you are not very business savvy, then you may want to seek those who can help you. To have the best result you want to have a good mix of business skills and technical skills. Anybody who is starting a computer repair business also has to have good social skills. You must always be marketing and advertising your business. If your skills in that area aren't very good you may want to try a professional. Maybe check out advertisesmallbusiness.com for tips for advertising your business.

Just be patient and let your business grow over time, be consistent and treat your clients with respect. You are bound to be successful.

About the Author:

Brendan Bell has created a website to help people find home based business opportunities. Read about this one and more at http://www.getpaid2workfromhome.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Got a Small Business Idea - Now What?

By Sheryl A. Skutelsky

Okay, so you think you have this great idea for a new small business venture. Now what? Well, think of it as your new baby. You need to protect it, nurture it, and then watch it grow.

If your idea is unique, the first thing you need to do is protect it from being stolen. Make sure that anyone that you share your new idea with first signs a standard non-disclosure. If you don't want to invest in a lawyer early on, you can find a standard form on the Internet at sites like rocketlawyer.com.

Like any new baby, you want to put your new idea in the hands of a professional that you can trust to help it grow. You will need to find someone to help you with small business branding. This includes creating a company name, logo, letterhead, business cards, and a web site. Make sure that you file the proper paperwork with your county. This usually means a DBA form (doing business as) which can be done at a site such as simplefilings.com. This form will be necessary if you plan to open a bank account under the name of your new business. You will also need someone to point you in the right direction when it comes to advertising and search engine optimization. Look on the Internet for a good graphic designer, and don't be afraid to check out their references. You don't want to trust your new baby to just any one.

Your logo is a key element. It will be your calling card that will appear on all your printed materials, so choose it wisely. A good graphic designer can help you find the right look and feel for your new business, but keep your original idea at the forefront. Remember, this is your baby. Put all your enthusiasm into this new venture, and you'll be able to feel proud as you watch all your hard work pay off. Good luck.

Sheryl A. Skutelsky is owner of SAS Graphic Design - specializing in small business branding.

For more information on small business branding visit SAS Graphic Design at: http://www.sasgraphicdesign.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Starting a Business? Here Are 7 Quick Tips to Finding New Clients in 2011

By Clive A Cable

Wouldn't it be great if you could create an automatic way of getting new clients? One that's like a dial you turn every time you want more clients. Or you turn down when you have too many. Imagine that... you're just starting a business and you have too many clients, but I'm getting way ahead of myself here.

Like most things in life, getting clients is easy when you know how.

So here are my top seven tips to finding as many clients as you can handle.

1. Stop thinking it's all about you... it's not. Far too many people talk about themselves in their small business. And it's unattractive and quite often boring. Be interested rather than trying to be interesting.

2. Use language people understand. Most people when they write about their business use big, complicated, 'expensive words.' But the average reading age in the western world is a child of ten. Using college professor words turn people off.

3. Focus on one problem at a time. Because problems are what people pay to solve. And only one at a time. If you offer something that is multi-purpose dumb it down to one pressing problem. That way you become attractive to the solution finding people you are trying to reach out to.

4. Don't call attention to yourself. When you write to others, whether it's a brochure, advert, article or similar, keep your attention on their situation not yours. People only really care about themselves and their problems. Be transparent in your writing.

5. Tell your story. Now I know this sounds like the opposite of what I just wrote, but all will be revealed. I'm a behind the scenes person and I like helping people to find clients when starting a business because I found this was the most difficult thing to do when I first started out. I imagine it's the same for you so I decided to sit down and write this article to help you. Telling the story of why you started your business and why you enjoy it helps people to know, like and trust you.

6. Make your solution easy. No one likes hard work that much. The thing that is in the way of your potential client getting what they want is you! Well, actually it's what you offer. They have to go through your process to get to the other side. And that usually involves some kind of effort. The more easy you make your solution sound the more appealing you are to your client.

7. Give people permission to buy. Most people don't like to spend money. However, they know they need to in order to solve a pressing problem. Hardly anyone counts their pennies when going to a dentist or a vet. Telling people you have the answer to their problem gets them fired up emotionally, but they may not spend their hard-earned cash if they don't have a strong enough intellectual alibi. That is to say a reason they can justify to others. Okay, I hope this helps getting you one giant step further when starting a business of any kind.

About the Author: For more great free practical strategies go to http://www.startupsuccessful.com and discover the Science of Getting Clients. You'll also find a free start up kit after reading any one of my blogs. This kit is made up of a special report about the three big mistakes people make when starting a business and a valuable free mp3 that expands on the ideas in the report.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Essential Things To Keep In Mind Before You Start A Business

by Jane M Dawson

You have a good job, a decent paycheck, and excellent career prospects. Nevertheless, something inside you says not all this is enough. You long to be a top-notch entrepreneur. You want to self-actualize by realizing your full entrepreneurial potential. After all, there are umpteen winning stories of famous entrepreneurs who have started enterprises with humble beginnings and ended up being multimillionaires. Can these stories come true for you? Maybe not entirely, but if you have the willingness and entrepreneurial spirit, success may just be round the corner. All that you need is to make the right start.

Here are some key guiding principles that can help you make a beginning in starting a business.

Knowing Your Potential

First, decide whether entrepreneurship is the right path for you. Starting a business is fraught with risks. A novice entrepreneur must understand that occasional failures are part of any business venture. Therefore, to succeed eventually, a newbie must have a psyche that has an adequate risk appetite. If you cannot stomach risks, stay away from starting a business and stick to your job instead, but if you plan to go ahead, do it by all means. However, take note not to take unnecessary risks. Build success on good qualities.

In summary, a person who handles a good business

• Is a good self-starter – You have to be proactive in conceiving your own ideas, organizing your time, and visualizing the processes that go with initiating a business venture.

• Is a person who gets along marvelously – A business environment is heterogeneous. You do not choose the persons you are dealing with. An entrepreneur has to be flexible in dealing with all sorts of people, and that includes customers, traders, government officials, lawyers, bankers, and consultants.

• Is a person with emotional stamina - An enterprise is not a 9 to 5 job. You need to be ready to work for more than 12 hours a day for weeks on end. After all, it is your own business, and you would not like to be the weak link that spoils the show.

• Is a well-organized person – Business is all about having a good interdisciplinary approach. In an enterprise, you need a sound plan, a well-knit infrastructure, a good knowledge of financials, and most of all, well-honed skills in your own field.

• Is a person who strikes a balance – It will do you no good if your entire life is engrossed in business activities. You need to strike a balance between your entrepreneurial life and you personal family life.

Getting Started

Getting started on a venture entails many activities. It is quite possible that you will not be familiar with all procedures. Hence, it is a good idea to have a mentor to start with. A mentor is a person who is hardened with experience in your field of venture and is willing to help you. There are permits and licenses to be obtained, funds are to be procured for the short and long term, an appropriate location is to be selected, and the basic infrastructure has to be procured. Ideas from an old hand in these matters will help a lot.

However, remember the most important action that needs your attention is naming your business. Naming is not just about thinking up a trendy title that will impress your target customers. State laws may dictate that the sole proprietor should have his own name as his business name. However, a newbie can apply for a trade name if the law permits.

Protect your know-how in the initial stages. Your know-how and your unique business ideas are the key assets. Protecting these legally will help in safeguarding your business from undesirable stalkers.

Managing Your Business

Day-to-day management of business is all about applying good management skills combined with your field expertise. On a day-to-day basis, an entrepreneur gets busy with the following issues:

• Marketing

• Deciding prices

• Solving employee problems

• Troubleshooting breakdowns

• Getting to grips with any legal issues

• Forecasting future growth

• Maintaining statutory standards

In addition to the above, continuous analysis of your product with upgraded technology is also necessary to stay afloat in this competitive world.

Quitting Your Business

Quitting may sound odd to you at this stage when you are upbeat on starting your new enterprise. Nevertheless, you will have to plan your exit strategy to buffer the impact of any adverse future eventualities. The time to exit your business will depend on many factors, the size and complexity of your business being the chief of them. Typically, getting out of your enterprise will entail the following procedures:

• Coming to an agreement and obtaining an authorization to dissolve your trade.

• Designating a new owner or leader.

• Reconciling your assets and inventory.

• Deciding an appropriate date for notices and announcements.

• Closing of operations.

• Disposing and transferring assets.

• Closing bank accounts.

All said and done, success comes to those who have the passion and believe in the power of positive thinking. Once an entrepreneur has the ability to adapt, he or she can be confident, and that is the greatest indicator of survival in business. Leadership is one important trait that has survived the test of time. A person with a certain magnetism and charisma and with a burning desire to create a strong and stable business that is beneficial to all stakeholders will stand out in the end.

About the Author: Wholesale forum is the first online discussion platform for USA wholesalers and wholesale distributors forum. Join wholesale forum today to know about ebay suppliers, dropshippers directory and much more.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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How to Start a Computer Consulting Business
by Adam Anderson

Most computer security consultants work on their own. So Computer Consulting is a good business to startup as a sole proprietor. You won’t need to worry about payroll and taxes for additional employees when you are starting out. This will free up more time for you to continue with professional development training and to focus on generating business.

Steps for Getting Started

1. Start small. It takes time to build a strong customer base. It might be a good idea to start on a part-time basis at first, maintaining another full- or part-time job for financial security.

2. Focus on a particular specialty or niche. Being a consultant means you need to be an expert in your field. By specializing in a specific field you can make it easier to stay up to date with industry information. You might decide to work as a physical security systems expert, data encryption, or even biometrics.

3. Maintain a professional image. Dress nicely. Your customers will appreciate your attention to fine details. Consider purchasing ID lanyards for you and anyone else on your team. A lanyard with a photo ID and the name of your company gives you a more professional appearance.

4. Don’t forget to buy insurance for your company. Consulting firms should have some form of business insurance policy. If you’re not sure where to start speak with the agent that handles your homeowners’, renters’ or condo insurance.

5. Do price comparisons before you set your fees. Find out how much other consulting professionals in your area charge for similar services and use that as a guide in establishing your own rates. You might be tempted to undercut your competitors at first, but cheaper isn’t always the best business solution.

6. Create a website outlining the services you provide. It’s a good idea to get testimonials and recommendations from your clients to help you establish your reputation for quality service and professionalism. You might want to promote your business via a blog or other social networking sites as well.

7. As a computer securities consultant you will often come into contact with sensitive client information. Draw up your own contracts that include a non-compete clause to put your clients at ease. It is recommended that you consult a legal professional when drawing up contracts and other legal documents.

Additional Tips:

• To generate more business, you should consider contacting libraries, business, school, and other agencies to hold seminars on the importance of computer security. In the beginning you may want to consider holding free seminars or webinars to help you promote your company and establish your reputation.

• To generate business, offer free consultations. Keep the initial consultation short (30 minutes or less) and be sure not to give away too much advice. The goal of the initial consultation is to show potential clients how they will benefit from the services your company provides.

• For every business owner it is important that you respond to calls and emails quickly.

For more details id lanyards about and lanyard, please visit us online.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Run a Computer Repair Business

By Edward Dean

If you are skilled with computers and are looking to start your own business, you may want to run a computer repair business. Today, computers are more important than ever, you will find computers in nearly every home and business. However, even though computer use is so wide spread, very few know how to repair a computer. If you possess computer repair skills, your services may be very much in demand.

Who Will Be in the Business?

When forming your computer repair business, you will need to decide who will be in the business. You may want to run the business yourself, or you may decide you need some partners. If you run the business yourself, you will receive all the profits, however, it also means that you will have more work to do yourself.

If you are looking for potential partners, you may first look at friends and family who also have experience repairing computers. You can also look at people you do not know. Be careful though who you chose to work with. A bad relationship between partners can ruin a business.

Financing

To run a computer repair business requires a significant amount of startup capital. You will have to consider paying for real estate, payroll, supplies, equipment, and more. These costs can quickly add up. You may not have enough cash free to pay for all the expenses. If this is the case, you may need to consider financing.

There are many places you can look for financing for your business. You may have a rich relative you has money they could invest in your company, but more likely you will need to borrow money from a bank. Check with banks in your local area and see which banks specialize in lending to small businesses. If you shop around, you will find that different banks will offer different interest rates and different terms on their loans. Make sure that you read the loan documentation carefully before signing it. It may be a good idea to get the assistance of an attorney when going through this process.

Another source you should consider when seeking financing is the Small Business Administration. This is an agency of the U.S. government that assists small businesses. You can qualify for a loan that is backed by the U.S. government, which means that you will receive a lower interest rate than you otherwise would. Also, you should see what other resources the Small Business Administration has to offer you in helping with your business.

Advertise

Of course, once your business is up and running, you will need to attract customers. You will need to advertise effectively to let people in your community know about your services. A good idea is to have a grand opening special. You can also run ads in local papers and magazines. If you need more help with advertising, you can hire an advertising agency to help you.

Work Hard

Remember, opening your own business is hard work. You may not see much success at first, but in the long run it could be very financial rewarding to run a computer repair business.

Edward Dean is an accomplished website developer and author. To learn more about run-a-computer-repair-business visit Home Based Franchising for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Designing Your Company's Success

by Kaye Marks

Developing brand identity is a vital part of succeeding in the business world. Your goal, of course, is to generate an identity that is instantly recognizable to customers, and leads them to investigate your company to fill their needs.

Many components go into developing a brand identity. Most companies are familiar with one of the primary components:

the company logo.

It is important to have a well designed logo that fits with your company and is easily recognizable. It is also important to ensure that all of your products and advertising literature displays the same logo. If you have a logo that includes a lion on one package, and a logo showing stars on another, you have completely lost the reconcilability factor.

However, more goes into generating a brand identity than just the logo. Every aspect of your company must incorporate the same basic design. Of course, you want to display your logo quite prominently on everything, but that is not what I mean. What I mean is that all of your products, all of your advertising materials, and all of your online media should use the same basic design.

Your website.

Do not make the mistake of failing to incorporate your overall design into your website. Some companies invest millions is brilliant ad designs that they plaster all over their literature and in their commercials, only to ignore their online identity. When customers visit that company’s website, they see a totally different design than they saw in commercials. That company has lost a prime chance to build their identity in that customer’s mind, and they have perhaps failed to make a loyal customer in the process.

When you have your print and television designs made, go a step further and have it integrated into your website as well. When all of your efforts project the same image, it goes a long way to establishing your identity.

Print literature

Another common mistake that companies make is investing mounds of money in designing their ad campaign, and then tries to save money by spending as little as possible in the actual printing of the literature. This is a monumental mistake. The greatest design in the world will fail if it is not properly transferred to paper. In fact, if a poor quality company is used to do your commercial printing, it can do more harm than good. That design that you were so proud of when you saw it on the computer screen can end up looking atrocious on paper, and will turn customers away rather than bringing them in.

Investing in using a tested, quality commercial printer can bring in thousands in added revenue. A good printer will take your well planned design and convert it into an effective, consistent advertising effort.

Your products

Finally, make sure to build upon your efforts by adding elements of your design to your products. When you ship a product to a customer, they have already used your company and paid for your services. Build upon that by putting your logo, and overall color scheme, onto stickers on the package. This will reinforce your identity in that customer’s mind. As long as they are happy with the product that they purchased, they will consider their experience with your company to be a pleasant one, and your design will stick in their head.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in commercial color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to medium-scale business.

Article Source: Amazines.com

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Running A Small Business

by Tony Jacowski

Running small business is no small feat, considering that one has to handle so many daunting tasks. From getting the business up and running, to planning, financing, marketing, managing employees and accounting, it adds up to a huge task. To top it all off, all of the responsibility falls on squarely on the lap of the small business owner.

Running a Small Business

Above all else, we need to answer two things: 1) Is running a small business for me and 2) why start my own business?

IS RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS FOR ME?

Running a business is not for everybody, as it takes a special kind of character. Additionally, you can’t totally risk-proof your business, but you can improve through sound planning. Start by asking yourself following questions:

1. Are you a self-starter or do you need someone push you into action? If you can’t plan, organize and follow up by yourself you probably won’t make a good small business owner.

2. Are you a good decision-maker? You will need to make a lot of critical decisions quickly. You can’t depend on someone else in this area.

3. How good are your interpersonal skills? Since you probably can’t afford the luxury of a specialist (at least in the beginning), you will need to do all the talking with your customers and vendors and you will have to get along with them. Remember that your prime concern is the well-being of your business and you have to be able to deal with multiple personality types with the patience of a diplomat. Can you realistically do this?

4. Can you justify your business plan? If you can’t be pragmatic in assessing your plans and other business situations, you will be doing an injustice to your business. Being unbiased is crucial, even with yourself.

5. Can you handle extreme pressures? Pressures can potentially demotivate you to the point of quitting, if you don’t have the personality to handle them well. Remember that you will probably need to work around the clock, especially at the peak times for your business. Can you do this without being frustrated?

WHY START MY OWN BUSINESS?

Perhaps the first answer is to become your own boss. Hard work eventually pays off and you alone will reap the benefit. Your earning potential is unlimited. For some people, a new venture is exciting as they get variety in their work and thrive on challenge.

Planning and Starting a Business

Good planning means to get a workable business idea (one that suits you and your skills) and organizing key events to get the business started and running. You should plan through brainstorming, collecting information and analyzing it. Your options are franchising, buying an existing a business or starting one from scratch (risky for a beginner, but doable). Decide on the type of ownership at this stage. Getting an appropriate name and licensing through the government are the final steps.

RUNNING THE BUSINESS

Funding your venture is the major task. You can look into financing it through loans from Small Business Administration. SBA has a lot of programs suitable for small business owners.

Getting work is the next big task. The SBA helps in getting government contracts subject to qualifying factors. You will need to do your own marketing. Keenly observing the behavior of customers and competitors is key to helping your business succeed. Good services and incentives will help you to retain and expand your customer base.

Important Points

You can’t ignore the importance of legal aspects such as taxation, copyrights, employee relations, accounting principles and insurance among others. You may need to hire professionals for at least some of these. Of utmost importance are your financial obligations like monthly bills and loan repayments. At the very least, you will need the services of an account to handle your finances.

You can be successful in starting and running your own small business. It takes a lot of motivation and some risk tolerance. Running your own small business can be extremely gratifying. Knowing that you have what it takes to succeed is the first s

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Computer Repair Franchise is an In-Demand Business

By Tom Brinic

There's no doubt almost every household has a computer - at least those located in a technologically-powered area. That being the case, a customer repair franchise is a good business.

Despite the growing number of companies incorporating computers into their over-all business operation, there is always a demand for computer repair, plus the fact that there are tons of IT related services all through out the modern market. This results to an opportunity to launch your very own computer repair franchise.

Picture yourself the businessman behind the premier provider of emergency response computer service in the country. Just make sure you deliver the technical and back-office support your clients need. Your service must also be around the clock and fast!

A computer repair franchise is a business that must be able to solve computer problems and provide solutions to the wide array of customer needs.

The key to having a successful computer repair franchise is by offering your customers the following emergency response services: emergency repairs, upgrades, data recovery, disaster recovery, virus prevention and instant support.

Plus, you could also offer the following business automation to your clients: distribution, accounting, manufacturing, installation, implementation, e-commerce, training, wireless and pager integration and web design.

In order to solve the modern computer problems faced by countless users today, a computer repair franchise must have the resources mentioned above. They must also be able to control their professional future and continue and keeping their customers satisfied.

A computer repair franchise can succeed as a business by having the assistance and support of the big players in the computer industry such as Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, Compaq, IBM and Macola.

The next step is to train your employees. In order for your computer repair franchise business to be one of the best in its field, your employees must know computer support like the back of their hands.

In order to maintain your business, you must have training programs involved in the concentration of activities taking place in sales department, dispatchers and customer service.

You must also be clear with the customer and employee legal contracts to avoid complications in the future which could lead to a possible downfall of your computer repair franchise.

Invoicing, purchasing and collection assistance are also crucial aspects in a computer repair franchise that deserves to get the owner's attention. By closely monitoring these, the businessman (you) will have a better understanding of what is going on with his company.

You must also be updated on the status of the services you provide your customers: web hosting, product expediting, shipping, receiving, quoting and vendor certification assistance.

Pricing recommendations, marketing, advertising, accounts payable and insurance assistance are the financial areas of the computer repair franchise. With proper budgeting, the business can boom even more despite the up and down costs.

Chances are if you are a computer pro, then you pretty much know the computer 101 and can easily share your knowledge to those who are in need of enlightening. Only the best computer professionals and organizations can provide top-notch computer repair franchise.

By delivering the goods - the best technology, the quickest support and a friendly network - your computer repair franchise can easily thrive in the industry. Amidst your competition, as long as you provide what the client needs then your business is here to stay.

Before making a responsible decision involving franchising your business or

investing in a computer repair franchise, you should get all the information you can regarding the matter. Our website, Franchising My Business offers news, tips and advice to help you through this decision making process.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Product Ideas: How To Determine What to Offer

by Joshua Feinberg

Product ideas or services that your computer business will offer are not as easy to decide upon as you may think. When you start a new business this part of business planning is often taken for granted.

Deciding upon a product idea or service to offer typically starts with an assessment of your technology skills. Once you know what you are good at, it is easy to come up with a service or product idea that interests you. Therein lies the problem.

Many new business owners base their service and product ideas on their interests rather than their target customers’ needs.

Two Approaches to Service and/or Product Ideas

Approach Number One

Find a platform that you enjoy working with that sounds really, really cool and sounds like a product idea or service that everyone would want and need.

Then go and read every single book you can get your hands on, on that topic.

Attend every workshop and conference being held about this product idea or service.

Prepare for, and write, a certification exam to improve your credentials when offering this service or product idea.

Approach Number Two

Start talking to very specific kinds of business owners and managers that are most likely to need IT services on a regular basis from your firm.

Determine from their answers, the services or product ideas they are most likely to need in the next year.

With Approach #1 you will need to sell clients on your product ideas and services.

You will need to convince clients that they need what you are offering. In contrast, with Approach #2, the product ideas and services should sell themselves.

You’ve already done the selling by asking them what they need. It’s pretty hard for them to deny needing the product ideas and services they told you they needed in the first place. If you asked the right businesses, then these people should have the willingness and ability to pay for the services and product ideas you are offering.

Bottom Line on Product Ideas

Your product ideas and/or services must come from your potential clients. If you choose based on your interests, you will have a much tougher time selling your product ideas to them. When you go straight to the source and then match your skills with the product ideas they suggest, your business will take off all that much smoother.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at http://www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com/blog/

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Starting a Business? Remember That Hope Isn't a Plan.

by Linda E. Cummings, Attorney at Law

Optimism is a necessary component of the entrepreneurial spirit. When it comes to starting and running a business, however, ignoring legal risks and hoping that nothing bad will happen is not a plan. There is just too much that can go wrong. Identifying your legal risks and then addressing them to eliminate the risks you can and minimize and manage the risks you cannot eliminate is not a failure of optimism. Instead, knowing what your business liability risks are and managing those risks should free you to move forward with developing and growing your business with realistic hope, not nagging worries.

What are the most common (and most important) legal liability issues businesses (no matter how small) face? I don't know that any business attorney would be able to produce a comprehensive list of every possibility, but here's my attempt at a reasonably complete outline of the issues which should at least be considered by every entrepreneur:

1. Business Formation Issues: Should the business entity be a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation? Even a single owner can incorporate or form a single-member LLC, and this decision is not strictly a legal matter, but should be made in consultation with an experienced business accountant as well.

2. Business Governance Issues: Once a decision regarding the type of legal entity the business should be is made, creating governing documents for that entity must be considered. Even a single-member LLC should, ideally, have an operating agreement (and may have to have one to keep its legal status, depending on the jurisdiction). A business with more than one owner (whether LLC members, shareholders or partners) needs governing documents, period, even when the business is family owned and operated. What happens if someone wants "out"? What happens if someone wants someone else "out"? How will decisions be made if everyone doesn't agree (particularly if there are only two owners)? How do you get paid, how much, and how is that to be decided? And, something which is very important to cover (but often entirely overlooked) - what happens when it's all over (also known as the "exit strategy")? You have a choice - hire a lawyer at the beginning, while everyone still likes each other, to formalize your relationship, or wait until a conflict develops and then hire a lawyer to litigate it. I'll give you three guesses about which approach costs less, and the first two guesses don't count.

3. Employment Issues: Whether the business has employees or independent contractors, there are legal liability issues which should be addressed and managed with appropriate written agreements. As far as I am concerned, there is no good reason not to have a written employment and/or independent contractor agreement. In addition, serious consideration should be given to creating an employee handbook to cover not only the terms and conditions of employment, but such issues as technology use and potential abuse (including e-mail, social media, your website, etc.) and intellectual property issues such as non-disclosure agreements and/or assignments (if pertinent to your business).

4. Transactional Issues: What will your business buy, rent or sell? Whatever it is, you'll need a contract. As discussed below, form agreements from the internet are worth just about what you pay for them (probably much less). If you start there, be sure not to end there, if you'd like to keep the money you earn.

5. Capitalization Issues: Unless you are a sole proprietor bootstrapping the startup of a business with your own personal savings, the manner in which the business will be capitalized must be considered and the associated legal issues handled appropriately. Venture capital, equity and stock option compensation all give rise to legal liability issues which must be effectively managed in order for the business to succeed. Even small businesses with no employees, in which the owners provide all of the "sweat equity", can benefit greatly from an agreement which explains just exactly what in the way of rolling up the sleeves is expected of every member; it sure helps to prevent misunderstandings, hurt feelings and, ultimately, deadlock or worse among the business owners.

Can you handle some of this stuff yourself, and save some money? This may sound strange coming from an attorney, but yes, I think you can. One can easily stumble into "penny wise, pound foolish" territory in doing so, however. Several times over the past year, for example, I have been consulted by sole proprietors who used an online service to create their business entities a while back, but then didn't have any guidance on what to do with them (required filings with the Secretary of State, tax payments, corporate finalities such as minutes and meetings, that sort of thing). As a result, they derived no protection against personal liability by forming their business entities. They may as well have saved the money creating a corporation or LLC altogether, purchased great insurance coverage, and operated as a sole proprietor for a while, until they were ready to take on a partner or investor, or hire an employee. A corporation or LLC you don't know what to do with is really a waste of time and money to create, even through an online source.

Another example is using form contracts you buy (or find) on the internet. Again, this may sound strange coming from an attorney, but you may be able to save some legal fees that way. If you've found some contracts on the internet the terms of which you like, there's no harm in giving them to your lawyer and explaining what it is you like about them. Certainly, lawyers use their own template contract terms when they create new agreements (you didn't think we start from scratch every time, did you?) My own templates are only valuable to me because they are the end product of years of learning and "tweaking", and they are only the beginning (there is a significant amount of customized drafting required to tailor a template to fit the specific needs of a particular business transaction). Here's a perhaps more concrete example. An employment agreement you found on the internet may be worse than not using an employment agreement at all if its terms violate the employment law of your specific jurisdiction. So for heaven's sake, at a minimum you will want to have a business attorney at least review the contracts you intend to use in your business. And by that I mean all of them. Because using agreements with conflicting provisions may (you've got it) be worse than using no agreements at all. So, strictly from a cost-benefit analysis perspective, you have two choices. You can hire a business lawyer to create your business contracts for you up front (i.e., template contracts you can actually use to make money), or you can hire an attorney to litigate disputes over inapplicable or misused internet forms later. I'll leave it up to you to guess which approach is the most cost effective for your business.

My sense is that there are three big reasons why small business owners (particularly start-ups) don't want to hire an attorney to help them. They are ego, money and fear, and I'd say they vary in order of importance depending upon whether or not the business owner(s) has/have prior entrepreneurial experience. What I mean is this:

1. Ego: You have to be a pretty confident, self-assured person to start a business. Often, the belief that one knows all one needs to know about all things related to that business, and better than anyone else could possibly, is an associated personality trait. Of course, most entrepreneurs who try to start and run a business, and actually succeed at it, learn at some point in time that failing to enlist the assistance of a trusted legal advisor is a mistake. For those entrepreneurs, the second time around is usually the charm, because they have learned to set aside ego in favor of effective legal assistance.

2. Money: If you don't have it, it's hard to spend it. Or, there may be some ego overlap (why pay for something you don't need?) Again, there are things you can do yourself to save money, but "penny wise and pound foolish" just doesn't work for most businesses. If you can't afford a large, expensive business law firm, find an experienced solo practitioner who will agree to help you by "unbundling" his or her legal services and performing work for a flat fee, and at least get the basics covered so you can make money and keep some of it too. It won't get easier (or cheaper) to handle the legal "basics" than at the very beginning of a business.

3. Fear: Entrepreneurs who have tried to work with attorneys in the past who tended to thwart rather than facilitate getting business transactions done are understandably fearful of travelling that path again. The best I can recommend here is that you find a lawyer who advises but doesn't dictate, and that you spend some time with that lawyer explaining your business and reaching an agreement regarding your risk tolerance (and p.s., if your lawyer knows that you have a high tolerance for business risks and still tells you that you are about to do something stupid, you can be pretty sure that you are, in fact, about to do something stupidly risky). Find the right attorney, and treat that lawyer as part of your business team. It is his or her job to advise you on how to manage your legal risks. They won't go away because you refuse to hire a lawyer at all, or do but then avoid discussing your business risks with your lawyer. And you won't save yourself any legal fees that way either.

Linda E. Cummings, Attorney at Law. For comments or questions, or for other information about how to manage your business risks, please visit me at http://msquire.wordpress.com .

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Small Business Failures: Causes And Prevention Tips

by Michael Lee

Every year, more and more entrepreneurs experience small business failures. The reasons behind these seemingly sudden deaths vary. However, these causes are avoidable if you know how. As early as now, you can take measures to prevent your business from dying on you.

Read on to learn the causes of small business failures, and how to prevent them.

Cause # 1: Poor Management

One of the major reasons for small business failures is poor management. I’ve heard so many stories about entrepreneurs being too laid-back that they succumb to mediocre management.

A word of advice: Small businesses may be easier to manage than large multi-national companies, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need your attention any less.

When you let your guard down, that’s when you start missing some of the most crucial details. Customer service disappoints… Your own employees steal from you… Overall quality simply isn’t worth it anymore. The best thing to do here is to remain dedicated to your work. Have every minor detail go through you first.

Cause # 2: Poor Location

Starting a business isn’t just about having the capital to set it up. It’s also about knowing where to put it up. Lack of careful planning leads to small business failures. For example, you can’t exactly start an ice cream business in a place that is always cold and stormy, or in a place where no one eats ice cream at all.

In order to avoid wasting time and money, make sure you conduct a serious study on the nature of your business and where it would most likely thrive. Conduct a feasibility study or a survey. Do everything you can to prepare yourself before the business actually materializes.

Cause # 3: Poor Marketing

Build it and they will come. Yeah right; if it’s only that easy. But you can’t just start a business and expect people to know what it’s all about.

Unless you practice your marketing chops or at least generate a bit of buzz, don’t expect to be flooded by customers. In fact, don’t expect to have any customers at all. At most, all you’ll have is a curious bystander or two. Even word-of-mouth requires you to do something to get people to talk.

Every business has a different gimmick to get people to come to them. The most reliable would be to advertise in the local newspaper or to give out flyers in the street. Others like to play loud, catchy music to get people to notice them.

With these tips, you don’t need to fear small business failures. Yours will go on living and growing for a long time to come.

Want to know the success secrets of the world's richest business people? Discover the 7 vital traits of successful entrepreneurs now, and take a FREE quiz to know if you have what it takes to get rich, at http://www.expertpersuader.com/successupgrade .

Article Source: Free-Articles-Zone.com

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Home Computer Repair Business - Starting Tips

By Sergio Ferreira

You are a good candidate for a home computer repair business if you have above average skills in this area. Considering the continuous growth of this industry, and the increasing demand for repair services, you should take advantage of this opportunity. A word of caution: don't be like many home business entrepreneurs that fail because they don't take the time to prepare the ground for a successful start.

Home Computer Business Opportunity

Did you know that sales of computer services this year are expected to exceed $47 billion and most of that amount will be on repair services? In today's world, almost everyone you'll encounter either has a computer at home or at work. Most of them would benefit from your services because they don't know how to repair a computer, and don't have the time or desire to solve their computer problems.

When starting a computer repair business, some of the services you can provide include: repairs, parts, maintenance, upgrades and software.

Work from Home Computer Business Steps

Competition Comparison - Whether you do full time or part time computer work, first you need to get as much information as you can about your competition. The range of services they provide, rates, availability, how do they advertise, etc. The more you know, the easier will be for you to develop your services and outperform your competitors.

Added Value - Try to be creative and think about some extra services you can offer your customers at little or no cost to you. You need to create added value in the eyes of your clients.

Develop Your Own Niche - You also need to determine what computer services have most demand so you can specialize in a particular field and have an edge over your competition. If you plan to remain a one-person operation, the residential market may suit you best.

License, etc. - Once you decide to start your computer based work at home, you need to get a business name, a business license and liability insurance.

Keep Up to Date - The computer industry evolves rapidly, so you need to schedule time for continued education and training. If your knowledge becomes obsolete, your competition will push you aside. Visit websites such as CNET and ZDNET to get updates on new software applications and new technology seminars being offered.

Home Based Computer Business Plan

Regardless of the business you wish to start, you need a business plan to keep you focused. If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. For a general business plan read "Home Business Start Up Basics". Among the computer repair books, I highly recommend "Spyware and Virus Removal Business". It gives you a step by step blueprint to build a solid and thriving business doing computer repair work.

Remember that people are entrusting you with their important and personal files stored in their computers. Treat them with care and professionalism as if they were yours. With the necessary information and a good business plan you'll be able to enjoy the benefits and potential of a work at home computer job.

WARNING! - 95% of the online business opportunities are scams. Don't be the next victim! Get free information on how to avoid scams and choose the best legitimate business opportunity.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Before You Go Out On Your Own – Conflicts Of Interest

By Bryce Whitty

There are two pieces of advice that are often mentioned here on Technibble. They are:

1. It is a good idea to get experience while working from someone else before you start your business.

2. It is a good idea to build up your client base after hours, until it reaches a point where your day job is affecting your computer repair business. That way, it’s a soft slide into the shallow end rather than a jump into the deep end.

Stand alone, each of these lines are good advice. However, they not good advice if you were to do both of these at the same time. Let me explain.

This topic came up when a member on our forums mentioned that he currently works as a technician for another computer business, while starting up his own computer business on the side. He was trying to do the right thing by keeping his clients and his employer’s clients completely separate, so he wasn’t poaching any clients from his boss. So there shouldn’t be a problem right?

This is what you would call a “conflict of interest” which is defined as “when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other”.

While I highly doubt this forum member would do anything to harm his boss since he already has taken the moral high ground in keeping the clients separate; the potential is always there, even if it’s an unconscious decision.

There are also “insider secrets” that this person could unconsciously. For example, let’s say that his boss had developed a system where they could always fix computers in a very short about of time (shorter than most) and was always cheaper than everyone else. This gives his boss a competitive advantage over everyone else in the town and since this technician had to made use this system while he was working for his boss, he is obviously going to remember it. Once this technician goes out on his own, I doubt he is going to purposely use a slower and less efficient method to fix computers when he already knows a better way.

Now that there is a competing technician in town that going to do the exact same thing, the boss just lost his competitive advantage. This is why working for someone else as a technician and running your own business on the side is a conflict of interest.

This technician would also need to take a look at his work contract to make sure there is no non-compete clause in there which prevents him from starting up at all. In order for this technician to do the right thing by his boss, it would be better for him to quit his job completely before he starts his business to avoid the conflict of interest – and if his work contract allows it.

So, while working for someone else to gain experience and building up your business on the side are good advice separately, they are not good advice when put together.

About the author: Bryce Whitty is a Professional Computer Technician who started his business when he was 17 year old. Bryce writes Technibble articles about Business How-to's and stories from "the trenches".

Article Source: Technibble.com

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Secrets Of Successful Entrepreneurs: 3 Surefire Ways To Succeed In Business

By Michael Lee

Anybody can be a successful entrepreneur. Even someone who didn’t finish college or wasn’t born rich can attain financial success. How do you think these people manage to do it? Simple. They knew the secrets of successful entrepreneurs and applied them in their life.

I know that you must be a little skeptical. If anybody can be successful financially, then why are most people still in the same place they were five or ten years ago? The answer is fear.

They are inadvertently holding themselves back. Are you one of them? Now is the time for you to turn your life around. Read these secrets of successful entrepreneurs and realize your dreams.

1) Passion is everything.

A lot of self-made millionaires are passionate about what they do. Whether it’s making gift baskets or selling sporting goods, if the passion is there, the money will definitely follow.

So if you’re thinking of starting a successful business, better start with what you’re really passionate about. Sit down with yourself and list down the things you really like. Even if your passion sounds ridiculous, it wouldn’t be silly anymore after you earn millions of dollars from it!

2) Planning is a must.

One of the secrets of successful entrepreneurs is planning. These people eat, drink and breathe planning. Why? Because if you don’t know how to plan things accordingly, you’re going to end up wasting your potential and your time. Other people will be able to trick you into shelling out money, or into making unsound decisions.

If you’re not really a planning person, then you’re going to have to adjust. Buy yourself an organizer and commit to it. If it’s not written there, then it’s not happening.

3) Faith will lead the way.

Somewhere down the road, you might start having doubts about whether this whole thing is such a good idea or not. This is where faith comes in.

A lot of successful entrepreneurs have experienced losing direction and not knowing what they should do next. But they hang on with only their passion, their planning and their faith.

Soon, something happens that boosts their business. They regain clarity and direction. This is one of the reasons why faith is one of the most important secrets of successful entrepreneurs. Without it, everything else will be for naught.

You already know how the financially successful live. Now, you also know the secrets of successful entrepreneurs. I say you’re well on your way towards attaining your goals in business and life.

Get your FREE access to the success secrets of the world's richest and most successful business people. Discover the 7 vital traits of successful entrepreneurs now and take the self-assessment quiz, audio, and video - for free - at http://www.expertpersuader.com/successupgrade .

Article Source: Free-Articles-Zone.com

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Small Business Start Up Checklist: 5 Crucial Steps When Starting A Business

by Michael Lee

Every new business needs a small business start up checklist. This list will not only keep your business running smoothly, it will also help you have more organization in your company.

As an entrepreneur, you might want to do things your way, but it can’t hurt to learn a thing or two from the people who have already gone through the path you’re just about to embark on.

Below is the small business start up checklist compiled from different businesses.

1) Create a Business Plan.

A business plan is the heart and soul of every business. Before starting your business, you first have to know what you want to happen and how you can make that happen. Nothing spells disaster more than a business without a concrete plan.

2) Register Your Business Name.

One of the first things to tick off in your small business start up checklist would be the name of your business. You might not think that this is a big deal, but it is one of the first steps you have to take before you can start operations.

Once you have chosen a name, register it with the appropriate organization. Make sure to think of two or three more names just in case the name you want has already been chosen.

3) Meet Legal Requirements.

Starting a business as an adult is not the same as starting your own lemonade stand when you were in grade school. Included in the small business start up checklist is meeting legal requirements.

Now that you want to legally operate your business, you’re going to have to fill out a few documents and make whatever arrangements are necessary. This also includes obtaining the appropriate licenses and permits.

4) Choose a Bank for your Business.

When starting your own business, you naturally have to choose a bank to help you with your operations. You might need the bank when asking for a business loan or when you need to open a business account.

If you have your own accountants, it is also advisable that you consult with them regarding the bank they are most comfortable and familiar with.

5) Create Risk Management.

You have to be ready for emergencies. In case plan A doesn’t work, be sure to have plans B, C and even D lined up. What are you going to do when your business doesn’t skyrocket as you predicted? How are you going to deal with a security breach?

Risk management depends a lot on the type of business you want to have. However, be sure to consider insurance, backup systems and security systems, just to name a few.

A small business start up checklist is mainly composed of all these things. However, it is also important for you to be meticulous. Nothing is too small to take notice of when it comes to running your own business. Your business may still be small now; but given the right management, it will soon grow to be large and prosperous.

Article Source: Free-Articles-Zone.com

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How To Start A Computer Support Business

By Bill Nadraszky

Starting a computer support business is something that with some experience and training almost anyone can do. As a person owning an independent computer support business as well as a website to help others that support home users I thought it would be nice to point out the steps needed to start a business helping home computer users as well as some of the skills needed to get started.

There are four steps to getting the business started.

Business license

Every area is different but the legal aspect is always important and lends credibility to your business. Get your business license and also get insurance in case something goes terribly wrong, like lost business data that gets pinned on you.

Business cards

Of course you need some kind of a calling card. I know a small businessman who years back worked out that his business increased $1 per month for every business card he gave out. Go to Staples or Office depot as they have low prices for 500 or 1000 cards with some customization.

Flyers

The bulk of your business will come from flyers that you post up in various places. Put up flyers wherever possible. I have gone to supermarkets, bulletin boards at large businesses as well as small and Real Estate and mortgage offices. Your best success will come in offices where a lot of independent people work with their main computer being at home not supported at their work.

Computer software

There is no way around this. Over time you will find great software for diagnosing problems as well as for fixing problems. Two of my favorite CDs for support are the Ultimate Boot Disk as well as the Windows Ultimate Boot Disk. Both of these are free CDs to download and include a great many pieces of freeware that will help you out. These two Cds are self booting which is nice but you may also create a disk over time that has software you can run right out of Windows.

Website

A website is critical. You do not need something really slick but you do need a site for marketing as well as so that people can contact you or direct others to contact you. The basic info on the site should be your email, phone number, services you offer and maybe a menu of services that you offer. You will find that you do not have to prove how much better you are than everyone else because word of mouth can move very quickly.

There are also some skills that are very important to have to get your business started:

Strong windows skills

This can not be overstated. The person that has a strong knowledge of how the various parts of Windows work is the one that can diagnose and fix the problem fastest. Although you want to have a lot of billable hours you want to be sure that you are not fiddling around looking for a fix as your clients will lose confidence in your ability and you will feel bad about taking so long to fix a problem. Keep up with great message boards like the ones at www.neowin.net, as well as others that have a lot of fixes. Also it is important to know the Windows boot process and how the local group policy works. I hate to say it but I have learned more from supporting my mom's computer over the years for free than I have learned from my own machines because she is not nearly as careful as I am in operating a computer. Remember that most users are not going to have any idea how their computer broke so your own probing questions are often better than just diving straight in and troubleshooting. Lastly know what each of the processes does on a running PC and have a good feel for what to make of errors in the error logs of the machine, these are always invaluable. You can get diagnosis of errors from the logs at www.eventid.net .

Virus knowledge

Keep up with the latest viruses and how they are affecting computers. A very small number of viruses account for a great percentage of the infections out there and once you isolate how a virus has wreaked havoc the faster you can get rid of it and get the machine up and running properly again. I use www.sarc.com as well as the Internet Storm Center for this kind of information. When you get a customer set up with anti virus pick a favorite like Norton or McAfee instead of a free virus scanner so that the user does not have you to blame if they get reinfected by viruses. Use good quality control by setting up a realistic upgrade and weekly scan schedule based on the user's computer habits.

Spyware knowledge

This is a really tough one. I keep up with spyware just by searching on the net and trying to find the resources that people are using to get rid of spyware. Also as you use products, especially free ones for fixing PCs like adaware or Spybot you will get a good chance to see what people are getting infected with regularly. I used to see Bonzi buddy a lot but now it is more aggressive spyware that forces you to fix in safe mode as you lose your regedit. Whenever you are getting a customer up and running though it is a best practice to have them use Spyware Nuker or one of the other pay products instead as then you do not have to worry about being the only point of failure if a computer gets reinfected.

Registry knowledge

No one expects you to know the registry inside and out but be sure that you are very proficient with the current user and local machine hives of the registry as that is the most customizable portion of the registry. Also take note of keys that are being affected by various spyware and viruses. Quite often I will find unasked for extras in the filesystem that stop me from using the regedit command but I have had luck using regedt32 or going into the registry from safe mode. Again the better you know the registry the better off you will be when fixing problems.

Hardware knowledge

I have an A+ certification from years back and I am sure that this gave me a great grounding as hardware has changed over the years. You have to be able to at minimum be able to build a PC from scratch as this will give you knowledge of each component of the computer, teach you about BIOS upgrades and drivers and where to find them. There are so many sites on the internet which specialize in each component of a PC that Google will be your best bet for finding information. Another great resource is Maximum PC as they always have up to the minute news on cutting edge hardware as well as software. A couple of good sites that I frequent are www.tomshardware.com and www.lockergnome.com

Staying up to date with the latest news

This one should go without saying. One of the best ways to start a day in my eyes is to use my Maxthon browser add-on (I know I should have converted to Firefox already but no I haven't!) and open up www.neowin.net www.activewin.com www.pcmag.com www.wired.com www.cnet.com www.incidents.org www.internettrafficreport.com

Marketing

One thing that I have only touched on so far is marketing. After you have the skills down the most important thing you can do is market your business. There are a few things besides flyers. You can do sneaky things like leave a couple of cards at the local bookstore in the computer section, send support type articles to the local newspaper and hope to get them published, and finally strike up computer conversations in the line at the local grocery store. In the more mainstream marketing methods you should join the local chamber of commerce, volunteer to do computer work with local charities, put ads in any local newspapers especially the free ones, and be sure to get together with other people in the industry

Bill Nadraszky is a computer tech support technician and runs a web site for those support home as well as business users at Computer Tech Tips

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Starting a Small Business in Tough Times
by Christine Harrell

As lenders tighten their credit restrictions, entrepreneurs are frustrated that traditional sources of small business funding are disappearing. Money is still out there but it requires more than just consulting with bookkeeping services to prepare a quick business plan and applying for a loan at your local bank. Business owners need to find funding designed for their unique business situation.

Patriot Express Loans for Veterans

One source of small business funding that is helping military veterans and reservists is the Patriot Express (PX) loan guaranty from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The SBA began offering PX loans as a pilot program in order to provide funding to military service veterans and their families. The loans are available to veterans, reservists, National Guard members, or active service personnel nearing discharge. They are also available to the spouses of any of these people or the widowed spouse of a veteran or service member who died while serving.

These loans carry exceptional features including the fastest turnaround times and lowest interest rates of any SBA loans. Eligible veterans should work with their bookkeeping services to determine how much of a loan they will need for their business startup, expansion or other related expense.

Venture Capitalist Investment

If you are currently running your business out of your living room and it has the potential to really take off, securing venture capitalist funding may be an excellent alternative to traditional loans. This type of start-up funding is often given in the very early stages of a business when there is not much credit history established. After reviewing your bookkeeping services, venture capital firms base their decisions on your business plan, management and projected growth.

It is important to work with your bookeeping services company to research and target venture capital firms that you feel comfortable with. After all, they are not just loaning you money, they are purchasing a stake in your business and will essentially become a partner moving forward.

Traditional Small Business Loans

Just because small business loans are harder to receive does not mean they are not worth considering. For many businesses, securing a traditional loan is the key to their expansion and overall growth. Bookkeeping services companies suggest that you begin establishing business credit immediately if you think you are going to need a small business loan in the near future.

Even with poor personal credit, business owners can build up their business credit by properly managing credit cards in their business's name, leases and other large credit items. Bookkeeping services often recommend getting a tax ID and proper legal name for your business to ensure you are completely separate from your personal social security number. After a few months of building credit, you should qualify for a small loan - and when managed properly, small loans turn into large ones.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on bookkeeping services, visit http://www.OSIBusinessServices.com/ .

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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Start Your Own Computer Repair And Maintenance Business At Home
By Susan Hutson

Who says it's only the men who can mess with gadgets..... Many moms are now turning to this business idea when they choose to work at home. In this article, we will try to understand why this occupation is currently popular among the self employed and what you need to do if you want to start this business.

Today, we just can't do without computers. Even if they can't replace the human psyche, computers have an overwhelming presence in our daily work lives, whether it's in an office environment or in a manufacturing plant. But the computer is manmade, let's not forget. To err is human, so it's no surprise that computers also go bust every now and then. When it comes to business people, a malfunctioning computer can spell disaster. Quick solutions are a must, so that deadlines are met and clients (and bosses!) are kept happy. Need we say more why computer repair and maintenance ranks as one of the best home based business ideas?

Do you speak the language of computers? Are you comfortable with motherboards, hard drives and memory chips? Do you understand computers better than you do humans sometimes? Then this is right up your road. The demand for computer repair personnel will never wane-not in the foreseeable future anyway. The startup costs can be between $ 2500 to about $ 10,000, depending on the depth of the business. If you want to take it part time, there's no need to spend a lot of money but if you want to get serious and put a maximum effort, some extra investing can't hurt. The market for computers and their peripheral cousins is growing fast.

Apart from the 'job security', this occupation gives you immense satisfaction because your work will be appreciated. Offices report that defunct computers lead to a high level of stress and sometimes even panic. So by repairing man's new best friend, you'll not only heal the machine but its owner/operator as well.

You'll have to decide whether you want to go out to clients' homes or officer with your tools or get them to come to you. The former will definitely get you more clients because time is one thing busy people will gladly pay for. Whether it's repair or maintenance, you will earn a good pay, because as far as people see it, your work is indispensable. Preventive maintenance, such as dusting and cleaning disk drives can earn you a tidy sum on a biannual or quarterly basis, as per your work schedule.

To get your name around, print out tech-friendly business cards and leave them at computer retailers. You may want to make some friends with software retailers too. Ask a friend (whose computer you have fixed) to write a review and send it to the local newspaper. You can offer to do a few free test fixes before pricing your services.

Make sure your tools are in good order. Apart from a computer, you need to have screwdrivers to open up hard drives, disc cleaning material, diagnostic software, spare parts and some fix-it-yourself manuals. Your state law may dictate the need for a license or permit for starting a computer repair and maintenance business, so check those particulars first of all.

Bizymoms.com has been dedicated to helping moms work at home for over 10 years. Visit today to enjoy free resources which include, interactive message boards, informative articles, career kits and of course help and advice from the Bizymoms' Home Business Support Team!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Seven Steps to Prosperity: Starting Your Own Computer Services Business

by Rick Parrott, MCP

Self employment has increased over 12.2 million people according to a study on the Small Business Administration website. Would you like to join them and start your own small business?

You can, it’s really a simple process.

1. The first step is the hardest. Convincing your inner critic that you can succeed on your own, without a steady paycheck. This inner critic needs to be tamed and shown its error. You do this by educating yourself. Study everything you can find on your chosen path.

2. Next you will have to prepare yourself to succeed. Make sure that you have the means to support yourself for at least six months, a year is better.

3. While you are accumulating your living expenses and operating capital, start your market survey. A market survey will help you determine if there is indeed a market for your services. It will also tell you how to market your services and how much to charge.

4. After completing your market survey, it’s time to tackle your business plan. This is an important step because it determines the future direction of your business.

5. Once you have completed both the market survey and your business plan, you need to develop a marketing plan. This is your most important step. Without customers you have a hobby, not a business.

6. In this step, you execute your business and marketing plans. Careful sustained marketing will generate a constant trickle of new customers for your business to grow on.

7. Give your customers the absolutely best customer service they have ever received, and watch your business take off.

You can use your computer skills to create a better life for you and your family. You don’t need the skills of a super geek, just determination, desire and persistence.

Do you have what it takes?

_____

Article Source: Amazines.com

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Small Business Startup-10 Steps for Practicing Good Business Fundamentals
by Bruce Hunter

The "Business of Business" has ten fundamentals that if perfected will help improve your chances for success. Athletes have coaches, fans, press, and opponents to quickly remind them when they slip in their sport's fundamentals. Business owners have customers, employees, shareholders/investors, and
competitors to remind them when they ignore their industry's fundamentals.

The game of business is pretty simple in its most basic form. A 24 hour, credit card only, drive up gas station versus a 24 hour full service, additional services for truckers, restaurant, convenience and tourist store, franchised gas station. The core business for both is the selling of gas to customers. The additional services, benefits to employees, customer niches, variety of items in inventory, types of investors, etc. all add layers of complexity.

Complexity is neither good or bad it is just more difficult to manage. Watch the news and you will hear about businesses restructuring to get back to their core business because they have lost their identity in the marketplace.

A client of mine, called me in to help him sell his business. When I asked why? He explained that he was dissatisfied and unhappy coming to work. As we talked further, we discovered that only part of the business was the source of the unhappiness - sod. The core business was trees, shrubs, and indoor-outdoor plants. He got into sod when a customer asked if he could get
some for his yard. While the sod stood in the parking lot for the customer to pick up, other customers asked if they could buy some sod too. Each year for the next 5 years the amount of semi loads of sod increased till sod became a major part of his business. What started out as a goodwill gesture for a customer became a dirty, unsatisfying, unhappy part of his business. He
wanted out! Luckily, our conversation allowed us to clarify what needed to be sold. We spun off the sod business to an employee wanting to work in the sod business. My client got back to his core business and a happier state of mind.

The list below contains some of the general business fundamentals. It's a good starting point for you to brainstorm with and identify specific fundamentals for your business.

1. Understand what your core business is in its most simple form. Knowing the costs and margins of the core allow you to determine the costs and benefits for the add-ons to the core. Complexity costs more and should reward more.

2. Understand the layers of complexity you are adding to the core and who is benefiting from these. 3. Pick 5 to 7 areas of your business that are critical to your success and track them. The old adage "that which is measured and tracked improves" is true. Create benchmarks and a culture that continually strives to improve. The summary report is often called a business dashboard.

4. Establish "Win-Win" relationships with your customers. Any customer who wants to bleed you dry, refer to your competition. This is easy to say and hard to do.

5. Pay attention to details within the process of delivering your solution to the customer. Attention to detail is usually what we tip on, your profit margin is your tip. This is not about being perfect, it is about having a great relationship
with your customers.

6. Keep your prospecting funnel full. Be Proactive not Reactive. Always keep your eyes peeled for your next customer. Determine how much time and resources are needed each week to keep your business busy. It's a very bad feeling when you don't know what prospecting activity fills the funnel but you have to cut back on your prospecting activities.

7. Each week take a half day to Work On Your Business versus Working In Your Business. Working On your business includes thinking about, what are the trends within my industry, how does my pricing compare to my competitions, what kind of technology innovations are available, is my business structured properly, what is going on in my community, am I missing opportunities, is the business on goal for my 5 Year Plan, etc.

8. Know the financial health of your business. Depending on your business cycle you should have daily, weekly, or monthly report. One of my clients uses her payroll periods for updates. Labor is her critical resource and knowing after each pay period where her projects are is important to knowing the health of her business. Pick 5 to 7 financial items to track your success.
Benchmark these with your goals and budgets. Develop similar items for your supervisors.

9. When hiring, choose someone who will help your business grow. If possible, hire someone who is better at a task than you. Compensation should include an element of performance pay either individually or as a company. Raises based upon ongoing employment can create two problems. The first is you will have a tendency to underpay at the beginning and overpay towards the end of employment. Leaving only the middle half to third of
employment where compensation matches performance. A pay for time served strategy will not allow you to recruit and hire the best. Think less time-line and more share the business benefit as it happens. If an employee works extra to expand a customer's business with you, know what she would want as a thank-you. Performance based compensation requires you to know your margins, which is not a bad thing.

10. Work on your management and leadership skills. Remember, the hat you wear most as owner is that of manager/leader. These areas include time, prioritization, decision-making, people skills, vision for business, presentation of self and business, and community involvement. There are many books out there in these areas. Find a mentor (does not have to be in your industry) who is willing to talk with you about the above.

About the author:
Bruce Hunter is a columnist for CORE Magazine in Colorado.
CORE is the leading online source for new small business startup. For financial assistance, visit our small business finance section.

Article Source: GoArticles.com

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How To Start A Computer Consulting Business

By: David Gass

To start a computer consulting business, first you should have the preliminary knowledge of computer systems. Other important requirements to start a computer consulting business are powerful problem solving skills and of course an inner feeling of helping the people in difficulty. Here are some useful tips to starting computer-consulting business.

Make Survey Regarding Prospective Clients
Make a survey of the potential clients living near your office. You should be able to reach them within an hour or so. This is a very important factor, particularly from the point of networking services. Also, gather information regarding the number of computers the prospective customers own. Ideally, you should start with the clients having between 10 and 50 computers. Talking in terms of the annual turn over, the client should have annual sales between $1 million and $10 million.

The Client Should Be Serious About IT Requirements
Before you start computer consulting for clients make sure you know how serious they are about the information technology.Prospective customers, who do not have their own dedicated server and are accessing the Internet using dial up lines, are not suitable for consultation. However, those who are interested in focusing more on their IT requirements are definitely ideal clients.

Far Better Than Traditional IT Jobs
Being a computer consultant is definitely more rewarding than joining a traditional job in any IT company. In traditional IT jobs, there are several hurdles in the progress that are not under your control. For example, you may not grow as fast as you deserve because of incompetent colleagues, dull management, and a system where seniors get the priority whether they are competent or not. On the contrary, when you start a computer consulting business these things comes under your control. For example, if your colleague is not able to keep pace with you then you are always free to part with that colleague and invite someone better. So, if you have the talent and ambition, no one can stop your income from skyrocketing.

Increasing Scope
The scope for the computer consulting business is increasing with the growth of information technology. It is very difficult to run any business today without using computers. Almost any business organization is looking for some kind of help regarding computers. You also have the option of whether you want to become an outsource consultant or internal employee. Either way you are choosing a winning career with bright chances of success and profitability. Furthermore, the computer technology is changing at a very fast rate. This fast change is also creating new and better opportunities for the computer consulting business.

Explains how best to begin your own computer consulting business.

David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a free weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com.

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

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Is The Computer Repair Business Dead?

by Joe Duchesne

Computer repairs are being done by computer novices at a higher rate than ever before. More and more people do their own computer repairs. Whether it is installing a hard drive or installing an operating system. Is the computer repair business dead?

The computer industry is evolving. It is always changing. In fact, if there is one thing that is sure in the computer repair industry it's that change is going to happen. Companies like Microsoft have gone out of their way to make their products as easy to use as possible. Where does that leave the computer repair business? What can you do to stay in business and be competitive?

Offer outstanding customer service. Look for different ways to package your services. Take the time to research your competition. What could you offer that no one else is offering? One area that matters to your customer is time. Are you in a position to guarantee fast computer repairs? Maybe a same day repair service? Think about how you can take care of your customer while they wait. You could create a comfortable waiting area for them with good reading material, free coffee, computers with internet access or something similar. Don't be afraid to get creative. Think outside the box.

Keep your prices reasonable without under or overcharging. When pricing your services, it is generally a good idea to go with the industry average for your area. If you offer something unusual like same day repairs, you could charge more money. On the other hand, if you charge the same as everyone else but get the computer repair done quickly, this can easily result in an increase in business.

Don't overcharge for computer parts. Most customers are price savvy. If you are charging a premium for the computer parts you install over what other places are charging, you will most likely find your customer base dwindling. Here again, the industry average is your friend. Find out what your competitors are charging for general computer parts and look to stick around that. Getting known as the most expensive place in town won't exactly help business.

Whatever you do, treat your customer with respect and you'll have more business than you can handle. Is the computer repair business dead? I don't think so. It's simply evolving.

Joe Duchesne is webmaster of http://www.greatcomputerinfo.com specializing in computer repair topics including computer repair business topics. Reprint freely but keep the live link in this resource box.

Article Source: http://www.submityournewarticle.com

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Computer Repair Franchises: Buying an Existing Business

By Joshua Feinberg

Existing computer repair franchises are typically available immediately and are a good option for professionals looking to start a new business in the computer industry. Before deciding to buy a completely new franchise or an existing computer repair franchise, as a prospective business owner you must learn about all the issues involved in buying existing franchises so you don't risk being surprised by the unexpected down the line.

Advantages of Existing Computer Repair Franchises

Computer repair franchises already in existence already have an established performance history. Because of this, you don't have to spend precious time evaluating business potential and can focus on looking at actual earnings. The franchises you want to buy will have a good reputation in their communities and already have loyal clients.

When you buy existing computer repair franchises, you also don't have to worry about finding a location, negotiating a lease or stocking your store with equipment. Similarly, there is no need to hire new employees because the business already has a well-trained staff. With many elements already in place, buying an existing franchise will help you start business much more quickly.

Disadvantages of Existing Computer Repair Franchises

You should investigate an existing franchise before you buy it. Why is the franchisee leaving? If it is for reasons other than retirement, a career change or other issues of that nature, the franchise might not be worth the investment. Perhaps the location isn't making money anymore. Regardless, thorough investigation is necessary.

As a prospective owner, you need to look through all renewals. Sometimes your purchase will only be good for the remaining time on the agreement while other franchises offer new renewals. Also look at lease renewals to make sure they will be renegotiable when your time is up.

Considering advantages and disadvantages of purchasing existing computer repair franchises will help you make the right decision about whether to buy them. They can be good investments if they are profitable and have a good reputation.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg helps small business computer consulting firms get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for your free access to a one-hour audio training program on Small Business Computer Consulting Tips.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Computer Repair Technician Jobs – Or Hire Yourself!
by John Dow

The good news about computer repair technician jobs is that technology is always changing and will require highly skilled people to provide support and service. The bad news is that the IT department is a high cost administrative area that is a slow moving target for budget cuts.

Most IT departments expand or contact based on the projects and technology desired or even required by any given company. There are very good times and very bad times for most computer repair technicians. I know, I've been in the Computer Repair business both as a contractor, self-employed or even as a fulltime employee for over 30 years.

The best way to deal with these up and downs in available work is to have a solid fall back plan that allows you to prosper in either situation. Computer Repair is a huge market in both commercial and individual areas.

Computers break, software confuses and disorients many people. That's a fact. Although the user interfaces are becoming more friendly, the technology necessary to make them work is getting more and more complex. Throw in the Wild West style of the Internet and you have a perfect scenario for someone with the proper skills to make money full or part time.

But where most "techies" get into trouble is in both the day-to-day business requirements and selling and marketing their services. People skills are also important when running your own company. If you watch any movie about computers and software, and the folks who really understand them, they paint a pretty sad picture of the individuals involved.

It's not quite that bad, but there are many facets that are true. Large IT departments often have an attitude that they are smart and everyone else is dumb. This type of environment is not a good training ground for the self-employed. In fact, it's not a good thing for anyone, the department or the clients they serve.

Never the less, that less than good attitude is there and predominate. I was fortunate early on in my career to have a mentor who truly understood the fact that the only reason the IT department exists is to serve the rest of the company. Many IT folks never get that salient fact.

The successful computer repair business owner must know how to sell and market their services to both individuals and small business owners. They should also have some good people skills, because every computer has an operator. And many of the common computer repairs have to do with the individual between the chair and the keyboard.

Doing freelance computer repair work can be very profitable on both a part or full time basis. You're selling knowledge and time for the most part. Sometimes hardware is involved but over half the service calls have to do with software, configuration, and problem solving.

So no matter what the computer repair technician jobs situation is, you can supplement or even replace your income by selling your self. The tax benefits alone can be a huge advantage. Being somewhat of a geek myself, I love being able to buy the high tech toys and getting to take a deduction since most items directly apply to my job.

So with the addition of a few new skills (business marketing and people), any computer repair technician can make some good money part or fulltime. So what kind of money is possible doing computer repair work?

Well, lets say you want to start out slow and just make some extra money for a great vacation, new toy, or college tuition for the kids. If you just do about 10-12 hours of part time work a month, only charge minimal amount ($50 an hour instead of the going $75), you can make an extra $7200 a year.

Maybe you save another $2-$4K in taxes, which gives you another $1,000 cash. So that's quite a little jolt to the household budget for whatever. And if you should get a pink slip, for whatever reason, you could even crank up the part-time business to help fill the gap.

Of course the trick is acquiring those new skills. That's where I might be able to help you out. Like I mentioned earlier, I've been in the computer repair business for a long time. During those fun filled years I've developed both marketing and business practices directly related to the computer repair business.

I've compiled all the information into one big package that teaches and provides many marketing and business operating tools. Everything from a basic website, to software, and even marketing materials. This is not some general business guide. Every piece of information, every software tool, and marketing piece applies to a computer repair business.

And all of the material has proven to be successful in own computer repair business. There is no theory here, just proven successful methods I use everyday. If you want ot find out more, click on the link below.

So if you are looking for computer repair technician jobs, you might want to consider hiring yourself. I don't know of any other business that you can start for less money or has a larger target audience.

John Dow owns www.jdwebworks.com, a website that specializes in computer troubleshooting, repair, and website design. Click here to learn more about: Start Your Own Computer Repair Business

Article Source: GoArticles.com

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Computer Home Business

By Dr. Alex Rich

When the conversation turned to cool businesses that one could work from home the topic turned to starting a home computer repair business.

As my wife and I have had many such chats over the years this one started out as just a routine brainstorming conversation. Then I Googled the idea and things changed.

I found out that up to 95% of all Windows computers currently online are plagued with data-mining, offline ad pop-ups, something called parasites, trojans, dialers, browser hijackers and lots of stuff even meaner sounding than viruses.

According to Earthlink, “the spyware and virus problems are getting worse instead of better. Problems with locked up computers are more common and over 225 million computers are infected.”

I decided to start a casual survey of my friends. I gave myself a very low key goal of 3 to 5 months to complete the project. I didn't want to appear too pushy or obvious. All I asked was one question and the rest of my presentation took a natural course from that point.

My conversation would begin casually and end with....have you noticed your computer is acting funny?

Most often the response would be, “sort of. It takes longer to boot up and I get so many pop-ups even with a pop-up blocker, it makes me sick.”

My next strategy is to say, well the same thing was happening to me and just about all of my friends. I decided to buy a kit to clean out viruses, some nasty worms, and some stuff that's hard to pronounce. I always get a laugh with that line. Then I continue.

“Most of the time I just charge for the program I use for each computer which is about 20 bucks. I’ll take a look at your’s some time, just let me know when.

8 times out of 10 I make an appointment on the spot. Even though I’ve only done this about a dozen times, I’ve banked $600. This mostly because I’m getting referrals, one of which was a small accountant’s office just before the tax season started.

I’ve always maintained a private coaching practice so the money is not the main idea behind my project. I wanted to see if what I read had any value. It appears to be a true opportunity that can only get bigger.

USA Today reported recently that, “By the turn of the millennium, unparalleled growth in computer and Internet usage resulted in a $300 billion computer service market, comparable in size only to the home improvement market!

This sector of the computer industry is now experiencing double-digit growth, and is projected to continue doing so for the foreseeable future." This was based on industry studies by Ziff-Davis.

If I ever decide to retire from coaching, I’ll have no problem moving into a computer home business.

I recently found a great little company that has designed a complete home computer repair package. If you know how to setup an internet connection on your computer, and access the add/remove programs in the control panel, you can do this.

What’s even better about this is my personal experience indicates you can pocket a day’s pay in less than a day.

Alex Rich, Ph.D. is a published author, hypnotherapist and personal coach.

Alex spends his days coaching and his nights writing articles on a variety of subjects. Read about his latest home business find at http://www.tinyurl.com/2okd8h

Article Source: Free-Articles-Zone.com

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Starting Your Own Computer Repair Business

By Joe Duchesne

You have a passion for working on a computer and you like fixing computer problems. Time to open your own computer repair business right? Well... Make sure you have good answers for the following questions.

How badly do you want it? Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. You'll work lots of hours for lots of months before you'll be making a good living. You'll also have to go out and make lots of sales calls and endure some less than nice people in the process. If you have the stomach and the guts to push through that, you are on the right path, read on.

Once you've determined that you are serious about this business thing, you'll need to make sure you have enough money to do it right. Remember that most people underestimate the amount of money it will take to run a business. It's easy to think that you won't need much but consider some basic costs. You'll need some money for computer parts. You'll most likely need either a cell phone and a landline phone or both. You'll need to consider expenses like gas for your vehicle and some advertising expenses that will cover at least a basic form of advertising like flyers and the yellow pages.

Consider the tools you'll need as well. Things like some screwdrivers, some extra parts like some extra computer cases, computer screws, magnifying glass, flashlight, duct tape, overalls, business cards, and a carrying case to name a few items. There is nothing worse than not having the tools you need to do business. Not only will you lose time, you could also potentially lose the respect of your customer. This in turn can lead to either loosing their business or at the very least making it less likely they'll refer more business your way.

Joe Duchesne is webmaster of GreatComputerInfo.com specializing in computer repair topics including computer repair business related topics. Reprint freely but keep the live link in this resource box.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

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Super Tricks For Buying A Small Business

by melvin polatnick

You have just bought a beverage vending machine from the manufacturer that cost you two thousand dollars. The next day a salesman arrives at your home claiming that he can find a location for the vending machine that will earn you two thousand dollars per month. But he wants you to give him five thousand dollars now for his efforts in advance. He is willing to give you a written guarantee that if at the end of six months you are not completely satisfied with the machines earnings your money will be fully refunded. No questions asked. That sounds like a good deal to an inexperienced person, but it is a scam.

Nobody including the salesman can predict what that vending machine will earn once it is on location. If he was sure that it would earn that much he would quit his job and go into the vending business himself. His guarantee is worthless because all companies that offer to find locations for vending machines have no assets. They thrive only on broken promises. At the end of six months when your machine is earning next to nothing the salesman and his company will be gone.

A golden rule to follow when buying a small business is never believe a seller when they speak about future earnings potential, because that is impossible to predict. If the seller believed the business had great earnings potential, the business would not be sold at the present time. But if you want to take a gamble hoping that the business you are buying has potential that is fine. Never pay the seller for earnings potential because it is an imaginary concept and it is worthless.

Before you buy a business have their books checked by a qualified accountant with experience in the type of business you are buying. You must be sure of what the earnings are because that is what you are paying for. Nothing else is more important. Be wary of being told that there is untaxed income from the business that the seller is hiding from the government. If you count on that to pay off your notes and it is not there you will go broke.

A person selling a business has a tremendous advantage over the buyer. The seller knows the business and believes he is making a wise move. The buyer knows only what he sees and most likely is overlooking the vulnerabilities of what is being bought. Even if the business is a sound one, and the price you are paying is too high, you have a big problem. If you can’t meet the notes the business will have to be returned to its former owner with you taking a big loss. Some owners are happy to see that happen because now they can look for another sucker.

Once you buy the business it is up to you to improve its earnings, because if you don’t the notes you are paying leaves you with very little. That means that you must be a better businessman than the former owner. If you are better, you have bought a good business. Melpol

Article Source: Amazines.com

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Starting A New Business In IT and Getting Clients
by Joshua Feinberg

Starting a new business is difficult. Customers don’t typically come calling on you right away. Everyone starts somewhere and not all of your first clients will be long term, sweet spot clients.

Starting a new business means you don’t have your business foundation completed yet. At first you need to get clients - any clients. These are called stepping-stone clients. They are what will bring in your early revenue. You also need to start acquiring positive business testimonials. Again, you need steppingstone clients for this.

Six months after starting a new business is when you can start to get more selective. Earlier than that your accounts will typically be smaller than you would like. That’s ok because you need to be confident that when you are starting a new business these smaller clients will eventually be replaced by your ideal, sweet-spot clients.

Types of work to expect when starting a new business include:

LAN audits

MCSC tutoring

Training seminars

Small peer to peer jobs

Upgrades

PC tune-ups

Light web site design

Optimization and troubleshooting

When you’re starting a new business your personal and business network are critical. These contacts will be the ones who will refer you to small jobs. As you complete these small jobs word will spread about your services. Not long after starting a new business and finishing these types jobs, more referral business will start flowing in.

Bottom Line on Starting A New Business

You can’t afford to ignore any business when starting a new business. You also can’t get discouraged. Starting a new business is an exercise in patience and diligence. You never know where one of your small jobs might lead you. There is lots of time to be selective with your clients - starting a new business is not the time.

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Joshua Feinberg helps small business computer consulting firms get more steady high-paying clients. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free one-hour audio training on Small Business Computer Consulting secrets at http://www.SmallBusinessComputerConsulting.com

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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The Many Advantages of Franchising

by akhil shahani

So, what are the advantages of franchising? Bet you’ll give a serious thought to buying a franchise after reading this bit.

It’s all about money, honey : Funding is the first thing that strikes you when you think of setting up a business, right? But franchising will ease your pain. One of the most important advantages of franchising is that financing is often available from the franchisor. You might only have to pay an upfront fee going up to a few thousand dollars and an on-going royalty based on the gross sales of your business.

Your place or mine: If you already own a commercial property, this is a great opportunity to put it to good use. This will help you secure the returns on your investment and also avoid fluctuations in real estate expenses. However, should you need to lease a property, then another advantage of franchising is that you’ll probably not have trouble finding a suitable landlord.

Hit the ground running: If you’re taking a franchise of an established brand, then you don’t have to wait long before the returns kick in. Since the products or services are already known to customers, you’re spared the pain of building the brand from scratch. Instead, focus those energies on building reputation and a loyal customer base.

It’s all in the name: A strong brand identity gets things moving faster and provides credibility that is vital to success. This is arguably one of the biggest advantages of franchising – that you have the right to use the brand name and trade marks of the franchisor, which saves you thousands of precious marketing dollars.

Hold hands: Remember Hamburger University? A strong franchise brand will invest in supporting it’s franchisees. An efficient trouble shooting service to help anticipate problems and handle the unexpected situation is one example. Regular training and retraining programmes to update you on products, services and market trends is another indicator of the franchisor’s commitment.

No screw-ups: Another huge advantage of franchising is that you don’t have to make your own mistakes to learn! Bank on the collective experience of the franchisor and other franchisees to avoid those classic pitfalls.

Kissing it g’bye: We’re saving the best for last! If ever you decide you want out, chances are you’ll probably find a lot of people willing to buy an on-going business. And that’s an advantage of franchising that you simply can’t ignore.

While the advantages of franchising are many, be sure to cover all the bases. Assess your interests, strengths and weaknesses beforehand. Think carefully about the kind of business you want to be in. While buying a franchise reduces your risks, you will face other challenges, least of which is successfully integrating your business into the larger franchise network. Investigate the franchisor’s credentials and study their commercial terms carefully. If you have already started to think in this direction, you’ll find some great resources at www.great-opportunities.us and www.sourcebookpublications.com . Happy franchising!

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net . It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

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