Computer Repair Shop

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by LI_Geek_95, Mar 10, 2011.

  1. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    I feel like a real geek. I turned my mom's basement into a computer repair shop. (which is OK I guess if you're 15 :p)

    I have my first client lined up. RAM upgrade and Windows 7 Install.

    Oh, and in September I got a new case for my desktop. I put on the heatsink, and it wasn't until a couple days ago that I realized I never used thermal gel! So I picked up some today, and I had a successful first thermal gel-ing. I felt like Abby from NCIS. While doing it, I had death metal blasting.

    I will post pictures of my workstation after I'm finished setting up.
     
  2. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Funny.....you kind of look like her too!!!:-D:-D
     
  3. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    Lol. Thanks I guess? :p
     
  4. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Don't make me slap you upside the back of your head!! :-D:-D

    Good luck on the repair business. Word of mouth is your best form of advertising!! ;)
     
  5. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Well..... she is a hell of alot sexier than you I'm afraid ;)

    I wish you well with the PC business and and TimW says word of mouth is a great advertisement, plus also produce yourself some flyers and business cards as it shows a level of professionalism, can be a flyer with basic services and prices but they work in my mind.

    I'm in the process of logo, SOP and brand awareness in work as we have decided to go that route to gain medical research work from pharma companies. I was trained in art school for graphic design but ended up in imaging, but still design logos when the mood takes.
     
  6. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    I like listening to music while building comps and electronics,prodigy really go well with stuff like that.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fz85FE0KtQ

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBNpdXkLnU

    I've been pretty busy lately too,changing an LCD panel on a laptop ATM its in bits in front of me.

    Easy enough,the hard part is finding a used b154ew02 compatible panel.
     
  7. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Great last video from The Prodigy - Rikky.
     
  8. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    I am so much sexier than her.

    And I love the prodigy. The Fat Of The Land has been my favorite album since I was little. Christmas '09 I got t-shirts, a wallet chain, a beanie, and the IMD album.
     
  9. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Ummm.....NO!! :-D:-D
     
  10. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Just look! I win!




    (that's not really me)
     
  11. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Thanks for that portrait of you, Zack. Now I have to live with it the rest of the day. :puke
     
  12. Colemanguy

    Colemanguy MajorGeek

    Hope you have a good lawyer, theres a ton of legal issues with repairing computers for people, espically if you start working on machines for people you dont know. Ie how to report occurances of child porn, people claiming they didn't request that particular job be it a memory upgrade, people who decided after writing you a check that they dont have the money after all. I hope it works out, but hope you have access to good legal counsel. Good luck zac mageek
     
  13. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    For these reasons I still don't charge,I make it clear from the outset I'm doing a friend a favour,I buy the parts and charge them cost and that's it for the total job.If they give me anything extra I keep it.

    If anything bad happens you end up losing a friend or aquaintance,or even splitting group of friends or even family.

    If I were to open a shop I would run everything to the book with fixed prices,strict rules all done professionally.I find when you start mixing the two, business and friend or dancing on the line in between you end up with more problems than its worth.

    EDIT the biggest problem with my approach is obviously what happens if I'm cleaning spyware from a laptop and I drop it and have to fork out for a new screen?Just for doing someone a favour.Its not happened yet and I hope it doesn't.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2011
  14. Colemanguy

    Colemanguy MajorGeek

    I just mention that, cause the shop i used to work for, we had 3 incidents that cops became involved, and in one of which i ended up in court under subpoena, which was really no fun.
     
  15. locodave

    locodave Corporal

    Hows the saying go? Beauty is skin deep. But, ugly goes to the bone? Just joking with you Zack. May your biz bring you joy.
     
  16. motc7

    motc7 Vice Admiral (Starfleet)

    You're kidding right? She looks like a gothasaurus rex.
     
  17. Triaxx2

    Triaxx2 MajorGeek

    Ha, I only do software work at their place. Hardware, I make them keep the Hard Drive. Ninety percent of the computers I get asked to work on, I can strip the drives out in under five minutes. The other ten percent I charge a fee to remove the thing.

    @Rikky: I hope you're not having as much fun as I did changing the LCD. It had little rails on either side of the screen, with TINY little screws to come out. I had to lean on the screwdriver to get proper grip, and hold the screen so it didn't flex and break, and turn the screw driver. Not a fun job. Seriously, I was sweating through my shirt when I was done. Or perhaps half-done, because then I had to put it back on.
     
  18. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    Hey! There's nowt wrong with a bit of goth ya know :-D *Growls*
     
  19. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    I know exactly what you mean I had the same problem first first time I did one,it looks like you can almost get at the screws and you can but you have to bend the bezel

    The trick is when you removed all the screws the rear bezel of the screen 'the part you have to pry to get at the screws' slides up,yes UP! And pops off.No amount of prying will remove it you'll just snap it or mark it with the screwdriver,you have to slide it up with the palms of your hands.

    They usually all come off like this.:)

    Laptop screen tip of the day,learned through hard experience:-D
     
  20. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Aw Rikky, I love it when you talk all sexy!!!! :-D:-D
     
  21. Triaxx2

    Triaxx2 MajorGeek

    Okay, your's is worse. I was able to get the bezel open without having to break it, because I was able to get the little rubber foot things off to get the screws.
     
  22. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Nope very serious, tech babes are HOT, I work with not only medical girlies but tech girlies too and they are a hoot to work with, one IT server tech in our work is kinda like Abby from NCIS as she has a sleeve tatoo on one arm and a few others too in various parts, but its the sleeve you notice.

    Not that that takes away from her knowledge as she runs rings around me in certain areas of IT Windows Desktop/Networking and will murder most here on Servers.
     
  23. motc7

    motc7 Vice Admiral (Starfleet)

    Look I'm not saying that geek chicks aren't out there and appealing to some, but the whole goth thing, nah, never was for me.
     
  24. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Well your missing out as once you go goth you'll never go back. We not changed your title yet....mmmmmm
     
  25. motc7

    motc7 Vice Admiral (Starfleet)

    Please....not the goth thing...my wife comes across this topic and it will cause problems...give me a goofy name like TimW.
     
  26. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Oh this thread as been truely pirated

    But never never post a "do not" its like a red rag to a bull in forum admin circles as we will do the opposite always... but I think I will restrain for a day, I'm too tired to enter the admin CP to change your title to "gothgirlielover" or somesuch.... or am I ;)


    Worst thing was to mention TimW as well he has a more "evil" steak than I do and well your postcount may reach -100000000 and title maybe less than savoury by the weekend :-D

    BACK to computer businesses, well I agree with the leaglity side of what others have posted, but if you have a disclaimer on some advice and help is on the end users head then you may get away with that, or charge them for carrots instead of $$$s
     
  27. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Your wish is my command.








    Did you really think that I would just ignore that remark?
     
  28. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    LMAO...... TimW it was like a red rag to a TimW :)


    at least this time it was not me.... although your zero postcount looming maybe me :major
     
  29. motc7

    motc7 Vice Admiral (Starfleet)


    No I did it on purpose! LOL :-D

    Btw, is friendly baiting and trolling bannable? it was all in good fun.
     
  30. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Have you been banned yet? rolleyes
     
  31. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Snipped and trolling is very bannable! its on spec and mmmm do you need banning? can do this voluntary if you wish or I will do this when I'm more wake tomorrow,

    Its upto you today or tomorrow?

    ooooh there seems as new user title too.... Major Toll :major
     
  32. motc7

    motc7 Vice Admiral (Starfleet)

    not looking to voluntarily be banned or otherwise. Was just kidding around. Since everyone here baits to some extent just for some light giggles, i was just confirming.
     
  33. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    I thought we had agreed on Lounge Lizard No.3. :-D:-D
     
  34. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Ahhhh HA.... goal ... score....... touchdown.... crowd goes wild!

    Thats a givin and maybe Lounge lizard No.9 is the way to go or "majortroller" ah bugger it ban HIM

    [​IMG]
     
  35. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    roflmao
     
  36. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    roflmao OH, you folks are not right. Might be why I still come here.. :-D
     
  37. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Thanks Fred :)

    What was the topic of this pirated thread again!?

    Zack any updates on this small business or have you decided to drop it? if you are going to continue with it great stuff but do read some of the legalities tht others have posted above.
     
  38. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    I have definitely decided to stick with it. I bought a SIP VoIP phone, and got a phone number to seem official ^.^

    My first customer gave me 2 computers. One was extremely slow, the other didn't do anything when you pressed power. Turned out to be a bad psu(an acronym that the iPhone doesn't like). Got them all finished up and brought back to him yesterday.
     
  39. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Sound good Zack and good luck with the business.
     
  40. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    Thanks! I just need to get to advertising.
     
  41. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Well withy the advertising aspect, if you have MS Publisher you can get many many templates for flyers and business cards that you can adjust to suit.

    Office Templates online or from within Office 2007 and 2010 list alot (just open the app or click New and the list of templates show and you can search on the page also).

    Dont know your area but some thoughts are, a local free paper could have cheap advertising, also local libraries etc have notice boards you can adverise on with a flyer, maybe check out if you have PC user groups in your area, doubt they would initially wish to pay for support but joining a PC support group may expand your market base to others.

    Or just keep it very local to neighbourhood for now and build up slowly, never rush, slow and steady wins always.
     
  42. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    Many Thanks! I'm looking into all of that now.
     
  43. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    No probs Zack, do keep us upto date with how your doing.
     
  44. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

    Will do!
     
  45. LI_Geek_95

    LI_Geek_95 Post-and-Run Geek

  46. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Looks good Zack.
     
  47. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    What I notice most places do is add their specialist area,so whatever your specialist area is at the bottom in a different font or size you could add networking specialists ect.

    I love how you go blooded at everything:-D When people bring me broken computers ect. I usually make a grunt and say put it there then stare at it till I can be bothered.
     
  48. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    lmao.... :)
     
  49. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    Voila something like this...:) You'll have to find out if your allowed to used the Cisco trade made of course.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2012
  50. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    Been thinking "Dangerous I know." The cisco trade mark may put people off as it sounds too expensive so you may want to add a small post script concerning your intent.

    "All jobs catered for."
    "No job too small."
    "Free quotation"
    "Home computer maintenance."
     

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