My dad (whose computer I built) often asks me why I don't go into business for myself,...

[Sean Condon]

My dad (whose computer I built) often asks me why I don't go into business for myself, building and fixing computers. It is, after all, what I seem to have a passion for. The problem is there are two types of people in the business: independent no-talent hacks who charge next to nothing, build crap computers, and fix almost nothing, and corporate no-talent hacks who charge way too much and do about the same. The market's flooded, and customer satisfaction's always low. If I were to open an upstart computer repair and build business, it would be months before I would even get a single customer. Most people are either figuring it out on their own, the way I did, calling their troubles in to unhelpfuldesks in India, or just scrapping their current machine and buying a new, prebuilt one from Dell or something... or worse: Apple.

 

[Spencer Dewar]

The is literally no sustainable business in purely building computers.

 

[Jake Oorschot]

Yepp. Thats exactly why i havent bothered trying to start one

 

[Tuan Nguyen]

Custom PCs is a flooded and yet very small market. Anyone can build a PC and with a little research do most of the stuff themselves. On top of that there is little margin and people don't want to pay much in terms of labor. Trying to cover your costs - utilities, parts, taxes, insurance, etc is very difficult when most people won't pay $20/hr let alone $100/hr. Your average build will net you maybe $100-200 and you might get one or two a week. That's just unreasonable to sustain your livelihood upon unless you can monopolize the market in a small town like where my wife came from (Syracuse IN). It's literally easier to just go work for the man and make significantly more money.

 

[Spencer Dewar]

As a side thought though. A lot of people order parts through Amazon and have the option to hire help. It might benefit you to look up how to get in on that.

 

[Marcus Lee Iwan Hughes]

Going into pc repair business is tough because everyone and their gran have opened them everywhere. I've got PC/networking qualifications out my arse but still can't find a job in the PC industry because there just aren't/isn't enough work. It's actually a saturated market

 

[Drew Leonard]

or they join this group and ask us n00b questions. get free tech support and go on their way lol

 

[Marc Wolfe]

If you're really good, maybe apply at Puget systems. They're in washington.

 

[Kevin Kurniawan]

no way you can do that business nowdays. you have amazon and other online web that tough to compete. i was thinking the same too, but then i realize its no hope

 

[Jacob Asher]

I wish I could do the same. However, it's so god damn hard; it's but a pipe dream to me.

 

[Mark Reeder]

I am currently revamping my small business that I have had going on and off for the past couple years.
If there is 1 thing I have learned it's that if you are going to start out small (no huge budget or maybe a already successful partner) you have to expand your services until you can grow a successful customer basis with referalls and advertisement.

 

[Ramin Reza]

I'm thinking of doing the same too after I get some IT certs. I say try it, give it ur all, and if its meant to be, it'll work out, if not, maybe another time or maybe not.

 

[Jay Plaza]

Good luck as you will be one or the other.. there is no in between...there is but there is no profit and all work..

 

[Bakti Yudha Suryana]

Rather than starting a build-or-fix pc service, it'd be better to start pc parts shop, and THEN add offer to also build and fix pc. You'd need quite an amount of money to start, though.

 

[Ponas Šaras]

A very bad business idea. Unless youd di some very neat case mods and custom wc loops, even then youd need years of work to start getting any profit.

 

[Jason Dudek]

I build, repair and do other things like home theatre installs for people. I also have a regular job to pay bills, but the computer stuff pays for my computer stuff.

 

[Ross Horsey]

Margins are tiny, people aren't willing to pay.

 

[Jovan Garcia]

You won't know if you don't try just building a desktops and selling it for more on Amazon or eBay would still make you money, I payed roughly about 1000 on my brothers build with an i5 7600k and a 1070 and those builds cost more then 1,600. But I'd like to try to make my own business in building, fixing desktops or any electronic if anything. You don't know if you don't try.

 

[Eko Prasetyo]

Build one, make it mining before someone purchase it

 

[Stephen Steinlein]

Do you have any examples of your talent? Seeing as I am just one of those "talentless" hacks thats flooding the market, I would like to see a comparison of what you are doing, so that; a. I can emulate your talents or b. Avoid you like genital warts.