If you ever came to me and asked me the question if it is worth putting all your hard earned money into a storefront to fix the hardware on computers, my answer would be definitely not!
I will get right to the point and tell you why you should not do it!
1. Computers are now considered a throw away item just like most small appliances! Its not the old days any more wake up people!
2. Why would someone want to put $250.00 into new computer hardware when it is actually only worth $150.00 or so?
3. If it’s a notebook, the battery will only last like 2 years tops! After that, you will barely have enough juice to take the computer to where you are going to use it. Some new laptop batteries will run almost the equivalent of half the cost of a new computer.
Look, I am not bashing a repair shop, that’s not what I want to say here. I just want to help them out by telling shop owners to go REMOTE! Yes I said the big R word. Most people in today’s world worry more about their data and how the computer software runs a lot more than if the hardware needs updating. If you want to open an office space then hire a staff of 10 and start kicking out 2 remote calls at a time every 30 minutes. Now that’s how you make money.
Start with an unlimited repair plan people love having a real IT guy at their disposal. Businesses love it even more and it saves them a ton of money. If you can hire all your techs in the USA and NOT from a third world country, that’s even better for both you and your customers. I personally will only use techs that reside in the United States.
Just look at the overhead if you have a brick and mortar repair shop.
1. A storefront will cost more than an office space.
2. By just having an office space you don’t have to keep any stock or keep it all fancy and clean.
3. You don’t even need to have you or your techs dress up. Hell you can walk in with shorts on and a tank top if you want. If you have the right equipment, you can even do the remote calls right from your own home office.
I am a 10-year owner of a business that does remote online computer support ONLY. So if anyone can talk I can! I also think remote support software or an appliance box is a whole lot cheaper than a fleet of cars or trucks. Let us not forget about the gas you will need for that fleet of trucks. Remember, those trucks all need annual maintenance and insurance as well.
Times have changed and the day of brick and mortar business models is becoming extinct. Remember, you can charge less money per repair job with remote so your customers’ don’t have to pull a ton of money out of their wallet. They will thank you for that, especially in these hard times.
In summary, if you have a storefront, you can dramatically gain in your profit margin by going remote either in an office space or a home office. The difference in your overhead will be like night and day.
Article by, Ross Deprey Owner of Computer Geeks
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