How to quickly start a computer repair business?

First steps

Before opening a computer service, it is worth thoroughly studying the market. This is an area with very high competition, but at the same time extremely in demand. So there is no need to study the demand; there will definitely be clients. In order for their number to be impressive, you should familiarize yourself with the prices of such companies, the number of such enterprises in the city and the specific area chosen for activity, the range of services provided and their relevance.

This way you can understand where exactly to start a business. Computer repair can involve many operations, which ones you plan to perform for clients, and you need to decide in advance. This will maximize your income from the very first days.

What services will we provide?

The computer and smartphone repair business can be divided into two types:

• Software-block repair
  - this type involves repairing the software part of the device without physical repair. In the case of a computer, this could be reinstalling Windows, updating drivers, or installing various programs. For mobile devices everything is exactly the same.
• Physical repair
  - requires the availability of specialized equipment and components.

List of services provided for mobile devices:

• Reinstalling the OS
• Installing programs
• Replacement of components
• Restoring after a water spill
• Pasting protective film

List of services provided for computers:

• Reinstalling the OS
• Installing drivers and various programs
• Setting up routers
• Recovering data from a hard drive
• Preventive maintenance (cleaning, virus removal)
• Refilling printer cartridges and repairing them
• Replacement and repair of failed parts
• Computer assembly

It is worth highlighting a service that simultaneously applies to both mobile devices and computers - this is device analysis. Some clients come with their own devices and do not know exactly what problem they have. Their computer or cell phone isn't working properly, but they don't know why. Some service centers charge money to identify problems. It’s up to you to decide whether to do it expensively, cheaply, or not charge any money for it in favor of the loyalty of potential customers.

Official registration

Like any other business, computer repair is best done legally, otherwise you will face serious fines. You can choose the legal form of individual entrepreneurship if you plan to carry out orders yourself and expect a small scale of activity.

But it’s better to register as a legal entity. This will allow you to expand your business in the future and easily hire the right number of employees from the very beginning. The services of a visiting accountant will help you deal with the tax office and make all necessary payments on time.

Advantages and disadvantages of this business

Like any other business, creating a computer service has its strengths and weaknesses.

Positive sides:

• Small investment to start a business. You need to pay for rent and renovation of the premises, purchase equipment and run advertising.

The best advertisement is a good location of the workshop.

• Income is stable because there is constant demand for computer repairs.
• After a couple of months of work, one workshop can be expanded to a network. To do this, the main thing is to provide high-quality service so that the new brand develops a good reputation.

Risks associated with launching a computer service:

• High competition.

There are a huge number of computer services on the market and this is a fact. In addition to those workshops that an entrepreneur can see on the street, there are also private craftsmen. They find clients on sites such as Avito and Yula. People turn to them because such specialists set low prices and are ready to come anywhere in the city.

When an entrepreneur chooses a location for a point, one should pay attention not only to the traffic volume near the location, but also to the number of competitors already operating.

And even if at the time of opening there is not a single workshop nearby, this does not mean that they will not appear here in a month.

Number of service centers in one district of Krasnodar

• Prices for consumables are increasing. Because of this, we have to regularly increase prices for our services. Regular customers are not very happy about this; they may refuse services. At the same time, new customers will come slowly at increased prices.

• Inflation. Prices for goods increase faster than wages increase. As a result, people do not have enough money, and they put off repairing equipment. During this time, the characteristics of the gadget become outdated, and customers buy new equipment, because in this situation, repairs are not profitable.

• Craftsmen may not be able to keep up with new technologies. Specialists must continuously train and explore new models. Manufacturers do not stand still - updates are released almost every month, and new versions of models replace outdated ones. Now everyone is so eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new iPhone that craftsmen must also keep up with the changes.

Starting any business comes with the risk of failure. If we talk about computer repair, then in this area the risks are minimal. If all processes are properly organized in the workshop, there will be regular orders and regular customers. If you do quality repairs, customers will return and recommend the service center to their friends. In order to differentiate yourself from competitors and attract customers, you can use discounts and bonuses.

Recruitment

One of the main conditions for success is the right choice of workers for your workshop. Employees who will repair computer equipment must be highly qualified and have experience. There are many amateurs in the market who provide their services, but you should focus on quality and professionalism.

To ensure that your activities generate additional income, include hiring several programmers in your business plan. Computer repair will not be your only focus; you will be able to provide services for the creation and maintenance of websites on the Internet.

One or two managers will also be required to provide advice and take orders. They will be able to accept new clients either in person or by phone or email. Choose pleasant and non-conflict people who will be able to win over the client even in a problematic situation. Experience in this matter is not so important, the main thing is a responsible attitude to business and the desire to help visitors.

How to open a service center from scratch: documents for tax registration

There are two options for opening a computer repair center: with tax registration and without official registration.

★ Investment assessment for a business plan in Excel. Calculation of NPV, IRR, DPP, PI in 5 minutes

To register with a tax company for computer repair, you can submit documents to create an individual entrepreneur or LLC. Below in the table we analyze the main advantages, as well as the necessary list of documents for registration of each legal form. When registering under OKVED, select the main activity: 95.11 – Repair of computers and peripheral computer equipment; in addition, you can specify OKVED code 95.12 – Repair of communication equipment.

In the tax reporting of a service center for the repair of computer equipment, you can use the BSO (strict reporting form) instead of the cash register (cash register) / Article 2, paragraph 2 of Federal Law No. 54-FZ of May 22, 2003. A strict reporting form can be used when we provide services to the public (as in our example). BSO is not used when selling goods.

Implementation in practice

To provide computer repair services, it is not necessary to have a large start-up capital. The success factors in this case are:

• low prices;
• high quality of services;
• prompt order fulfillment;
• wide range of services;
• responsibility to clients.

Pay attention to the level of services provided. If after repairing the computer the client encounters the same problem again, he is unlikely to contact you again.

Competition in the computer repair market segment is high. Many young people try to restore and maintain computer equipment to earn extra income. Therefore, setting high prices at the initial stage means depriving the opportunity to create a customer base.

The next factor is the speed of response to an order. Modern users are accustomed to playing their favorite games or spending time on social networks. Therefore, the client will give preference to the type of service that will help him quickly return to his usual rhythm of life. Your customer base will increase if you arrive at the address as soon as possible and fix the problem.

Computer assistance includes a wide range of services, including:

• computer repair and maintenance;
• antiviral treatment;
• recovery of lost data;
• setting up networks and more.

The size of your profit depends on the extent to which you expand the range of services you provide.

In any work, a certain number of errors are expected to occur. For example, the address was not saved when setting up the network or the connector jumped out of the port. Approach your work responsibly and eliminate errors and shortcomings in your work in a timely manner.

Business advertising

Example of a computer repair flyer

Perhaps one of the most effective ways to enter a business will be local (in the nearest areas) posting advertisements on the entrances of houses, which indicate a short list of services and contact information. Your first task is to create a base of loyal visitors who can recommend you to their friends.

Computer repair is serious business. Criminal liability

The bulk of orders are related to software configuration. But remember that in this case there is a risk of falling under Article 146 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for punishment for installing or configuring software that does not have a license. If a master is caught doing this, he will face a fine or imprisonment.

This problem is very important because 90% of potential customers use pirated copies of software. There is a high probability of becoming the object of a scheduled OBEP inspection or a victim of competitors, so it is better to refuse to work with unlicensed programs. In this case, difficulties are inevitable - after all, the population of small towns in Russia is not eager to pay a considerable amount for access to licensed software.

So, the cost of working with pirated copies will be approximately 700 rubles. Of these, 500 rubles. accounts for the installation of software, and 200 rubles. - for debugging. If you work with a license, the situation changes significantly. You will have to either refuse the client’s order, since he has a pirated copy of the operating system installed, or offer installation of a licensed OS for 3,500 rubles. with payment for specialist services from 500 to 1000 rubles. This situation is unlikely to contribute to an increase in the number of people willing to pay such an amount.

Thus, it turns out that the computer repair market sector is determined by high demand for such services, but clients do not want to pay honestly. Therefore, look for ways to solve this problem. Most experienced businessmen recommend refusing to use unlicensed software. Their advice boils down to one thing - the need to convince clients to pay for legal software, since it is primarily beneficial for them. Licensed software guarantees its stable operation and high-quality service.

Office space

At first, it is possible to work privately, in your own apartment. Then you will only need to organize a point for receiving and issuing orders; a small area is enough for it. But this is not at all necessary; you can rent a larger room if your business plan allows it. It will still be more convenient to carry out computer repairs on site, so as not to have to deal with constant transportation, for which you will need to hire a car with a driver or constantly use a taxi or even cargo transportation.

A room of twenty square meters is enough for the reception area, and the room for repair work should be a little larger, with the expectation that each master will get ten square meters. Under such conditions, both employees and visitors will feel comfortable. By saving on delivery and choosing the right location for your service center, you can get significant benefits. To increase the flow of customers, rent or purchase territory near computer stores.

Computer repair - is it difficult or not?

Just a few years ago, a person who could reinstall an operating system was considered a computer genius. Now any ordinary student can do this. Free, almost unlimited access to information on the Internet has made it possible for almost anyone to become a professional in one field or another.

Same with computers. More precisely with their repair. You can find a description of any problem that arises with your PC on the World Wide Web and try to fix it yourself. The only thing that stops the vast majority of people is lack of confidence in their capabilities. In fact, with the help of a competent tutorial, anyone can cope with a computer problem.

Of course, every time you look on the Internet to search for answers to solve this or that issue related to computer repair, it will be funny. Therefore, if there is a need, then it is best to deepen your knowledge and skills in this area.

Nowadays there are a lot of training courses on the design and use of a computer and various programs. It is not at all necessary to purchase paid courses; all the information they contain can be found on the World Wide Web absolutely free, except that it will take a little more time.

In fact, a computer is not such a super complex device as many people think it is. And with experience, any, even very complex, breakdowns will be resolved very quickly.

Interior decoration

Perhaps the business plan for a computer repair service center is one of those few that does not necessarily include serious design costs. The main thing is that the room is cozy and neat.

When making renovations, it is enough to paint the walls in neutral colors and place comfortable sofas or armchairs in the reception area for visitors waiting in line. A nice reception desk will complement the interior.

The workshop should also be clean and comfortable. The main attention should be paid to good lighting, comfortable tables and a well-organized system for storing parts so that nothing gets lost and everything is always at hand. Then the work will be completed as quickly as possible and without any difficulties.

Service center business plan - calculations

A detailed business plan will allow you to evaluate the investment attractiveness of the business and the return on investment.

Investments

To organize a company you will need to spend:

• legal registration persons – 6 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment – ​​150 thousand rubles;
• furniture and other things for the office - 21 thousand rubles;
• other expenses (printing business cards, installing the Internet, etc.) – 3 thousand rubles;

Total: 180 thousand rubles

Gross revenue

The following is a calculation of gross revenue based on the work of 2 craftsmen with a five-day work week

Table. Price - list of possible services

The earning opportunities are much broader; the table provides an approximate unified list of the work of the service center.

At the same time, sell those assembled from various used components. An attractive price will allow you to get a good additional profit, and possibly become one of the main sources of income.

Monthly profit calculation, profitability, payback

Such a calculation will help to assess the main indicators of the computer repair business.

Table. Balance

Profitability of 36%, payback within 7 months - these are excellent indicators for any business project.

Of course, a net profit of 26 thousand is not promising, but these calculations are based on figures for the initial stage of entering the market. With the expansion of the client base, the list of services and the number of works performed will be increased.

Equipment and parts

To carry out repairs, you will need tools such as meters of total and constant power consumption, current clamps or a multimeter, an oscilloscope, a soldering iron with a set of various tips and all the necessary elements for it, screwdrivers, tweezers, a vacuum cleaner with the ability to turn on the blowing mode.

In addition, you will need a certain supply of components so that you do not have to order separate parts for each repair. Therefore, purchase different sound, network and video cards in advance. You can negotiate supplies with wholesale stores or with representatives of certain popular brands. It will be convenient to cooperate with large companies also because you will be able to expand your customer base.

Difficulties of doing business

After the first month of work, we calculated our income and were delighted to receive 1,200 hryvnia net for each (although we were counting on 2,000 hryvnia). It wasn't enough, but it was enough to inspire me to continue.

However, after another three months, revenue decreased, and income began to amount to 800 hryvnia. This was due to the beginning of the stagnant winter season, and to the fact that the guy’s friend became less interested in the development and continuation of our business. He could not answer calls on his work phone, so as not to specifically accept an order, or say that he went to a call, and he unexpectedly went to his grandmother for a couple of days. Talking did not help, he could sleep until lunch and only come and start work in the afternoon.

Main reasons for closing a business

At the same time, we began to additionally provide IT outsourcing services for several printing houses and one computer club. However, during and after the New Year holidays there were noticeably fewer clients, orders, and trips. And, accordingly, revenue. The friend finally lost heart and decided that it was better for him to get a job at a stable rate than to think about developing the business.

Lack of control, flexible schedule and low income became catalysts for the end of our entrepreneurship.

When there were only two people left in the CompReanim service, things began to go even more sluggishly. We didn't operate at a loss, and we didn't get into debt. But, despite the new stage of advertising, there were no more clients, and our net income remained at the level of 1100-1400 hryvnia. The search for a foreman was unsuccessful, since we could not offer a decent salary to the new employee.

By early August 2013, we closed after being in business for almost a year.

Advertising activity

To attract maximum visitors to your computer equipment service, try to be more active in marketing. If you have a professional master and a constant number of clients, your profit will appear steadily, but as a result of advertising it will grow noticeably.

In order not to give up your position in the market, carry out various promotions. For example, you can offer customers discounts for a certain period of time or a specific package of services. If you not only provide computer maintenance services, but also sell components, you can organize a prize draw. You can also offer a bonus to regular customers. Of course, such actions will require costs, but over time you will get a noticeable profit.

Periodically run advertising messages on radio or television if funds allow. Place memorable posters or banners on the streets, make a catchy sign above the entrance to the workshop. Try to get a memorable phone number and contact service call centers. Partnership with them will allow you to increase the influx of clients, since those who contact technical support with problems will be sent to you.

Advertising campaign

Advertising should be something that can be purchased without cutting the main budget. At first it can be quite simple: leaflets, advertisements or coupons. With development, it is necessary to increase its quality and transfer 70% to the Internet: targeted advertising, purchasing advertising in thematic groups, etc. This will not only increase your impact, but also understand your core audience.

It is also worth paying attention to regular customers - you can give them discount coupons, which will not only maintain your customer base, but will also force them to tell their friends about the service. If you encourage the “Refer a Friend” promotion, for which you can get a big discount, then the service will soon become popular.

Partnership agreements

For successful activities, it is advisable to find a partner business. Computer repair combined with the supply of new equipment and components brings the greatest income. Additionally, by contacting computer stores, you will get a large base of potential customers.

Cooperation with companies that sell office equipment will allow you to offer your service services to various companies.

Sellers will hand over your advertising brochures or business cards to those clients who need software, installation of anti-virus or specialized office programs, setting up local networks or Internet access, as well as any other assistance.

Perhaps you can open computer repair shops right in your sales stores. Such a relationship will be beneficial for all parties to the agreement. The work will be stable, and clients will be glad to be able to immediately resolve all their issues, spending a minimum of time on it.

How to start a computer repair business

The business of repairing and setting up computers has a fairly low barrier to entry. In fact, any schoolchild who has sufficient knowledge can do this so as not to embarrass himself in front of a client and earn his own money.

The beginning of this type of activity begins with the purchase of the necessary media (flash drives) and the search for the necessary software.

We will need:

• Distributions of the most popular operating systems (Win XP, Win 7, Win 10);
• driverpack solution – a bank of drivers needed to configure hardware;
• MS office several versions, starting from 2003 and more modern;
• Dr web cureit or another good and free antivirus;
• Live image of Windows for the ability to load operating systems from a flash drive, without installation;
• Tube of thermal paste;
• Screwdriver set with magnetic tip.

Perhaps this is the most necessary thing to start a computer assistance business.

It is not necessary to have other versions of Windows - they are unpopular. They can always be replaced with these “three” more successful OSs. As for office programs, I recommend having several versions. Whatever one may say, many people still have “calculators” that won’t do anything except XP and Office 2003.

Driverpack solution is the most powerful database of drivers for any hardware. Here you can find almost everything you need to work with clients' computers. Don't forget to regularly update your driver database.

The live image of windows turned out to be very useful in a number of cases. It happens that the computer cannot be booted in the usual ways or it is necessary to extract some information from the hard drive. A Live image and booting the OS without installing it on your hard drive will always come to your aid. This flash drive may also be useful in a number of other problems that you may encounter.

Financial investments

Before delving into this business headlong, I advise you to work as a computer technician yourself at home. You shouldn’t immediately rush to register an individual entrepreneur and rent premises. It may happen that you do not calculate your strength and end up in a puddle.

To begin with, it’s worth testing this niche. In my case, it was a part-time job in my free time. Clients called me, talked about the problem, and I set a time when it was convenient for me.

My investments in the computer assistance business.

• Website creation. Domain and hosting registration -1300r. Per year (at that time).
• Buying flash drives – 2000 rub.
• Thermal paste - 200 rub.
• External HDD – 3000 rub. Not necessary.

These are all the costs that were necessary to start my computer help business.

Fight against competitors

Competition in the computer services market is very strong. This is worth considering even before opening a business. Computer repair is an area in which you will have to constantly improve and grow. You can increase your competitiveness by expanding the list of services provided. This method will attract the attention of more customers to your company.

In addition, you can reduce prices for some services. This negatively affects competitors and instantly leads to success. By constantly monitoring the position of rival firms, you can maintain profits and your place in the market. Computer work does not tolerate outdated tactics and technologies, so try to always keep your finger on the pulse of new products. Otherwise, you will not achieve success in this matter, and even if you succeed, the effect will be extremely short-lived.

Preparing to open a service center

The guy asked his father for a room, along with the existing furniture and equipment:

• admin desk,
• computers,
• tables for them,
• chairs,
• sofa with chair,
• cabinets in the utility room,
• Printer.

All this was at our disposal and became starting capital, for which we did not spend a penny.

Every month we replenished the stock of consumables and spare parts.

Business plan

We also didn’t bother with a business plan, which, perhaps, became our biggest and most important mistake. We simply downloaded the plan from the Internet and optimized it to suit our conditions.

We calculated that the main expenses will go to taxes, payment of utilities, operation of the premises and advertising:

1. The monthly amount of single tax at that time was less than 200 hryvnia.
2. Utilities for a month cost, on average, from 150 to 300 hryvnia, depending on the season - in winter you had to pay large sums for heating.
3. Operation of the premises turned out to be the most expensive - about 400 hryvnia per month. In fact, we did not pay for rent, although we drew up a bilateral lease agreement for non-residential premises with the owner of the premises for a period of 11 months.
4. We spent about 100 hryvnia a month on advertising, despite the fact that we saved on advertising and did a lot on our own.
5. Also included in the expense line was the office, which we used for ourselves.

We did not take into account in expenses the materials that would be needed to repair computers and replace their components, since we already had 12 computers that could be used as consumables.

Before opening, we took care of the state registration of our enterprise.

How the service works

The work of a computer service must proceed according to a certain plan. Here's a rough plan:

1. The user needs to repair the computer or install additional software on it. He calls your service. In order for the choice to fall on your company, you need to give good advertising and set competitive prices.
2. Service employees take the device for diagnostics and repair. To do this, you can arrange for a technician to visit the client’s home. Making this service free would be an advantage. At home, a technician will be able to carry out simple repairs and perform diagnostics. And if the breakdown is serious, he will simply take the computer or laptop for service.
3. Employees reinstall the system and download new software.
4. The repair itself or the installation of programs. This is done by technicians and service engineers. It is important to offer clients an extensive range of services: diagnostics, installation of programs, configuration of existing programs, installation of antiviruses, virus treatment, formatting, Internet setup, data recovery, replacement of parts.