I’m a big fan of learning from the stories of others, whether it be in the computer consulting business, or any other facet of life.  I feel it’s important to get varied perspectives from people who have experienced the subject first hand.  Everyone has different motivations and strategies for starting their own business and by exposing myself, and my readers, to multiple points of view I hope that we can better be prepared to face the challenges it presents.

I started my interview series last month, with an interview of computer consultant and blogger Eric Hamm.  Through that exchange I gained insight into the importance of putting your consulting customer first and really separating yourself from the competition by providing superior customer service.  Also, I learned that traditional advertising isn’t always the best route for a new computer consulting business and word of mouth and reputation can also be effective ways of gaining new clients.  I was excited about the insights I gained from this interview and was looking forward to learning from other consultants.

A couple weeks ago I posted an article called When is Enough Enough? in which I quoted a user named “Prime Suspect” from the forums at Icrontic.com.  Mr. Suspect responded to my blog post and introduced himself as Brian Ambrozy, none other than the Editor-In-Chief at Icronic.  In speaking with Brian I found that he too had his own computer consulting business before he chose to tackle Icronic full-time.   You can read about the soap opera-like history of icrontic.com here, but for the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on his earlier consulting business.

Brian was kind enough to allow me to share his answers to some questions in relation to the consulting company he ran successfully for 8 years.  He brings a unique no-nonsense attitude to advising others about starting a computer business that I think helps cut to the heart of what this game is all about, passion and freedom. (more…)

If you enjoy figuring out computer problems and have a knack for explaining technical jargon to non-technical people, there are a few places online that you can call home.  There is no shortage of people on the web looking for help with computer troubles.  I’ve taken the liberty of gathering four of my favorite websites where you can practice helping other people with their computer problems.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s merely a personal gathering of the places I’ve found most helpful to not only myself, but to the people seeking help who visit them.  Most of these websites will also allow you to link to your own personal website, thus increasing traffic to your computer support business.
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While thinking about the long-term plan for my computer consulting business, I’m constantly struggling between two scenarios: continuing to run my business part-time indefinitely along side my “regular” job working for someone else, or making it my full time gig.  Should I try hard to turn my little computer repair business into an all-consuming career, or simply keep it as a side-operation to supplement my stable, well-paying corporate job? 

It’s a tough question with no easy answer.  I’m satisfied with my career and how it’s progressed thus far.  Some days I feel like it’s a bad move to throw a wrench in the spokes of a fast moving successful career working in the IT industry, but at times the fire in me burns for something more.

To try to alleviate some of my anxieties and make an attempt at understanding it all, I decided to pit full time against part time in a battle royal of ideals, realities, and everything in between. (more…)

This post marks the first in, hopefully, a long line of book reviews from Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy.  I’ll try to keep these reviews simple to read and concise in delivery so you can quickly find out if the book is right for you.  In these early stages of my business formation, I’ll focus on books specifically about starting a business. Granted, there are plenty of books and book reviews out there about starting a business, but I hope to be different by tailoring my reviews to folks looking to start a computer consulting business, even if the book itself isn’t specifically about that.  The thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that I’m still in the process of learning as I read and review these books, so my reviews are from a start-up perspective.  I think that fact may benefit those who are in my situation more than if these books were reviewed by a “seasoned pro”.

I decided to kick off this series with the first book that I picked up a few years ago when I first started flirting with the idea of starting my own computer consulting business, Start Your Own Computer Business: The Unembellished Guide, by Morris Rosenthal.  The straight forward title obviously caught my eye and this is the book that comes up at the top of the list of any searches I did online for books about starting a computer business.  Mr. Rosenthal obviously knew there was a niche to fill with this book, but does it deliver the goods?
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I found an interesting thread on a forum the other day.  The thread begins with a young man nicknamed ”clutch” asking the forum members for their advice on the steps necessary to prepare for a new computer repair business.  He proudly lists some things he’s considered acquiring before he beings, things like spare parts, repair tools, boot disks.   Soon thereafter one of the seasoned vets of the forum, “Prime Suspect”, gives him this piece of advice:

“I hate to be so blunt about it, but discussing and planning and thinking and nailbiting doesn’t get a business to be successful. Every second that you spend planning it and asking for advice is wasted time. ”

You can read the full thread here.

A bit of a harsh statement, but it reaffirms something that I recently discovered.  I, too, had a lot in common with “clutch”, spending hours gathering information and formulating plans.  While I think some planning is necessary, and a new business is not the sort of thing to jump into blindly, too much preparation can also be a hindrance to forward progress.

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The “My Inspirations” series is my opportunity to highlight specific people, books, or resources that have helped lead me to where I am today and inspired me to take on the challenge of starting a computer business. No journey is ever taken alone.

At First I Was Afraid, I Was Petrified…

One of the first obstacles I had to overcome before I could start my business was a fear of the unknown.  This fear mainly stemmed from a lack of experience in the business arena.  Although I have plenty of experience fixing computers, I had never started a business before, I didn’t know anyone who had done anything similar, and although my family and friends provide excellent support, I didn’t have the kind of support that comes from people who have “been there” and “done that”.  I bought some books I thought would help, but they didn’t really fit exactly what I was looking for.  What I was looking for were mentors, people who have successfully done what I want to do, who I would be available to bounce ideas off of. I had questions: Could I pull this off?  How have others been successful?  What is the common wisdom and what are some lessons that others have learned learned?

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Business Name Blues is a 3-part series in which I talk about the experiences I had in naming my business and give tips based on lessons I’ve learned in the process. Part 1 explores choosing the business name. Part 2 looks into the online aspect of business naming. Part 3 closes with the legal and tax steps necessary to ensure your business name is protected. Also, as I go through each part, I will be updating the Resources page with a Business Naming section to assist you with resources and links to help you make the right moves when naming your business.

Don’t miss the end of this article where I summarize all I’ve learned with a list of 8 easy steps to naming your business!

Not Quite Done Yet

Come up with a good name for my business. Check!  Register my business website domain.  Check!  Time to start mailing fliers and knocking on doors right?  Not so fast! (more…)