If you’re in the computer repair business, you’ve probably heard of Daniel Hand.  He’s known primarily as the author of Computer Repair Business Lessons Learned, a book which I reviewed here previously.  But he is also very active in the computer consulting community as founder of the National Association of Computer Repair Business Owners (NACRBO) and regular participant in the forums on Technibble.

Dan shares my belief that computer consultants should not be lone wanderers guarding their secrets to success.  We all have something to share and we all have something to learn.  He’ filling this void with his many projects and products.

I asked Dan to take a break from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Y.F.N.C.G.

(more…)

It wasn’t until after I started this blog that I came across the website Technibble.com. I wish I would have found it sooner, because it’s proven to be the single best resource I’ve found for people like me who are just starting to forge their own path in the computer support/repair business field.

The man who started Technibble, Bryce Whitty, created the site because he saw a need for an online resource for independent computer consultants. Not a general “techie” website or a “how to fix windows errors” message board, but a community dedicated specifically to the nerd entrepreneur trying to start his own business.

Technibble offers great resources like an extremely helpful and friendly forum, a blog, and the Computer Business Kit, which is a collection of documents and forms that you’ll need when starting a computer business.  I plan on purchasing the CBK for review here on this site in the future.

Bryce himself runs his own one-man computer consulting business which gives him the inspiration for his website.  I decided to pick his brain a little and see what approach he took to starting his business.  Check out his responses below.

(more…)

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…)

Can someone in his mid-twenties with no managerial experience, no bachelors degree, and very little start-up money start his own successful one-man business in the competitive field of computer consulting? Well, if you were to ask Eric Hamm that question, he’d not only answer with an up-beat and positive YES, but he’d tell you how he’s been doing it successfully for 5 years now…and all this before his 30th birthday!
(more…)