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computer buis.

opencirclesopencircles subscriber Posts: 1
edited March 2009 in New Member Welcome
i have been building and working on computers for friends and family for 12 yrs and have decided to make a business out of it. i live in a fairly small town so there is not any competition. i just dont know how to go about this. and would an ebay store also be good?
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    MattThomasMattThomas subscriber Posts: 2
    I`m not an expert on ebay, but I remember looking into that a long time ago and seem to remember the prices being very competitive, so unless you can buy bulk parts and a nice discount, you might not enjoy very much profit from an ebay store when selling computers.
    You should pick a specific niche you want to market to and build computers based on this niches needs (ie; gamers will need a gaming PC, elderly will need a very simple PC with lower performance specs). Then, make sure all of your marketing is tailored to these niches. Think about where this niche would most likely look for computers, accessories or even where they would go during their leisure time and advertise there (what magazines do they read? where do they go when not working? etc...)
    Good luck!
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    opencirclesopencircles subscriber Posts: 1
    thanks you for your time very helpful
     
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    CasiCasi subscriber Posts: 5
    Hello.  I wish you luck with your initiative.

     

    A couple of years ago, I put together my own computer.  Before buying anything, I researched allot, visited many forums, read reviews and shopped around for the various components.  It was the first time I had done this and the experience was quite rewarding.   I felt a real sense of accomplishment of not only building a functional computer but I also had the satisfaction that I was saving a considerable amount of money by doing it myself.  The end result was a computer that was customized to my needs, wants and budget.

     

    The point I’m getting at is that there may be an opportunity here to focus on the “experience” of making a computer and not just the end product.  But it all depends on the market that you want to target.     
    Since you live in a small town, maybe you could develop a community approach.  For example, would your town’s people be willing to sign up for lessons?   Similar to art classes, you could charge a fee and have participants build their own computer together. You could develop training material (by taking pictures of an actual assembly) and include them as part of the cost.  You could structure a course whereby everyone buys the same components and economize on parts.  Maybe you could offer follow-up repair services if needed.   I’m just brainstorming of course but this could be a way of establishing yourself as the “pro”.  

     

    Another option is to offer the end product and even after-sales support. 
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