Freelance Computer Tech

March 26, 2012 Leave a comment

Make computer housecallsUse your IT skills for PC maintenance house calls.  Since computers are a huge part of our every day lives, there are those who haven’t learned or have no desire to learn how to do routine maintenance for their desktop computers or laptops.  Just like those who don’t know much about cars, they outsource the oil changes to the fast lube stations or their favorite wrench.

I know a common problem is when stations start running slower than they used to and folks take them to a big box store to fix – resulting in being overcharged for substandard work and poor customer service.

One guy took advantage of it:

“I’m a IT Systems Administrator by vocation. On the side I clean people’s computers; removing spyware, malware, viruses, doing tuneups, upgrades, and generally just making them run better. I get between $100-$200 per month doing this (I charge $50/hr, 1 hour minimum, but the consult is free). This rate is way cheaper than Geek Squad works for and I think I do a way more personable job as I work one-on-one with my clients. Once I graduate in August I plan to impliment some “Guerilla Marketing” techniques to boost this.”

Provide services like:

  • Restoring processing speed
  • Security
  • Virus removal
  • Memory upgrades
  • Data backups, recovery, and transfers
  • Software installations
  • Hardware upgrades or repairs
  • and maybe sell some laptops while your at it

Popular requests -

  • Virus and spyware removal
  • New modems that have been zapped in rural areas
  • My computer is too slow!
  • I can’t print!
  • Increasing memory
  • Replacing hard drives, CD drives
  • Monitor is dead
  • Wireless problems

Can market your services to any household, seniors, and small businesses.

The going rate I’ve seen averages $50/hour and more depending on your area and who you’re marketing to, and usually broken up into 15 minute segments.  One important feature to offer for your services is guaranteeing your work – usually a 30 day guarantee.  This can help you stand out from others who don’t guarantee their services and can lead to more calls.

Marketing

Craigslist could be a good, free marketing source for this type of service.  Build a website using WordPress and a trusted hosting site, start a Facebook page would be ideal as well.

Use an economical source like VistaPrint to get business cards created for free or low cost depending on what you get.  Can pound the pavement in town to pass these out to businesses and canvass some upscale neighborhoods.  Some small businesses, restaurants, grocery stores have corkboards where you can post your business card or flyer.

Have your parents, neighbors, and friends tell their workmates about your services and offer your business cards.  This could land you some immediate clients, then they can tell their acquaintances and so on getting the word of mouth in motion.

Articles for further ideas:

Advertise Your Computer Business

Filed under Computers, Consulting, Freelancing, Home Business, Services Tagged with , , ,

Computer Security Consultant

June 28, 2010 Leave a comment

image by Dan Hankin

Computer security consultants work with individuals or small businesses to help protect their private data from security threats involving hackers stealing personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, emails, etc.   Private individuals want to feel safe while browsing around the internet.  Your service can help them feel safer from email viruses and online purchasing security.  Small businesses can suffer loss of private data about their customers from hackers on-site and off-site.  This theft of information could cost the business thousands and thousands of dollars and, being a small business, could pose a threat of shutting them down.   Small businesses such as accountants, financial advisers, mortgage brokers, and law offices especially need extra security on their systems to protect their large databases of client information.

Services that could be offered are setting up anti-virus programs, encryption, firewalls, email security, installations, training, and coach them on the best security practices.   Offer them checkups on an annual or bi-annual basis.

Although preventive services would be key in this business, some people will experience a computer security breach, like downloading a virus, and have lost some functioning of their computers and might not be able to perform any business.  Help clean up their systems to get them operating again., you could also provide backup services as another revenue channel.

Some computer security consultants have been able to provide this service without having any formal education, they’ve gained experience on a previous job or at home over many years.   You could take some formal classes at a local community college or online in network administration, which could add some credibility to your background.  Also a certificate as a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) could help too.

As big as computers and the internet are evolving and usage growing worldwide, security will always be a big factor and should be a growing opportunity for more computer security consultants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that network and database communications will increase by 53 percent from 2008 – 2018 and will include security analysts.

Filed under Computers, Freelancing, Security, Services Tagged with , , ,

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