as the phone system and all the tools. In addition, we became profitable in our second month of operation without any advertising whatsoever. I’m not suggesting you go this route; it’s a decision not to be made lightly, but knowing how much less it is to build a turnkey operation can help you make that call.
If you choose to forgo a retail location and simply work from your home, the start-up costs are almost nonexistent and you can easily get started for less than $1,000. The biggest reason for this is that you probably already have most of the things you need.
The following are some of the things you will need to get started:
• Website: Do you need a website on your first day? Of course not. With that said, many people use the Internet to find low-cost computer repair so there’s no reason to neglect this form of advertising. Purchase a name that’s easy to remember, get it hosted through one of the many hosting services and you’ll be well on your way! A single page with your services and telephone number will do to start. You don’t need a full e-commerce site to get a customer. Every time you’re thinking of spending money, ask yourself this question: “When will this purchase pay for itself?” When you’re just starting, especially if you’re working from your home, if you can’t answer “immediately,” don’t spend the money. (See Chapter 3 for more information about building your website.)
• Contact number: You should have a dedicated business phone line. However, a cell phone can be a great way to dedicate a line without breaking the bank — initial cost between $0 (if you already have a cell phone you can use) to $100 per month. A nice way to have a dedicated line without spending any money is to use Google Voice. They will give you a number that’s 100 percent free and will forward calls to your cell phone when you want them to. That way, you will have a separate line but can choose to answer it or not.
• Equipment: In general, you will need some equipment to get started but it doesn’t have to be expensive. The only pieces of hardware you’ll absolutely need are a power supply tester and a screwdriver. It’s helpful to have an external hard drive, a flash drive, an external floppy drive (yes, sometimes they’re needed), extra sticks of RAM, etc., but you can get started with less. You will need software, but there are so many free applications available that there’s no reason to spend money on the corporate versions until you’ve exhausted the usefulness of the free ones. (See Chapter 5 for more information about tools of the trade.)
If you try, you can keep your costs low and your profits high. Just make sure that every item you purchase is needed and not just wanted.
Not sure where to start? In the US, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has a lot of great resources for the small-business owner — and it’s all free! You can find links to everything your small business needs including ideas to reduce tax burdens, ways to get grants and loans, instructions on finding business licenses, and much more! (See www.sba.gov.)
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