More and more people use computers everyday and need professional help when problems occur. Providing those services can be a profitable business, but how can you stand out from the crowd?
- Be professional. You will sometime be unable to save their data or their broken motherboard, but you can explain why while keeping it simple. And there are few software problems you cannot solve at all, so do not admit failure unless necessary (repairs that would cost more than the computer's value for example). You will gain a reputation as an expert, not to mention people will come to view you as honest, which can be invaluable if you have a serious problems one day.
- Always have business cards on you. You never know when you could end in a discussion about computer, giving you a perfect opportunity to sell your services. You can also leave cards on community boards and the like.
- Likewise, make sure your customers have an easy way to find you and call you back. Put stickers with your contact information on all computers you fix, or at the very least, give your business cards to all your customers.
- Don't underestimate your personal network. Your family and friends will most likely be happy to help you promote your business. After that, the news will spread to friend of your friends, who will be quick to recommend you if you do a good job fixing their computer.
- Do something special for your customers, a little extra they cannot get anywhere else. Most people will install Antivirus and firewalls, but you can go the extra mile and add useful open source or freeware software like Open Office to your standard installation routine. Games, especially cards and board games, can be a pretty effective bonus for no additional cost, except a few minutes of your time to install.
- Make yourself visible to potential customers! Classified ads in the local newspaper, or a few flyers left on the counter of a friendly shopkeeper can go a long way. You can also add special offers to your flyers or for people who mention your ad to make them more attractive.
As you can see, you can do a lot of things to improve your image and promote your business. Just use your imagination, and you can surely find an original way to promote your services and grow your business. But never forget, your customers are your greatest asset, treat them well! |
