Starting a computer repair/IT business

[ghosstt]

OK, before you all start hating or whatever, I'm completely serious about this, and would love all of the help I could get.

Heres the deal, I'd like to start up a computer repair/IT business for the summer, and whatever happens after that. (i.e if its successful) I don't plan on renting out any storefront for now, and plan on doing everything by myself. Heres a few questions i'd appreciate if you could answer:

-Way to distinguish/separate myself from everyone else? (craigslist is flooded)
-Worth it to register as a business, get licenses, insurance, etc? (or just run it as a "side thing")
-Charge per hour, per service, ..?
-Anything else you can think of, just add please.

all advice, constructive criticism, etc is encouraged.

[bicostp]

Way to distinguish/separate myself from everyone else? (craigslist is flooded)
A+ certification, maybe Microsoft certs as well. Have a decent set of tools at your disposal, both physical and virtual.

Worth it to register as a business, get licenses, insurance, etc? (or just run it as a "side thing")
Very yes. If you register the business as its own entity it takes any liability for theft or damages should a customer sue, instead of it all falling on your shoulders. Think about it if your business takes off; it's a safety net, but a somewhat expensive safety net.

Charge per hour, per service, ..?
In my experience charging per hour is easier to keep track of. (Round off to the nearest 15 minutes or half-hour.)

Anything else you can think of, just add please.
Cover your rear end. Cover it and cover it well. Since you're doing jobs on-site, make up forms for the client to sign after you're finished that say things like "I am satisfied that none of my belongings have been damaged or removed from my home or place of business without my prior consent" so they can't turn around and claim you stole things they never had in the first place.
Be presentable, and project professionalism. If you look like "just some kid" people are going to be more skeptical about your skills. Clean jeans and a decent shirt are okay for residences, slacks and a polo shirt if you get a client in an office building.
Keep records of everything.

[aceboy44]

-Anything else you can think of, just add please.

all advice, constructive criticism, etc is encouraged.

No offense but how old are you? For one I'd definetly not going to even think about sending my pretty laptop to a 16 years old amature or something so you got to be an adult (probably 21+.) Also, as hailrazer mentioned no one will send you his PC if you don't prove youself in work (show us pictures, videos, etc. of your work to attract us customers and prove that you're an expert in this field) and what competitve advantage do you have over other repair shops (what's so special about your business? Is it the cheap price? Can you upgrade my laptop's cpu, fix mobo, lcd, etc?) And can you offer me services that no one else does (for example can you downgrade an OS to win xp and make recovery discs in case the computer crash? Can you make games run without having to insert the CD's?)

Sorry but this is comming from a customer who got screwed many times regarding PC's I dealt with 3 computer businesses in the USA and never liked any one of them (except for the recovery discs of course, but still I didn't get the service I expected for $900 )

Also, never never never never never never ever assume that there is a market for your business. Instead prove it by doing research such as surveys, asking people, etc. You don't want to spend huge amount of money based on your assumptions so always prove that there is a demand and market for your business. Ask people what they think about your business and how much they are willing to pay for your products and services and then work out your pricing from there.

Also, try doing a SWOT analysis as it will help where your business will stand.

On the other hand, I wish you luck because I'm sick and tired from crappy computer/portablizing businesses in the USA....

[ghosstt]

@bic: No store front yet, just maybe drop offs at the garage, or in-house diagnosis's. I plan on getting some certs soon, but that is the problem with separating myself; everyone has the same certs as well. I figure I'll advertise beating any price, no matter what, because I'm doing this for extra cash, not my main source of income (for now), so I can take the loss.

@aceboy: Whats special? I was thinking going with a "build, upgrade, repair or consult" type catch phrase. Any tips on how to go about doing surveys for something like this? I'd really rather not go door to door to find out.

[bassmasta]

Like bic said, have some tools ready. Get a flash drive and fill it with common diagnostic programs (like this). You could also bring along a Boot CD diagnostic tool (like UBCD).
/mytwocents

[Sparkfist]

Well as tools go...

Have a flash drive just with portable apps.. Like these
I personally have a DVD with XP service pack 2 and 3 on it. The install files for AVG, Zone Alarm and Fire Fox. Having it ready and there is a lot more professional then saying, "One second let me connect to the site and download a copy."

Once you get the money, you really should look into getting a spool of Cat5e, Ethernet cable ends and the crimping tool. Custom Ethernet wiring can get you big bucks and really impress people. Cause then they don't have a huge mess of wire to hide. And also on that note carry a cross-over cable with you (I'm assuming you have a patch cable already), so you can network your computer to a customers for faster and more secure work.

-Sparkfist

P.S. Good luck