You have decided to start a computer repair company, but aren’t sure what to do next. If this is you, we will tell you what you need to know in order to make an informed business decision. These are the steps that you must take to create a business plan that will provide you with a roadmap for your new venture.
You can use many formats to create your business plan. We will assume in this example that you won’t need outside financing and that your computer repair company will be local at best.
A business plan is easy to understand and implement. You want to ensure that the business you plan to open is financially feasible. If so, write down all that you need in order to make your idea a successful venture. We will show you how to create a traditional business plan.
# 1 – Executive Summary
This section is not necessary if you don’t plan on showing the plan to anyone or looking for outside financing. If you really want to make your new venture a viable, profitable business that can grow and is sustainable, then you should spend some time writing the executive summary.
Although the executive summary is sometimes also called the management summary, it should be included at the beginning of the report. However, this summary should only be completed after you have completed your entire business plan. The purpose of the executive summary is to grab the attention of the reader, make them interested in your business, and briefly explain what the concept is and all that is in the report.
#2 – Your Business Description
When you are ready to take the next step, it is when the real work begins. You want to write down all your ideas so you can reference them later.
Do not worry about your writing style at this stage. Focus on the information. After you feel you have covered all the information you need or want, you can edit it later. These are the items that should be discussed in this section.
A) Why this business is worth starting.
B) What do YOU know about this type of business?
C) What skills do you bring to the table?
D) What skills are you looking for?
E) Who are your customers?
F) Why do you think there is a demand for the product or service that you are supplying?
G) Why do you think your business can serve your market better than any other competitors?
H) What makes your business stand out from the rest?
You get the idea. You don’t have to stick with the topics we mentioned above. Include everything and anything else you feel is essential.
#3 – Market Analysis
This is the most crucial consideration for anyone who is considering opening a computer repair shop. It is a brilliant idea to consider opening a new business if you have 14 similar businesses in your area.
You must understand your competition at the highest levels, their fees, the services they offer and find a way of improving on what they do. Your new business might be able to succeed if you feel confident that you can meet or exceed these requirements. Here are some areas that you should research and become familiar with.
A) List every single store or standalone business you are competing with.
B) Take note of each service they offer.
C) Determine the exact cost of each job.
D) This is the hard one. Ask yourself: Now that I know everything I can about my competitors, how do I make it better and more affordable?
You might be able to answer the last question and feel satisfied with your answers, which could give you a chance at making it.
#4 – Organization and management
It is doubtful that you will have employees when you start your computer repair company. There will be some jobs that require extra staff, such as setting up a network of computers for large companies. Have you ever thought of who you might be able to bring in as a temporary employee, and would they be open to working part-time?
People who enjoy computers are organized, and you may be one of them. It will be difficult for you to manage a business that operates in a time-sensitive industry. Do you really believe that if you say you will be at someone’s home or business at 4 p.m. and they show up three hours later?
You should also consider this: As your business grows and you gain more customers, when is the right time to hire another computer technician? Are you looking to hire someone with a lot of experience who will be willing to pay a high salary? Do you choose to hire someone less experienced than you can train, and will it cost you less? Here are some questions you should ask to help you complete this section of your business plan.
A) How organized am I?
B) Can I train people well?
C) Are there any friends who will work part-time?
D) How do I delegate? Or do I need to do it all myself so I can verify that it was done correctly?
E) Can you accept the shortcomings of others and help them improve?
F) Should I put my capital into my staff? How much can I justify it?
You thought it would be easy to start a small computer repair shop. It would be easy for everyone to do it. Starting your own business is not a good career choice if you don’t have the ability to answer at least one of these questions.
#5 – Products and Services
This area is one you should not have any problems with. Do you have any problems with this area? If so, you should not consider starting a computer repair company. This section will allow you to use the information about your competitors and list all the products or services you plan to promote, along with the fees you intend on charging.
#6 – Marketing, advertising, and sales
Computer geeks are not typically outgoing people who make great salesmen. Your business will need customers, so you’ll have to think outside the box to come up with creative ways to attract them. Below are some proven advertising and marketing techniques. However, you will need to find out what your competitors are doing and then copy them or create better ones.
A – Website
You will need to create a website. After all, you’re in the computer business. You should be able to correctly SEO your site. If not, get help before you waste time, effort, and money creating a website that no one will ever see.
Computer repair businesses are a great option because almost everyone is local. This means your competition for highly targeted traffic on the internet will be very low. This means that if your website is optimized correctly for both onsite and offline SEO, it can quickly rise up the search engine rankings and reach the first page of Google.
TIP #1 – This is a local business. It is essential that you choose a local address when choosing your URL. This means that if your new business’s name is Joe’s Computer Repairs, that is not the URL you want. Instead, use the name of your town in the URL.
That means if you live in Dallas, for example, you want your URL to be “DallasComputerRepair.com.” This is because all search engines will rank your site higher when someone in Dallas searches for “Computer Repair.”
TIP #2 – It is crucial that you encourage people to call you or email you when they find your site. You must offer something that everyone who visits your website will be able to see. Here are some examples.
I – Second repair visit free.
II – All new customers get half off service calls
III – All new customers receive free antivirus and malware software upon their first service call.
B – Low-cost or free advertising – All new businesses face the same problem: they don’t generate any cash. They cannot afford to overspend on advertising or marketing. You need to find free or very low-cost ways to promote your company. We will give you some suggestions. However, you are more familiar with your local market than we are and can come up with your own marketing strategies.
I – Craigslist’s — If you don’t know this site, you can place free classified ads on it. There are many other sites that offer the same service for free, so make sure you find them and use them.
II – Social Media. Most people have heard of these websites: YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. These sites are known as social media because they allow users to interact with each other. Your business will almost certainly become a success story if you are able to establish a solid local following through any of these sites.
Flyers – 111 – It’s not expensive to print 10,000 flyers, and they can be an excellent marketing tool. You can hand them out to your neighbors, but you can also distribute them locally and post them on bulletin boards at the grocery stores.
IV – Neighborhood Newspapers. If you live in an area where you receive a weekly free newspaper delivered to your door, you might consider advertising in it. They charge minimal advertising fees, and you might just be able to generate enough leads for your new business.
Your business will fail regardless of how skilled you are at computer repair. This is probably the most essential part of your business plan. Without a marketing and advertising program that works in your local market, your new business won’t last more than one year.
#7 – Financial Projections. The best thing about starting your own computer repair business is that you don’t have to spend much money. It is not necessary to rent a shop. Most likely, you already own a car and a computer. You don’t have to hire anyone immediately. Other than advertising expenses, there is no cash flow out of your business.
In the financial projection section, you should highlight the capital expenses you will need to open your business. These include but are not limited to a new laptop computer and more software, as well as a better plan for your cell phone.
You should set realistic goals regarding your income projections. You don’t want to set goals that are too high and cause you to feel discouraged if you fail to achieve them. And you don’t want to set them so low as not to challenge yourself.
Conclusion
Most people who succeed in business have a great idea. They also are committed to their company and willing to work hard to make it a success. Being a successful entrepreneur requires more discipline and determination than any other job.
However, there are risks involved in starting a computer repair business. It is also not without its benefits. You have the right skills and the time to start this kind of business. There is nothing worse than losing a bit of your time and having to find a job for someone else if your company fails.