I thought of two more things: 1) How much do you charge to build a system? 2) How much do you charge to help someone buy a system?
Thanks, Bobby -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bobby Heid Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 7:10 AM To: 'The Hardware List' Subject: [H] PC tech stuff... Hey all, I am often called upon to clean some one's machine of a virus, install software, upgrade/install new hardware, setup a wireless network, etc. I have toyed with the idea of starting a part-time pc tech business on the side. But, I have a few questions. 1) When someone brings you a PC w/o a monitor and you connect it to one of yours, it finds new hardware. When they take it back home and hook it up to their monitor, will it just work as usual? I normally go to people's houses. 2) How do you clean a machine if it does not have adequate virus protection? Do you load the drive into an existing system and scan? Do you temporarily install an AV system, scan, clean, and then remove the AV system? 3) If you image their system for them (Ghost, Acronis, etc.), do you load their drive on another system to image it? 4) Charges - If you do not mind giving me some guidelines, what do you charge for: Trip charge Software install Imaging the system (for an archive for them, not as a backup before messing with it) Setting up a network Upgrading hardware Installing new hardware Charges for buying and installing software (that is, they want you to acquire and install the software). Do you so something like cost+10%? Virus/Trojan/Adware/Etc removal charges Advice charges - that is, you evaluate their system for various reasons such as, "Do I need a new hard drive?" or "Will my system run software X?" 5) How do you all market yourselves? I would be doing this in the evenings and on weekends on a sporadic basis. If there is anything else anyone cares to add, please do. Thanks, Bobby
