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General discussion

Small Business Help - Computer Repair & Services

Apr 27, 2010 3:11PM PDT

Ok I'm going to try to start from the beginning and not skip anything. I started my computer repair business in monmouth county NJ about july of 2006. from the beginning my whole advertisng technique has been "25-50% off ANY competitor" which ive changed to more realistic numbers (25-35%) and have always done just that. most of the time using geek squads prices but a lot of the time offering them to shop around first.

ive tried advertising in local shops/food stores, bus stops, telephone poles using coroplast signs, craigslist and probably more. best results have probably been the bus stops and maybe telephone poles (havent tried it with more than 100 signs though yet) and food stores i barely even remember it's been so long.

i have a cell phone i use for my business, answering machine nas of a year ago reads mg computer repair and cranes which my ex gf recorded for me. my ad consist of the business name, 25-35% off and a, now short, paragraph of what i do. i then cut tabs at the bottom, easy to rip off with my phone number on them. oh yeah my college i go to has also beeen a decent spot for getting repair calls.

if it helps any, 90% of my business is basically "hey my comps running slow" and or something that ends up being a virus. my whole problem is, i cant seem to generate enoug hbusiness to make a living. i mean i get the jobs usually when i go out and manually hang up ads, but im questioning if its even worth it after having to spend my time, gas, money on the ads, money on the tape and extra car maintanence (sp?).

i'm going to test for myself next month and really go at it hard, recording exact time/money spent and my results but am looking for advice. ive tried newspaper advertising once, almost made no money (ended up wit hjust enough to break even), but ive learned since that repetition is best, so do i try again?
craigslist didnt do anything for me, even when i offered free assistance, hoping that it would lead to paid for assistance. im not sure what to do. im interested in maybe trying to rent a local billboard in my county but cant seem to find how to, or maybe a commercial on TV that only advertises for this county, or my and a few surrounding towns but didnt have much luck finding that either.
didnt realizing until just now how long ive actually been running this business, wow. ive been telling myself lately that maybe i just need to do this long enough to get enough returning customers/word of mouth to not need to advertise so much more but 1. i think it would have happened at least, somewhat by now and 2. before being able to stop "manually" advertising ( going out and manually hanging ads), i need to find an easy way to pay somewhere and advertise because i cant just NOT advertise anywhere.
i work out of my home by the way, i do in home calls, or most of the time they drop their machines at my house. i probably over charge a bit but with all the time i put into ad hanging, its hard to say if i would consider it overcharging. i am also under priced compared to geeksquad.

this thread is long enough by now so im gonna end it here but please feel free to ask if u have any questions at all. thanks so much.

Discussion is locked

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also
Apr 27, 2010 3:18PM PDT

ive also tried advertising on google, cost me about $100 in clicks and dont think i got a single job. maybe i could have given it longer though. thanks everyone.

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Marketing golden rule, Numbers, Numbers, Numbers....
May 19, 2010 4:14PM PDT

Many Options, I do Marketing for mainly small to medium sized businesses, and design websites that they can manage and edit as far as the content... #1)Be persistent, do not just go from One idea to another with out trying it out through a good course of experimentation and track the results you may find them valuable later #2) Be creative think outside the mainstream, for instance in your case why not try and form an alliance with a web management firm or an office supply store, try telemarketing(always gets results) or start a free newsletter and promote it through social networks #3) If you don't have a professional website I can get you a SEO optimized state of the art sit for just 495 out the door, its worth it! #4) promote yourself as a brand and begin branding that same brand until it has reached every possible nook and cranny out there! #5)Tap into your existing client base/past clients as well as friends family and foe #6) Stay positive and on task....

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What a FARSE!
Jul 9, 2010 4:45AM PDT

Number one this KID -- does not even have a legitimate business license and has started many problems with REAL Computer Shops in and around the area. He even has posted his flyers on their doors. Of course he does ILLEGALLY advertise on telephone poles which is a crime in itself in NJ, as it is NOT LEGAL to post on poles due to and if the need arises a JCPL Lineman needs access to climb it. (Check the laws out kid). He also notes he works from home ( and yes his mommy does answer for him from time to time. I am a local business owner and I can tell you this - OVERHEAD is a major killer - but to have a young kid who runs a business without a license out of his bedroom at home is NOT the right way to do business. I was in a plaza and this kid had the nerve to post 50% off savings on my storefront -- talk about the nerve of him. Since then i have moved my location and have not seen him near the store. However, NO credentials, NO True Experience, NO Insurance, NO supplies ( buys at Staples - Tiger Direct - Best Buy etc - then marks up ). I would not fairly be able to give advice to this thread - except to go to DeVry - get experience. get Insurance and a Fed and State Tax ID. As for advertising - DO NOT post on LEGITIMATE Store Fronts in the same business. DO NOT post banners or signs on Telephone Poles ( ILLEGAL in NJ ) - TV Ads run from 500.00 to 3500.00 per month for LOCAL ads, Pay per click is "iffy" - Simply thats it - or get a job at Best Buy as a Geek.

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shoes
Aug 2, 2010 8:27PM PDT

Just because someone doesn?t love you the way you want them to, doesn?t mean they don?t love you with all they have.