The ability to configure a motherboard or coax a CPU into place are valuable skills, and those who have the technical chops can become a hot commodity. But what about tech experts who dream of being their own boss? If you have a knack for fixing electronics, starting a computer repair business could be a logical career move.
You should accurately analyze your competition in your business plan. Understand their strengths, weaknesses, and how you could fill a gap in your market. You should also note their marketing strategies and how they might make it difficult for your new computer repair company to gain traction.
OFFICE COMPUTER MAINTENANCE
Each of these options comes with risks. For example, credit cards typically have high interest rates compared to other business loans, and borrowing from friends and family risks damaging your personal relationships if your business should fail. For this reason, you should try to run your computer repair business as lean as possible in the beginning. Doing so will minimize the amount of money you need to borrow and allow you to focus on building your business rather than repaying debt.
A storefront lets people in your community see your business name and brand. It can draw foot traffic and gives you a set location to interact with customers who may be dropping off their computers for repairs or stopping in to ask questions.
In most states, all you need to open a computer repair business is the expertise to do the work. However, you would likely benefit from obtaining certain certifications that prove your expertise and help you gain a competitive advantage. Some of the more common certifications for IT professionals include:
Your first priority should be creating a website for your computer repair business. Use the website to share information about what you do, who you work with, and how to contact you. Your website should be professional and mobile-friendly. To make sure it meets these standards, consider hiring a professional web designer to build it for you.
Commercial property insurance pays to repair or replace stolen, lost, or damaged business property. It covers both your office space (whether your rent or own) and any property that you use for business purposes. You can also add to your commercial property insurance to cover things like:
Another critical policy for someone in your line of work is cyber liability insurance. This policy covers the cost of a data breach on your servers, or lawsuits when a customer blames you for failing to prevent a data breach on their computer. It pays for things like:
Computer maintenance means keeping your computers and laptops in good condition through regular cleanings, hard drive updates, and virus prevention. Doing so can lengthen the lifespan of your devices and it can also help you browse the web more safely.
This article will walk you through computer maintenance steps to take daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly to keep your device up and running. Keep reading for 25 tips to help protect your devices or jump to our checklist.
Cleaning your computer regularly can help extend its shelf life, saving you time and money on repairs and replacements. Remember that computers are especially prone to dust and overheating, so these steps can help reduce risk and keep your computer running optimally.
Defragging is the process of reorganizing the data on your hard drive to speed up file access. It breaks up a file into smaller bits on your device. While every computer is different, you can usually find Defragment functions under the System and Security tab in the Control Panel.
You should periodically check in on the applications that automatically run at start-up. These applications can slow down your computer. From the Settings tab, you should be able to navigate to the Startup to control which applications run.
To keep your applications running safely and efficiently you should check for major computer updates at least once a month. These updates can be critical for long-term health because they patch up critical security holes and remove unnecessary features. You may also be able to adjust your setting so updates happen automatically.
Firmware is a tiny piece of software in your computer that keeps the hardware functioning properly. Sometimes these updates are included in major computer updates, but you can check for firmware updates manually on many devices, as well.
Set up your computer in an area of your office or home that gets good airflow, with two inches of empty space on either side. Giving your machine room to breathe helps prevent overheating, which extends the life of your device.
Cable clutter can collect dust and become easily damaged. Cable stations and other cord organizers can help organize your area. It will also save you time and stress next time you go to unplug your computer.
It can only take one can of soda to destroy a device. As tempting as enjoying a glass of coffee as you check your morning emails may be, always avoid eating or drinking near your computer to reduce spillage risk.
Graduates of this program may be employed as computer support specialists, field service representatives, research and laboratory technicians, and frequently as computer and networking engineers. Some of the work tasks may include technical assistance, support, design, and testing of computers and network systems.
Actual work settings depend on the type of work of specialty of the technician or computer engineer. Job opportunities exist in manufacturing companies, public utilities, business and engineering consulting firms, and government agencies.
Learn how to upgrade, repair and maintain your home computer. This course covers hardware installation and repair, and installation and maintenance of operating systems. You will learn to: delete an existing operating system, reload a new operating system, check and maintain the system; hook up external hardware, and install software for the external hardware. You will learn to troubleshoot and correct a computer problem. Learning how to set up and troubleshoot small networks will be an additional bonus for this class.
The Computer Maintenance Certificate Program provides the exposure and training necessary to maintain and troubleshoot common PC computer systems. This program provides hands-on training in basic electronics, Operating System installation and maintenance, PC repair and computer management and prepares students for entry level jobs and is a pathway to the Information Technology Core Concepts Certificate and the Associate Degree Program in Information Systems - Systems Management, which has two areas of emphasis including Microsoft Server and CISCO Networking. The program prepares students to take the CompTIA A+ certification exam.
Computer Maintenance Technology students get up-to-the-minute training on installation, upkeep, repair, and security of systems and networks, all using the latest equipment and facilities. Graduates go on to high-paying careers as computer technologists, tech support professionals, equipment installers, IT security analysts, programmers, and more.
A computer maintenance checklist can ensure that your company's laptops, desktops, and mobile devices remain in top condition. With long hours of use and taking devices on the road, computers are subjected to extensive wear and tear. A regular computer maintenance checklist can help your IT department tune up computers when your team is in the office, and even provide guidelines to tech savvy users on how to take better care of their machines. Here's a ten point checklist to keep even machines with heavy use and travel in top condition.
Install an anti-virus and malware protection program. Run a full scan on the computer at the initial installation to identify and remove any existing problems on the system. Configure the settings so that the program updates its virus definitions daily to protect against the latest threats. Set up a regular schedule so that the program scans the machine at least once per week.
Choose and install an automated backup program that connects the computer to a storage program in the cloud. Define which files need to be backed up and automate a schedule for daily backups whenever the computer is connected to the internet.
Check for operating system updates, and ensure that the system is full up to date. It's also helpful to look for Microsoft updates if your computer is a PC and other software updates for critical packages.
Clean the physical computer. The most important part of this is blowing dust out of the system's interior with a tool designed for that purpose. If needed, clear crumbs out of the keyboard and disinfect the shell with a computer friendly product.
Often users allow software and files to accumulate on their machines that they no longer use. Check your company's computers for software that is no longer in use and delete it. This will help free up space and improve the user experience.
Today's computers interact with a wide range of devices, from external computers to hard drives to headsets. Often, manufacturers release drivers that enhance performance and eliminate potential security risks. However, users are unlikely to update their drivers once installed. Check the driver registry and install any relevant updates.
As you use your computer, particularly online, your computer acquires a significant amount of useless data. Running a utility such as CCleaner removes temporary files, purges your trash, looks for errors in your registry, and more. It's quick, efficient, and combines several system clean up steps into one.
If you've deleted a lot of files or made significant changes to the system and software, defragging the system using the computer's built in utility or a commercial application should be your final step. This will ensure that your overall system is in optimum condition before handing it back to the user.
Your IT team has significant responsibility for keeping a range of devices in top shape. A computer maintenance checklist establishes a baseline for the ongoing upkeep of your company's property. By taking a preventative stance, you'll lengthen the life of your computers and get a better return on investment for the purchases you make. 2ff7e9595c
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