Gurm needs a job.

[MultimediaMan]

Make sure you use Armey's Picture and a Flash Cover to your website...

MAG-GOTS!

[RedRed]

Gurm - you would be surprised how much you can get teaching at home - out of hours and servicing people kit - I had to get myself VAT (its a sort of tax here) registered 3 years ago....

I knocked it on the head with the birth of my second child - I couldnt give up so many evenings (you have to work to your punters schedules...) but the cash was VERY HANDY....

(Used to call my company RedRed Megatrends!)

I have a new idea I might give a whirl to over and after Christmas - If it plays out I will let you know - geographically you wouldnt be a competitor!

Sincerely, best of luck though!

RedRed

[ZokesPro]

Originally posted by Gurm
ROFL.

Yeah they'll let anyone on the ballot there.

Yeah I'm currently a stay-at-home Dad. My company in Pennsylvania got sold, so I was laid off, and the market there was garbage. And up here hasn't been much better.

I've gotten a lot of "you're overqualified", "we can't pay you what you're worth", "you are too good for this job", etc. etc.

I had one job nearly lined up and the guy balked at the last minute. "You have too much development experience, you don't really want a boring IT job and I'm afraid I'll lose you the minute a programming job is available."

He didn't want to hear that I have a family to care for and I'd be PERFECTLY HAPPY doing NT admin if it's a STABLE position that would let me take some night classes and double our household income. Sheesh.

- Gurm

Well if your over-qualified then trim your résumé a bit. Look at what's available and write a résumé that makes you look like year just barely qualified. At least that way they won't get those kinds of ideas about you anymore. I didn't know they refused intelligent people so quickly, sucks ass!

As for myself, I'm under-qualified so there isn't a whole lot out there for me.

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by Gurm
Yeah, I'm making up flyers for in-home PC repair and instruction.

- Gurm

We have some of those type of things here. Geeks For Hire, Computer Tutor, etc.

Jammrock

[Gurm]

Well it's worth a shot. An hour making the fliers and an afternoon tacking them up around town...

*shrug*

Doesn't detract from the resume work and job searching too much.

- Gurm

[TransformX]

Since you know how to write well and know how to use search engines, you might be able to offer your services at "helping" writing essays and acadamic chores.
I know people do this thing and get paid by the complexity of the material multiplied by the number of pages.

[GT98]

Since we are on the Topic of doing at-home PC repair and what not...whats the best way of going about getting started? I'm looking for a job to subliment my income and I was thinking about doing the PC repair/tutoring and what not gig in the evenings.

[gt40]

Actually, my brother started a PC sales/repair/consulting business on the side by just assembling systems for friends/co-workers. There's always someone looking for a system, and ususally word of mouth will get you other business.

[ZokesPro]

Originally posted by gt40
Actually, my brother started a PC sales/repair/consulting business on the side by just assembling systems for friends/co-workers. There's always someone looking for a system, and ususally word of mouth will get you other business.

Yeah I used to do that when I was 19, got paid usually 20$ an hour minimum. But business became slow as the computers I fixed never broke again.

[Ajax]

I thought you were serious about writing your book...

[RedRed]

Yup GT 40 - its a good way to start.

The problems is nowadays that the markup is so tight - and you need a few hundred to get the kit in to fulfill the orders....

I found that I could make more money sorting out peoples Dells and Compaqs ( upgradeing to home theatre was particularly good!) than building from scratch. Dont get involved with a wife looking for hubbies p0rn you will definately get at least a black eye!

Believe it or not - your church/synagogue/mosque works well - only trouble is that you have to start to GO to the damn things......

Gurm - I usually write a resume SPECIFIC to EACH JOB I apply for - there is only about half a page that remains static. the rest is changed to reflect exactly what I believe the employer wants. Its a royal pain to do - but hey!



RedRed

[Gurm]

Yeah. The problem with PC building and/or repair is that if you're GOOD at it, you don't get a lot of repeat customers in a short time frame.

Also, PC building can be a tricky business, the margins are crap. You generally only get the niche system people, or the people who want an airtight machine. But honestly, I can't compete with Dell and don't want to. If Joe Citizen wants a machine, he can get one with a 3-year in-home repair service plan from Dell for $599.

- Gurm

[RedRed]

sorry gurm - I opened and you posted - you might want to scroll up.....

[Gurm]

Yeah. I agree with what you say.

The really sweet point for building PC's was around 5 years ago. Dell hadn't had their absurdo price drops yet, and people were just starting to upgrade their PC's specifically for games. You could make 20% on a $2000 machine without breaking a sweat, and more if it were a custom job.

Now, even the bigger shops are having to find SOME way to compete with the $500 special from Dell or Gateway. It's difficult to explain to the average customer WHY the machine you're quoting them $1000 for is BETTER than the one that Dell will sell them for $500 with software and a free printer.

*sigh*

Dell's top of the line is still more expensive (and crappier) than what I'd build, but only by a little. Not enough that I could make a good profit.

Now UPGRADES on the other hand, that's where it's at. CompUSA will charge you retail for a part (often as much as 50% more than mail-order, even counting shipping) and then they'll charge you a FIXED FEE to install it - usually between $50 and $100.

They charge you PER STICK to install RAM. I mean, c'mon! But hey, undercut their prices by HALF, and you can still make a pretty penny. Drive to someone's house, crack their machine open, slap in a couple sticks of PC133, and you're off again. Total time? Half an hour. Total profit? $50 or more.

That's what I'm gonna shoot for, I think.

That and web design. Until such time as I get a real job - but hey any of you in this area who knows of anything, that's still my first choice.

- Gurm

[Jammrock]

Agreed Gurm.

I used to build systems for people on the side for a little extra cash. It simply isn't worth it. Small operations cannot, especially on the side operations, cannot compete with any tiered OEM, like Dell, Gatewat, HP, Compaq, etc.

It doesn't matter that you can build a better system than Dell. People that know you can build a better system, for the same or a little more than buying a Dell, are the people already building their own systems.

So the people you end up building your systems for end up being very needy. And unless you don't mind losing your evenings after a while, it simply is not worth it. I had people calling my up to 4-years after I built their original system to come out and fix it. *sigh*

You have to hit that niche of home/SOHO upgrade and instructional work. $50 labor to install any number of RAM modules in a single PC. 10% discount for any additional PC. Instruct them on how to build a simple web page...$35 an hour. Put in a new video card, $45 an install. New hard drive, $75.

Simple stuff that people hopefully won't need to call you in for tech support in the future.

"My [insert hradware here] failed."

"You need to call the manufacture and request an RMA. I will take out the hardware and replace it into the system for $25."

Stuff like that.

But NEVER do on the side PC building. Tell them to get a Dell. Let Dell handle the tech support.

PS - IF you do start an on-the-side upgrade/instructional operation, ALWAYS BUY RETAIL!!!!!!! Never buy OEM for a paying customer. It's okay for close friends and family, but oh it's a pain to try and get OEM stuff replaced if it fails. Retail always has better warranties and is MUCH easier to get RMA'ed. And always register the product in the client's name.

A lot of times I'd tell people, "Go here and buy this exact product. Call me when it's in." Then I'd go install it and give them some pointer on operation and driver updating if needed. That's the ideal method there is. NewEgg.com was my friend in those days.

Jammrock