Self-employment?

I've been juggling ideas around about a business that I could start up.

I've thought about web design because I love doing it, but I don't know PHP/SQL. This really limits me to what I can do for clients, so I'd need a partner. I'd really love doing photography, however I'm simply not experienced enough. Maybe in a few years or something when I can afford better tools of the trade, yeah. Computer tech service. Oh noes. After that last disaster (read: losing a local business' accounting data), I'm really hesitant to do it professionally.

I got thinking; "What do really like doing involving computers?" And then it kinda hit me. I like ordering individual components, and building computers from scratch! What about a service to people, where I order parts and build totally custom computer systems for customers? This sounds good to me. I've brainstormed up some business ideas:

Spoiler:

-No actual business location, although I wish I could afford one.
-Not meant as a means to 100% support myself. Just some extra cash.
-Attraction of customers through business cards/word of mouth. (I work at Staples, remember? Flying under the radar!)
-Parts are ordered from online stores (customers will know them only as suppliers) although my own supplier would be great. Prices increased only slightly.
-90-95% of money is made through the labor of building the system.
-System ready the next day
-Strictly building computers. Service work done only for my own customers.
-Warranty is on a part-by-part basis. Retail parts have longer warranties than any store-bought computer. (something happens to a part, I send it off and wait for a new one to come back.) This might be a bit of a prob.
-Software... no one likes paying for Windows or software. Whatever it's cost, I will charge the customer. I could maybe install a bundle of good freeware apps to begin for the heck of it. I guess I could sell other pieces of software, too.

Wondering if I could get some feedback on this? Ask me lots of questions.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I was doing some freelance webdesign work over the summer, and I enjoyed it immensely. As long a you have the discipline to set your own times and actually get the work done, being your own boss is an extremely satisfying experience. Especially if you can do it from your own home.

If you think you can actually get this to work, then by all means, you should do it. If only for the experience of running your own business, however small.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Render

Wondering if I could get some feedback on this? Ask me lots of questions.

1. Are you good at building computers?
2. Are you good at talking to customers and understanding their needs?
3. Would you build them a computer that could do everything, or one that would be better for the things that they would be doing on the PC?

I think that if you are good at building computers, and that there is a need for this type of business in your area and that you would be able to compete with other businesses that do the same things, then go for it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Domino

1. Are you good at building computers?
2. Are you good at talking to customers and understanding their needs?
3. Would you build them a computer that could do everything, or one that would be better for the things that they would be doing on the PC?

I think that if you are good at building computers, and that there is a need for this type of business in your area and that you would be able to compete with other businesses that do the same things, then go for it.

Building computers? I'm pretty good at it, and I wouldn't even consider doing it professionally if I wasn't. :S Communicating with customers is something I do on a daily basis. I work at Staples and one of the things I do most there is tell people all about pre-built computers. I could be doing better than that by telling them about custom-built systems that aren't shit: AKA Staples.

Like I mentioned in my first post, the main issue I have is with warranty. Some places in town offer warranties on their computers, which is something I can't really do. The parts themselves have warranties (longer than any pre-built crud) and I could act as a middle-man between customer and corporation. Unless these manufacturers have brutal response time to warranty issues, it might be OK to do it this way.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

You'd want to be pretty wary going into building computers, and it would have to be merely a side job for a long time, because you aren't going to bring in enough to support yourself if you're flying under the radar and don't have a business location where you can put a sign and get walk-in business. Plus to build word of mouth, especially on something like computer purchase, takes a large time investment as well. You also have to make sure you can manage your own finances, understand legal business issues as well as business finance issues, and want to continue with the business for an extended period of time, because if you're doing computers and relying on word of mouth, some people won't show up for a year or three, if they do.

We had a locally-originated computer-building store that was pretty much home-grown and then expanded from there, but they recently tanked because they were after profits more than they were after giving service by the end. The work that used to be good ended up being pretty shoddy and breaking down, and they wouldn't honor warranty stuff.

I was speaking idiomatically.