The official "Starting my own business" thread, but need help with pricing!

[tin10]

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: NautikaL 8

Originally posted by: Agamar
I didn't know a 14 year old could legally earn money via working, without working for a parent.

yea man. those ten year olds that shovel snow sure are doing illegal things. Man we should just arrest them all...i mean wtf theyre getting paid for working!

i think its you have to be 15 to legally hold a job and be employed by someone. Its not illegal for people under the age of 15 to earn money...

The issue would more be for customers, as they cannot legally enter into contracts with you, so one party or another could give the other the big shaft. Are you actually registered as a business, or fixing them on the side?

Well, what do u mean a legal business, I have applied for a DBA, and havent recieved it back, did my first JOB today, spent 2 hrs seting up email, installing programs, and in 2 weeks will go back and transfer files from an old 333mhz computer with no CD-RW drive (have to wait on my enclosure to come in the mail) and will transfer a bunch of VITAL files from there onto there new computer where I setup outlook express for them, and also installed and setup quickbooks pro.

So how do u guys think I should go about billing them, they know nothing yet of what I charge, all I said is I would put todays work onto the next time I come and finish the job - they are going out of town for 2 weeks and wont be back til the 2nd. Your input would be cool

 

[monzi]

Evrybody pritty much covered the essentials, but what I suggest is you get Windows PE, install norton ghost on it, and have a server machine, ghost the machine and back it up.

With windows PE, you can install Ad-Aware, and virus tools, since its not using the HDD to boot, It clears most things, with an up-to-date AV.



Good luck with your quest, and I wish you the best of luck.


P.S- if I find the link for the magic disk, ill post.
-Monzi


EDIT: found link LINKY LINK

 

[tin10]

I am not asking what I should do, I know how im gonna get the info off of there. The question I am asking is how much I should charge?

I drove 10 miles to there house, spent 2 hrs today working, accomplished what they wanted for today, and will be back on the 2nd to spend at least 2 more hours on this. I want to know if $25-35 per hr is asking to much? What do u guys think?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: tin10
I am not asking what I should do, I know how im gonna get the info off of there. The question I am asking is how much I should charge?

monzi was just trying to help you out, no reason to be rude about it.

this is your first mistake, you need to know what to charge before you do jobs. charge what you feel is fair for you and your time, wear and tear on your vehicle, etc. they may be expecting what you have already done for $10/hour, how are you going to change their mind? you need to get the prices down first so there is never anybody not knowing, especially your customers. don't put the cart to far out in front of the horse. just to add to what monzi said, ghost will save your ass many times over, excellent program

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: tin10

I appreciate that you actually think I am stupid, since I do hold a 3 yr 4.0 gpa at T.C.U in Computer Engineering. I laugh and feel nothing but pitty for you, why u might ask, because the simple fact is, you know NOTHING about me, who I am, what I am capable of doing, so I would rather you not post in my thread anymore, if you do, I will ask the mods to remove it, because your not even giving constructive critizism, your just saying what you think of me, and frankly dear, I dont give a damn!

Thanks!

OK, at this point right here, you have shown that you are pretty much incapable of running any sort of operation. I have a 3.8 in CompE at UT Austin, a vastly superior engineering school, does that make my opinion more valid than yours? No. It has nothing to do with it. So quit belittling others.

You are basing your entire operation on the fact that you have 'computer skills' and are a 'people person.' Newsflash: These are not the traits that typically define the success of small businesses. Small businesses require money skills, which is something that you have mentioned little or any of in this thread. Small businesses also require at least a moderate investment of capital, which you haven't talked about, and it requires legal considerations (beyond that of sales tax) that you haven't mentioned either. You may be correct in 'thinking small' to start off with, but you aren't considering all your necessities - accounting, legal structure, liability, and debt/equity you're going to have to put into this to develop anything right. Secondly, you're talking about doing this while you're in a full-swing semester, which seems like something that would get the shaft once the pressure from classes started to build on you. if you're doing this as a part-time operation like you say, how are you going to balance classes and this?

Have you taken even introductory level finance courses?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: beer
OK, at this point right here, you have shown that you are pretty much incapable of running any sort of operation. I have a 3.8 in CompE at UT Austin, a vastly superior engineering school, does that make my opinion more valid than yours? No. It has nothing to do with it. So quit belittling others.

give it to him beer

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: tin10
I am not asking what I should do, I know how im gonna get the info off of there. The question I am asking is how much I should charge?

I drove 10 miles to there house, spent 2 hrs today working, accomplished what they wanted for today, and will be back on the 2nd to spend at least 2 more hours on this. I want to know if $25-35 per hr is asking to much? What do u guys think?

well first off your attitude stinks.

did you sign a contract with the business you just did? i gather you have yet to hammer it out with them and already started work (very unproffesional). What are you going to do if they say $25 is to much and say they could have gotten it done for $15? seems like you should have gotten the price before you started work.

you are getting some great advice. If you do not know how much you are going to charge and you have already started doing business i dont see you being in business long.

What are your competitors charging? find that out and you got a good idea on what you can charge.

I used to own a computer shop myself. I also would outsource help, both hardware and software. Granted i can not tell you prices since this was about 7 years ago before the bubble broke.

People are telling you to get a CPA. Unless you want to take the chance on getting audited then i would go find one. Many will give you a price break for small business. Also wouldnt hurt to join a pre-paid lawer thing. Because odds are you will get a lawsuit or at the least threatened.

I gather you are going to do this out of your house? or are you going to have a actual shop? You might have to check local zoning laws to see if you are allowed to have a business out of the house.


Either way good luck. Unless you are just doing it for side money then the profits are just to thin. I'm glad i got out when i did.

 

[bob4432]

what i am about to say is extremely not-PC, but he demonstrates what a lot of christians i know have, that thought process were they think they are better than everybody else. if you are not going to texas christian university and this religious statment does not apply to you, then you are just an arrogant person. this is not against all christians, just the ones who think they are better than everybody else, most are good.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: bob4432
what i am about to say is extremely not-PC, but he demonstrates what a lot of christians i know have, that thought process were they are better than all. if you are not going to texas christian university and this religious statment does not apply to you, then you are just an arrogant person. this is not against all christians, just the ones who think they are better than everybody else, most are good.

naa this is just someone who thinks they know more then everyone else.

This kid is getting some GREAT advice and giving attitude. I wish this forum was around when i was in business it may have saved me from some mistakes i made.

While i may not be the best speller or great at grammer. One thing i do well is run small business. I have owned one computer shop and 3 used car lots all of them succesfull.

hell i retired at 30 so i did something right. BUT i know there are people on this board that can give me good advice. Even if its not stuff i want to hear.

 

[tin10]

Ladies ant gentlemen, I first off would like to now end this thread. If it appears to u that I am giving attitude, then so be it, cant change the way you think EMOTIONS are put into text.

As for me attending TCU and being a christian and living by the TCU code, I do, and I have led NONE of you to believe otherwise. Sure I got hasty at the people who, by beer's standings BELITTLED me, but I have every right to defend myself at this point, this thread turned into good advice to judging me, and you people dont know who I am, and TEXT in a post on a forum sure doesnt express someones emotions, nor does it show what type of person they are, you are just putting it into ur minds the way u "THINK" I am.

Please mods, lock this thread, I have recieved all information needed at this time, and will resort to others to help me, sorry I turned some of you guys into the arrogants, but my time here in this thread is done, thanks again!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: tin10
Ladies ant gentlemen, I first off would like to now end this thread. If it appears to u that I am giving attitude, then so be it, cant change the way you think EMOTIONS are put into text.

As for me attending TCU and being a christian and living by the TCU code, I do, and I have led NONE of you to believe otherwise. Sure I got hasty at the people who, by beer's standings BELITTLED me, but I have every right to defend myself at this point, this thread turned into good advice to judging me, and you people dont know who I am, and TEXT in a post on a forum sure doesnt express someones emotions, nor does it show what type of person they are, you are just putting it into ur minds the way u "THINK" I am.

Please mods, lock this thread, I have recieved all information needed at this time, and will resort to others to help me, sorry I turned some of you guys into the arrogants, but my time here in this thread is done, thanks again!

typical, crying to the mods because you can't take realistic input, but good luck to you with your business venture.

 

[tin10]

bob, what is ur deal, I stopped the thread, not CRYING TO the mods, I can simply un-subscribe to the thread, in which I will. I appreciate your advice, but it is no longer needed, even if you think being an a-hole is the way to make me think right.........thanks AGAIN!

 

[trek]

Originally posted by: Blain
My question is... Why did you post this thread in the General Hardware forum?

I wondered why all the posts were so helpful and informative

 

[Kelemvor]

I'm sure there are others here (like myself) who have read this thread and absorbed a lot of the information. So Thanks to all those that offered their advice on all the various topics. Know that the information has been useful and will be thought and acted upon... Even if not by the OP.

 

[tin10]

wow, u people cant and will never stop, I think this has to be the rudest forum I have ever been a part of

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: tin10
wow, u people cant and will never stop, I think this has to be the rudest forum I have ever been a part of

this forum is definately not usually rude, maybe you are part of the problem - belittling everybody when they are giving excellent advice.

 

[spacelord]

I would never do computer work for anything less than $60/hour. more likely in the $80 range. Screw the cheap skates. You don't want to deal with them anyways, they will be trouble. Alot of business don't mind paying nicely if you give them a good product. I have a couple friends that do this sort of business and I know they aren't the cheapest, but the customers trust and respect them.. and they always hear stories how the last computer guy didn't set up things the way they wanted, wouldn't answer their calls or listen to them, etc. If you go that little extra mile and do a great job, you can charge a more premium rate..... and have a happier customer!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: spacelord
I would never do computer work for anything less than $60/hour. more likely in the $80 range. Screw the cheap skates. You don't want to deal with them anyways, they will be trouble. Alot of business don't mind paying nicely if you give them a good product. I have a couple friends that do this sort of business and I know they aren't the cheapest, but the customers trust and respect them.. and they always hear stories how the last computer guy didn't set up things the way they wanted, wouldn't answer their calls or listen to them, etc. If you go that little extra mile and do a great job, you can charge a more premium rate..... and have a happier customer!

spacelord, you give excellent advice and i among others greatly appreciatie it, but i think tin10 knows everything. thanks from the people who appreciate your advice

 

[tin10]

I believe I belittled only 2 people in this thread, one who said "I think you are very young, very naive and very stupid for your age." Kilixxer
and the other I dont remember, dont care to go back thru and defend myself AGAIN, bob, please stop posting, all ill stop aggrivating ur hunger to be angry, deal?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: tin10
I believe I belittled only 2 people in this thread, one who said "I think you are very young, very naive and very stupid for your age." Kilixxer
and the other I dont remember, dont care to go back thru and defend myself AGAIN, bob, please stop posting, all ill stop aggrivating ur hunger to be angry, deal?

haha, i am not the least bit angry, i just like reading when people don't appreciate the advice they are given because it is not exactly what they want to hear even though they ask for it.

 

[tin10]

who said I dont appreciate the advice, I have already implemented MOST of it, and I have told the people who did give me good advice thanks, but I will not give thanks to those who belittle me, call me arrogant, immature, and of course straight up STUPID for my age, but whatever...im done with this

 

[BooGiMaN]

i read the whole thread and although i can appreciate the enthusiasm you exhibit in starting your own business and wanting to make a half billion a year i honestly do not think you will succeed with your current mindest and here is why:

you cannot take criticism constructive or otherwise, which leads me to believe you will have a hard time dealing with irate customers and people trying to take you for a ride. you think you have people skills but have not proven that through your replies.

you have already taken a job with no contract, or even doing the most elementary thing as stating a price for your service. this shows lack of common business sense.

you do not take instruction well or even try to understand how good advice can be implemented to benefit you. you are stubborn and i suspect that you are set in the way you will run your business...therefore this thread was not really to ask for advice so much as to announce that your starting a business and were hoping for a few attaboys and good luck.


so atta boy and good luck let us know how it goes.

 

[tin10]

boogiman, I do take ur critizism very much so, I like the way u put things. I will however, as I stated in the last 3 post of mine, not take someone calling me STUPID, arrogant, and whatever things they call ME as a person, I am here to ask about the business part, not what they think I am capable of, wether or not you people like who I am, I will stay with this and will be succesful with it. People start small, I am going from a 3 week - til now situation, basically an overnight ordeal, and I have learned a great deal so far, but again, I beg to differ with those who critize me as a person, not to what I intend to do.

I am a college student, and also have worked since I was 15 yrs old, everything from retail sales in electronics at WALMART for a year to waiting tables, the most demanding and stressful jobs, needless to day the most critisized jobs in the world. I currently am a manager of a FINE dining steakhosue here in town and have to take peoples crap up my pipe-hole every day I work, so if you dont think I can take people calling me what they think of me, think again, but my job also shows for it, I am the most respected person on the job, from my boss to the people under me, to the customers themselves. I dont, however, think its right to call me the things they have in the past posts only based upon what I have WROTE IN TEXT in this thread, because for the most part, these threads were wrote at nearly 3am everynight, so take it as u will, thanks again

 

[BD2003]

Talk about digging your own grave.

 

[tin10]

lol, whats the supposed to mean, I have every right to defend myself in this instance, I am the OP remember, and well....oh nm, its not worth it anyways