Hey folks I'm an independent tech. Been in business now for 17 years and pretty much just handle it all on my own. But times change and so does the biz.
Short preface, I got into this game in 1998, worked at a small mom and pop store that had some big time accounts and lots of local business. 6 months in, I was promoted to shop manager and 2 years later they closed up upon new owners. New owners asked me to LIE to the clients and not tell them the store was closing, so instead I handed out my own card for a month and then left with the closing. 3 months later I was as busy as ever and never looked back.
So that brings me into the game during DOS 6x and windows 3.x and forward. No Mac for me, although I can handle basics, I just stick with windows, and everything surrounding it.
Part of the change for me has been keeping up with tech, aging(I'm 60 now)and diabetes which is slowly attacking my stamina. I still get a decent number of calls monthly and usually pick up a new client or two monthly. I don't advertise, never have. But this biz isn't what it once was.
It was a grand time building new pc's, for the most part it was a good money making part of the game, until the prices on the store shelves and net started coming down to the point that it just don't pay to build now. Maybe a topic for another thread, but in short who can afford to take the time to go get the parts, assemble, load the OS, update the OS, install the basics and updates. From scratch I typically see this as a 4 to 6 hour job now or more!
So I thin I'll put a sock in it for now. What I'm really looking for I think is to find a forum(here) or somewhere that has a a few good independtents to chit chat with, share problems, and find answers to them.
Mike R
Short preface, I got into this game in 1998, worked at a small mom and pop store that had some big time accounts and lots of local business. 6 months in, I was promoted to shop manager and 2 years later they closed up upon new owners. New owners asked me to LIE to the clients and not tell them the store was closing, so instead I handed out my own card for a month and then left with the closing. 3 months later I was as busy as ever and never looked back.
So that brings me into the game during DOS 6x and windows 3.x and forward. No Mac for me, although I can handle basics, I just stick with windows, and everything surrounding it.
Part of the change for me has been keeping up with tech, aging(I'm 60 now)and diabetes which is slowly attacking my stamina. I still get a decent number of calls monthly and usually pick up a new client or two monthly. I don't advertise, never have. But this biz isn't what it once was.
It was a grand time building new pc's, for the most part it was a good money making part of the game, until the prices on the store shelves and net started coming down to the point that it just don't pay to build now. Maybe a topic for another thread, but in short who can afford to take the time to go get the parts, assemble, load the OS, update the OS, install the basics and updates. From scratch I typically see this as a 4 to 6 hour job now or more!
So I thin I'll put a sock in it for now. What I'm really looking for I think is to find a forum(here) or somewhere that has a a few good independtents to chit chat with, share problems, and find answers to them.
Mike R
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