«

been lurking here a couple years...

i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...

have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do area
in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
less than 10 calls...
ad looked a lot like website:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/

any advice is appreciated...
even flames

thanks,
mike.

thanks for the good advice


"Thumper" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 6 Aug 2005 15:53:38 -0400, "mike" <> wrote:
>
>>been lurking here a couple years...
>>
>>i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
>>Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...
>>
>>have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do
>>area
>>in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
>>less than 10 calls...
>>ad looked a lot like website:
>>
>
> First of all advertising takes time and petition. You really have to
> bombard people with your ads over and over again. A potential
> customer sees your ad then down the line has a problem but you have
> stopped advertising or are doing it at too great an interval. What
> does he do? He goes to the yellow pages or online but cannot remember
> who you are so just picks someone else. Net result? Your advertising
> helped someone else get a customer..
>
>
> Secondly, most customers won't now the symptoms of a virus etc so you
> should put in you ads and on your web site the symptoms of the most
> common problems. Don't make them diagnose the problem. Say something
> like computer slowing down?, Files missing? etc.
> Thirdly you must give them a reason to choose you. Put something in
> the ad like "Why Pay $100 an hour to fix your PC? "Will fix your
> computer without losing files." for just a couple of ideas. It
> doesn't matter if you ultimately have to lose the files. At least you
> will try.
>
> Fourthly, Get a professional web site as soon as possible. The more
> professional you look the better the customer will react.
>
> Lastly, go to Amazon.com and buy:
>
> Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits from Your Small
> Business (Paperback)
> by Jay Conrad Levinson "Marketing is everything you do to promote your
> business, from the moment you conceive of it to the point at which
> customers buy your product..." (more)
>
> and all the other books by Levinson you can buy. He'll tell you how
> to advertise without breaking the bank.
> Thumper
>
>
>
>>http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/
>>
>>any advice is appreciated...
>>even flames
>>
>>thanks,
>>mike.
>>
>

I've thought about starting my own PC repair business for a long time
then finally decided the home PC was going to be obsolete within the
next 5-7 yrs.

Manufactures are moving towards an all-in-one entertainment unit that
will replace the PC in the home. It'll have PC, Internet, Gaming,
Stereo, TV, etc... Everything will be packaged in a single unit.

I think unless you have the resources to learn how to repair those
types of devices, your business may be doomed as consumers move away
from the traditional PC.

Sorry, don't mean to rain on your parade but you asked for feedback.

On 10 Aug 2005 12:19:35 -0700, "Tmack" <>
wrote:

>I've thought about starting my own PC repair business for a long time
>then finally decided the home PC was going to be obsolete within the
>next 5-7 yrs.
>
>Manufactures are moving towards an all-in-one entertainment unit that
>will replace the PC in the home. It'll have PC, Internet, Gaming,
>Stereo, TV, etc... Everything will be packaged in a single unit.
>
>I think unless you have the resources to learn how to repair those
>types of devices, your business may be doomed as consumers move away
>from the traditional PC.
>
>Sorry, don't mean to rain on your parade but you asked for feedback.

What does this have to do with the CompTIA A+ certification?

Tom

I would not think even consider doing business with you. Simply because
your website looks like it was made by a 12 year old.

My biggest advice would be to get a better website, and get it registered on
a .ca or .com website, not on your personal webspace.
Check out the competition for ideas.
You need to add more pages, such as
About us, Services/products, Price guide, contact us, free computer advice,
etc....
And perhaps instead of ever page in english and french, just make a welcome
page that asks you to choose english or french, then redirects you to the
approperiate site.

Good luck.
"mike" <> wrote in message
news:QB8Je.32298$ ...
> been lurking here a couple years...
>
> i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
> Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...
>
> have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do
> area in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
> less than 10 calls...
> ad looked a lot like website:
>
> http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/
>
> any advice is appreciated...
> even flames
>
> thanks,
> mike.
>

You're right.

thanks...

on one hand i agree & i have begun to work on a more professional-looking
web site...but i don't know if i'll use it... i prefer to look like an
uncomplicated, honest, one-man, local operation which i am

"Jamco" <> wrote in message
news:3rtKe.129812$wr.80389@clgrps12...
>I would not think even consider doing business with you. Simply because
>your website looks like it was made by a 12 year old.
>
> My biggest advice would be to get a better website, and get it registered
> on a .ca or .com website, not on your personal webspace.
> Check out the competition for ideas.
> You need to add more pages, such as
> About us, Services/products, Price guide, contact us, free computer
> advice, etc....
> And perhaps instead of ever page in english and french, just make a
> welcome page that asks you to choose english or french, then redirects you
> to the approperiate site.
>
> Good luck.
> "mike" <> wrote in message
> news:QB8Je.32298$ ...
>> been lurking here a couple years...
>>
>> i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
>> Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...
>>
>> have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do
>> area in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
>> less than 10 calls...
>> ad looked a lot like website:
>>
>> http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/
>>
>> any advice is appreciated...
>> even flames
>>
>> thanks,
>> mike.
>>
>
>

thanks again... funny, it seems i am now getting more calls due to the
flyers i sent out 2 months ago than i did soon after sending... i am toying
with a more professional-looking website, but don't know if i want to look
like all the local shops... the book you suggested will arrive this week
along with the accompanying handbook

thanks again,
mike.


"Thumper" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 6 Aug 2005 15:53:38 -0400, "mike" <> wrote:
>
>>been lurking here a couple years...
>>
>>i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
>>Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...
>>
>>have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do
>>area
>>in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
>>less than 10 calls...
>>ad looked a lot like website:
>>
>
> First of all advertising takes time and petition. You really have to
> bombard people with your ads over and over again. A potential
> customer sees your ad then down the line has a problem but you have
> stopped advertising or are doing it at too great an interval. What
> does he do? He goes to the yellow pages or online but cannot remember
> who you are so just picks someone else. Net result? Your advertising
> helped someone else get a customer..
>
>
> Secondly, most customers won't now the symptoms of a virus etc so you
> should put in you ads and on your web site the symptoms of the most
> common problems. Don't make them diagnose the problem. Say something
> like computer slowing down?, Files missing? etc.
> Thirdly you must give them a reason to choose you. Put something in
> the ad like "Why Pay $100 an hour to fix your PC? "Will fix your
> computer without losing files." for just a couple of ideas. It
> doesn't matter if you ultimately have to lose the files. At least you
> will try.
>
> Fourthly, Get a professional web site as soon as possible. The more
> professional you look the better the customer will react.
>
> Lastly, go to Amazon.com and buy:
>
> Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits from Your Small
> Business (Paperback)
> by Jay Conrad Levinson "Marketing is everything you do to promote your
> business, from the moment you conceive of it to the point at which
> customers buy your product..." (more)
>
> and all the other books by Levinson you can buy. He'll tell you how
> to advertise without breaking the bank.
> Thumper
>
>
>
>>http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/
>>
>>any advice is appreciated...
>>even flames
>>
>>thanks,
>>mike.
>>
>

thanks.. personally i believe the PC may be around a bit longer


"Tmack" <> wrote in message
news: ups.com...
> I've thought about starting my own PC repair business for a long time
> then finally decided the home PC was going to be obsolete within the
> next 5-7 yrs.
>
> Manufactures are moving towards an all-in-one entertainment unit that
> will replace the PC in the home. It'll have PC, Internet, Gaming,
> Stereo, TV, etc... Everything will be packaged in a single unit.
>
> I think unless you have the resources to learn how to repair those
> types of devices, your business may be doomed as consumers move away
> from the traditional PC.
>
> Sorry, don't mean to rain on your parade but you asked for feedback.
>

Jamco wrote:
> I would not think even consider doing business with you. Simply because
> your website looks like it was made by a 12 year old.
>
> My biggest advice would be to get a better website, and get it registered on
> a .ca or .com website, not on your personal webspace.
> Check out the competition for ideas.
> You need to add more pages, such as
> About us, Services/products, Price guide, contact us, free computer advice,
> etc....
> And perhaps instead of ever page in english and french, just make a welcome
> page that asks you to choose english or french, then redirects you to the
> approperiate site.
>
> Good luck.
> "mike" <> wrote in message
> news:QB8Je.32298$ ...
> > been lurking here a couple years...
> >
> > i'm 50 & trying to start pc help/repair business...
> > Montréal area, Quebec, Canada...
> >
> > have paid to distribute small flyer to about 13,000 homes in well-to-do
> > area in a weekly bag of adverts that most do go thru...
> > less than 10 calls...
> > ad looked a lot like website:
> >
> > http://www3.sympatico.ca/mikoel/
> >
> > any advice is appreciated...
> > even flames
> >
> > thanks,
> > mike.
> >
You know you have a poor pist way about yourself.This person ask for
advice not to be criticize.