Hello from the interwebs

[Tuning]

Hi. I have been reading this forum for a little while, seeing what people are doing and how it is going. Lurking you could say. I finally signed up and was approved for membership so I wanted to give a little bit of background on Moi.

I am 25 yrs old and have been working since I was 16 like most. Problem is I get bored really easily unless I am challenged. I have worked in automotive shops and retail and customer service. I have worked with 2 small businesses that consisted of 5 or less employees and I have worked with giant companies with 30,000+ employees. I found that I enjoyed working with the small business and even went back to school for a degree in Business Administration/Entrepreneurship.

Currently I hold down two jobs and work 7 days a week yet I am still not in the position in life I want to be in. This is where I got tired of being a passenger (and I ride and I ride) and decided it was time to be the driver. For years I have wanted to own my own business and now I believe is the time to get it going.

My background is in two places, cars and computers. I design websites, e-commerce sites and also computer repair/networking. One of my current jobs combines all of this as I am "the computer guy" for a web based business that designs and sells auto performance parts online. My other job I fix computers.

I have a goal in mind, I am just trying to figure out how to get there, so please... be gentle... it's my first time.. :smx3:

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TC2]

Welcome to fastlane. Looking forward to see your progress.

 

[PaulRobert]

Welcome to the Fastlane :Welcome:

 

[Tuning]

I look forward to my progress too

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[LightHouse]

Welcome! Good to see more from the area! Chances are i may have worked with your shop already, haha.

 

[Tuning]

Welcome! Good to see more from the area! Chances are i may have worked with your shop already, haha.

Give you a little background there LightHouse... I used to own an xB from 2004-2008 and was all set to join ScionEvo

 

[LightHouse]

Give you a little background there LightHouse... I used to own an xB from 2004-2008 and was all set to join ScionEvo

Awesome! Well although i can't put my finger on who you are, i think you'll enjoy this forum. Use it to the best of your abilities.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Welcome to the board Tuning, always nice to have another gearhead/motorhead on board!:fastlane:

 

[Tuning]

Thanks and once i get the infrastructure and design down pat, I will show the world what I have been working on.

 

[Tuning]

Guess who's back, back again.
This guy.

seriously though.

Getting my butt in gear.

Since we last talked, I have formed an LLC, but then just sat on it.

I am attempting to get my upstarts going, but running into a few roadblocks.

1. First roadblock is the drawing business roadblock. I can fix computers, and have been doing it for a living for the last 2.5 years for a company that charges wayyyyy too much. I decided, I can do this, and do it cheaper. Only problem is, finding customers. I have tried a few ads on Craigslist, but I don't even get spam. I also design websites, am currently building a CMS/cart site with 600+ products. This site is the vain of my existence . I built my portfolio to try and draw up some business that way. So far, nothing. Registered my business with a few of the business listings and am listed on Google too.

2. The second roadblock I have run into... I currently help run two automotive part websites. Both offer pretty much the same parts. I decided, I want to create my own site to offer various parts, beyond what these sites offer. I located some drop shippers, but the issue I am running into is that they have buy-ins. One is asking for a $2,500 buy in. This would not be a problem if I had an existing business, with a existing reputation out there. But since I don't and I am just beginning by operating out of my house, I really don't want a buy in.

Any suggestions out there from the world of successful business people?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Russ H]

. . .First roadblock is the drawing business roadblock. . . been doing it for a living for the last 2.5 years for a company that charges wayyyyy too much. I decided, I can do this, and do it cheaper. Only problem is, finding customers.

Any suggestions out there from the world of successful business people?

My very first business was piggy-backing on the stuff I sold at work.

Guy came into the hifi store where I worked, I sold him some sound and video gear, and offered to come to his/her house and set it up, for a nominal fee ($35/hr). Made some great pocket change after work most days.

Finally decided to "start my own business" (note that I'd been doing the side-jobs thing for like, 5 years). My first "business" was Hi-tech VCR hook-ups. I called it "Sound Advice".

(and yes, I know now that there are at least a dozen other sound advice businesses in different parts of the country!)

I started this business in the mid 1980s, when EVERYONE had a VCR-- and EVERYONE complained about the fact that they could not use the timer, record things, etc.

So my service was: I come out to your house, hook up your VCR, and show you how to program it. I even write down simple instructions, with you.

Seemed like a no-brainer great business idea to me. At $35-45/hr (I figured this was as much as the market would bear), I would take 1-2 hours to set up a VCR, depending on how many q's a homeowner had. Sold the cables, too-- made about $5 there.

Did lots of guerilla marketing (flyers, word of mouth, etc). Didn't get much response.

Spent lots of time hanging out at a high end sound shop, since I dug that stuff (audiophile sh*t).

Wound up doing a job for him-- putting in speakers in a popular restaurant.

Job took me 3 days (they were remodeling) and I charged them $1150.00, plus materials (about $200).

Got to the end of the month, and had an epiphany:

I'd spent the past 4 months busting my butt to get customers for the VCR hook up business, and had made about $450, total.

This one job (wiring the speakers for the hifi store) got me over $1250 PROFIT (after my expenses).

And it only tool THREE DAYS!!! (not months).

************

Changed my life forever, from a business standpoint.

When I retired from the home theater design biz, I was billing out at $150/hr. And I billed this rate for TRAVEL TIME (ie, time on the airplane, in the rental car, on the shuttle)-- as well as time spent in the office.

Required $10,000 retainer, upfront, to eliminate the tire kickers.

Made $300K-500K/yr, working a few days a month ($200K of each year's gross was from selling equipment/acoustical treatments/materials/etc).

So, my advice to you?

1. Charge more than you think you're worth. Because you probably are worth it, if you're good.

2. Work w/computer stores that have LOTS of customers, but no techs. Be their "house calls" guy. Charge $85/hr plus a travel charge, and spiff the store employees back $25 per referral-- FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLY.

3. Keep good track of your customers-- most folks will call you directly if they have problems-- BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO DO THIS. Figure out good ways (frig magnets, regular emails, cute sticker w/your biz phone on their computer monitor, or on the underside of their keyboard, etc). Keep their numbers in your cell phone directory, so you can greet them by name when they call you back the first time. They will be impressed.

4. Offer updates/upgrades/quick-start sessions when new software comes out.

******

There you go.

-Russ H.

PS You can make a living doing the above, but it's not fastlane. It's a classic "S" business, using Robt Kiyosaki's "Cashflow Quadrant" terms. You are forever limited by your ability to only work as many hours as YOU can work. It is not scalable or automated (2 key elements of a fastlane business).