[janikPilot]

So, I haven't been on here in a while, but I'm posting today to come to you guys in search of some advice. Recently, I thought about starting a business in high school, seeing as I could use the experience. It would be a simple tech repair/PC tune-up/odd-tech jobs business, where I would post flyers with an email address and a phone number. I would say up-front on the flyer that I'm not industry certified (seeing as I'm only 16) and can only work weekends because of my rigorous academic program. Right now, I know I'm not gonna make that much, so I'm going into this with the mindset that I could use the experience and it could look pretty good on college applications in two years, assuming I get any customers at all. I would charge about $25 for pretty much anything (system cleans and whatnot).
My questions to all of you are:

1) Is it legally safe to start this? Seeing as I'm not IT certified or anything? I'm honestly just looking to be the odd jobs man of community tech repair.
2) How successful do you think I will be?
3) Any recommendations or advice? Have any of you tried something similar?

I know I can do this. I'm enrolled in the computer science program at my school, and am one of the top programmers in my class. I have the knowledge, I just need the right moves. With both my parents being unemployed, and my school being a 40 minute drive away everyday, I wake up at 5am to get on the bus get home at 4pm every day and night. I start homework at 6, and by the time I finish, it's around midnight. The reason I'm saying this, is because I've already considered a part-time job at a grocery store, and it's just not possible. I really need you guys to give me the truth here, in whether or not you believe I can do this.

Thank you in advance.

[ekim68]

Seems like you have a lot on your plate already. If a part-time job at a local grocery store is not possible, what makes you think that pc repair is possible? Sometimes it takes quite some time to do complete repairs. But, several things to consider: (1) Sometimes people can be pretty hard to please and you might have liability problems if they don't think you've fixed their machines to their satisfaction. (2) Are there any local restrictions on a part time repair business? (3) You don't have to be IT certified but make that clear to your customers. (4) Recommendations by word of mouth is a very good advertisement and if you do the job well you will get customers....

[janikPilot]

Originally Posted by ekim68

Seems like you have a lot on your plate already. If a part-time job at a local grocery store is not possible, what makes you think that pc repair is possible? Sometimes it takes quite some time to do complete repairs.

I feel like I'm going to have to say something along the lines of "I don't charge unless I can fix it." With a part time job I would have to work under a boss' hours, and that could interfere with my schedule. This way, I can assign my own hours, and if things get out of hand, I can always just tear down the posters without having to go through the process of quitting, as I would with an hourly job.

(1) Sometimes people can be pretty hard to please and you might have liability problems if they don't think you've fixed their machines to their satisfaction. (2) Are there any local restrictions on a part time repair business? (3) You don't have to be IT certified but make that clear to your customers. (4) Recommendations by word of mouth is a very good advertisement and if you do the job well you will get customers....

1. In the ad I'll include information on the lack of liability and certification. Like I said, this is mostly for people that need simple help with things. Sometimes people don't want to pay some big business to do something simple like update a driver or defragment a hard drive.
2. As far as I know, there isn't. It would be the equivalent of me charging for a community lawn service.

Thanks for the reply

[ekim68]

Sounds like you're good to go.... You don't know unless you try...