This book goes into great little things you may not have thought of before, such as the pros and cons of working with a partner, but it also mentions things you may not have thought about, such as health insurance and taxes (Your FT employer pays half while you pay the other, but as a proprietor you pay the amount in full).
The biggest issue seems to be some of the outdated content. Very little is mentioned about current websites (but with any technical manual, this changes frequently). The author mentions stamps being 39 cents, AOL.com, and shows heavy emphasis for advertising in the newspaper. While ads in the newspaper (and other weekly rags for neighborhoods), no advice about setting up a website is given. With the direction that newspapers are already in, this is not entirely useless however. To establish a greater customer base it may be beneficial to still advertise in newspapers, especially to customers who still reads them (i.e. elderly). There is also noting of carrying a PDA, but nothing about smartphones or tablets, which are beneficial when needing to use the Internet at a customer's place of residence or business. If you've been into fixing computers for some time, that outdated content isn't a disadvantage if you're considering this book. If you're new to this though, you may be a bit behind.
There is also emphasis on training customers, for which I respectfully disagree. While it can be helpful, some customers may not have an easy grasp of technology and tech terms, and everybody learns at their own rate. Granted, teach a customer too much, and you may have a competitor on your hands very soon. However, having the patience (great keyword, FTW) to teach a customer definitely gives you an edge over the competition. The author gives good advice about how to handle difficult customers, general courteousness, buying advice for spare parts, and more.
I especially enjoyed the content regarding business cards and choosing a business name. While my name had already been thought out and logo designs implemented, it made me rethink the business name.
Despite some of the outdated content, this book provides great thought into starting and running your own computer business. I would recommend this book, but also recommend a general how-to start up business book for entrepreneurs. With this book, you get MORE than your money's worth.
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
