Custom PC side project

[TheHaloBuild]

So I've always wanted to try my hand at starting up a gaming custom PC business. Only problem is that I'm not exactly sure where to start first. I've been selling a few PC's to friends, but I'm wanting to see if I can take orders in and ship out specific gaming rigs.

Any tips on the best course of action forward. Should I try getting a website up? Any people I should talk to? I'm pretty set on giving it a shot so if anyone has any suggestions or has had previous experience shipping out custom PC's it would be greatly appreciated.

Edit - By the way if any mods can think of a better sub forum to put this in go right ahead. I wasn't sure where else to put it.

 

[tinytomlogan]

Id stick to building stuff for your friends and making a name for yourself. No one will give money to a nobody - mainly because there are too many other people out there that can do it better

 

[Wraith]

You really would be better off looking for a local careers advisor, most job centers have business advisors you can speak with, also depending on your age try the Princes Trust.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Before you start i would probably say think of how you will do things. Find out how your going to ship at the smallest price possible or just have it picked up by the client. Find out your advertising whether it be local or online. Probably better to start local and work your way up. If you know someone in a business have them help you get everything together and sort it all out. Most importantly how much you are going to charge your customers and make profit. That is the whole point anyway and your going to have to be compeptitve to online builders or any other locals.

 

[tinytomlogan]

If I was a customer Id say "show me what youve done before" oh and prove it.

Everyone and their dog can build a PC - some online shops cant do it properly still.

 

[TheHaloBuild]

Id stick to building stuff for your friends and making a name for yourself. No one will give money to a nobody - mainly because there are too many other people out there that can do it better

Thanks for replying Tom.

Yeah, I have been giving this a lot of thought and that is something I've been unsure how to break into a more public awareness. I've been hired by a few small oil companies to build computers for them as well, but nothing that would give me any sort of public traction.

Is there a better way of letting people know whom I historically have built PC's for or is word of mouth the best option?

 

[TheHaloBuild]

You really would be better off looking for a local careers advisor, most job centers have business advisors you can speak with, also depending on your age try the Princes Trust.

Tried a careers advisor but they weren't much help. I might look into seeing a business advisor but to be honest most advisors up where I live are going to know next to nothing about the PC market. I might be better off seeing a few people I know that are running a business.

Before you start i would probably say think of how you will do things. Find out how your going to ship at the smallest price possible or just have it picked up by the client. Find out your advertising whether it be local or online. Probably better to start local and work your way up. If you know someone in a business have them help you get everything together and sort it all out. Most importantly how much you are going to charge your customers and make profit. That is the whole point anyway and your going to have to be compeptitve to online builders or any other locals.

At the moment where I live there are no local builders. There is the odd service shop but no specialised custom builders. I'm fairly certain I can make pretty competitive prices. I have multiple streams of income so I can start out with fairly small profits and work from there.

I have some pretty decent business contacts that can help me get everything sorted out. It's going to be no cakewalk but I can say that I do have some inroads and favours I could call on.

 

[TheHaloBuild]

If I was a customer Id say "show me what youve done before" oh and prove it.

Everyone and their dog can build a PC - some online shops cant do it properly still.

Would you recommend filming myself building some PC's?

 

[Wraith]

Tried a careers advisor but they weren't much help. I might look into seeing a business advisor but to be honest most advisors up where I live are going to know next to nothing about the PC market. I might be better off seeing a few people I know that are running a business.

In all honesty, I've been self employed for the last 3 years repairing and servicing PCs and it's crap, the only work I get now is from friends and relatives.. even with advertising and a good following, DIY trumps all.

The only way you are going to get anywhere in the custom PC market is to get noticed, maybe a top quality sponsored build to get started but you'll need a full portfolio and some serious capitol behind you.

 

[TheHaloBuild]

In all honesty, I've been self employed for the last 3 years repairing and servicing PCs and it's crap, the only work I get now is from friends and relatives.. even with advertising and a good following, DIY trumps all.

The only way you are going to get anywhere in the custom PC market is to get noticed, maybe a top quality sponsored build to get started but you'll need a full portfolio and some serious capitol behind you.

I've got a fair bit of capital that I can take advantage of and I can make a decent portfolio. If that is the only course of action it'll be a bit difficult. I'll pursue any avenues I can though.

I can do special custom cases myself as well. They take me some time but I have done things along that vein before.

 

[NeverBackDown]

I've got a fair bit of capital that I can take advantage of and I can make a decent portfolio. If that is the only course of action it'll be a bit difficult. I'll pursue any avenues I can though.

I can do special custom cases myself as well. They take me some time but I have done things along that vein before.

You can talk the talk but as Tom said earlier. Prove it. It is the only way people will trust you with their money and time. Maybe try getting a newspaper ad or hell even an article about it. Just throwing out ideas.

 

[Innocent159]

You need to get your name out there. Make facebook pages, build for friends, get a job at a pc building business. You can try social media also. Once your name is out there people would trust easier and give their money to u.

 

[TheHaloBuild]

You can talk the talk but as Tom said earlier. Prove it. It is the only way people will trust you with their money and time. Maybe try getting a newspaper ad or hell even an article about it. Just throwing out ideas.

Only trouble is finding the best method to do so. Newspapers wouldn't be a bad idea. I know the editor of a local one, I'll see if I can catch up with him soon. He's pretty into computers so that helps.

You need to get your name out there. Make facebook pages, build for friends, get a job at a pc building business. You can try social media also. Once your name is out there people would trust easier and give their money to u.

I think I'm going to record myself when I'm building some custom PC's for friends. It should be a good reference for anyone that would want to see exactly what I can do.

 

[Warchild]

Id stick to building stuff for your friends and making a name for yourself. No one will give money to a nobody - mainly because there are too many other people out there that can do it better

Especially after a massive scam involving a ficticious company called Lucid Dream Computers which involved one guy scamming alot of people globally in order to splash out on himself. It is very hard to build trust in some now.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1466843/rant-lucid-dream-computers-is-a-scam/1060

Long story short, he got caught but didn't get the latest details if he was prosecuted.

 

[TheHaloBuild]

Especially after a massive scam involving a ficticious company called Lucid Dream Computers which involved one guy scamming alot of people globally in order to splash out on himself. It is very hard to build trust in some now.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1466843/rant-lucid-dream-computers-is-a-scam/1060

Long story short, he got caught but didn't get the latest details if he was prosecuted.

I've got a good plan now. It'll take around half a year to set up properly but I'll record myself building my friends and families computers and I've got some connections with a local newspaper that I can use. The custom market is absolutely stagnant up here, so I'm pretty sure if I get some interesting footage as proof along with some publicity and statements from satisfied customers (maybe some from the oil companies I built special workstations for), it'll make it easier to get some loyal customers.

If it all falls apart, at least I'll know I gave a good stab at it. I'm not overly planning on it becoming a main business line so at least I won't have my income riding on it.

 

[Wraith]

I've got a good plan now. It'll take around half a year to set up properly but I'll record myself building my friends and families computers and I've got some connections with a local newspaper that I can use. The custom market is absolutely stagnant up here, so I'm pretty sure if I get some interesting footage as proof along with some publicity and statements from satisfied customers (maybe some from the oil companies I built special workstations for), it'll make it easier to get some loyal customers.

If it all falls apart, at least I'll know I gave a good stab at it. I'm not overly planning on it becoming a main business line so at least I won't have my income riding on it.

Sounds like a wise enough plan chap, all best to you in your new exciting venture. Don't forget OC3D when your a multi-millionare..