Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Vendor-Specific Certifications
There are several vendor-specific certifications that you may or may not qualify for, de-
pending on the brand (or vendor) for which you wish to become certified.
Fortunately, there is a testing program that is open to the public that provides certifications
on Apple hardware and software so an individual can become a Macintosh Certified Tech-
nician. Again, if you're choosing to go into the Apple niche of the repair field, this certific-
ation would be most valuable to you and your marketing plan.
You can visit Apple's website for details, buy the study guides online, study on your own
time, and then schedule a test at a local Sylvan Prometric Testing Center. These are located
around the country and offer professional certifications for Macintosh computer systems.
There are fees involved, but they are minuscule compared to a traditional education at a
college or technical school, and one can become a certified Mac technician within weeks if
a rigid study habit is formed.
The Repair Technician Schedule
It's time to figure out how much time you'll be able to spend working on your new busi-
ness. It's a balancing act between your personal life and business life; however, as you
might imagine or will soon discover, the lines are vague for an owner/operator.
In a new business you'll want to consider the market that you're appealing to. Will it be
mostly business customers? Or will you appeal to the general market? Your operating hours
may make a difference in a sale, and in the beginning, most small businesses will want
every sale possible. Even after all of the potential benefits of being a business owner, the
bottom line is that you're in business to make money. Hopefully a lot of it.
In the service industry, it seems counterintuitive to make customers work around your
schedule. There is a fine line, and eventually within your day you will want to “call it
quits.” The point is to pick business hours that work for your customers, then tailor your
life schedule around them.
Be Flexible and Accommodating
I started my computer repair business initially being open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is a
typical workday, and since I was an owner, it seemed to make the most sense for me. In the
beginning I had a partner, my cousin Kyle Baccus, and we would both work and alternate
lunch schedules. This gave us the flexibility to remain open for the entire shift, which kept
us open for nine hours a day.
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