What You Need in Your Home Workspace - How to Start a Home-based Computer Repair Business - page 45

I suggest an upright, two-door lockable cabinet for these sacred items. Make sure that you
keep good control over these components and customer units. You don't want the neigh-
bor's daughter wandering in thinking that nifty iPad sitting on your desk is community
property. If it's a customer unit and you've been entrusted with it, you need to keep it safe.
A Shipping Space
Mark my words, even if you are a local business with no intention of shipping out devices
to customers all over the country, you will end up shipping something to someone more
than once. I recommend that you create a small shipping space in the beginning to ensure
that you're ready for this eventuality.
The shipping space in your new business can be simple. Truly, if you're not intending to
ship out of your home office on a daily basis, there is no need for alarm. However, you will
want to have a few supplies on hand to perform this task easily (see the checklist below).
Once you have a few supplies, shipping with the United States Post Office is easy online,
and printable labels can be created instantaneously. The nice part about the USPS is that
they will pick your packages up for free on a daily basis and you can most certainly consult
your mail carrier for advice on shipping options. Additionally, you can sign up for accounts
with UPS and FedEx if you want to offer different methods of shipping for your customers.
Shipping Station Checklist
n Tape gun.
n several small boxes. This is a simple device that is manually operated and keeps a spool
of two-inch packing tape ready and at your disposal. You'll want a few of each size box
that you anticipate needing to ship devices back to customers.
n Box cutter or scissors.
n sharpie or other writing implements.
n Clipboard.
n packing material.
To keep all of your orders organized.
You can use old newspapers, bubble wrap, kraft paper, or styrofoam peanuts.
n Address labels.
n packing-list envelopes. These will contain a copy of your customer's receipt or origi