| It sounds like you haven't ever actually done what you propose to do. I think you'd be better off getting a job with one of the outfits you intend to mimic, first. Like SwellJoe, I've also been contracting for a number of years. Early on I went to the homes of computer users and fixed their problems. Let me just say, those were some of the worst experiences of my tech career. Don't get me wrong, if going into a stranger's home, often into their bedroom or other intimate space, and mingling with their pets, breathing their smoke or other noxious odor is your idea of a great way to make a buck (I use that term loosely), then this is EXACTLY what you should be doing. I personally can't stand it and will never do it again. I often get employees of my clients asking me if I make housecalls. The answer is always no. If you ever intend to make money supporting businesses then you should be employed with a company that does that in order to learn the ropes and truly identify the needs of that market. It sounds like all you have right now is your anecdotal opinion of what Geek Squad is, or does. If you think you're going to make any useful amount of money visiting individual homes, you're likely in for a rude awakening. The way I did it was to consume all things tech while I had another job and occasionally help friends, family, and referrals with their computer problems. That never did anything but give me occasional lunch money. I then took a couple of MCSE courses because I got them cheap. With those courses and some confidence that I knew wtf I was talking about, I got a job with a company that had a larger company as its client. I worked for that company for a year fixing 5-10 computers a day (I was one of several supporting 800 users). I left that job straight to contracting because I actually knew something then. I had actual experience in the corporate support world. I was an employed contractor for 3 years after which I went completely solo. That was 7 years ago. Today I (me, solo) support about 80 computers across 4 clients and I do web development as it comes, by referral. My rate is $95/hr. and I've been told I could/should raise it many times. Hope this helps. |