I can't get customers

[cwish001]

There is nothing more I wan't to do in life then successfully own and operate a business. I own a small IT service company Campus Technology Solutions Campus Technology Solutions :: Home. It is a computer repair, networking, anything IT company that goes to your residence or business and just fixes what you need. I really want to put up a Kiost in the mall and preform this service, sell smartphones, and build customize computers. I have cisco, leveno, microsoft partnerships, got a dnb number, and I am set up for govnt contract work. The thing is I just cannot get customers. I average less than two a week. I ran an ad in the classifieds in both of our newspapers and the paper on post and no one has even called. I don't think anyone takes a computer business without a shop seriously maybe I should just get the loans (I am a vet) and just set up shop in the mall. This is what I wan't to do with my life, I have tried businesses other times and nothing ever takes off. I have never put a full push into one (because I was in the military or school) I always thought I could build one up slowing and just transition to it fulltime but I am just enapt. Does anyone have any advise. Any suggestions for when you are frustrated. As always I apperciate your comments and critques a long as your provide feedback.

[Gaulkin]

Your business does what hundreds of other businesses do. If your a professional then try finding a niche and go full force with that.

[cwish001]

I agree, The repair part is to common what about the mall thing, Selling smartphones, building customer computers, doing repairs at the kiosk I am trying to find a niche but my area is not a large city.

[byzantium]

Computer repair is extremely common. In a large city you will have two or three well funded big shops that advertise heavily. I decided myself not to bother competing in such a market. "Campus" sounds like a college town, in which case you are competing with not only two or three independent shops but the university repair shop, which can undercut everybody in the student market which is usually 80% of the market. Techie guys love college towns, so there's usually too many shops for too few non-students.

You might consider moving. Small towns often have very few computer repair options, since they're rather boring places. The downside to a small town is that you're an outsider, which can sometimes mean big problems. If you're Latino and/or speak fluent Spanish you might consider a farm town with a large population of migrant workers, like in California's San Joaquin Valley. The PC revolution has reached down to the poor, and once Latino workers get established they tend to get online.

Are you African American? Asian? Ethnic niches have potential with stuff like this. I know with car repair in my city, there are a lot of ethnic shops who cater to Ukrainians or Pakistanis, to name just two. They speak the language and know the culture, so their people trust them before the big boys. If you're white, try a largely white area like the Far West (excluding California).

[Gaulkin]

Computer repair is extremely common. In a large city you will have two or three well funded big shops that advertise heavily. I decided myself not to bother competing in such a market. "Campus" sounds like a college town, in which case you are competing with not only two or three independent shops but the university repair shop, which can undercut everybody in the student market which is usually 80% of the market. Techie guys love college towns, so there's usually too many shops for too few non-students.

You might consider moving. Small towns often have very few computer repair options, since they're rather boring places. The downside to a small town is that you're an outsider, which can sometimes mean big problems. If you're Latino and/or speak fluent Spanish you might consider a farm town with a large population of migrant workers, like in California's San Joaquin Valley. The PC revolution has reached down to the poor, and once Latino workers get established they tend to get online.

Are you African American? Asian? Ethnic niches have potential with stuff like this. I know with car repair in my city, there are a lot of ethnic shops who cater to Ukrainians or Pakistanis, to name just two. They speak the language and know the culture, so their people trust them before the big boys. If you're white, try a largely white area like the Far West (excluding California).

Great idea!.... His business isn't even off the ground and your telling him to move, with what money?

Find a really good niche and go with it. I dont know what that niche is because you have to find it before it will be successful.

[HomeBasedBusinessPLR]

I would agree that going for a tighter niche would probably help you out a lot. It might seem like you're alienating a lot of customers but trust me it will get you noticed and help you stand out from the crowd much much faster!

Also, have you tried marketing your business through article marketing? Video marketing or setting up a blog? There are lots of free ways to advertise online.

[cwish001]

I apperciate everybodys candor, Hear are the specifics of my area.

I live in a town with a big 12 university
I am part of the chamber of commerce
In addition to a college town it has been voted one of the top 10 places to retire
There is a major Army base 10 miles away must of the base personal live in my town

Specialization Ideas:
There are a lot of close by small towns that I could spread out into
I thought about getting into the mall and focusing on smart phones, repair, and building computers.
I can build custom machines like dell, alienware or any of the other but since I live in a college and military town and you guys are suggesting a niche I thought I might start building extreme gaming machines. I will look into the smaller markets. I would like to hear thoughts on the mall, custom computers, and or smartphones. You guys are really helping me sort this out.

[Gaulkin]

Extreme gaming machines is another saturated niche and you wont be able to set yourself apart. Your going to have to find a need that is untouched in your area and then use that need to start the niche.

[cwish001]

I didn't now the extreme gaming machine market was tapped! I was really hoping for that one. Do you think it might work at a local market even if it is tapped out on the larger markets. The chamber will let me rent out the conference room for $50 for four hours. I was thinking of having a customer focus group. I know these groups need to be no more than 12 people but should I mix demographics, IE student, retirement, military or should I have multiple focus groups and do one for each demographic sector. I am really looking for the niche but I think I am going to need to get some consumer research. By the way special thanks to Gaulkin for your multiple postings.

[remipub]

A suggestion purely from a marketing standpoint - keeping in mind that I have no marketing experience with IT services, nor have I studied the subject...

Identify a need (or perceived need), target those who most likely have that need, create a compelling message and/or offer, find the best way to get that offer in front of them, and follow up.

For example, how many people grow frustrated when their computer seems to be running too slow, or it comes from the distributer pre-loaded with a bunch of useless junk that just gets in the way? How about offering potential clients a free or very low cost in home/office computer tune up. Promise to improve performance, free up memory, clean off clutter - whatever you can do to make their computer more usefull. The goal is not to make money from the tune up, but once you are there you can do one or more of the following: Sell them hardware upgrades, sell them software solutions, sell them a service contract (which can include a monthly or quarterly tune up), sell them girl scout cookies .... ok, maybe skip the cookies, but you get the point. Also, once you have established yourself as a provider of something of value, you will be remembered when their hard drive crashes, or they need an entirely new system, or anything else computer/IT related. But for that last point, be sure you are following up on a regular basis after the initial contact (maybe a newsletter for example).

You mentioned your city is one of the best 10 places to retire - many retired people are not tech savvy, but they still use computers. I would think they could benefit from such a service.

[citricle]

Try to add a live chat software on your website, it should help you sell.
We can offer you one completely free if you got 1000 visitors a month or less.
PM me or go to citricle dot com. I can help you set it up.

[byzantium]

You mentioned your city is one of the best 10 places to retire - many retired people are not tech savvy, but they still use computers. I would think they could benefit from such a service.

I think that could be it. If you have an easygoing style and can put old people at ease, that would be a great market. A lot of tech guys are either way too brash or aloof, and the elderly hate both types. The military base and university have in house tech support and can undercut anybody else in their markets. Very few tech guys actually build custom computers, the prefab PC builders like Dell can always build a cheaper computer than some guy in his garage. The real money is in repair. If you were hoping to build extreme gaming computers, forget it. You might try repairing the old folks' PCs. Niche marketing is everything in a broad field like PC repair.

A lot of old people have really old PCs, Classic Pentium era stuff, so if you can get a stash of old parts that are still usable you can be the go to guy for these people. When my great grandfather died we found an old IBM PC, circa maybe 1985, sitting on his desk. He used it for basic stuff and as a toy. It worked, so he saw no need to replace it. The internet wasn't even on the radar screen for this guy, the thing didn't even have a modem. It ran some ancient version of DOS. That's an extreme, most old folks have Windows 98 era machines. Can't get parts for them, but since they run there's no need in their eyes to junk them. Old people are very thrifty, they grew up in a different time. If you could pitch yourself as the fixer of Pentium II computers to these people, that would be great.

[bnachlas]

Hi there...

I know this may sound cliche, but the last thing you can do is get frustrated. When you are doing something that you truly love, perfect the art to the utmost detail. Strategic management says that if you are going to sell the same thing, use a different strategy... If you're going to have the same strategy, sell different things! I wish the best of luck!

[anonymousadguy]

Several of the posts above have touched on this, and rightly so... but the key is to simplify by identifying a niche with a real and unfulfilled need for a service you can provide. Ask yourself, what can you give people that they aren't getting from your potential competitors? Personalized service? Better pricing? Faster turnaround times? Just don't try to do too much or be all things to all people. That's a sure way to fail.

And no, I wouldn't advise spending money on a mall kiosk. You can create a more effective presence online, where most folks who need a service like yours will come looking anyway!

Anonymous Ad Guy

[JayBaum]

I think if your service can speak for it self.(can it?)

Then you need to look at advertising...
From my standpoint, (not understanding your markets demands for these services.)

A direct mail campaign could be effective.

Where i am from, you can get map's of the postal services areas. Break them down to $profitable areas based on Zip codes, and target these areas. Design a "flyer" if you will that is eye catching in a strategic sense, that can lead people to your website, and explain your MAIN services( your services from experience which seem to be steming from the bulk of your existing busienss)

I think direct mail is effective, because you can:
1) Target Business, if thats your market, or target Individual Higerlevel Income Zips. This information is available.
2)Home Run- Run the business without store front costs, provide pick-up or delivery service's.

3) Reach is high, for lo costs advertising. Compared dollars to dollars, view/impression/memorablity, to other higher priced alternatives.


Always I.T should try to create a situation where a monthly fee can be charged for a sercice. Subscription is key in internet profability.

Research is the main part and understanding what type of market you are looking for, and
capitlize on decieding what is the best way to reach your market, and make the benifits out way the costs for the consumer.