New business idea, college student

**gustav213** · 05-27-2008 07:56 PM

Hey everyone well I have been here for a while and always was looking at crazy business ideas to large for me to start. I am a college student and well ofcourse dont have unlimited spending money. So i was sitting at home and found a pretty neat idea to help students at my school and later spread out to the surrounding area. Well let me get to the point, I work on the campus help desk fixing computers, but of course due to liability issues we cannot fix viruses or help with hardware issues and install programs. We have an SOS list of tech students on campus that help with those issues for a fee, normally like $20 an hour or a set price for a service.

I was thinking that it be a nice idea to have an online service for these people. I know a lot about computers and I am always helping my friends installing things and setting up new computers. Anyways my idea was to set up a web page for tech help. Things from simple tech questions to installing Office 2007, or transferring songs form there ipod to there itunes something I have helped my friends a lot with. A lot of these things can be done remotely with certain software. I was thinking of starting this type of thing on campus, give out to my friends and tell them to spread the word. The way it will work is they will send me an email, call or if I am online send me an instant message in the website, go over the problem if I can fix it there perfect if not I can actually go to there room or apartment and fix it. Of course for a certain price. I was just wondering if you guys had any does on it, does it sound good, anything...

Thanks

**ApplianceJunk** · 05-27-2008 11:16 PM

Hi,

Sounds like a great idea!

**gustav213** · 05-27-2008 11:47 PM

Also I am in the Forth Worth area so no big tech support besides Geek Squad, and no Apple Store anywhere nearby. Plus I noticed through Facebook I can advertise to only students from TCU. And I noticed that Meebo can create guest rooms for your website.The only expense I would really go into is web site. I can design it so not a big issue. and hosting isnt that much nowadays.

**allysa** · 05-28-2008 03:53 AM

Yes, pretty good idea. Also, you may set up a chatting community for any online questions and concerns.

**gustav213** · 05-29-2008 10:31 PM

well actually I was looking instead of a forum having a blog connected to it, where I would be able to do daily post of computer things, ranging from new viruses, new technologies, things to keep my customers alert. The problem with having a forum is that I would also have to moderate it and I don't think I could do that right now.

I am also looking at having some type of affiliate thing where I could recommend anti virus, firewall etc, to my customers, even find a way to have services already listed where they could pick virus cleaning and anti virus installation and I could buy and install and clean the computer for set prices etc things like that.

**breatheeasy17** · 05-29-2008 11:04 PM

sounds great. my school offers free service and anyone who didn't buy a computer thru school is fresh out of luck completely

**gustav213** · 05-29-2008 11:30 PM

Nice, my school doesnt, I work in the help desk and if it isnt something related to Wireless issues, we refer you to the SOS list which is pretty much go pay someone to fix your problem.

I have been googling the idea and have found a couple websites that offer the same service I want to offer like 2 or 3 websites that do it, but I do think I have an upper hand being able to say I can come to your room if you need the extra help.

I did have a good idea though, I noticed that people dont really fix there computers that much in a year, I was thinking of offering a set price for 1 year of service and unlimited online backup of your computer. What do yall think.

**cwish001** · 05-29-2008 11:33 PM

I tried this at my school and it didn't seem to work very well. People are just not as willing to pay for services as they use to be a few years back. I think it may be good to set up a free online tech help site then get a lot of people intrested in it then sell advertising on the site. Not just google adwords but actually call local business and get them to put up a ad for $50 a month. I was in the navy and my job was to set up networks and repair computers. I thought I could do that as a business part time when I was in school and was really suprise by how little demand there was for that type of service. Of course that was in my area, Kansas so in Fort Worth there may be more of a demand.

**gustav213** · 05-29-2008 11:37 PM

Well I have been thinking of it alot, and the reason I see demand for it is that a lot students at TCU have money and there just isnt any real tech support besides the 4 guys on the SOS list which I am one off and we get calls weekly, and alot of people end up going to geeksquad for simple things which is quite a drive. I was thinking if I can put flyers around school before school starts incoming freshmen and especially there parents will be intrigued into having there kids computer safe for the price of one visit to geeksquad.

It really isnt much of a startup cost in my view and I think I can see how it goes this year.

**gustav213** · 05-29-2008 11:38 PM

Plus one more thing with the remote support I can help them even if they are not at school, something I think may draw people in.

**entrepresooner** · 05-30-2008 11:14 AM

I am working on a similar idea that I am goin to be doing at OU next semester. I have some really good ideas for guerilla marketing on campus that may interest you. PM me and I'll tell you what im thinking.

I want to also do Ipod, and possibly console repairs, b/c every student has an Ipod, and many have xbox360/ps3/wii.

Its no biggie if you only get a few customers b/c there is almost no overhead. Actually if you don't create a website, then there is ZERO overhead....

**cwish001** · 05-30-2008 02:01 PM

gustav213

try making a facebook group. That would be free and would probly get some exposure. Just don't make the same mistake I did and sign up for some advertising services like yellowpages that you cannot get out of for a year. I am still making a $60 payment every month until september and the terms were set so that I cannot cancel. Don't subscribe to such things until you have a actual income. Good luck!!!

**businesscredit** · 06-04-2008 12:13 PM

hey sounds like a great idea and when you get that site up and runing let me know I would like to advertise on your website my site which is www.fastcreditcardapprovals.com, go for it its a great idea because there are so many people that are not technical, you could also do cell phones speciallly smart phones. you got the seed just water and make it grow, you could advertise on my site and I'll advertise on yours plus I'm working on a couple other projects. Good luck