Side jobs...

vCole

Anyone do their own side jobs? Like computer repair/minor networking?

Mishra

Business creation. I will achieve a business someday!

ScottFern

I do it. Its a nice way to make some extra cash on the side, but the business is way too irregular for me. If I could get more business I would glady take it, but it just seems like I haven't done a good job advertising mysefl!

drainey

Not as much anymore. I used to do quite a bit. It's hard to balance the extra work with family though. It was nice extra money though. Someday I'd like to get back into it and try to grow it enough to be able to work just for myself. But the kids are only young once so I guess it'll be a while before that happens.

cisco_trooper

I do. I make 600 - 800 a month doing side jobs. I've manage to get a single client that needs crap done every week which works out good for my wallet. Like someone else said though, the demands on your time sometimes aren't worth it.

vCole

cisco_trooper wrote:

I do. I make 600 - 800 a month doing side jobs. I've manage to get a single client that needs crap done every week which works out good for my wallet. Like someone else said though, the demands on your time sometimes aren't worth it.

I'm just wondering how to "advertise" so to speak.

seuss_ssues

I dont do it as much anymore but i used to do a fair amount of side jobs. I got new clients simply from word of mouth.

Fix person A's computer, do a good job, and have a decent rate....they tell their neighbor, brother/sister, coworkers, etc.....i was getting calls from new people all the time.

ScottFern

seuss_ssues wrote:

I dont do it as much anymore but i used to do a fair amount of side jobs. I got new clients simply from word of mouth.

Fix person A's computer, do a good job, and have a decent rate....they tell their neighbor, brother/sister, coworkers, etc.....i was getting calls from new people all the time.

Yeah, that was my plan all along, but I just don't seem to be getting the referrals I need.

cisco_trooper

FadeToBright wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

I do. I make 600 - 800 a month doing side jobs. I've manage to get a single client that needs crap done every week which works out good for my wallet. Like someone else said though, the demands on your time sometimes aren't worth it.

I'm just wondering how to "advertise" so to speak.

I just put something out on craigslist. That's how I found the weekly cashflow client...and I only did it once. Sure I could get more if I tried.

vCole

cisco_trooper wrote:

FadeToBright wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

I do. I make 600 - 800 a month doing side jobs. I've manage to get a single client that needs crap done every week which works out good for my wallet. Like someone else said though, the demands on your time sometimes aren't worth it.

I'm just wondering how to "advertise" so to speak.

I just put something out on craigslist. That's how I found the weekly cashflow client...and I only did it once. Sure I could get more if I tried.

hmmm...there's a lot of ads out there already. Seeing as I live in Rhode Island it's kind of a small state.

vCole

As you can see, there's a lot:
http://providence.craigslist.org/cps/

cisco_trooper

More than one of those are the same guy.

You can also put something out in resumes. You don't have to put a resume out there. I just put that I was looking for supplemental income or something to that effect and that I was the god of networking.

Had an email within an hour.

famosbrown

I used to do it, but it got too busy. I was making a lot of money, but decided to stop for a while until I can do it legally. I wasn't claiming any of the income at all. It's pretty easy to setup a LLC and get a TAX ID for the work, but I just didn't want to go through with it with other things that take priority.

I marketed myself with Word of Mouth and performance at work. It's been about two years since I did it consistently. I still do a little on the side, but I don't charge...but then again, they have to wait until I get to it .

vCole

Posted in the Resume section, nothing yet.

blargoe

I started to do this several years ago, but 1 marriage and 3 kids later and with a much more demanding full time job I don't really have the time anymore.

I do still have my main customer but don't do as much for them anymore. Maybe 5 hours per month.

Knowing people is the best way to get started, and word of mouth will help it grow.

cisco_trooper

FadeToBright wrote:

Posted in the Resume section, nothing yet.

You may try a couple more too, they are anonymous so no one is going to know you've posted more than once. Try 2 or 3 different postings and post them every day or two.

vCole

Anyone own a consulting firm?

I've been thinking more and more I want to a.) Own my own business or b.) own a consulting firm.

cisco_trooper

FadeToBright wrote:

Anyone own a consulting firm?

I've been thinking more and more I want to a.) Own my own business or b.) own a consulting firm.

Doesn't option b fall under option a?

vCole

cisco_trooper wrote:

FadeToBright wrote:

Anyone own a consulting firm?

I've been thinking more and more I want to a.) Own my own business or b.) own a consulting firm.

Doesn't option b fall under option a?

Sort of. But I meant a. to be more along the lines of a regular computer repair type shop.

motogpman

My last job had me in several businesses/homes a day. Word of mouth generates a ton of business, BE PROFESSIONAL as well as look the part, do a good job and people talk. get a magnetic sign for your vehicle, that is FREE advertisement. Especially if places like Best Buy charge what they do for something as simple as a memery upgrade..... LOL! Be careful with taxes and such, maybe start with a DBA. You would be amazed at how many people turn stuff into their accountants, ask your self if you want your name coming into the radar of the IRS. I have seen it happen, AUDITS are not fun.

Downside.... it's very competitive, that is why I made the professional comment above. I had to finally turn people away, it is cheaper for them to buy, say a Dell with phone support, then me getting a call from them at midnight because they ( or their teenagers) put some crap on their system and expect me to be at their beckon call. Having to be a jack of all trades, some people expect "computer nerds" to know all, so if they downloaded some software and ask if you have seen it, your answer may have them looking at you like a deer in headlights. If your response is "no", then they sometimes take it as you aren't adequate. Make sure that if you work for a company and that's how you met them, BE VERY CAREFUL that it doesn't fall under non compete, we had to fire some guys because they messed up someone's PC and they called the company about it, even though it was after hours and not on company time, .... it opened up a whole big can of worms.

vCole

motogpman wrote:

My last job had me in several businesses/homes a day. Word of mouth generates a ton of business, BE PROFESSIONAL as well as look the part, do a good job and people talk. get a magnetic sign for your vehicle, that is FREE advertisement. Especially if places like Best Buy charge what they do for something as simple as a memery upgrade..... LOL! Be careful with taxes and such, maybe start with a DBA. You would be amazed at how many people turn stuff into their accountants, ask your self if you want your name coming into the radar of the IRS. I have seen it happen, AUDITS are not fun.

Downside.... it's very competitive, that is why I made the professional comment above. I had to finally turn people away, it is cheaper for them to buy, say a Dell with phone support, then me getting a call from them at midnight because they ( or their teenagers) put some crap on their system and expect me to be at their beckon call. Having to be a jack of all trades, some people expect "computer nerds" to know all, so if they downloaded some software and ask if you have seen it, your answer may have them looking at you like a deer in headlights. If your response is "no", then they sometimes take it as you aren't adequate. Make sure that if you work for a company and that's how you met them, BE VERY CAREFUL that it doesn't fall under non compete, we had to fire some guys because they messed up someone's PC and they called the company about it, even though it was after hours and not on company time, .... it opened up a whole big can of worms.

My company is a large electrical contractor. So having my side job wouldn't be an issue...

nato76

Any other tips on side jobs?

Technowiz

What kind of rates do you guys charge? I started doing this last year and was hurting for money at the time so only charged $45 per hour plus mileage. I stayed busy but the problem was the clients I got were very miserly. They would complain if it took me longer to finish a task than they thought it would. They even complained when I went to their location one day on my lunch break to fix a printer problem. Took me 15 minutes not counting the travel time and they b*tched when I charged them for an hour.

So I changed from doing hourly to a per job basis like geek squad does. I actually go off of their price sheet and beat their prices. Haven't advertised in quite a while so not as busy as I used to be but I had one job this week that took 3.5 hours and I made $240. Not bad for an evenings work.

Mishra

65 dollars an hour. You have to take into fact that taxes eat about 40-45% of everything you make so 65 is really 35 or so. 45 dollars would only be 24 dollars an hour.

65 is a great price anyways.

sprkymrk

I only do side work for friends/relatives. They bring the computer to me and leave it. I get to it when I can (though I do make an effort to be timely) and I charge zero. That way they don't feel like they "own" me for free tech support for anything/everything that goes wrong with their computer over the next 3 years. Also they are less likely to ask me to fix their computers for trivial stuff because I refuse to accept payment so they know it's a favor and not a "job". If I accepted payment I would actually get people who think they are doing me a favor by bringing me all their problems.

I used to charge (though very little) and it was just not worth the trouble. However, if I went full time (not side jobs) obviously I would charge a competetive rate for my area and expertise and make sure I was bonded/insured.