OT : Starting own business

Supporting local businesses IT equipment.

You know the thing, designing, installing, maintaining, servicing
(service contracts), upgrading & supplying local companies IT
infrastructures.

Is there a market for it? Or do most companies go to the equipment
manufacturers or the big IT support companies?

If there is a market for it, whats it likely to turnover PA?

Any anyone got any pointers to how to get started, re. market research,
government help, etc?

 

I've found it to be quite profitable, so far.

Well, we're knocking on £100k this year

We started with nothing, apart from an idea and a bit of cash. Where are
you based, be happy to meet up and share experiences.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

We cover Surrey, Sussex, London, Hampshire
and are doing quite well.
Plenty of competition mind, so we offer open contracts to get the business
www.lansupport.co.uk

 

is that T/Over or Added Value (GP) ?

 

It's a fairly competitive marketplace and lots of shit to plough through
to get going. Might be worth talking to Tallbloke, he has tried.
What you need is a niche product or service offering.

No.1 thing to remember about going into business is that it's not a
technical project, it is a sales and marketing project.

'Hog

 

'Hog scribbled:

Cheers.

I do have plans to target a specific sector but thats going to take a
few people and lots of work and promoting to get going, so in the mean
time I need something to be a "cash cow" to to build up a customer base
and reputation to work from.

I know, and I know I'll need to learn a lot of business sense to
succeed as I'm really a pure techie at the moment.

 

Catman scribbled:

Milton Keynes?

 

Nidge scribbled:

Thanks, I'll ask around and see what advice/help/funds are available.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, frag

Mate, if you're not too sure where you live, I'd forget starting a
business for the moment.

Got your email BTW, no problem. Drop me another when you've got it and
we'll work something out.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
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Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Wicked Uncle Nigel scribbled:

Cheers, I'm just about to set off with trailer to pick it up in a
couple of hours.

No problem riding it to yours (30 miles or so you said?) to apply lump
hammers

 

Rope scribbled:

<received and mulls being applied>

 

The name keeps chnging but - yeah - What has been variously called

Do this *before* you start. Having got some way into starting my own
business I discovered there was all sorts available - which by then I wasn't
entitled to as I'd been trading for about 6 or 7 months.

 

Harlow. Not too far.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Copy here?
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

In Northern Ireland we have some better capabilities than BT, they are a
*lot* more successful and it's down to having professional sales teams
out on the street. We cannot fund that. NTL are kicking BT's ass here
despite a shite service offering, again it's down to having another
magnitude of better front line sales effort.

I've never owned a service business which met it's full potential
because I'm not a sales person type and I've never had the resources to
employ a top level sales director/front line team. All the available
funds always seem to get eaten on the technical delivery.....and toys!

If you are thinking of going in with a partner, don't do it with another
techie, find the IT equivalent of Loz.

'Hog

 

Rope says...

Pah!

Pay peanuts, get monkies.

 

Cheers. I agree with just about everything, except that business link here
is shite IME
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Catman scribbled:

Will arrange a meet up, maybe possible to rope in Rope too if he's not
too far away?

At the moment I'm just after any hints/tips, the best way(s) of
drumming up business & best ways of determining demand for things.

 

No idea where he is TBH

I can prolly offer some experience, whether it's worth anything is another
issue.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Catman scribbled:

Ok, I'll email you and Rope my mobbly number and we'll try to sort a
meeting out at some half decent noshery.