Posts Tagged ‘maintenance’

Computer Maintenance Contract Subcontracting For National Service Organizations

Many small business IT consultants wonder as they are starting their businesses whether or not they should do computer maintenance contract subcontracting for national service organizations.

The simple answer is, “NO!” Essentially, you will spend a lot of money and time getting certified and learning the latest platforms and technologies and best practices. And you will end up doing a lot of low-level, low-skilled hardware repair and work that puts you in the same category as a commodity. Why? Because every year, hardware components become more disposable and replaceable and less repairable.

The following 4 tips can help you understand why you should stay away from doing computer maintenance contract subcontracting with a national service organization:

1. Many Computers are Dirt-Cheap and Basically Disposable. As an example, think about a standard $400 consumer-grade PC. Can you imagine one of your clients spending money on an out-of-warranty repair for this type of computer? And who would spend money out of warranty as part of an on-going computer maintenance contract to have a $400 laser printer repaired? You can’t focus your consulting business on these minor computer repairs. Rather, you should target small businesses that need your help on more complex IT business problems and can afford your sophisticated expertise.

2. Labor Allowances for Computer Maintenance Contract Work are Low with National Service Organizations. National service organizations are going to be dealing with warranty repairs on pretty inexpensive hardware. That being said, how big will the labor allowance be for a $1,200 notebook? Many big hardware vendors are so hard-up for cash that they are always on the verge of going out of business. There are only a handful of major hardware players that are still in good financial shape. So you have to think about what your chances of getting paid well in this situation will be.

3. Think About Your Profit Margins on Computer Maintenance Contract Repairs for National Service Organizations. Consider what you will make on a repair. You will probably only make somewhere between $50 and $200 (at the absolute most). You will do a lot better when you find small businesses in your area that need high-level professional IT services on a regular basis and not just your help unjamming a printer or rebooting a computer.

4. Computer Maintenance Contract Subcontracting for National Service Organizations is Barely Profitable. When you act as a subcontractor for a national service provider, you will be working against yourself and your business constantly. You will most likely be in eight different offices every day as opposed to one or two. And you will be given a $65 labor allowance to replace a system board, no matter how long it takes you, instead of billing out $100-$150 per hour for high-end network support services and network integration services.

Repairing and troubleshooting hardware is low-end commodity work and should be left to those that can afford to bill out at $20-$30 per hour. You need to focus on high-end consulting and establishing a strong computer maintenance contract program with steady, high-paying clients if you want to really succeed in the small business IT world.

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Computer Maintenance in Connecticut – Be Proactive

If you are like most people, you think
computer maintenance is for people that have something wrong with their computers, not for a computer that is running. Computer maintenance really falls into a few different modes which Ill make an attempt to define.

Denial Mode : Problems? I dont have any problems.

Most computer users / owners only fix a problem after it becomes a crisis for them. That is to say, your computer might be running as loud as a truck for 6 months but it only gets attention after it decides not to turn on one day. The problem that needed fixinghas been there for 6 months and could have been eliminated in under an hour for about $50, but now, it will take more time and more money. There used to be a car repair commercial that had a tagline You can pay me know, or you can pay me laterand to a certain extent is true when it comes to computer repair. There are many things computers do or dont do¦that should alert us as users that there may be a problem than can be easily addressed now but if you wait long enough will be catastrophic tomorrow. Have you ever had a hard drive crash on you? It is one of these OH NO! experiences because most people arent prepared for the options they have. When was the last backup done? Ever? Do you have the Operating System Disks that came with the computer? How many songs were there? Do you even remember how many programs you had installed and operating?

There are companies, local and national, that offer data recovery services for failed harddrives but make sure your checking account has a high balance because these places charge thousands of dollars to recover your digital pictures and music files.

Complacency Mode : I know its broken, but I dont have the time to fix it.
Really, not a lot of difference between this user and the denial user. The result will be the same ( See Panic ) The complacent user is aware that they have a problem, but believes that they just dont have the time to deal with it. The problem will fester this way until the user is forced to deal with it by graduating to the next category..Panic Mode

Panic Mode : Ohmygod Ohmygod Ohmygod Ohmygod
This is a full failure due to a hardware problem or sometimes a software problem. It usually means that the user will have to deal with loss of use ( crippling for business users ) or loss of data ( devastating for business users ) or a combination of both. While it is possible to recover from either of these positions, it will be costly. Independent statistics claim up to 90% of businesses that lose data caused by a disruption or disaster are forced to close down within two years.

These computer problems can be avoided with preventative maintenance. The term Computer maintenance has all too often been mis applied by users as being the result of what happens when your computer breaksor fails. Computer Maintenance is really about taking steps to make sure you never get to Panicmode. It doesnt have to be expensive. Companies like ePRO, LLC can make arrangements with you to come to your home or office and physically clean your computer once per year by vacuuming the dust and debris than can choke off the air supply to the internal components of your computer. Companies like
ePRO, LLC can also arrange to remotely monitor the condition of your computer and offer plans to peek at your computers health status once a month. Computer Maintenance plans come is a wide range of options that can be a s simple as a site visit once per year to make sure everything is running properly, to all encompassing monthly remote monitoring.

Even though computer maintenance options plans might add a few dollars to the operating costs of your computer, it is far less expensive to proactively maintain your computer than the type of reactive repair costs you will need to deal with in the event of a catastrophic failure. Call a computer service company like ePRO, LLC today

Gino Orfitelli is the Owner of ePRO, LLC. A computer service company with a unique twist, they come to your home or office and service your equipment

Click Here to be directed to ePRO, LLC
for assistance with all things computer

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Managing computer maintenance the right way

Even if you buy the best model of computer available in the market, it may not be possible to avoid Computer repairs altogether. But it will definitely be possible to reduce repairs if you can follow the simple rules of computer maintenance correctly.

A very easy to follow computer maintenance rule is running a routine virus scan. The antivirus program can be set to do the scanning daily or weekly as the user chooses. It is also important to update the program regularly to keep pace with the malicious codes that are trying to keep ahead of these counteracting programs. Most of the virus removal software is today set to receive updates at regular intervals.

Almost all antivirus programs can block malware that have identifiable signatures. Some antivirus programs will also have added features that can further reduce the need for Computer repairs. Some will help the user to detect whether a site is safe enough to be visited, or a program is safe enough to be installed. Some antivirus programs will identify even malware that does not have a known signature. They are able to identify it by the way the program is acting. There are many web sites that provide comparison charts of antivirus programs to enable the user to choose the one he needs.

Regular cleaning of the registry will also help in computer maintenance, and in limiting the number of Computer repairs. While those who have sound knowledge of computer technology may be able to manage this even manually, for the others registry cleaning software is available that will take care of routine cleaning. It will do the scanning of the registry, will repair the damaged files, and remove the unwanted ones. Users should ideally choose a registry cleaning software that is user friendly and for which steady customer support is available.

Data proofing by backing up data to an external hard drive is also a part of computer maintenance. When data is secure, it is less risky to run various cleanup programs. Further, outside storage devices are a better place for files that occupy lots of space and are not required for daily use. The data will remain safe and the process will free space within the computer.

Freeing disk space, both by using external storage devices, and also by deleting unnecessary files and programs, is also important in computer maintenance. External drives that are fireproof and water proof are available in the market. There are also online storage services that provide space for saving data online. This is a very handy system since users can access files stored on storage web sites from anywhere in the world. There is not even the bother of carrying a CD or an external drive along.

Programs that do automatic driver updates are also suggested for easy computer maintenance. As drivers are crucial for the synchronized action of both the hardware and software components of a computer, it is important that they are at their performance best and are kept updated. The driver update program will scan the system, identify the drivers that are becoming out of date, and will generate the necessary downloads. There are plenty of tools that can effectively minimize Computer repairs.

PCSoft is a Sydney based computer repairs and Services Company providing same day onsite pc repairs and support services anywhere in Sydney and its suburbs. We can send a technician to your home or office for onsite assistance and computer maintenance. Our team of expert, experienced and certified computer repair technicians is just a phone call away.

I am a Microsoft Certified Professional. I conduct Training and Certification Guidance for
Microsoft .Net Certification Courses through my training institute-Sierra Infotech. I also own and manage a
SEO Company and
article Directory.

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