Plain and simple yard sales are just not worth it. Price isn’t even the problem. While no one will by anything over a dollar, even putting stuff out for free doesn’t work - it only attracts the Mexicans. Seriously. The last half hour we took all the stuff we wanted inside and left the rest on the lawn with a sign saying “FREE” - out of no where come three local Latinos rummaging through out stuff. So if you see a man at Wendy’s with a Miller Lite racing hat, you know where he got it.
Of course, most of the stuff I was selling was computer parts. Some good, some bad, all of it pretty old. Nevertheless, $20 could have gotten someone a complete computer - including monitor and printer - albeit an older, slower computer, but it would have worked!
Though an idea was sparked when person after person walked by my spread of hardware stupid-eyed and asked, “So who knows computers?” Whether volunteering or pointed out, my cover was blown. A couple then threw random computer questions at me that they were having at home, all hinting towards “hey, will you fix my computer.” And that’s where I’m torn.
I got the sense that the folks in my fair community are not the most computer savvy people. One guy that stopped to talk thought hard drive is memory. He was asking about a few sticks of SDRAM I had marked for a $1.00 and I just couldn’t con him into getting it because he’d take it home expecting his 40GB to increase, and when it doesn’t he comes back looking for his dollar - one dollar! Christ!
So with a deficient population of nerds, I could easily open up a out-of-home computer service shop and probably make a pretty good wad of extra cash, and it would probably be relatively simple stuff coming in, but then I think a little deeper…
After all, I did spend my early years at a computer store doing lots of fixing, repairing, and building. I haven’t purchased a computer off-the-shelf in my life (although that might change next time around). But I know what goes into a computer and I know how to do what these people would need, but then I have to deal with the people.
I’m not saying my customer service skills are crap, because they’re not. I take a little bit of pride in my ability to explain the technical to the non-nerds. But even with that on my side, I would be dealing with what would probably be old, old computers - most of which aren’t supported anymore and they don’t even make parts for. Computers are not like cars where you can still find an exhaust fan for a ‘93 Mustang. If your computer wasn’t new within the past two years (at most) it’s as good as Elmer’s.
OK, it all comes down to service warranties. I don’t want to deal with the hassles of not fixing people’s computers. I saw it too many times when people would bring in their junk PC and pay us to fix it, only to find we couldn’t fix it. Sorry, no money back because it did take several hours just to find out what the problem was, then another hour to find there is no solution except to start over.
I don’t feel I’m good enough at computer service that I can charge someone what they should be charged. That might sound silly coming from me, but it’s true. Now when you talk web sites and software, I know I can cut that mustard, so belly up to the bar! But fixing computers only to know they will take them home and break them again, not so much.
Naturally, I then think of my web site business and think that there are lots of small businesses in the area that could use a good web site. But nobody wants a good web site. Really. They can’t justify $1000 for a web site because they have FrontPage at home and 5Mb of free space with AOL. And nothing says “I’m a professional” like /members.aol.com/~spanky/greenlight/1975/homer/home.html
The lessons once again learned from this yard sale; don’t try to sell computer stuff at a yard sale. Eighty percent of your shoppers are women over 35 and have no idea what they’re looking at. And the 20% that are men are the ones that think they know technology and get mad over a lost $2.00 for a CD burner. There’s no winning, so eBay is the only (unfortunate) alternative for unloading my piles. So when you’re skimming through eBay, keep an eye out for Moogshopper and toss me a bone.
Yeah, doing tech support for home users is difficult. You almost have to hand pick the customers.
With business customers, you can steer the boss towrds computer use policies that will keep the likes of Kazaa, eJackass, and all of their mangey spyware infested friends off of the computers. The person in charge usually has no problem cracking down on activities that are not productive, and mess up the computers so that productivity is potentially stopped completely.
I’ve found that pricing for residential customers is a bit tricky too.
Businesses have no problem forking over the money. It’s a business expense, it comes off their taxes, and time lost is money lost. $40/hr for a computer tech is nothing to them, and it’s generally money well spent.
Residential customers are far more price sensitive, and they tend to mess up the computer over and over again, generally with the same type of behavior!
That and they can be a royal pain in the ass.
I fixed a computer for a customer somewhat recently and I called her to tell her it was ready. Durring the conversation she asked about Microsoft Word and all her kids video games. She “thought that word was included in windows”, and “didn’t realize that all the games would be gone”. Now, keep in mind that we had already covered this when she dropped off her computer with NO DISKS WHATSOEVER!!! I told her that I needed the disks that came with the comptuer, and for any other programs that she needed re-installed. She could produce none for me to use. Luckily I had a Windows98 CD laying around that would take her Windows98 key from the sticker on the side of the computer. So… That computer sat in my shop for over 3 months waiting for her to produce a copy of MS Office for me to install.
Then one day, she calls, and of course it’s an emergency. She needs the computer back that afternoon so that the RoadRunner man can hook it up to the cable modem! I told her that I had moved away from the Grandview area, and now lived 40 minutes away in Delaware. She wanted to follow me home to pick up the PC!!! When I informed her that it would be about a two hour round trip due to the rush hour traffic, she decided to reschedule the roadrunner guy. I told her that I would bring the computer with me to work so that she could pick it up the next day. The PC then sat in the office at work for another week waiting for her to come retrieve it!
Bah!!! I should start charging a storage fee!!
Oh well… At least she didn’t complain about the charge to re-install windows.
G+
You should never be afraid to charge people. If you know you’re worth what you’re charging and they give you lip, then don’t do the work.
There are always other customers. You gotta know that you’re better than the guy that under cuts you by $10 and you have to sell your customer on that too. Just go in and talk and look like you know what you’re doing, and people will pay - gotta be firm.
The same problem with web sites too. An average web site - professionally done - could cost anywhere from $500 - $1200 on average. People hear that and walk away.
Yeah, it’s frustrating but I know that if they go to any other web designer the price will be the same or even worse! Then they try it on there own and find out it’s hard to do and make it look credible.
If people want it, they will pay for it. If they don’t want to pay it, then it’s obviously not that important to them. People will pay when they care. If they don’t care, I don’t want them anyway.
The yard sale wasn’t a TOTAL waste. We did make some money. I think it would have done better if it hadn’t been so damn hot. It was a really uncomfortable day. The lesson I learned: it is far better to shop at a yard sale than to be the one having the yard sale. I was amazed at all the people in need of computer advice.
I am definately not computer savvy but I do know that people will pay for the talent that they do not possess. I remember those good ol’ days in 3rd grade when kids from all over would pay me a nickel (or less) to draw them what they wanted to see. As simple as that! However now I am finding it hard to consider starting an art-like business where my services are not based on a set cost (beyond supplies) which people know the “value” for the item they are purchasing. I would have to set my pricing on what I feel my “art” is worth… It is kind of like pricing historical junk for a garage sale where one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. At one time I would have paid a fortune (or my allowance) for a “prince charming” doll at any garage sale…sadly not all garage sale customers are delusional little girls. I guess I will have to stick with the knowledge that if those who want art cannot fathom (or afford) the price, then they should’nt be expecting hand-made art for nothin’.
The funny thing about people is they all have a different idea of “Value”. Example. In my new line of employeement we sell used musical gear. I have trumpets for $119 which are not very good. I also have trupets for $200 which are very nice. Most people will buy the cheapest one because they figure their kid will quit anyways. Even when you explain why the $200 trupmet is vastly superior. Another example. I had an older lady bring in her Double Bass to sell to us. We offered her $300 for it, once its been cleaned and such (which costs about 50) we can sell it for $399. Not much of a profit margin for us. However because she paid $800 for it not just two years ago she called us crooks and swindlers. Keep in mind that a good Double Bass new should be $2k or more. People form atachments to their items and inflate their value to unreasonable levels. And people who don’t know about something automatically think the cheapest one is the way to go. So the people who think your priceing is to much are not the type of people you want to deal with, because they will always be the ones who complain the loudest when it doesn’t go their way.
It is tough figuring out what you’re worth - especially in the art field where everyonee has their idea of art.
If I was doing art, I would find others doing the same thing I am - or close to it - and then undersell them by $50, simply because my experience is low. You get a few customers in the door, word gets around, and before too long you can raise your prices to where they should be.
You have to be willing to say “No” to people and also be willing to deal with people. That’s the worst. Getting a client for good cash knowing that they will be far more trouble than they are worth.
But you gotta remember you’re good at what you do. Whatever you love to do is what you do. If you love painting, then you’re a painter. If you love instruments, then you’re a instrument person. I love programming so I’m a programmer and I know I’m good at it. It’s stupid to not give yourself credit.
As long as you keep yourself in check you work will be top quality and your customers will stay and come back.
When we were in the process of buying a house I went to message boards about the buying and selling of houses. The people on the boards who were selling their houses were so incredibly attached that they could not understand why people thought they were overpriced. Emotion is an amazing thing. You guys are lucky to have a talent. I don’t think I’ve found mine yet.