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Thread ID: 22677	2002-07-27 03:46:00	For Elwin Way	dipstick01 (445)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
65916	2002-07-29 11:36:00	Good for you Elwin . You are a real go-er and you'll get somewhere . Just be patient about success coming; it won't happen overnight but it will happen . I know it's hard but just keep that attitude of yours positive . :-) Faxes: at work we have a fax directory book similar to the telephone book, only it lists all the fax numbers in NZ, I think . Try and get hold of one, it would be easier to use than the yellow pages in tracking down fax numbers . The new telephone books have just been delivered down here so if you can find out whether the fax directory is reissued as well, you could possibly get hold of someone's old one . Most of the numbers would stay current - well, enough of them to be useful to you . Or maybe the library has got a copy? Think about who you want to target - small to medium sized businesses? How about places such as real estate offices, lawyer firms, anyone like that . You'll have to go through the yellow pages to dig them out first then find their fax number in the fax directory if it isn't listed in the YP, as a lot aren't . On your advert you need to say that you are a qualified (insert qualifications and experience) computer technician who can offer computer servicing, repairs, troubleshooting, etc etc . Like you say, hopefully they'll file away your fax and when they need help they'll be able to dig it out and contact you . I came across an interesting business plan last night . It's a got lot of pages to click through but try and have a read of it as it's pretty much what you are wanting to do and has some good tips: Business Plan ( . bplans . com/c/sp/d/index . cfm?s=946&sh=1&topic=1" target="_blank">www . bplans . com) Elwin, have you tried Workbridge? They assist people with disabilities to get a job, I think it's a free service (meaning I think they don't dock your pay for the first week like employment agencies do) . There is one down here and I found two Workbridges in Welly in the white pages but whether they are who you want I'm not sure . Your wife could phone them, or you could send them a fax and ask . They do a lot of work to generate contacts willing to take on disabled people . It might take a while to get an appointment but if nothing else, you might get work before you get an interview with them . :D As far as a name goes, how about Way Good PC Tech or something like that? Like godfather said, you can make something really good out of your name . I like godfather's slogan too . I'm sure the rest of the team will dream up something real neat . C'mon guys/gals, get the thinking caps on!	Susan B (19)
65917	2002-07-29 11:45:00	dont rely on the fax directory, its not like the phone book as you have to ask to have it listed. Elwin try a selective search on the web on yellow or white pages, they also have fax numbers listed, again only if the company has asked. At least you can do it in your space though.	godfather (25)
65918	2002-07-29 12:33:00	Don't expect miracles from the fax campaign . . . . . . by all means do it as any way to get your name out there is a good one, I spent the last year as a sales manager for a door to door company and the best method of advertising is still word of mouth . Tell all you know what you are doing, and I mean everyone !! Pretty soon they will run into someone that has a puter problem and will remember you Business cards are a necessary evil, most people do what I do and put them someplace handy like the bin every time we clean out our wallets . . . . . even so you will need some eventually but they are easy to whip up on your pc . Why not think outside the square a little and advertise for the basic home user too?? . . . . . offer a back up service . . . . . . . . for $$$ you will take a complete back up of their computer for the next time they have a major crash, add the back up service as part of the service when you repair their machine . . . . . fix the machine and then give them a cd with the basics on like drivers etc . . . how about a puter clean up service . . . . . . . . . clean out the insides . . . . . fan etc . . . . . and then clean up the software . Its amazing the difference running a good reg cleaner and emptying a persons junk files will make to their computer . Look for reformatting work too . . . . . . . . . there are a LOT of people out there that know how to turn their machine on and check their emails and nothing else . Most don't know that their puter needs regular service etc . What about all the people that catch a virus and then have to turn to friends who half the time have no idea and just reformat the machine to "fix" the problem . If you can kill the virus for them and save their files most people would be happy to pay for that . How about a service check for people looking at buying a second hand machine?? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . all these are things most techs can do but never advertise for and there are a lot of people out there that need these services . Most of those ideas wont cost you $$ to do and there is ample opportunity there for selling the customer an upgrade . . . . . more ram . . . . . bigger HD . . . . . better cooling . . . . . . . Anti Virus . . . . . . . . all of which customers need but often dont know they need .	dipstick01 (445)
65919	2002-07-30 01:06:00	Ohhh, looky, I made the hot topics list! :D Thanks for all your tips , ideas and info. Incidentally, last time I tried to start a repairs business, it going to be called CPR - Computer Parts and Repairs. And a slogan of something like "Call [phone number] when your computer needs CPR!" Feedback?	Elwin Way (229)
65920	2002-07-30 04:26:00	CPR sounds neat, I like that . Dipstick offered some sound advice, I was going to suggest the same sorts of things . Another thing you could do, to expand on the fax theory, is to produce a "newletter", say every fortnight, and either fax it to your targets or sniff around for businesses that you could put it in their letterboxes, or even go in the door and put it on their front desk . That way you could introduce yourself while you're at it, which would be a good idea . The newletter could be along the likes of a different topic for each one on things businesses ought to know about their computer . For example tell them they should be backing up, how to do it, when to do it, etc etc and end them all with "I can help you with this, contact me for advice" . Another topic can be virus protection - explain what a virus is, how you get them, how to avoid them and contact you for further advice or assistance on removing one . Get the drift? Bombard them regularly enough with good useful info and eventually someone will get back to you . It's a good way of getting exposure to your name and building up trust in your abilities - if you sound like you know what you are talking about people will have confidence in you . Have a list of your services on each newletter so that they know what you can do . One thing essential to a business like this is communication . That means you need to be contactable so you should investigate what gadgets there are that will enable this . You need something that you can read rather than listen to . There is no point in your customers faxing you at home and you having to go home all the time to see if there is anything there . A mobile phone with text messaging is one excellent means for you but I'm sure there are others, with the way technology is now .	Susan B (19)
65921	2002-07-30 10:19:00	Hey Elwin just went to your site and those designs you have on there are really cool. Spesh like the first page you come to the "enter" one. Dave	dave e (474)
65922	2002-07-30 10:37:00	>>One thing essential to a business like this is communication . I don't know if they are still around but back in the early days of mobiles (very expensive items then) there were alpha-numeric pagers . My husband hired one . We paid a monthly hire fee and calls cost the caller around 12c . To get him I dialled a number and dictated a short message to a person who typed it out . The beginnings of text messaging .	Heather P (163)
65923	2002-07-30 11:53:00	Heather, that reminded me of a news report a few months back so I searched Google and came up with this . I have pasted a portion of it here, but go to the following address for the full report . . scoop . co . nz/mason/stories/PA0205/S00046 . htm" target="_blank">www . scoop . co . nz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Government Backs Deaf Relay Service Thursday, 2 May 2002, 9:44 am Press Release: New Zealand Government 2 May 2002 A telephone relay service will be set up for people who are Deaf, or who have speech or hearing impairments, Communications Minister Paul Swain and Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson announced today . The relay service will be established as a Telecommunications Service Obligation (TSO), under the Telecommunications Act 2001 . The Act requires telecommunications companies to provide services that are defined as TSOs . However, the Minister of Communications must consult with the industry and other interested parties before a service can be declared a TSO . The service will enable people with communication disabilities to converse using a teletypewriter (TTY) to type text . An intermediary converts that text into conversation for the person at the other end and vice versa .	exLL (515)
65924	2002-07-30 12:39:00	I have a cellphone okay? It does text messaging! The only reason why I have it! :p BTW those TTY things are horribly expensive...	Elwin Way (229)
65925	2002-07-30 12:45:00	> Hey Elwin just went to your site and those designs > you have on there are really cool. Spesh like the > first page you come to the "enter" one. > Dave Thanks Dave, its nice to get feedback of any kind, but especially the good stuff. :) Incidentally, the front graphic is made up of: -A photo of an eye -The Keyhole nebula taken by the Hubble scope -Another nebula by hubble -some lines and circles and text. Oh, one of the texts is part of a WMP skin script. Done with Photochop, Photopaint, and Fireworks.	Elwin Way (229)
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