Career choices

[GoldenDog]

I am going to college in a few years and wanted to do pc repairs and/or open my own place. I had a question for you guys who own your own tech repair places/owned your own tech repair places: what education did you have if any?

Any comments or info would be helpful.

p.s not sure if I should have put this in chat room.
pp.s any admin who want to move it to the correct location...

 

[NoN]

I guess here (europe) it can be a professional baccalaureate in technical college with option school of management if you really plan to open a repair shop. College degree here seems too much unless you want to code too, which is good eitheir.

 

[GoldenDog]

I guess here (europe) it can be a professional baccalaureate in technical college with option school of management if you really plan to open a repair shop...

What the heck is that? :huh:

...College degree here seems too much unless you want to code too, which is good either.

No coding just repair (hopefully).

 

[GoldenDog]

Oh and also I live in the land of Mr. Trudeau (Canada) so we might not have the same courses as you in Britland or wherever you live in Europe.

The Dog of Gold.

 

[NoN]

That's what i thought first before posting, now i know this european college system is not like yours...some might guide you but i'm sure school of management is a known way..

 

[DMHolt57]

Colleges and Universities cover much curriculum but people are the real barometers of the future. People want instant gratification, buy cheap, throw away and replace, they won't take stuff to a shop and leave a few days, too easy to walk into a shop and buy another. Wearables/Foldables will be that way...

 

[GoldenDog]

any of you from the US though... Canada's college systems are similar I also read this thread but it is a little irrelevant

 

[GoldenDog]

Colleges and Universities cover much curriculum but people are the real barometers of the future. People want instant gratification, buy cheap, throw away and replace, they won't take stuff to a shop and leave a few days, too easy to walk into a shop and buy another. Wearables/Foldables will be that way...

Does that mean running a repair shop is an unrealistic goal because the people who still own real computers instead of that foldable/wearable/flexible crap that fries your brain will be handy enough to fix their own stuff?

 

[GoldenDog]

That does make me think twice.

 

[DMHolt57]

No, you just won't make much of a living repairing old machines...

 

[GoldenDog]

Well I just need to bring home the bacon, I don't have to drive a Lamborghini and live in a mansion

 

[DMHolt57]

You don't want to be living in your Yugo either...

 

[GoldenDog]

True but I hear people are making a living right now doing that right now (not the quite the lambo but good enough) will that change so drastically in the next few years? Also I forgot to add I plan to do sales and custom builds.

 

[DMHolt57]

They are struggling to make ends meet, driving to peoples houses and fixing things that eat up time and don't pay a lot. Brick and mortar stores are folding... draw your own conclusions...

 

[GoldenDog]

But the sales and custom builds?

 

[DMHolt57]

They could be nonexistent in a few more years, smartphones with 6g could be the only game in town... Looking at the percentage of people that do custom, most wouldn't trust their built machines to anyone but themselves...

 

[GoldenDog]

This is alot to take in as I may have to rethink my career but I will wait for some more opinions (not that I don't trust you just that I want a wide range of ideas)

 

[SIW2]

You could do some research in the geographic area you intend to practice and see if there is a big enough market.

Check who else is doing it in your locale - and what they are doing and if there is space for more.

There are a few of these tech guys on yochob, which might give you an idea.

 

[GoldenDog]

The issue is that if I go and set up in a big city that will cost me big because property prices in Canada are super high but in a small town you get
no business

 

[SIW2]

It depends. If you have transport, you could cover a particular area. That might be an advantage if the potential customers don't want to travel into town - which might be far. Perhaps they would prefer a tech to visit and do the job on site.

You would have to find out what the market is in that area, and if it is already covered.

It also depends if you are planning on looking after businesses and having contracts with them, etc.


If you were considering becoming a plumber or an electrician, you would still need to figure out what the potential market and competition is.

What area would a plumber/electrician need/be prepared to cover, is there enough demand to sustain his business. What is the competition.

They are the same questions.


There are a couple of small law firms quite near me. As far as I can tell they each have a receptionist and a couple of solicitors working in them. I think they do the run of the mill stuff - drawing up wills and house purchase work, rental contracts, etc.

Presumably there is enough work locally to sustain both of those businesses.