-
where to start?
ive been fooling around with puters for about 7 or 8 yrs now and have started doing a little bit of networking for gaming and home networking. im interested in starting a business that specializes in providing tech support for the home and small business users in my local area. i feel like i will probably need some sort of certification just to have credibility with my customers. what do you guys think would be the most practical cert track? a+ looks like a no-brainer, but im wondering if there are other things i should consider. do you think mcse would be necessary in this scenario or would it be a wast of time in a non corporate environment. of course there may be the possibility that doing IT support for the masses has been tried before and failed, id definately appreciate any input in that area as well. thanx in advance for any replys. :cool:
-
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by nutz4drumz:
<strong>ive been fooling around with puters for about 7 or 8 yrs now and have started doing a little bit of networking for gaming and home networking. im interested in starting a business that specializes in providing tech support for the home and small business users in my local area. i feel like i will probably need some sort of certification just to have credibility with my customers. what do you guys think would be the most practical cert track? a+ looks like a no-brainer, but im wondering if there are other things i should consider. do you think mcse would be necessary in this scenario or would it be a wast of time in a non corporate environment. of course there may be the possibility that doing IT support for the masses has been tried before and failed, id definately appreciate any input in that area as well. thanx in advance for any replys. :cool: </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">well in my opinion,for a small business,certs don't really mean all that much,customers want quality and confident and reliable service,once you have a basic customer base,word-of-mouth is all you will need for more work,my cousin has a $750,000 a year small business ,with 1 employee and he has never once advertised or had any certs,though he is an expert in just about anything computer.I say getting the right accounts for regular service where small business units pay a monthly fee for what they need.
just a couple thoughts.
Dan :)
-
Yeah, customers will know that you are good by your personality and work...I've recently started my own business in the same area, and not once has the issue of qualifications been a problem. I get asked the how I know how to do all of it, and I simply reply that I'm self taught. Most people will enjoy that answer more than saying you went to some silly boot camp to get your MCSE. I do have A+, as it was a requirement of my previous job.
You'll be hard pressed to land true 'coporate' accounts anyways...most will outsource to another company that will supply them with techs. Small companies will rarely look at your certs, but more at what you can do for them. MCSE means nothing to the secretary who just wants her email to work :D
If you have the style and persona to deal with customers and have good work ethics then half the job is already done. All that's left is to get the word out and make people happy. Good luck!
-
Hear Hear!! The customer cares if the machine is
fixed, not how you happen to be qualified to fix
it. By the by, if you want a quick reference for
someone that does want to know if you have some
sort of qualification, try BrainBench. They post
your results on their website. I am a "Master" of
something or other. Some folks like to see that
stuff so they can tell the neighbors who they
hired. Pick your test(s). Takes just minutes to
complete one (if you know what you are doing).
You guys are right on.
-
Certified or not, remember this:
No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
I'd say A+ at the min. After that get the manufacture service certs. Lot's of good knowledge and resources avail once you achieve them.
-
I just had a job turned down because I don't have my mcse.
If I'd had at least a MCP or MCSE they would have taken me... (damnit :-( )