hello guys i was wondering how can i start a small business by making computers. I thought it would be a good idea to make the computers myself and sell them online. I also need to no were can i get a contract that will allow me to buy tons of computer parts so i can make these computers. thanks in advance.
2007-04-15 12:43:06 · 7 answers · asked by Surinder B 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Good luck as you know it is an easy business to enter However you must think what do I offer a customer that they can't get from Dell or Best Buy.
You will also quickly find out that the components cost you more than machines from these major suppliers. Why? simply because they buy in huge quantities and get volume pricing that you won't get.
You want to sell online be prepared for fraud and credit card processing fees. Are you prepared to lose a computer to credit card fraud or chargeback. Credit Card fees are going to eat up 3% or more of your total revenue including the shipping cost.
BTW I just mentioned shipping. Shipping cost are going through the roof. The USPS is increasing rates next month and moving to volumetric weight. All the other shippers are adding high per item fuel surcharges raising their rates. Checkout how much it will cost you to ship a 20+ pound computer cross country with insurance and signature confirmation. 5-20% of the selling price? How are you going to handle returns if the customer decides he does not want the item or did not receive what he wanted or it did not work or was damaged during shipping. Are you prepared to pay for the return shipping?
Again with shipping unless you do enough shipping volume to negotiate cheaper rates you are not going to be able to compete with local dealers or Dell.
Consider selling home grown tomatoes at a roadside stand although not glamorous your at least going to make some money..... Selling homemade computers online. Your head for grief and the poorhouse.
2007-04-15 13:39:29 · answer #1 · answered by decker 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, most companies that build computers buy the hardware in bulk straight from the vendors. So you'd go to Western Digital and buy some hard drives, go to Intel and by some CPUs, etc. You can't do this unless you buy in large quantities...like 100+ at a time. You're probably better off starting by selling the computers in your town. People won't just buy from anybody on the internet...they need to know you're legit and get some recommendations. By showing people in your area that you build quality machines or cheap machines then you can start to get loyal customers.
Unfortunately, you can't sell computers as cheap as emachines and dell unless you buy in the same quantities as they do and set up an assembly line for efficiency. So you'll probably want to aim for high-end machines that are more difficult to find.
2007-04-15 12:48:48 · answer #2 · answered by Corey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you don't even know where to get parts, don't try to make a computer selling business.
But http://newegg.com and http://tigerdirect.com are very cheap wide selection places to get computer parts.
I don't think you need a contract to get large amounts of parts, but you will need some paperwork to file taxes and such.
2007-04-15 12:48:04 · answer #3 · answered by ImSpartacus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't try, its not as easy as you think. An only online computer builder will not last. You have to have a physical shop.
2007-04-15 13:18:24 · answer #4 · answered by TM 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not a good idea to stock too many parts as they become obsolete too quickly.
2007-04-15 12:47:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
volunteer with a recycler to learn the trade part time.
2007-04-15 12:46:26 · answer #6 · answered by koalatcomics 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
complex matter check out on to google it may help
2016-05-21 00:14:27 · answer #7 · answered by kaitlyn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋