Been thinking.............

Actually, I've been thinking about this all summer, but my goal is to set up my own business fixing computers by January 1st 2007.

I'm not a certified "expert" with computers, but I am pretty good at some things that regular "non techie" people are sometimes afraid to do or don't know how to do.

At first, I am going to concentrate on helping people remove spyware and adware from their computers and help them keep it off their systems.

After I see how that goes, I can add services like installing home networks, setting up new computers, helping people figure out how to use e-mail, digital cameras, etc.....

One thing I've seen is that older folks that have computers but have no idea how they work or what they can do and I'd like to change that. I'm a nice guy and I have an honest face, so why not?

I know how to install memory, graphics cards etc, but I figure it's best to start out slow and build up slowly.

I don't have a business plan down on paper yet, but I will be working on that in the next week or so to see how much money I am going to have to invest in equipment, a web site, accounting software, etc, etc.....

Tentatively, my plan is to do this service at the customers house but maybe not everyone is comfortable with that, so I will need to buy at least a monitor to do stuff at home, some misc. equipment and I'd like a laptop to keep all my records and stuff on.

Anybody have any thoughts on how much I should budget for advertising?

Go ahead and throw numbers out there, I am curious as to what my readers think. I don't see very many advertisements in our local paper offering these types of services, I don't know if that's because there isn't a market for this kind of thing or not many people are doing it.

I guess there's only one way to find out:-)

I have no plans to quit my regular job, I have great benefits and there isn't any possibility I would consider quitting or going part time until both our kids are out of college.

Maybe at some point 10 years from now I could go part-time at my regular job (I'd get to keep my benefits) but that's wishful thinking at this point.

I just like screwing around with computers.

On to some useless stuff.........................

Album Covers From Hell. Not exactly safe for work......

The Empty Streets Of New Orleans. This is an eye opener.

This is funny, Number 15 is my favorite.

One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. Unfortunately, as soon as he starts to draw a crowd, the zookeeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zookeeper explains to the mime that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla, has died suddenly. The keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mime accepts.

So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime. However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he gets bored just swinging on tires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it.

At the end of the day the zookeeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction as a gorilla. Well, this goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified. The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce. The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, "Help, Help me!", but the lion is quick and pounces. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, "Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?"

Does religion make you fat? Judging from all the people I see shopping when I'm at work...........I don't think religion has anything to do with it.

A very interesting opinion from someone you've never heard of. My thoughts?.........Let's Roll on some impeachment hearings.....

Good article about "micro" homes. When my wife and I were first married, out apartment was 600 square feet and it seemed plenty big to me. Heck, if we could have the same sized place with the addition of a 2 car garage (I need some place for bikes) it would certainly be cheaper to heat and cool then the 4 bedroom/3 bath house we have now............

Speaking of real estate, if this happens around here.......it could be very interesting. There are quite a few new developments springing up around here with starting prices in the 3, 4 and 5 hundred thousand dollar range. I don't know about you........but to me, a half million bucks is one helluva lot of money to spend for something you spend half the time you are in it sleeping.

Till later.