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Introduction

I love computers and have since I was in my early teens. Over the decades, I’ve watched them develop from giant clunky boxes with green screens to tiny works of art that project photo-realistic games on monitors the size of walls. I eagerly read each new issue of Byte and PC Magazine, waiting for the next breakthrough in hardware and software; it’s probably fair to classify me as a computer enthusiast.

As a hobby, it’s relatively inexpensive. Think about it — the most expensive desktop CPU in existence at any given time is usually a little more than $1,000. That’s it! Imagine having the ability to buy a Formula 1 race car engine and pop it into your car for less than the cost of cable TV for a year! Of course, engines don’t double in power every two years, but the ease and simplicity of computer upgrades have made most of us relative experts in working on our own systems.

Six years ago I was in this position. I had built my own computers for years and was the guy everyone came to for help. I’d been an IT professional for more than a decade so when my wife Lynn and I started looking for business opportunities we saw a computer store as a natural fit. I’d managed people for years and I loved computers. What could be better? I found a profitable store for sale, bought it, and prepared to enjoy my hobby while the money rolled in!

What followed were the most grueling three years of my life. My wife and I received a crash course in retail sales, customer service, follow-up, technical support, marketing, and on-site service. The lessons in this book are the direct result of years of trial and error, and of failing miserably and working through it, to emerge successful, happy, and profitable.

Books, Websites, and Other Resources

This book is focused on giving you the critical information you need to begin on the right foot, but as you grow you will run into situations where additional help is required. As much as we’d love to have a comprehensive collection of answers for every situation you might encounter, it’s just not reasonable or even possible. Fortunately, we live in an age where information is only a few clicks away!

For instance, while we may recommend inexpensive sources of advertising that have been effective for us, there are entire books and websites dedicated to finding the most effective advertising for your business. Therefore, throughout this book, you will find links to websites, books, and resources that can help you find what’s best for you.

That said, we cannot guarantee that the resources listed will be the best for you or your business. Sure, there are others out there and you may find better or worse, but these are the ones we have used successfully and believe have fair prices and good service. We don’t get anything from these sites for mentioning them and they are listed here because they helped us and we hope they can help you.

Forms

Throughout this book, you will find many references to forms and other documents that you can use in your business. Before you create or use any of these documents, you should consult your own attorney or accountant as the laws in your state or province may be different and the documents may need to be worded differently to be applicable in your area.