September 7, 2011
HIRE ME!...or at least ask me to help you.
OK, maybe you're not going to hire me for long term jobs. I've been in limbo since 2007. (Thanks, President Bush...you jerk.) For the past year or so the well has run dry.
The least I can ask is for someone (locally within the St. Louis, Missouri area) to ask me to come to them to take a peak at their computer to figure out what is wrong.
Now, I suppose you want to know my credentials? Well, for starters I have a Bachlors of Science in Computer Science. I've been writing webpages by hand for well over a decade. I've been using Linux for over seven years. I built my own computer and tore appart several others before that either to see what makes them tick or to fix something that some poser at Best Buy's Geek Squad would tell you for $75 just so that they can ship it off to some "one-size-fits-all-repair" shop half way across the country where they zap your harddrive just so that you get it back two weeks later with the same defects.
To be honest, you are better off going to like a smaller computer repair shop. There's a place in Hazelwood, Missouri, called ITS Computers that does a fairly good job. But I would imagine most of the folks reading this have never been to North St. Louis County. For all of those who don't live here, use Yellow Pages and find yourself a good computer mechanic.
I could be that guy. I might not have CompTIA A+ Certification, but then again, your problem likely doesn't need a guy with those credentials. Rather you just need a guy who has a screwdriver, a can of compressed air, and some knowledge of what wire plugs into what slot on the motherboard if things are that bad.
That is where I come in.
Starting today, I want to offer my services to North St. Louis County (for a fee, of course). While you are more than welcome to let an A+ Certified techie handle your computer problems, chances are if you're a victim of the recession, you can't afford to do it. Thus, throughout the month of September 2011, I am offering my services to take a look at what is wrong with your computer and possibly fix it starting at $25. If I determine that your problem should be fixed by someone with more experience than myself, then my visit and inspection will be free.
I should note that I don't really have than much experience dealing with malware or viruses (probably because I don't use Windows), so don't expect any guarantees that I can fix that. I can try, but I hate working on those cases because they take so freaking long for the "anti-virus" software to do one of those scans.
Perhaps this table will explain my abilities to fix your problem.
| I'm sure I can fix this for you. | I think I can fix it, depends on how bad it is. | I think you better let someone else fix it |
|---|---|---|
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Eventually, if I raise enough capital from my services, I'd be open to payments via installments. For now, this is unavailable.
I would imagine I'll need some sort of business attorney to write up some legal formalities, especially if I have a customer who like instigating frivious lawsuits. I guess the best way to prevent that is to state the following items.
- There are no refunds for my services. Caveat Emptor.
- I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Though I probably won't need to.
- To reiterate, if I determine that the repair you need is beyond my ability to fix, then my inspection is free and you are free to spend your money with someone who can likely fix it. However, if I state that I can fix it, and it does get fixed, you must pay for any parts and labor. If I say that I can fix it but I to buy a part to make it work, you will need to pay me upfront so I can get the part after I find out how much it may cost to fix it. (There is no sense in going to the store without knowing how much the part will cost before I get it for you.) Even if you change your mind about that, you'll still own me $25 for not letting me fix somthing that I may have been able to fix but you declined. (I'll draw a flow chart later.)
As you can see, this is a rather complex plan I have. But if I can make just a little bit of money and gain much more experience that I can tack on my resume, then it's a good plan.
I'm probably going to set up a Google Voice account this week. The money raised will definitely help me get back on my feet.
For the time being, I will serve the following communities:
- Hazelwood
- Florissant
- Black Jack
- Berkeley
- Ferguson
- Unincorporated St. Louis County near the above communities.
My coverage area will expand in the future. For now, as the old computer saying goes: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid.)
That's all for now. My e-mail address is at the bottom of this webpage.
