Why Choose the Attic Route?

The attic offers several advantages for security camera installation:

* Concealment: Wires remain hidden from view, maintaining clean exterior and interior aesthetics.
* Protection: Cables are shielded from weather, pests, and accidental damage.
* Accessibility: The attic provides a central, accessible pathway to most exterior walls and eaves.
* Safety: Reduces tripping hazards and minimizes exposure to electrical interference.

Pre-Installation Planning

Before climbing into the attic, careful planning is essential.

Determine the exact locations for each camera. Consider fields of view, areas requiring coverage, and proximity to power sources.

Sketch a diagram of your home, marking camera locations and the planned wire path through the attic to your Network Video Recorder (NVR) or power supply location.

Ensure you have all necessary items:
* Security cameras (PoE cameras are recommended for single-cable simplicity)
* Sufficient length of cabling (Cat5e/Cat6 for PoE, or Siamese cable for power/video)
* NVR or network switch (for PoE systems)
* Power supply box (for non-PoE cameras)
* Drill with long drill bits (spade bits or auger bits for wood)
* Fish tape or glow rods
* Cable staples or clips
* Wire strippers/crimpers
* Safety gear: dust mask, gloves, safety glasses, headlamp
* Insulation displacement connectors (if disturbing insulation)

Step-by-Step Installation Process

1. Safety First
Attics can be hazardous. Ensure you:
* Work during cooler hours to avoid extreme heat.
* Step only on ceiling joists or installed decking—never on drywall.
* Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
* Keep the work area well-ventilated.

2. Access and Assessment
Enter the attic and assess the space. Identify obstacles like ductwork, plumbing, electrical wiring, and cross-bracing. Plan your cable path to avoid these and minimize disturbance to insulation.

3. Drill Entry Holes
For each camera location:
* From the attic, locate the top plate of the exterior wall where the camera will be mounted.
* Drill a small pilot hole (1/4″) down through the top plate into the wall cavity.
* Tip: Use a drill bit long enough to reach from the attic through the top plate.

4. Run and Secure Cabling
* Start running cable from your central point (NVR location) toward each camera hole.
* Use cable staples or clips to secure cables along the sides of joists or trusses. Do not staple tightly—this can damage the cable.
* Keep low-voltage security cables at least 12 inches away from standard electrical wiring to prevent interference.

5. Fish Wires to Exterior
* At each pilot hole, feed the cable down the wall cavity.
* From outside, drill a small hole at the camera mount location.
* Use fish tape or a wire coat hanger to retrieve the cable from the wall cavity and pull it through the exterior hole.

6. Camera Connection and Mounting
* Terminate the cable with an RJ45 connector (for PoE) or connect to the camera’s power/video inputs.
* Mount the camera bracket securely, feed the cable through, and attach the camera.
* Seal the exterior entry point with exterior-rated silicone caulk to prevent moisture intrusion.

7. Central Connection
Run all cables back to your central location. Connect PoE cables to your switch or NVR. For other systems, connect power and video cables to their respective sources. Use cable management ties to keep the area organized.

Professional Tips and Best Practices

* Label Everything: Label both ends of each cable during installation (e.g., “Front Door,” “Back Garage”). This saves immense time during troubleshooting or system expansion.
* Leave Service Loops: Leave 2-3 feet of extra cable at both the camera and NVR ends. This allows for future adjustments or re-termination.
* Mind the Insulation: If you have blown-in insulation, use boards or plywood to create temporary walkways and avoid excessive compression.
* Consider Future Expansion: Run an extra conduit or pull string while the attic is accessible to simplify adding cables later.
* Check Local Codes: Some areas have regulations regarding low-voltage wiring. A brief check can prevent compliance issues.
* Test Before Finalizing: Test each camera for video feed and power before securing all cables and closing up access points.

When to Call a Professional

While a DIY approach is feasible for many, consider hiring a licensed low-voltage technician if:
* Your attic has limited access, is excessively hot, or contains hazardous materials like asbestos.
* The installation requires complex drilling through fire blocks or multiple floors.
* You are uncomfortable working in tight spaces or with electrical components.

Conclusion

Running security camera wiring through the attic is a highly effective method that balances performance with discreet installation. With thorough planning, the right tools, and adherence to safety protocols, you can achieve a professional-grade security system that protects your property without compromising its appearance. Whether you tackle the project yourself or enlist a professional, the result—enhanced security and peace of mind—is well worth the effort.

Do you love dogs? If you happen to love dogs, you might want to start a dog care home business. A lot of dog owners don’t have time to groom or walk their dogs that they will often rely on pet care businesses to do the job for them. Considering the number of dog owners in the country today, you will not really run-out of clients who will ask to groom and walk their dogs.

Setting up a dog bath

The first thing that you will need is a place where you can bath and groom dogs. If you live in a house with a big lawn, you may want to set up a place where you can bath dogs. Never attempt to bath dogs, especially the big once inside your house. Dogs love to wiggle around and shake their hair during baths thus creating a huge mess. Playful and rowdy big dogs are adorable but when they start running around your house in their wet coats, things will not really look very funny at all so keep them out of the house. There is no point of wasting a lot of energy cleaning after a wet dog.

When setting up a dog bath, a tub or a huge basin, a garden hose, some dog soap, shampoo, a brush and some cotton towels. You don’t really need something elaborate when bathing dogs. Certainly not those pet washers that torture the poor things. Some experts believe that using pet washers where you simply put the dog inside a box and turn on the water cause emotional trauma on the dogs and must not be used at all. Well, who wouldn’t be traumatized if they were put inside a closed box with water gushing all over the place? If you want to bath dogs, forget about the pet washer and do things the old fashioned way. Dogs love it when you brush their coat and massage them. Besides, bathing a dog the old fashioned way could be a lot of fun for you too.

Setting up a grooming area

For grooming dogs, select a quite area inside the house. Of course you can set-up a grooming area outside of the house if you want to but grooming a dog inside the house is lot better. First, most dogs are less playful when they are inside the house than when they are in the yard, second, there are less distractions inside the house and third, it would be easier on your part to store all your grooming stuff. For grooming dogs, you will need the following materials; a table, towels, cotton, mineral oil, eye ointment, nails clippers and a brush. You can easily get all these stuff at your favorite pet shop.

There is money to be made mowing someone’s lawn and cutting the trees. Why? This is because some homeowners don’t have the time to do it and this is where you come in by starting your own landscaping business.

But a landscaping business does not only involve doing some chores that a kid can do on their own. You also have to plant some trees, flowers and shrubs and take care of them. Major projects also require you to decorate an entire area including the installation of walls and lights so people will also be able to see your work at night.

Those who are starting out can work on homes in the neighborhoods and when they are ready to handle something bigger, they can offer their services to public and private schools, the park and office buildings.

Probably one of the biggest projects to undertake is a golf course because there are more than 18 holes to finish and each one has a different terrain.

But can you still enter the market when there are plenty of them around? The answer is yes because as long as homeowners do not have time to do it themselves and more infrastructure projects are being done annually, there is plenty of room for everybody.

According to the US Bureau of Statistics, the demand for landscaping services grows much faster than the national average for any other occupation. You can probably quit your day job and devote most of your time here as long as you the have the desire to succeed.

Do you need a college degree and a huge sum of money as startup capital? The answer is also no. Some of the things you will need include a truck, a weed eater, a broom, rake, cellphone, lawnmower and computer. If you already have a truck, the others items will probably total under ,500.

However, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little background in agriculture, business or horticulture so you know what you are talking about when giving advice to clients. There are courses and seminars you can take so you are able to learn and earn some money at the same time.

Some entrepreneurs start out by doing the job themselves and then when they are ready to expand, decide to hire one or two workers to cover a larger area. It is going to be back breaking work especially in the beginning but as things pick up, you don’t have to get your hands dirty that often anymore and instead supervise your crew.

If you offer services that will be using chemicals and pesticides, you will have to enroll in a 6 to 8 week course at the community college that costs less than 0. This will guarantee you know what you are doing so you don’t kill the plants or harm anybody.

Starting a landscape business or in any other for that matter will always be challenging. So start out small and then see what happens. Since more money is going out than going in, build a good rapport with your clients so they can refer you to their friends. You can give out calling cards and advertise later on so you can get a bigger share of the business.

Also, don’t be afraid to take chances because you may even be better than some who have been in the business for a long time.

Most people get into house cleaning to earn some extra money. You may have family, friends and neighbors as your regular clients. Are you ready and motivated to take your part-time business to the next level?
Growing any business takes time and patience. And if you have a loyal client base now, set aside a portion of your gross revenue for advertising, custom business forms and your own products and equipment.
Expanding your business also takes planning. How can you start getting new clients without a large advertising budget? A small one-time investment in custom business forms is the first step.
So what’s wrong with not using business forms? Absolutely nothing if you’re satisfied with your client base right now and not interested in making more money.
But I hear from a lot of professional house cleaners that are struggling in their business. They wonder why they don’t get more of the jobs they bid on. They ask why people won’t pay their rate and instead want to negotiate the price down.
If you’re not presenting yourself as a professional business, your prospects assume you just need to make some extra money; you don’t have their respect and they think you’ll be happy to take whatever they offer to pay.
Now think about this for a minute. Who would you be more likely to hire: the plumber that shows up to estimate your job with a clipboard and custom business forms or the plumber that shows up with a flyer? Be honest with yourself; you are going to trust this plumber inside your home around your personal possessions. What if this person were to break or damage something? Do you think about this issue with the plumber with the clipboard and custom business forms, or is it more of a concern with the plumber with just the flyer?
Your prospects are judging you and forming an opinion from the moment you answer their call. And you know what they say about first impressions? It’s absolutely true in running a business. Not only are they judging you before they hire you, but they judge you again when you arrive on the scheduled service date.
– Use the Service Agreement to define your terms of doing business and to document the service for each client. This forms performs dual purpose as it is also your estimating form that you use during your in-home or telephone bidding. You will discuss the content with your prospect and then have them sign it, not as a contract, but to provide you and them with an understanding of your terms and the service start date.
– The Customer Checklist records your estimate for your new client and has all the cleaning tasks listed that you perform. This form alone can get you the job immediately or even later after your prospect has tried other services.
– The Work Order is created from the important notes you recorded on the Service Agreement during the walk through or telephone interview. It specifies the client, the address and phone number, information pertaining to pets in the home, client specific requests and directives, including important notes you documented about the home.
– The Service Checklist is used by you or your team on the scheduled service date. It is a reminder of the regular service tasks that are to be performed and is used to maintain quality. One of the biggest complaints from clients is that quality deteriorates over time. If you’re not using a Service Checklist, you’re not instilling trust in your clients, especially new clients. They will auto- matically check your work on every appointment to make sure you didn’t miss anything. And if you did, you’ll hear about it – quick!
When you start to use business forms for your existing clients, they will probably ask you why the sudden change. This provides you with a chance to tell them that you’re expanding your business and would appreciate referrals. This leaves them impressed and knowing that you are serious about running a professional business and will be more likely to make referrals.
Custom business forms speak loudly to your prospects and in the long run land you more jobs, referrals and larger profits!

If you want to make money working for yourself and be your own boss carpet cleaning is an easy business to get into. When you start up a business there are two key components that you need, a product to sell and someone who’s willing to buy it. Carpet cleaning is not rocket science but does require knowledge on general carpet cleaning, stain removal and knowing the limitations of what your equipment can handle.

There are three main types of carpet cleaning; dry foam carpet cleaning, liquid extraction carpet cleaning, and hybrid liquid extraction using a bonnet to thoroughly scrub the floors. Most carpet cleaners use the liquid extraction method because it most cost effective. When starting your business you need to lay out a business plan. To develop a carpet cleaning business you must have money for start up because your business is equipment based.

When you first go to purchase carpet cleaning equipment you’ll be amazed at how many different types of extraction equipment is available. To find carpet cleaning equipment it is advisable to shop at a local cleaning supplies and janitorial equipment distributor or look on line at vacuum cleaner and carpet extractor websites. There are many types of carpet cleaning units available, some of these types include carpet spotters, portable carpet extractors and truck mount carpet extractors.

Carpet spotters are made for cleaning smaller spaces and areas that are not flat like cars, boats and furniture. Carpet spotters are also great at removing small spills and stains and are light and easy to transport. A great way to expand what you offer in your carpet cleaning business is to offer mobile auto detailing. Mobile auto detailing is quickly catching on and people will pay good money for this extra service.

Portable carpet extractors are what you are probably going to be looking at if you’re just starting out in the carpet cleaning market. There are two types of portable carpet extractors, tank and wand units and portable walk behind. Tank units are the best if you are going to be cleaning a lot of carpets frequently. Tank units allow you to attach carpet wand tools for a variety of jobs and are the most versatile. Tank extractors also come with heaters that super heat your extraction solution which in turn yields a cleaner carpet. Tank portable carpet extractors usually range from 00 to 00 dollars new and are available with many options.

The third type of carpet extraction unit is the truck mount. Having a truck mount unit for commercial carpet cleaning is the ultimate way to go. Truck mount carpet extractors are usually mounted in a truck, van or trailer and contain very large suction motors which are run off the vehicles own power. Truck mount carpet extractors come with super heating heaters that heat the carpet extraction solution up to high temperatures. Truck mount units are usually self contained so the both the solution tank and the waste liquid tank is contained in the vehicle. Truck mount setups can range any where from ,000 to ,000 dollars depending on the options you choose. If you are starting out your own carpet cleaning business a used truck mount systems is a great way to go.

The basic equipment needed to start your carpet cleaning business is a vehicle to get to your carpet cleaning location, a carpet extraction unit and carpet cleaning chemicals and cleaning supplies. After you have acquired all your cleaning equipment it’s time to get insured. It is not recommended that you clean someone else’s carpets without insurance and most people who hire you will require proof that you are insured and bonded for their own protection. Knowledge of carpet cleaning is required for cleaning carpets. There are many books and internet sites that are devoted to commercial carpet cleaning from which you can gain knowledge about the carpet cleaning industry.

After you have learned and practiced with your own equipment its time to get some clients. A great way to learn and get experience is to offer to clean your friends and relatives carpet for free or at a discounted price. This is a great way to gain experience and knowledge about carpet cleaning and sometimes learning by making mistakes is the best way to perfect your carpet cleaning skills. The most cost effective way to get clients is networking. Tell people about your carpet cleaning endeavors and ask them to spread the word. Advertising in smaller local newspapers is also a great option because ads are usually cheap and they are targeted to specific communities. When you first start out you should run some good deals even if you are breaking even on the actual carpet cleaning costs at your jobs. You will want to get the word out there as much as you can, and if you do a great job word will spread fast.

When you are cleaning your clients’ carpets it is important that you look and act professional. Remember that you are in someone else’s house and that you are being paid as a service to clean their carpets. Before you start cleaning your clients’ carpets, have them show you all the trouble spots and let them know if it is possible to get stains out. Many people believe that professional carpet cleaners can remove every stain from carpeting but this is not true because some stains can be ground in and permanent. It’s ok to let the client know if you are unable to remove a stain. After you are done cleaning the carpets take the client around and show them any trouble spots before you leave. Explain to them why you can’t get the stain out and what other treatments such as dying can be done to the carpet. Make sure before you leave that the client is happy, just as good carpet cleaning spreads by word of mouth news of bad carpet cleaning will spread even faster and could give you a bad reputation in the carpet cleaning world. Make sure to keep a list of all your clients and follow up with them over the year to see if your carpet cleaning skills are needed again. Over time you will build up repeat clients to add to your new clients which will in time expand your carpet cleaning business.

Upgrading a business phone system is, whenever possible, a much more cost effective alternative to replacing a business phone system. Replacing a business phone system can be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, to say the least. The biggest obstacle most businesses face when upgrading is that many business phone systems are expandable to a limited degree. Some systems have limitations that will force a business to completely replace their existing equipment. For this reason alone, it is essential that businesses consider both their current and future needs before making a phone system purchase.

If you or whoever originally purchased your equipment planned properly, upgrading your phone system could be as simple as adding a few new phones to your line structure. Some business phone systems, such as key systems, are limited in their expansion capabilities. They are lower in price than private branch exchange systems and are suitable for smaller businesses that don’t expect to expand beyond the maximum number of lines and handsets. Private branch exchange systems, however, are extremely expandable and often offer more options, although the difference between the overall functionality of the two systems is disappearing.

In either case, it is imperative that you consider your present and future needs for terminals. Outgrowing a business phone system because you have reached its maximum expansion capability can be very costly. You should always contact your phone equipment provider for information on which systems are likely to be a good choice for your organization prior to purchasing. Most wholesalers and retailers of business phone equipment have worked in the field long enough to be able to give you solid advice that can keep you from making a mistake.

You should also consult your local or long distance phone service carriers for information on installation costs and upkeep. With a little research and planning, your business phone system should be an investment that saves you money.

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make when they decide to go into business is they spend way too much money up front, and then when the bills arrive and the business isn’t making enough money yet, their ventures ultimately fail. One way to get around this problem is by starting a business that you can start with little or no up-front capital.

There are a number of businesses that this can be done with, and many books and magazines dedicate space to talking about them. Headlines like “100 Low Cost Startups” are common in business how-to magazines. In this article we are going to discuss one of these low-cost startups: the cleaning business.

There are several keys to starting a cleaning business with no money. The first and most important point is that you should NOT, under any circumstances spend money until you absolutely have to. It may sound strange, but it’s an obvious point that people miss. They think (wrongly), “I’m going into business, so I need a new computer, a new desk, some office supplies, files, cleaning supplies, a dedicated phone line…”, and the list goes on. This is not just wrong thinking, its bad thinking. It’s thinking that will cause your business to go broke before it even gets off the ground. Do some businesses require a big upfront investment? Sure they do. But a cleaning business is NOT one of them!

The second key to starting a cleaning business with nothing is being sure to start the right type of business to fit your goals, and your budget (or lack thereof). For example, you wouldn’t want to start a business that requires a lot of expensive equipment like a floor-care service. It would be difficult if not impossible to start a floor-care service with no budget. However, it is possible to start an office cleaning business or a home cleaning service with no money. The supplies you need are much less, and it’s possible that you already have many of them.

The third key is to utilize free methods and resources to get your first customer(s). For example, if you are starting a home-based cleaning business you might go door to door in a neighborhood you’d like to clean in. This costs you nothing but your time, and will allow you to not only get your name out there, but to make contact with your prospects and better gauge their needs.

The fourth and final key is to use what you have in terms of supplies and business resources. This means that you should look around you, and see what can be used in your own house to help you start your business. Do you have a fax machine? Great. You have a tool at your disposal. Do you have a phone? Perfect. Hopefully you get the point here. Just utilize what resources you have, and if need be, get creative. Find ways to save money.

Many people over-complicate and under-plan for their businesses and as a result they completely miss the four key points mentioned here that are necessary to start a cleaning business on little or no budget. It might seem over-simplified, but it’s really not. If you apply the four ideas mentioned here to their fullest, you will be able to get started cleaning with very little… and if you’re smart, probably nothing. Think through each ahead of time, and plan how you will tackle each key point. By doing so you’ll have set yourself up to start a business for next to nothing.

With today’s rising fuel costs everything just seems to get a little more expensive every day. When you own a business you know that every penny saved can help. Cleaning supplies and cleaning services can eat a big chunk out of your bottom line but there are things you can do to save up to 50% on these types of expenses. Having your facilities cleaned and having to stock your bathrooms with toilet paper and soap are a necessity but there are ways to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year on commercial cleaning and cleaning supplies.

If you use a cleaning company and your facility is under the size of a football field then you are wasting money. By paying a cleaning company to come in every night and do simple tasks like vacuuming and emptying trash you are essentially paying a company to make a profit off of something you could be easily doing yourself in house. By developing a simple plan for your existing employees and having them do some of these tasks can have a huge impact on your cleaning budget. Simple tasks like taking out the trash at the end of the day can be handed out to your current employees. By creating a central location as a main trash refugee can make it easy on employees by having them walk a minimal distance to dump there own trash containers at the end of the day. Many companies are looking to their current staff and advertising cleaning positions for after business hours. In these financially challenging times many employees would jump at the opportunity to work a few extra hours at night to make a little more income. By being smart and taking the time to look at what a cleaning company is actually providing you can save a lot of money.

Another big area you can save money in is your restroom supplies. Every facility has to have restrooms and those restrooms are filled with products that you can save money on. Some examples of products you can save money on are toilet paper, hand towels and soap. Toilet paper can get expensive depending on what kind you use. The price of toilet paper can range from as little as dollars a case to 0 dollars a case. By purchasing commercial toilet paper which is wound with more length to a roll than regular toilet paper can save you hundreds of dollars over just one year. Another great way to save money is on soap. If you purchase soap that can comes in cartridges you may as well have a free money dispenser in your restroom. Cartridge soaps can cost up to 4 times what bulk gallon soaps cost and take the same amount of time to fill as cartridge dispensers. Hand towels can easily be replaced by hand dryers. With hand dryers there is no trash to take out and you can eliminate the cost of replacing paper towel dispensers when they break down.

A great way to save money on cleaning expenses is to question your cleaning bills. If you are currently having your cleaning company provide your cleaning and sanitary maintenance supplies find out if they are selling you the products at their cost or up charging you. Many business owners have no clue about how much a case of toilet paper or a case of trash can liners cost. Some cleaning companies mark up the cleaning products they are selling you by as much as 300% and work it into the bill. There is nothing wrong with asking your cleaning company for a breakdown of there charges and comparing the prices your being charged with the actual costs of what you can purchase the items at.

As an expert in the cleaning field I talk to a lot of cleaning company owners and see where they live and what they drive. Some owners live in million dollar houses and drive very expensive cars all from profits they are making from commercial cleaning. With this being true that means they’re making a lot of money from up charging you for simple services and products that any business owner can buy online or at a local cleaning supply distributor. So if you’re a business owner and want to save some of your hard earned dollars, take a good look at your cleaning situation and start asking questions right away.

Outsourcing has become a controversial issue and a hot topic among presidential candidates this year. But have you stopped to think how your business can benefit from the efficiency, functionality and cost savings of outsourcing? If you have, you might find that, like many others, you are already outsourcing-and enjoying its benefits.
What is Outsourcing?
Outsourcing simply means “contracting out” various functions of your business. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be contracting out work to foreign countries because there are many American companies that provide outsourcing services i.e.. commercial printing services and cleaning services, among others.) The vendors who supply outsourced services may be self-employed contractors, consulting firms, temporary employee services or professional service firms. One common example of outsourcing is payroll processing. Other commonly outsourced functions that can be provided by professional services firms include:
Succession planning
Accounting and tax preparation
Information technology (IT)
Consulting (i.e. due diligence, business planning)
Distribution services
Pension management
Manufacturing
Assembly
Staffing
Grounds Maintenance
Estate and income tax planning
Why Outsourcing Can Work for Your Business
Fortune 500 corporations are under the microscope for outsourcing thousands of jobs overseas to low wage workers, potentially leaving American workers out of work. But according to Forrester Research Inc., of the 2.7 million jobs lost over the past three years, only 300,000 have been from outsourcing. With that in mind, outsourcing means something different for family and privately owned businesses. With fierce competition affecting the margins of many businesses, companies are finding that they cannot afford layers of administrative overhead dedicated to operating their core business. They are realizing that outsourcing provides alternatives to doing everything for themselves. For example, if your business is distribution, there may not be a need to employ a large administrative overhead dedicated to support functions like those listed above. Companies that provide outsourcing services are able to invest more time and resources into the specific functions that generate revenue. Because of this, they can operate more efficiently and economically, which can help you compete more effectively than companies that do it themselves.
Information technology is a good example of this. The cost in personnel, benefits and training to keep pace in the rapidly changing world of information technology is prohibitive for most privately owned businesses. By outsourcing this function, management is free to focus its energies on the core aspects of the business-those that provide revenue-generating products and services-and leave the other areas to vendors who specialize in performing those functions.
Benefits of Outsourcing
Proponents of outsourcing cite a variety of reasons for “letting others do it.” Here are some of the most important:
Cost savings – By outsourcing functions that were previously performed in house, companies are often able to reduce their employee levels and related costs, such as recruitment, supervision, salary and benefits. By outsourcing a capital intensive function, you can also reduce the costs of equipment obsolescence and depreciation. A portion of your cost savings will go to the outsourcer, but outsourcing vendors have a tighter control of fringe benefits and run leaner overhead structures. They also know how to deal with vendors serving the function they are providing and therefore, are able to pass on to your company the benefits derived from bulk purchasing and effective leasing.
Quality of service – Because your company is the outsourcer’s customer, you will likely experience a “can-do attitude,” which may not always be exhibited by an in-house staff.
More capital funds – Outsourcing reduces the need to invest capital in non-core business functions, thereby freeing capital to invest in profit-making aspects of the business.
State-of-the-art technology – Outsourcers have to spend time and money on the most current equipment and on employee training to remain competitive. By outsourcing certain areas, you are assured of receiving the most efficient services and the latest technological advances within that particular function.
Price stability – By signing a contract to outsource, you will likely be able to obtain stable pricing, eliminating the future need to shop around. Stable pricing allows the company to budget operating expenses and capital purchases more accurately, while potentially preventing the likelihood of surprise expenses.
New business partners – Outsourcers clearly wish to be viewed as your business partner. And as a business partner, they share in the desire to keep your company operating at its maximum potential. Through this business partner arrangement, outsourcers are eager to introduce you to other outsourcers to assist in that goal.
More time to focus on core business activities – You cannot overlook this intangible benefit of outsourcing. If a company is to be successful and profitable, management is needed to spend time planning and directing the company’s business strategies and not wasting time worrying about managing certain administrative or ancillary functions.
Potential Drawbacks
As with every new system and procedure, you have to take the good with the bad. Critics argue that outsourcing creates too much loss of control, less flexibility, questionable savings and the risk of over dependence on too few vendors. Owners of family and privately owned businesses should understand that initiating an outsourcing arrangement takes considerable management time. Finding and selecting the right outsourcing company can take many months. And outsourcing companies need to be given overall directives and guidelines for what the company wants done, and therefore, some level of supervision by management will ultimately be needed. Also, if an outsourcer is replacing a function that has been historically done within the company, layoffs could very possibly affect employee morale and may cause talented staff in other core areas to leave for fear of job security. In addition, be cautious not to completely eliminate the internal ability to provide the basic product or service you offer. For example, if you are a manufacturer and you have outsourced the assembly of your product, be sure you can still provide a sample of a specialty order in-house if asked to by a customer. A delay of a product sample could cost you the customer’s business.
One of the biggest complaints by companies that have outsourced is that there has been a mismatch between expectations and reality. When an outsourcer is marketing its services there is usually much enthusiasm and talent dedicated to solving the problems that were defined at the outset. However, once the contract is signed, the outsourcer brings in its implementation team, which often lacks the same level of enthusiasm that the sales and marketing team had. Due diligence is necessary when beginning any new business relationships. It is best to get recommendations from current customers of the outsourcer or other reliable sources in your industry.
Careful Selection Is Key
By being aware of these drawbacks at the start of the outsourcing process, you can mitigate many of these and build outsourcing relationships that benefit your business. The key to successful outsourcing is careful selection of both the functions you outsource and the vendors you choose to supply them.
—
Paul Rich, Principal and Business Consultant
Siegel Rich Division of Rothstein Kass – Certified Public Accountants

Anyone with some a little training and experience can find themselves among the most valuable assets in the world of computers and small business as a computer support person. Many computer users will find themselves in predicaments that have them on the verge of panic and will think the sky is falling on them. They will have a small computer glitch or problem that can be pretty easily remedied and find themselves wanting to go out and buy another computer. That may not be necessary and you can be instrumental in not only saving their day but creating a loyal customer for years to come. Even the smallest computer repair can seem like a big deal to those without the proper knowledge that you have.

For those who rely on computers to run their own at home business, their computer is their lifeline. Most do not know much about how a computer works. Their greatest fear is having the computer freeze up and lose everything that they need. Most do not do what they need to make sure that everything is backed up on removable hard drives or online storage system. There are so many things that you can do to make their lives easier they will look to you for help first when they do have major computer problems.

You will most likely want to get started locally so that you can either be called out to take care of on site repairs or so that they can bring their computer in to you to take care of. After you have found a good workspace that is clean and organized you will need to get a business license which will bring about credibility and also seek to get insurance for your business to help cover you in case unforeseen things happen that could cost you your business.

Make sure that you have the latest software to help you diagnose problems and make sure they are up to date. Also make sure that you have all the most up to date virus knowledge and scanners available to help keep your computers from being infected but also those you are working on.

Build a website. There is no doubt that having a web presence can help make you known, even in your area. For getting a good start to your computer business look for ways to have your website optimized for local searches on all the major search engines. As someone working with computers this is something that should be an essential par of your business plan.

The most of what it takes to be successful starting and running a computer support business you may already have. What may be the hardest part of it is marketing but if you take care of your customers they will spread the word and bring more business opportunities. People love to have the dilemmas solved and will gladly tell others about their hero that saved their say. It may not seem like that big of a fix or problem to you but in as you start your computer support business you will find it is a big deal for others and your bank account.