Is this a good Business Idea??

[jspeed87]

I love Aviation, but I also love computers. I was thinking of a way to combine both, and then it hit me(Light bulb over my head moment.) How good would a IT Support/Computer Repair Business fare using a Cirrus Sr22 as a way to extend my range of customers to service. Most People use a car for this type of business, but imagine how many more customers i can have using an airplane! Thoughts?

[meyers9163]

Originally Posted by jspeed87

I love Aviation, but I also love computers. I was thinking of a way to combine both, and then it hit me(Light bulb over my head moment.) How good would a IT Support/Computer Repair Business fare using a Cirrus Sr22 as a way to extend my range of customers to service. Most People use a car for this type of business, but imagine how many more customers i can have using an airplane! Thoughts?

Hmm tracy uses his SR for business.... however it needs too..... I'm not sure how well that'd work out with AV gas being so expensive.... You'd have to hit so many more customers, make much more money, and cover not onlyfuel but mx expenses as well. IN addition days you cant fly to to weather or mx issues..... Where you by car would have fewer delays due to such....

[jspeed87]

Well the weather is not too bad on the east coast.(which is where I want to stay.) Yea Avgas prices makes me want to forget about it.

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Originally Posted by jspeed87

Well the weather is not too bad on the east coast.

Its not? You couldn't have convinced me otherwise 3 and 4 weeks ago when it was solid overcast at 400' for 2 weeks straight. A Cirrus in the northeast would basically be grounded between October and February anytime it was cloudy.

[WacoFan]

It would take careful planning. How many clients, or potential clients, would you fly over on your way to another clients? Much easier to drop-in on someone from a car. Also, AV-gas is expensive. Lastly, and most important - it could certainly give you a strong case of "get there-itis". When your livlihood is dependent upon making a meeting, you experience more stress than a normal go/no-go decision. If the weather is below your personal minimums, there would be a strong temptation to go anyway...just this once...because it is an important meeting.

If you could keep that feeling in check, go for it. Just use strong disipline when making your decisions.

[darrenf]

Originally Posted by jspeed87

I love Aviation, but I also love computers. I was thinking of a way to combine both, and then it hit me(Light bulb over my head moment.) How good would a IT Support/Computer Repair Business fare using a Cirrus Sr22 as a way to extend my range of customers to service. Most People use a car for this type of business, but imagine how many more customers i can have using an airplane! Thoughts?

Well, since geek squad is nearby and available, I doubt anyone would pay you enough to warrant the travel expenses. You would have to charge $500-$600 per 2 hour trip to make anything on it. Who is going to pay that when any number of local guys will do the job for under $200. Not to mention all the time and planning necessary. Sorry, I don't see that as a good business plan. Get the clients first, then worry about flying to them. There is no quicker way to end a business' life then to try to figure out how you can bring aviation into it.

[SoCalAprch]

Just do it!

I think a better way would be to start your business without aviation and then when you make enough money buy a plane to have fun in.

If you think you will make enough money tinkering with peoples old Pentium 3 computers you are sadly mistaken. The real money is IT for big business and if you do manage to bag one of those clients most of the stuff can be done remotely or depending on the scale, they will want you there all the time. If a big company is paying you lots of money to deal with their computer system and it crashes they aren't gonna want to wait for you to drive to the airport, fly over, drive to their offices, then fix the machines. Also if someone wants a new hard drive installed on their laptop they aren't gonna want to pay you 600 bucks to fly to them when they can goto Circuit City and have it done for 20 bucks.

Just my two cents and Im by no means a savvy business guy. I am in aviation

[bigs]

Did you really post the phrase "good business idea" on an aviation website??? Not sure the two really go together these days. Best of luck, though!!!

[tprops4me]

You would have a ton of overhead. You would be looking at a large plane payment, fuel, insurance, and also the fact that unless your client is at the airport, you will have to rent a car to get to them. Your hourly rate would have to be so enormous that nobody will be able to afford it. That would be to only cover your expenses. You still have to eat, so jack the rate up even more. When we have an issue with a network at my current employer, we want fast results. I don't think we would wait for a plane to be dispatched. Not trying to rain on your parade, but all businesses start out without a flight department unless it's an airline.

[mojo6911]

Originally Posted by darrenf

Well, since geek squad is nearby and available, I doubt anyone would pay you enough to warrant the travel expenses. You would have to charge $500-$600 per 2 hour trip to make anything on it. Who is going to pay that when any number of local guys will do the job for under $200. Not to mention all the time and planning necessary. Sorry, I don't see that as a good business plan. Get the clients first, then worry about flying to them. There is no quicker way to end a business' life then to try to figure out how you can bring aviation into it.

The only way it would be worthwhile is to have satellite branches that you could fly to. Obviously, you would need a big client base for this.

[jspeed87]

OK guys, back to the drawing board. lol

[CirrusMonkey]

There is no such thing as "weather issues" for the SR-22!