Replacing the printer and copier business

[theengel]

Let's face it, we were already a dying industry. I'm starting to feel like the covid scare pretty much finished us off. I am constantly trying to find new equipment to take the place of the printers I don't work on anymore. I started working on the wide format but even that isn't getting as much business lately.

I looked into sewing machines a little. People will spend up to $1000 on them. There are a few sewing machine shops in the area, but I don't see any that offer field service, so I'm trying to dabble in that.

I work on mailing equipment (inserters and such) but that is a dying industry as well.

I'm wondering if any one here ever worked on car wash machinery?

What other equipment do you guys work on.

[JLSam]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

Lol, "they've" been saying that since the 90's.

I've been trying to get my CCNA from Cisco, I hope to get my cert this year. We dabble with IT support as well, and that's helping.

We hope one day to be a one stop place for all your Office needs.

Toner? No problem.
Need a printer? We got you.
A scanner? This is the best one.
A copier? This model is the latest and greatest.
New PC? Easy install to network.
Need network patchwork? Easy peazy.
Got a virus? We will clean it for you.
Need VoIP? I got options.
PC doesn't turn on? A+ certified here, I'll replace that power supply.



Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

[MarioTech]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

Let's face it, we were already a dying industry. I'm starting to feel like the covid scare pretty much finished us off. I am constantly trying to find new equipment to take the place of the printers I don't work on anymore. I started working on the wide format but even that isn't getting as much business lately.

I looked into sewing machines a little. People will spend up to $1000 on them. There are a few sewing machine shops in the area, but I don't see any that offer field service, so I'm trying to dabble in that.

I work on mailing equipment (inserters and such) but that is a dying industry as well.

I'm wondering if any one here ever worked on car wash machinery?

What other equipment do you guys work on.

Sam is right on! The best suggestion is get into PC repair and networks, I got my CCNA, MCSE and I've been capturing all the business available at my clients, from PC tune ups and tower cleaning every 6 months to virus removal, software installations like quickbooks, etc and servicing their servers as well since I found an admin that I started working with when a server comes along. I don't say no to anything. To be honest I thought at one point to get into the parking machines repair as a few of my buddies make really good money (over 100K yearly with overtime) fixing these at parking structures and shopping centers. Maybe that's something to consider if you don't want to spend time at a college and online taking classes.

[adecanmin]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

All good suggestions. I think the repair business in general will decline in profitability in the future. Years ago there used to be a bunch of TV repair shops in a typical town. Now there are none. Look what the electric car is going to do to the car repair business. No more oil changes, no more tune ups etc.. Tesla for example does its software updates over the internet. No need to go to the dealer for that. There still will be repairs on these vehicles but less then the typical gasoline powered vehicle. They still will need techs for these cars but they will be paid less then techs made years ago. PC repair will suffer the same fate in the future as people do more work on the internet using software as a service. I think workstations will be replaced by laptops, then tablets and maybe young people will be using their phones for work. The repair model may be replace instead of repair. Certain trades will flourish in the future. There will be a demand for wind turbine techs and solar panel installers. For the smart people, software engineers will grow in demand. I see a lot more consolidation in our business both on the service side and for the manufacturers as well. There are too many copier manufacturers for the demand. These will merge or go out of business.

Not sure what kind of business repairing robots will be in the future. They are going to be everywhere: In hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes, in peoples homes. Maybe community colleges will start offering robot repair certifications.

[theengel]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

All good suggestions. I think the repair business in general will decline in profitability in the future. Years ago there used to be a bunch of TV repair shops in a typical town. Now there are none. Look what the electric car is going to do to the car repair business. No more oil changes, no more tune ups etc.. Tesla for example does its software updates over the internet. No need to go to the dealer for that. There still will be repairs on these vehicles but less then the typical gasoline powered vehicle. They still will need techs for these cars but they will be paid less then techs made years ago. PC repair will suffer the same fate in the future as people do more work on the internet using software as a service. I think workstations will be replaced by laptops, then tablets and maybe young people will be using their phones for work. The repair model may be replace instead of repair. Certain trades will flourish in the future. There will be a demand for wind turbine techs and solar panel installers. For the smart people, software engineers will grow in demand. I see a lot more consolidation in our business both on the service side and for the manufacturers as well. There are too many copier manufacturers for the demand. These will merge or go out of business.

Not sure what kind of business repairing robots will be in the future. They are going to be everywhere: In hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes, in peoples homes. Maybe community colleges will start offering robot repair certifications.

The Teslas and solar panels will never provide much work. Tesla only exists because they are subsidized. Solar panels are only big in areas where government regulations force people to use them. But I see what you're saying. Almost EVERYTHING is replaceable--not fixable. Even a $1000 TV generally gets replaced instead of fixed.

Here's what I don't understand about PC work:

I spent 3 hours trying to track down a problem that was caused by Windows updates last week. I got it fixed, but what if I couldn't figure it out, and my answer had to be: "You need a new hard drive." That adds at least an hour of loading the OS and all the other software the guy needed. Then another hour trying to recover email and pics and all the crap he had. Can you really charge 5 hours for a laptop that's only worth $1000?

[theengel]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

We hope one day to be a one stop place for all your Office needs.

Like Staples and Office Depot?

[adecanmin]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

The Teslas and solar panels will never provide much work. Tesla only exists because they are subsidized. Solar panels are only big in areas where government regulations force people to use them. But I see what you're saying. Almost EVERYTHING is replaceable--not fixable. Even a $1000 TV generally gets replaced instead of fixed.

Here's what I don't understand about PC work:

I spent 3 hours trying to track down a problem that was caused by Windows updates last week. I got it fixed, but what if I couldn't figure it out, and my answer had to be: "You need a new hard drive." That adds at least an hour of loading the OS and all the other software the guy needed. Then another hour trying to recover email and pics and all the crap he had. Can you really charge 5 hours for a laptop that's only worth $1000?

Good point. I just heard an ad where dell is offering PCs as a service. Are we going to be offering copiers as a service? Everything in the future is going to be rented. Nobody will want to own anymore.

[CompyTech]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

Like Staples and Office Depot?

Guess who Staples bought last year? Staples, Inc. Signs Agreement to Acquire Leading Document Imaging Technology Dealer DEX Imaging | Business Wire

Good point. I just heard an ad where dell is offering PCs as a service. Are we going to be offering copiers as a service? Everything in the future is going to be rented. Nobody will want to own anymore.

The future indeed seems to be going the subscription model vs buy once up front. Certainly more profitable for companies as long as the subscribers keep rolling in.

[JLSam]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

Like Staples and Office Depot?

No, we would never be able to compete with Amazon.

But when it comes toner, and paper we are good. I said one stop shop as in setting up an office.
Buying the computers, patching them, setting up printers, servers, racks, copiers, users, IP cameras, Setting up RFID cards and readers for entering office, which works with the copier too.

Stuff like that.

Instead of hiring 1 contractor for this, a vendor for that, a dedicated IT dept for this other stuff...

One company, full office management.

That's the hope one day. We're getting there, slowly, but one day.

[adecanmin]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

No, we would never be able to compete with Amazon.

But when it comes toner, and paper we are good. I said one stop shop as in setting up an office.
Buying the computers, patching them, setting up printers, servers, racks, copiers, users, IP cameras, Setting up RFID cards and readers for entering office, which works with the copier too.

Stuff like that.

Instead of hiring 1 contractor for this, a vendor for that, a dedicated IT dept for this other stuff...

One company, full office management.

That's the hope one day. We're getting there, slowly, but one day.

Can one company do it all? And do it well? Sears in the 70s and 80s tried that with real estate, insurance, banking and retail. I don't think it worked out too well for them. I believe in specialization. Instead of being all things maybe learn 2 things well and go from there. Specialists in the medical field make a lot more money than a someone in general practice.

I've read stories about companies buying other companies to expand their offerings, then years later they spin them off because the venture did not work out.

[MarioTech]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

The Teslas and solar panels will never provide much work. Tesla only exists because they are subsidized. Solar panels are only big in areas where government regulations force people to use them. But I see what you're saying. Almost EVERYTHING is replaceable--not fixable. Even a $1000 TV generally gets replaced instead of fixed.

Here's what I don't understand about PC work:

I spent 3 hours trying to track down a problem that was caused by Windows updates last week. I got it fixed, but what if I couldn't figure it out, and my answer had to be: "You need a new hard drive." That adds at least an hour of loading the OS and all the other software the guy needed. Then another hour trying to recover email and pics and all the crap he had. Can you really charge 5 hours for a laptop that's only worth $1000?

You are correct theengel, it's time consuming and not as profitable as it should be. A desktop PC is about $300 out the door but the content and programs the client uses is where the value is. I went in for a $95 tower cleaning and OS updates as the OS wasn't starting up and ended up charging double as the backup needed to be done for their Quickbooks and other programs. If they lose the information and files they have on this particular PC they'd be in deep trouble as they are a tax firm and they don't have an IT. I walked in to fix their Toshiba mono copier and walked out with more business than I thought I would. Another client that has 2 Ricoh's and 18 PC's is negotiating with me the maintenance on their server and fleet of PC's, previous IT was charging them average $4000 monthly on "service and updates of the servers" if I can get 60% of that money I'll be extremely happy. It'll require every 7 months to go in and clean all the towers, update the OS every month on each tower remotely and the server as well remotely, there's money to be made still in the IT world the thing is I had to get certified on A+, N+ about 12 years ago and recently CCNA and MCSE. But in my case it's paying off, even though I haven't stepped into any business to set their Cisco routers and switches yet it was a great learning experience.

[JR2ALTA]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

Let's put COVID aside for a minute.

The industry isn't dying. My company made record profits year over year. We aren't mammoth but we aren't small. Our owner is smart and dedicated. He will get us through COVID and probably will eat up shops that closed on the way.

[adecanmin]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

You are correct theengel, it's time consuming and not as profitable as it should be. A desktop PC is about $300 out the door but the content and programs the client uses is where the value is. I went in for a $95 tower cleaning and OS updates as the OS wasn't starting up and ended up charging double as the backup needed to be done for their Quickbooks and other programs. If they lose the information and files they have on this particular PC they'd be in deep trouble as they are a tax firm and they don't have an IT. I walked in to fix their Toshiba mono copier and walked out with more business than I thought I would. Another client that has 2 Ricoh's and 18 PC's is negotiating with me the maintenance on their server and fleet of PC's, previous IT was charging them average $4000 monthly on "service and updates of the servers" if I can get 60% of that money I'll be extremely happy. It'll require every 7 months to go in and clean all the towers, update the OS every month on each tower remotely and the server as well remotely, there's money to be made still in the IT world the thing is I had to get certified on A+, N+ about 12 years ago and recently CCNA and MCSE. But in my case it's paying off, even though I haven't stepped into any business to set their Cisco routers and switches yet it was a great learning experience.

You are quite diverse in your skill set. It looks as though you are more I.T. centric. Computer repair will good for a least a few more years until people don't want to have servers and desktops in their offices. Maybe setting up and hosting your own private cloud computing setup with your customers using your hardware for a monthly price?

[MarioTech]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

You are quite diverse in your skill set. It looks as though you are more I.T. centric. Computer repair will good for a least a few more years until people don't want to have servers and desktops in their offices. Maybe setting up and hosting your own private cloud computing setup with your customers using your hardware for a monthly price?

It was a lot of work for sure and thank you for the compliment bud, I've been fixing copiers for 24 years now. since I was 23 years old so I've experienced quite a bit of changes and after managing branches and working my way up to district manager of one of the largest dealers here in SoCal I started my own business several years back. I learned that if you own the network you own what's connected to it thus I went back to school and kept learning, so far it paid off and yes I agree on the suggestion you made in regards paying to host on a cloud, actually the IT I use for servers has that setup and he does great!

[adecanmin]

Re: Replacing the printer and copier business

It was a lot of work for sure and thank you for the compliment bud, I've been fixing copiers for 24 years now. since I was 23 years old so I've experienced quite a bit of changes and after managing branches and working my way up to district manager of one of the largest dealers here in SoCal I started my own business several years back. I learned that if you own the network you own what's connected to it thus I went back to school and kept learning, so far it paid off and yes I agree on the suggestion you made in regards paying to host on a cloud, actually the IT I use for servers has that setup and he does great!

You have done well. I'm a one man shop so I don't have the flexibility to venture into I.T. to the extent you have. I work on the usual network stuff as it relates to the copiers. If I can keep the copiers I sell my customers running, for now that it enough. I always ask my customers about their computing situation. How they get there machines fixed. How does the software perform on their machines. It seems office 365 is very popular as is quick books. Most of my customers don't use an I.T. professional unless there is a problem. Some of my bigger customers have some sort of agreement with an I.T. company for routine maintenance, backups etc... but they are the exception.