LebGeeks

vegetaleb

Banned

Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Hello!
I always wanted to open a PC shop with mainly desktops build on specific customer specs and presets(game PC,work...), some laptops, spare parts a la pcandparts but in a smaller amount of course, and why not multimedia stuff like phones and TVs.
So desktop PCs will be the core products, will it be enough to give me good income while you have to consider a saleswoman and a tech guy?

Johnaudi

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Well what you're doing is a good idea, but I don't expect it to be much money-making at the moment, unless you get a big hit like m2 multimedia, dom-tech, pcandparts etc...

Tell me how it all turns out for you though.

Just a question, where will your shop's location be?

Last edited by Johnaudi (August 30 2014)

vegetaleb

Banned

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Can't say where because it's the main advantage,its a region that doesn't have PC shop or poor ones, cell phones shop a la Class can bring up lot of money if using the same source channels, though there are lot of  cell shops in this area.
I wonder if M2 incomes are from what they sell as I never saw someone buying from them computers :/
Virgin has the same exact products and sell 100x more

bermudapineapple

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Why not a salesman and tech woman?

nosense

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Why not a salesman and tech woman?

Exactly my thoughts

eurybaric

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

I got some questions for you. So let's say I'm a potential customer. Why would I buy from your store instead of just ordering everything online from pcandparts and gettinig it delivered to my doorstep without having to step foot outside? Also, do you think it possible to compete with the prices of pcandparts?

I can imagine, if anything, that if for example your store was close to where I live (say 10 minutes by car max!), and you're selling quality products, I'd get the parts from your shop then instead of getting them online and waiting 2-3 days. Also, in case of an emergency where a part failed on me and I'm working on a project due the next day, I'd go to you then too.

In any case, wish you the very best of luck in your plans !

cheers!

rolf

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

I also think that the market is already crowded enough so the margin of profit will not be very big in comparison to the amount of work you will have to put in.
But hey that's just based on my opinion, I'm not an expert in any way, just a consumer. I don't know the details and might be wrong.
If you want to do this, it is also my opinion that you should try to have an innovative concept which will set you out of the competition, and help in spreading the word, attracting people and maximizing profit.

Last edited by rolf (September 2 2014)

eurybaric

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

[...]
If you want to do this, it is also my opinion that you should try to have an innovative concept which will set you out of the competition[...]

Agreed a hundred times over. "General computing" market is quite saturated, but (IMHO), in our haste to cash in on a tried and tested model, as us lebanese tend to do oh so much, the technology retail market in lebanon is riddled with niches left untouched!

What I mean here, for example (maybe a silly one at that but it should get my point across i hope), is that if you were to open a shop that sells simming hardware , like HOTAS controls, Joysticks, TrackIRs, etc along with the softwares maybe too, like FSX, P3D, XPlane, you'd literally have NO COMPETITION. As in if you were located in Nabatiyeh I'd go there just to shop at your place , and I live all the way North in Batroun!

And just like the simmer's market, there are maaaany other niches that few, if ANY, have touched!

Keep us posted :)

Cheers!

vegetaleb

Banned

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Niche market in a small coutry like ours is not really profitable, I mean how many people will spend $$ on quality speciality products? 20? 30? Niche shops are good in countries like US where niche equal thousand and ten thousand of customer in a city like NYC.
Microcity is a good idea of PC shop that used internet and clear honest price list online.
Online list price is a huge advertising,specially when you have low prices

Die_Kapitan

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

I wish there was a Microcenter-like departement store in Lebanon

vegetaleb

Banned

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Virgin owner opened a huge PC shop like a supermarket for spare parts near almaza factory but they closed it after 2 years because of lack of buyers, though they were not cheap

Die_Kapitan

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Virgin owner opened a huge PC shop like a supermarket for spare parts near almaza factory but they closed it after 2 years because of lack of buyers, though they were not cheap

I also meant Microcenter-like prices

rtwo2008

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

[...]
If you want to do this, it is also my opinion that you should try to have an innovative concept which will set you out of the competition[...]

Agreed a hundred times over. "General computing" market is quite saturated, but (IMHO), in our haste to cash in on a tried and tested model, as us lebanese tend to do oh so much, the technology retail market in lebanon is riddled with niches left untouched!

What I mean here, for example (maybe a silly one at that but it should get my point across i hope), is that if you were to open a shop that sells simming hardware , like HOTAS controls, Joysticks, TrackIRs, etc along with the softwares maybe too, like FSX, P3D, XPlane, you'd literally have NO COMPETITION. As in if you were located in Nabatiyeh I'd go there just to shop at your place , and I live all the way North in Batroun!

And just like the simmer's market, there are maaaany other niches that few, if ANY, have touched!

Keep us posted :)

Cheers!

I own a business myself (but in a different field) and I'll give you an idea why you can't really do any of the listed above:

1- Getting any of those brands comes with strings: Their minimum order quantity is not low (maybe 10k - 20k minimum excluding shipping and VAT and customs). If you want to only get a few pieces, they will not give you wholesale prices, they will tell you to buy from a retail store. If you buy from a retail store and ship them to Lebanon, all you will be doing nothing new, and every customer can do it himself. You can add 20$ and tell them it will save them having to wait 2 weeks for delivery. Guess what? most clients will gladly wait 2 weeks than pay 20$ (there are exceptions, but they are few).

2- The people who think different from the masses are usually a percentage. Let's say 1 in every 5 thousand in Lebanon (in USA and other modern countries it is higher of course), which means 0.0002%. If you are lucky to have 10% of those know about you, that's 80 customers out of 4 million people.

3- If you have rent, generator subscription, fuel for your car to get to work and back, you will need to raise prices just to get your expenses back. With the current aliexpress, dx, ebay (not yet too popular because of paypal restrictions but it's getting there), amazon, and customs allowing packages without VAT and taxes under 200,000 LL, your prices will be higher than each individual client getting the item directly. You, as a retailer, will be very pissed at the current packages situation and how people can get their retail items without paying any tax and therefore bypassing you and the money you invested on stock, rent, employees, etc...

Therefore, I think the only viable option is to do something similar to pcandparts. A super low-cost website (it can't get lower than a simple excel sheet layout like pcandparts.com), with deals with the major wholesalers, and word of mouth advertising.

Last edited by rtwo2008 (September 3 2014)

Tarek

Banned

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Don't sell goods ...sell services

NuclearVision

Member

Re: Opening a PC shop = bad idea?

Sell vouchers, you don't need a store for that, home trading. There was a website I dealt with back in time, excellent services.
Vouchers are needed nowadays, iTunes, master card prepaid, amazon, paypal (if you're willing to make it international),Skype rapidshare,etc. it's a good job you can do in parallel to another, and still make good cash
You just need advertising. Once people get to know you, you're in the market! Oh boy!

Last edited by NuclearVision (September 3 2014)