How my love for old computer hardware led to a potentially lucrative business deal

[soundofwater]

I recently met an entrepreneur who sells and repairs printers, photocopiers and scanners. For 40 bucks, he sold me a 1992-era LaserJet 4Si printer with network and duplexer options, and delivered it to my bedroom. The LaserJet 4Si is intended to serve a small office and weighs over 120 pounds fully loaded. That's a big hunk of printer

Comments

Here's a quick idea:

[philalex]

I think I know this guy. I love or used to love old printers. It's a tough biz, luke. I bought a NEW HP 1020 at staples for $149 and a 2 year instant replace warranty for another $20.

Refills are cheap (eBay).

Anyhow. Here's the idea: Fax blasting is cheap. $200 gets you 10,000, all to people who have fax machines, presumably business people. Let me know if you need the link.

But Luke: he's GOTTA raise his prices. 90% of businesses do.

Re: Here's a quick idea:

[soundofwater]

If the guy you're thinking of is around 35 years old, Romanian, and has an office in the Toronto Business Development Centre, that's him!

Does fax blasting have as bad a reputation as e-mail spam? It sounds like a cost-effective alternative to direct mail, but I wouldn't want Ioan's company to be known for spam.

Re: Here's a quick idea:

[philalex]

Fax blasting isn't the most favourite form of advertising, but it's LEGAL.

I would direct all inquiries to an email box or fax inbox. I wouldn't take calls incoming.

Incidently, if you read www.fixyourownprinter.com, the tech there, moe, gives a lot of good business advice.

Seriously luke: The $$ in that biz isn't selling 120 lbs of printer for $40. It's the cartridges and maintenance.

You get some offices on contract for refills with a warranty (If this screws your printer, we pay for it), you can get a regular monthly income, with a yearly spiff when you do maintenance/cleaning.

Now the bad news: I've had a few clients like this. What happens is, they cut their prices so low they make little cash. Then, when they see how much you make, they get all pissed off. I would only do such a deal if I handled all the cash and paid him.

But that's me.

PS: you up for dinner this week?

-P

Re: Here's a quick idea:

[soundofwater]

I was talking wth Ioan today and he says that his most profitable service is large format printing: Trade show banners, advertising posters, art reproductions, etc. Once, he created a series of backdrops for an opera by splicing together prints

[unknown_lamer]

Old HP printers rock. I think my LaserJet 6MP will outlast me.

[epi_lj]

Seriously, send the details to my work account. (Contact me for the e-mail address if you don't have it.) We could use some work on a couple of printers and we might have one or more old ones hanging around that we wouldn't mind someone picking up. Even if we don't decide we need anything right now, we might later. Can he work on-site, or do pickup/dropoff?

[soundofwater]

Awesome! Yes, he can work on-site, and I'm pretty sure he'd do pickup/dropoff if it's a big enough job.

What's your work address?

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[lawmilson]

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