Just thinking out loud here. I don’t know too much about starting my own business, but I have a pipe dream about having a side gig building on-site mini servers for clients who want to start their own businesses.
I could speak with the client, find out what type of business they’re developing, then pair them up with FOSS applications and hardware they’d run on their property. I could also update it all remotely. It would be like a plumber/electrician that can show people how to manage the tools I bring to them.
I was thinking of doing this as a really small personal business, meeting with the clients and installing systems for them.
You think there’s a market for something like this? I don’t really have anyone in my circle who knows the business or tech side of this.
What you’re talking about is generally referred to as an MSP, or Managed Services Provider. There is absolutely a market for it, but building a server here and there isn’t going to help you retire. The money is in service/support contracts, which if you find the right customers, can be a cash cow for minimal effort (which is why the MSP industry is full of greedy, slimy company owners)
I appreciate that explanation. I imagined there had to be a name for this type of business.
Since it’s mostly older folks here, I’ll have to think about what that could mean for them. Privacy, peace of mind, ownership, security?