Have you always had a passion for tech, but have never been able to make it your full-time focus? Have you worked in tech in the past and now want to call the shots for yourself? Starting a tech business might be just the game-changer that you’re looking for. To help give you some inspiration on where to get started, here are five tech-related business ideas to get you off the ground.

Computer repair and maintenance

If you’ve always had a flair for DIY and are good with your hands, then perhaps starting a computer repair service could be your future. If you have the knowledge base to help people with their issues, then it can be a good place to start. You may need to start local, but if it’s successful, there is always room to expand into other nearby local areas. IT services are always in demand, as people would often rather repair their tech kit than replace it.

If you are running such a customer-focused business, you need to have your customer service department in good shape from the beginning. IT service management can be very different from a service desk in another industry; that’s why you need an ITSM solution that’s specialized to you. Bright Pattern offers ITSM software that can automate and improve the ROI for your service management. Their dedicated staff will follow best practice and revolutionize your ITSM tools and incident management systems. You’ll never need to worry about your customer service letting down your stellar computer repair skills.

Data protection

With more and more consumers growing wise to the dangers and pitfalls of sharing data online, incorporating data protection into your business plan is a great idea. You can help individuals and businesses understand how to protect their sensitive data by using your knowledge base to run workshops, helping to develop a corporate privacy policy or terms of use, or testing the data protection best practices that they already have in place. Project management and customer satisfaction will be key here; you need to be organized and prove that you can do what you claim. If you have the knowledge to add real value to your customers, there is a lot of money to be won here.

Freelance coding help

Coding languages are adapted all the time. Many tech-related companies and individuals simply can’t keep up, and therefore go to external sources with their coding or data. For example, market researchers take on a lot of data but don’t know how to use codes like Python to visualize it. If you know how to perform a Python zip function, for example, you might be able to assist other service providers and tech companies with the nitty-gritty that they don’t have the technical knowledge for. Knowledge management is a key part of being successful in tech: knowing what you are good at and what others aren’t. Once you can identify that, utilize it moving forward in your business.

Research

The digital world is changing all the time. To stay on top of things, companies and individuals are hiring people to dive deep into certain topics and provide reports or summaries on them. Becoming a pro internet researcher means you can cash in on the digital transformation boom and earn money while you surf the web.

Consulting

If you already have a background in tech, offer your services as a consultant. The following example will only really apply to those with a great deal of experience, but if you have had successes in the past and feel you could offer valuable advice to up-and-coming startups and individuals, then people will often pay big money for such useful help.