What does CCC do?

CCC aims to provide timely, efficient, honest and fair priced IT support and advice to households and small businesses.

My primary aim is to help make people's lives better by helping them with their IT needs.

Secondary to that, I also aim to find the most cost-effective solutions to prevent customers spending more on equipment and services than is necessary.

Because I have a broad range of experience, I can usually help customers with multiple issues and devices in one visit. A visit might include resolving WiFi issues, data recovery, connection of Apple TV / ChromeCast, syncing of phone contacts and photos, laptop hard drive upgrades to SSD, setting up cordless, Bluetooth handsets and VoIP, getting a website and domain started, and reviewing phone bills to find better plans without bias.

I'm told I have good communication skills, so I can teach people relatively technical stuff using simple language.

 

Who runs CCC?

Cool Country Consulting is run by a Sole Trader, Michael Kean. ABN 70 312 758 851.

Recent CCC Activity?

·        I've helped some businesses with their social media presence.

·        I've helped several customers move off expensive phone plans to $40 unlimited plans with Boost, Aldi and Amaysim

·        I've recovered some lost work and photos from a computer where the customers' child reformatted the computer.

·        I've gone the extra mile to repair an expensive computer that other computer shops declared dead; by extracting the faulty chip with a plumber's soldering iron and a chisel!

·        I've  helped some elderly customers save over $100 a month by moving from landline by supplying smart phones customised with easy-to-use big writing screens.

·        I've removed some tedious viruses.

·        Saved some customers thousands of dollars by virtualising their old computers so they can keep old versions of accounting programs rather than being forced to pay for new versions they don't need.

·        Found drivers for older hardware to save buying new parts.

·        Provided Offsite Backups to multiple customers - it's paid off for one.

·        Updated the content on websites for multiple customers

·        Shared internet between two houses or for caravan parks with repeaters, etc.

·        Repaired parts in storm-damaged computers.

·        Helped people to work from home with Teamviewer, Hamachi, Remote Desktop, etc.

·        Replaced several broken laptop screens.

·        Made DVDs from videos and photos.

·        Recycled some older laptops and desktops so they can find new homes.

 

 

CCC History.

Cool Country Consulting is a small one-man business in the New England area of NSW, Australia

It's run by a fella called Mike - well technically Michael Kean - that's me...

I've been running it since about 1997.

 

CCC Was initially known as Mike's Computer Consultancy, and was started in Bourke, NSW.

(Home made logo in CorelDRAW on Windows 3.1)

It was initially run entirely on foot, from a briefcase full of floppies in a fold-up trolley

I eventually paid $30 to a customer - over an hours wages back then - and bought an old red mountain bike, which served for a further two years. (This bike was of course fitted out with a two speaker stereo, lights, and movement alarm.)

From Assorted

Around this time I also started a small Dialup ISP called LiSP Bourke, which later became Auzzie Internet.

The bike was soon replaced with the (Sort of inherited) Kingswood...

From Kingswood Upgrades

After six years in Bourke, my then partner and I relocated to Guyra to get away from the heat, but moreso to get away from the stress of living behind a pub in the outback. (The pub was closed when we moved there, but re-opened.)

This move almost saw MCC hit the wall, as it took some time to get re-established in a new town.

However, recovery was successful over time, thanks in part to a new teaching career at GALA.

This lasted for a few years until the government started to change the way it helped fund courses, meaning it was no longer possible to teach the general interest courses I enjoyed teaching the most. The other courses required formal assessments, and that wasn't as much fun to teach. Teaching still happens independently as one on one or small groups ask for it :)

(What I enjoy teaching most is the very basics. Once someone knows how to move a mouse and get information from the Internet they have all they need to learn any new computer skill they desire. Of course, I also enjoy teaching people what they want to know, provided I know how to do it first of course!)

The advent of Broadband meant that Auzzie Internet slowly lost its dialup customer base, and had largely become a reseller for Exetel Pty Ltd. This meant lots of ADSL and wireless broadband connections, often with VoIP as well - which was all great fun to install for people.

Around early 2009, the Kingswood developed a new squeak in the transmission, and despite repair attempts the noise still remained. Since it was now about 38 years old I decided to switch to the Bluebird and save the Kingswood for future restoration / investment.

 

At the end of 2009, M2Wholesale declared Auzzie Dialup too small, and pulled the plug on the last 25 customers.

In September 2010, Exetel decided to drastically cut back on the services it was funding agents to supply, and introduced a sneaky 'admin fee' for end users, which has effectively seen a break in my willingness to chase further customers at this stage. Since they're trying to move to a corporate-only user base, this breakup was probably inevitable.

Now, 12 years old, Cool Country Consulting specializes in on-site and in-home computer repairs as usual, and appears to be moving more into the programming and online services arena. The remote assistance tool is particularly popular and handy in helping those in outlying areas resolve computer issues without the cost of travel.

At last count there are about 500 customers active in the last two years. Work loads are moderate to heavy at times, but not impossible. Growth is almost entirely on word-of-mouth, with the occasional flyer distribution when I remember to print them!

It is great to have a job that you really enjoy, and that affords the freedom to be your own boss! I don't aspire to have huge growth or to become a "Dick Smith" and as such am happy enough just looking after those around me. As long as I can get to jobs within a reasonable time frame I'm happy - and at present that's usually within 72 hours so it's pretty good.

Having been brought up on a tight budget, I value fairness in pricing which I pass on to you :)