Clicking through a list of computer parts, sophomore Amir Rostamzadeh stretches his back in the chair. After spending hours online, the list is finally finished. He compiles the parts and prepares to send them to his customer.

“I began this business because of my love for PC’s and gaming,” Rostamzadeh said. “At first, I marketed myself to my friends. I worked on finding credible websites to buy computer components. I then put it on my social media, and it began spreading to more people.”

Since last year, Rostamzadeh has been selling hand-made lists of computer parts to buy on Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance services. 

“The biggest achievement for me so far was getting the business up and running,” Rostamzadeh said. “Since the businesses in this field are really competitive, staying afloat and not giving up hope is a big achievement for me. I believe that with enough time, my business will grow.”

His inspiration began when he helped build a personal computer for one of his colleagues and received positive feedback from them, encouraging him to begin selling his services to other people. 

“In the beginning, I was working for myself, but with all of the support along the way from family and friends, I cared more and more for my business,” Rostamzadeh said. “I think the thing I enjoy most about my business is that it’s something I really am passionate about. I’ve always been interested in PC’s and building computers, so having the opportunity to make profit from it is wonderful.”

The business offers personalized lists of computer components specific to the customer’s needs. His specialty is finding quality parts that meet demands and are affordable by comparing prices between retailers.

“My specialty lists are all personalized,” Rostamzadeh said. “You can get lists from anyone, but they’d all be generic and general to your needs. I think that’s the reason why some retailers are bad, they lack uniqueness.”

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Although the business has been running for a few months, the competition is fierce and unforgiving.

“This kind of business has tough competition,” Rostamzadeh said. “It’s not a traditional online business where you have to truly understand what you’re doing to sell your products. Most people have a basic knowledge of building a PC, and because of that, anyone can make a list. The toughest situation I had was having a customer stolen from me by a rivaling seller. That really solidified that the competition for this business was high, so I had to better understand my customer base.”

Even though starting a business may be a risk, Rostamzadeh sees his services heading in a great direction and hopes to continue in the future.

“When I started, I was a little uncertain,” Rostamzadeh said. “I knew there was tough competition, but I was excited to start. I see the business expanding because I try to keep my services unique. When in doubt, I learned to just try it. You just might be surprised. No matter what, at least you tried.”