[Nemencine]

i am running a sidebusiness, that by the end of the year or early 2015, it will allow me to finally and permanently leave my scientist job; and with it, the jungle of office politics.

I have certain technical questions i need help with:

#1. Do anybody knows of a good, versatile, hard drive cloning device? Has anybody use the Kanguru cloning device before? or anything similar? I need something like that, but also have the versatility of COOLMAX cloning Adapter

#2. Is there a Kanguru like device for charging computer batteries-- something that is versatile enough to charge various kinds of batteries types and sizes(hp, dell, mac, toshiba, etc) while they are not attached to the computer; the same way the Kanguru cloning device can clone the HD without it being inserted into the computer. A version of that for computer batteries that can charge 14 or 30 batteries at a time.

This will be a godsend. I can shave off 2 to 3 days from my turnover time of 2 to 3 weeks. Allowing me to pump out more volume... Multitasking the battery charging and cloning is disruptive to my work momentum. I basically have to create a stack of computers to charge batteries and clone HDs.

QUICK BACKGROUND ON THE BUSINESS:

My side business is computer refurbishing/sale and it generates in pure profit around $5,000 to $8,000 per 2weeks to 3 wks interval. That is based on a turnover of 50 to 100 computers every 2 to 3 weeks.

The profit margin is around 100% to 150%.

Something like this HP elite notebook, i am selling it for $180... i acquired the product parts, etc for nothing more than $35. I am shipping out a total of 42 of those Elite HP by the end of this week. I like to do batch sales.



I obtained various used computers, and computer parts, from hospitals, recycling centers, government agencies, schools, Dell or HP warehouses, etc... at $25 to $35 range per computer...i then take them apart to test and salvage functional parts of the computer(SATA harddrives, solid states hardrives, from 40GB to 160 GB range, motherboards, memory chips btw 2gb to 4gb, chargers, batteries, functional heat sinks, CMOS batteries, computer cameras, digitizers, screens, etc...

Basically, I cannibalizes the used computers, take out all functional parts, categorizes and sort them out. I then use the functional parts to custom built re-furbished computers, clean and polish them spanking new, and sell them just below the competitors price on amazon, ebay, or ship them overseas to china, egypt or pakistan. After shipping, labour, parts, etc has been factored in, the profit margin is around 100% to 150% for me.

This is my sidebusiness..... (my regular job is being a super scientist extra-ordinaire. hehehe)

As a one man army, in addition to doing my regular scientist job, i only have time enough to only clear around 50 to 100 computers maximum per 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the level of technical difficulties i encounter per batch of computer/computer parts. I am in the process of scaling the business using an assembly line model that employs a bunch of university students(with strong preference for background in engineering, computer science and IT concentrations). To work on different, specific function in the computer disassembling and reassembling process. Of course, i will pay them beer money. I already found a warehouse-like structure close-by to a technical/engineering university, also in promixity to postal office.

With proper scaling of the business, i can see myself doing 4 to 5 times the current volume that i am doing right now. I promise to do a datasheet for RVF community when everything is set and smooth sailing.

Anyways, when i look at the workflow process of my business, the choke point is charging the computer batteries and the cloning the harddrives.

Currently, i clone the harddrives in an exponential manner, i.e, clone one and then use both to clone 2 HDs, then use the four of them to clone 4 HDs.. etc. The ratio is still 1:1. It takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes to clone each harddrive. You try to multitask, but this adds up. Especially, since i have to install the newly cloned harddrive, and load up the Acronis software whenever i am turning a newly cloned harddrive into a master harddrive for cloning new ones. This eat up my time, disrupt work momentum, despite multi-tasking. That is why i need those equipments, especially, if i am going to be having teams of university students working for me... and paying them by the hour.

Any suggestions with regards to versatile equipment for batch cloning HDs and batch charging of computer batteries?

regards,

Nemencine

p.s. the plan is to scale the business successfully, see how things go when i run it fulltime using my saved vacation time from my current regular job; if things go well, call it quit at my regular 9 to 5. step on the accelerator, expand my rolodex and go nuts. I promise to do a datasheet on how i got started, how i set it up, and how i scale it; in the future. But for now, i cannot put the horse before the cart. I still need to scale this side business and turn it into a full-time business.