Is Starting a Cell Phone Repair Business a Good Idea in 2024?

According to a recent report by business industry research company IBISWorld, the cell phone repair industry in the United States is a $4 billion business, and it’s expected to continue growing in the coming years. Many businesses that offer cell phone repair services are small shops or single proprietors, making it a potentially attractive option for entrepreneurs looking to start their own business.

Planning the Business Side

Before starting a cell phone repair business, it’s crucial to gain knowledge and experience in repairing phones. The ifixit website is an excellent resource for easy-to-follow instructions on how to fix specific cell phones. Once you understand the basics, you can start planning the business side.

There are two main ways to start your own cell phone repair business: doing it yourself or setting up a store. If you’re doing it yourself, you might need between $2,000 and $5,000 to buy tools, parts for various phones, and expenses related to the vehicle used for the business. To advertise, most people post on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and tell their friends. They often do their repairs at home, in a car, or a van with a stable flat surface.

Setting up a store, on the other hand, will cost between $20,000 and $40,000. When deciding on a location for your store, it’s essential to carefully check the demographics of the area. Large cities have a lot of competition, but opening a store in a city of 50,000 to 100,000 in population without much else around for another 50 miles or so could lead to success.

Marketing is Crucial to Success

Like any business, marketing is key to success in the cell phone repair industry. You may be the best cell phone repair person around, but if you can’t attract customers, you won’t be successful. A lot of business, at least at the beginning, may come from word of mouth, whether through friends and family or satisfied customers.

To create a marketing plan, consider a variety of tactics, including a website, social media (a Facebook page, for example), flyers or brochures, and business cards to hand out to people you meet. You may also want to join your local chamber of commerce, especially if you’re in a smaller city or town, as this will offer networking opportunities and a chance to get to know other businesses that might refer work to you.

Some cell phone repair technicians partner with someone who can do the marketing for them, so they can concentrate on what they do best – fix phones.