I Started A Cell Phone Repair Business With No Experience. Here's What I Learned

Driven by a passion for electronics repair and an interest in business, he came up with the idea of directly repairing customers' iPhones, expecting a profit of $50 to $100 per repair.

He practiced screen replacements by purchasing iPhone SEs for around $100 on eBay, gradually upgrading his skills to newer models like the iPhone 11.

Targeting the university campus and marketing cheap, fast, and convenient services, he distributed 20-50 flyers weekly and created a website and business cards to build a professional image.

Initial investments for tools, a heat pad, parts inventory, print materials, and a website amounted to $600-$1,000, which was a significant burden for a college student.

His first repair was an iPhone 13 Pro, for which he used a $300 screen and charged $400. He made a $100 profit that weekend and subsequently earned a consistent $100-$150 per week from about two repairs.

He utilized a system where he sold broken iPhone screens to an LCD buyback program and purchased new parts with the store credit, which helped absorb repair costs.

During an iPhone 7 Plus repair, he made a critical mistake by using Goo Gone instead of isopropyl alcohol, damaging the motherboard and rendering the phone completely unbootable.

Due to the failed repair, he paid $200 in compensation to the customer, which was a major blow psychologically, but he learned how to deal with pressure and the importance of risk management.

Spending 5-6 hours a week on customer communication and appointment scheduling, combined with the experience of failure, led to a decrease in his motivation for the business, and he ultimately ceased operations.

He has now returned to the method of buying, repairing, and reselling iPhones, continuing to profit from electronics repair while avoiding the risks associated with customer data.