Given the high level of INTJs, people in tech and in to DIY here I'm sure there are a few that have done/are doing repair of electronics such as replacing broken screens/batteries/etc on smartphones/tablets/etc.
I was wondering if anyone had any tips on what worked well for them and what didn't in regards to pricing and advertising themselves plus any other things you feel might be worth mentioning in relationship to doing it as a side-gig.
Electronics Repair
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prognastat
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jacob
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Re: Electronics Repair
You mean the money-side of things? The most popular and easiest kind of repair business is to acquire broken stuff cheap or for free, repair it, and then sell it for a profit. Profits will depend more on your ability to source and sell than any repair skills. This also hedges against failures to repair and quoting correctly/profitably. I'd say that's "level 1". I'd start there. This will also get you the required experience.
This is speaking as someone who has done it with bicycles and watches. Not electronics. In my experience, those markets are quite efficient. You really need a good way to source TLC projects. Fixing bicycles was possible in the bay area (although not as a business---there was simply not enough sourcing). In Chicago, the hipster/scrapper-competition is too strong [for me] to even begin.
For the thing-side of things, I usually go to https://www.ifixit.com/ ... They're like the Park Tools Blue book of consumer electronics. This is on the "identify broken part and switch it out"-level. No continuity testing or reflowing.
This is speaking as someone who has done it with bicycles and watches. Not electronics. In my experience, those markets are quite efficient. You really need a good way to source TLC projects. Fixing bicycles was possible in the bay area (although not as a business---there was simply not enough sourcing). In Chicago, the hipster/scrapper-competition is too strong [for me] to even begin.
For the thing-side of things, I usually go to https://www.ifixit.com/ ... They're like the Park Tools Blue book of consumer electronics. This is on the "identify broken part and switch it out"-level. No continuity testing or reflowing.
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prognastat
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Re: Electronics Repair
Yeah it's more the running it as a business side advice that I'm looking for rather than the how-to side. When my iPhone screen recently broke on top of the battery having had issues for a while and the headphone jack not having worked for a few years I decided that since getting the tools and parts was just as much as getting all three things repaired I would be better of fixing it myself which ended up going well.
Mostly tips like sourcing parts, determining pricing and advertising are things I'm not very knowledgeable about.
Mostly tips like sourcing parts, determining pricing and advertising are things I'm not very knowledgeable about.