People break their stuff. Screens crack, hard drives fail, laptops overheat, and printers do whatever printers do. That's not changing anytime soon. If you're good at fixing things and want to turn it into a business, here's how to actually do it — without the MBA fluff.

Is It Still Worth It?

Short answer: yes. The "everything is disposable" crowd has been predicting the death of repair for years, and yet:

Right to Repair laws are passing in more states, opening up parts and documentation
The average laptop costs $800+. People repair what they can't easily replace
Small businesses, schools, and local governments all need someone to call
Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft are all expanding self-service repair programs — which means more people trying to fix things and failing

The key is diversification. Don't just fix one thing. Computers, phones, tablets, game consoles, smart home devices — the more you can handle, the more resilient your business.

Step 1: Decide Your Model

Home-Based / Mobile

Lowest overhead — work from a spare room or go to customers
Great for starting out with zero capital
Limits walk-in traffic and credibility for some customers
Works well paired with on-site service for businesses

Retail Storefront

Walk-in traffic and local visibility
Higher overhead (rent, utilities, insurance)
Better for high-volume phone/computer repair
Feels more "legitimate" to enterprise clients

Hybrid

Storefront for drop-offs + mobile service for business clients
Best of both worlds, but more to manage

Most people should start home-based or mobile and upgrade to a storefront once revenue supports it.

Step 2: Handle the Legal Stuff

You don't need a law degree, but you do need:

Business license — check your city/county requirements
Business structure — LLC is the sweet spot for most repair shops (liability protection, simple taxes)
EIN — free from the IRS, takes 5 minutes online
Business bank account — separate personal and business finances from day one
Insurance — general liability at minimum; consider professional liability if you handle data recovery
Sales tax permit — required in most states if you sell parts

Total cost to set up: usually under $500.

Step 3: Get Your Tools

Essentials (Day 1)

Precision screwdriver set (iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit is the gold standard)
Anti-static mat and wrist strap
Multimeter
Spudgers and pry tools
Heat gun or heat mat (for phone screens)
Magnifying glass or loupe
Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and cleaning supplies
USB drives with diagnostic tools

Nice to Have (Month 1-3)

Soldering station (for board-level repair)
Ultrasonic cleaner
Microscope (for microsoldering)
Label printer (for intake tags)
Parts organizer bins

Software

Shop management software — track jobs, customers, invoices (TechsBox is built for exactly this)
Accounting — QuickBooks or Wave
Communication — business phone line (Google Voice works early on)

Step 4: Set Your Prices

Pricing is where most new shops screw up. Too low and you can't pay rent. Too high and customers walk.

Common Pricing Models

Flat Rate — fixed price per repair type (e.g., $80 screen replacement, $60 virus removal)

Pros: customers know what to expect, faster quoting
Cons: you eat the cost on complex jobs

Hourly — charge by time (e.g., $75-125/hour)

Pros: fair for complex/unknown issues
Cons: customers worry about the meter running

Hybrid — flat rate for common repairs, hourly for diagnostics and custom work

This is what most successful shops do

Benchmarks

Diagnostic fee: $30-75
Virus/malware removal: $75-150
Screen replacement (phone): $80-250 depending on model
Screen replacement (laptop): $150-400
Data recovery (logical): $100-300
Data recovery (physical): $300-1,500+
Hardware repair (desktop): $75-200 + parts
OS reinstall: $75-125

Always charge a diagnostic fee. It filters out people who aren't serious and compensates you for your time even if they decline the repair.

Step 5: Get Your First Customers

Free / Low-Cost Channels

Google Business Profile — set this up immediately. This is how local customers find you
Facebook Marketplace — post your services, join local community groups
Nextdoor — hyperlocal neighborhood platform
Craigslist — still works for service businesses
Word of mouth — tell everyone you know. Seriously, everyone

Paid Channels (When Ready)

Google Ads — target "computer repair near me" in your area
Facebook/Instagram ads — target local, tech-adjacent demographics
Yelp — claim your listing (don't pay for Yelp ads, just maintain the free listing)

B2B Clients

Reach out to local businesses, schools, and nonprofits
Offer a maintenance contract (monthly fee for priority support)
B2B clients are more reliable revenue than walk-ins

Step 6: Build Your Workflow

This is where shops either run smoothly or drown in chaos. You need a system for:

Intake — capture customer info, device details, reported problem
Diagnosis — document findings, create estimate
Approval — get customer sign-off before starting work
Repair — track status, parts used, technician notes
Quality check — verify the fix before calling the customer
Pickup/delivery — notify customer, collect payment
Follow-up — check in a week later, ask for a review

A whiteboard works for your first 5 jobs. After that, you need software. Tracking repairs in your head or on paper doesn't scale, and you'll lose customers to dropped balls.

TechsBox handles this entire workflow — from intake to invoice — so you can focus on the actual repairs.

Step 7: Scale Smart

Once you're busy enough that you're turning away work:

Hire your first tech — part-time first, full-time when justified
Document your processes — so the new person doesn't need you for every decision
Track your numbers — average ticket price, turnaround time, repeat customer rate
Invest in marketing — whatever channel is working, double down
Consider a storefront — if you're home-based and maxed out

Common Mistakes

Undercharging — your time has value. Charge what you're worth
No diagnostic fee — you'll waste hours on people who just wanted a free opinion
Ignoring the business side — being a great tech isn't enough. You need to market, invoice, and follow up
Trying to fix everything on day one — start with what you know, expand as you learn
No warranty policy — decide upfront what you'll cover and for how long. Put it in writing

The Bottom Line

Starting a computer repair business isn't complicated. Fix things well, charge fairly, show up when you say you will, and use real tools to run your business. That puts you ahead of 80% of the competition.

The hard part isn't the repairs. It's building the systems that let you do repairs at scale without losing your mind. Get that right, and you've got a real business.

Ready to stop tracking repairs on sticky notes? Try TechsBox free — built by a former repair tech who got tired of the alternatives.

How to Start a Computer Repair Business in 2026