You're good at fixing things. Now you want to turn that into a business. Here's everything you need — no fluff, just the checklist.

Before You Open

Business Basics

[ ] Choose your niche — Phones? Computers? Consoles? All of the above? Start focused.
[ ] Business name — Check availability with your state's Secretary of State and grab the domain.
[ ] Business structure — LLC is the sweet spot for most repair shops. Protects your personal assets.
[ ] EIN — Free from the IRS. Takes 5 minutes online. You'll need this for a business bank account.
[ ] Business bank account — Keep personal and business finances separate. Day one.
[ ] Business insurance — General liability at minimum. Protects you if a customer's device is damaged or lost.
[ ] Local permits/licenses — Check your city and county requirements. Some require a general business license.

Location

[ ] Choose your model — Retail storefront, home-based, mobile, or shared space?
[ ] Retail lease (if applicable) — Look for high foot traffic, good visibility, reasonable rent.
[ ] Zoning check — Make sure the location is zoned for your type of business.
[ ] Signage — Customers need to be able to find you. Invest in good exterior signage.

Equipment & Tools

The basics to start:

[ ] Workstation — Clean, well-lit bench with an anti-static mat
[ ] Screwdriver sets — Pentalobe, Phillips, Torx, tri-point (get a good precision kit)
[ ] Spudgers and pry tools — Nylon and metal
[ ] Heat gun or hot plate — For screen removals and adhesive work
[ ] Multimeter — For board-level diagnosis
[ ] Magnification — Desk lamp with magnifier or microscope for micro-soldering
[ ] Soldering station — If doing board-level work
[ ] ESD protection — Anti-static wrist strap and mat
[ ] Compressed air — For cleaning
[ ] Computer/tablet — For your shop management software and customer intake

Parts & Inventory

[ ] Find reliable suppliers — Quality matters more than price. A cheap screen that fails in 2 weeks costs you a warranty repair + unhappy customer.
[ ] Stock common parts — iPhone screens, common batteries, charging ports for popular models.
[ ] Organize your inventory — Label everything. Track what you have and what you need.
[ ] Set reorder points — Don't run out of your top 10 parts.

Your Systems

Shop Management Software

This is not optional if you want to run a professional operation:

[ ] Job tracking — Every device that comes in gets a work order
[ ] Customer database — Full history for every customer
[ ] Invoicing — Generate invoices from job data, accept payments
[ ] Status updates — Let customers check their repair status online

techsbox handles all of this starting at $15/month. 14-day free trial, set up in under 5 minutes.

Payment Processing

[ ] Card reader — Square, Stripe, or similar. Don't turn away card payments.
[ ] POS system — Can be as simple as Square's free app + reader.
[ ] Online payments — Send invoices with payment links.

Communication

[ ] Business phone number — Google Voice is free. Don't use your personal number.
[ ] Business email — yourname@yourshop.com looks professional.
[ ] Status notifications — Text or email customers when their repair is ready.

Getting Your First Customers

Day One Marketing

[ ] Google Business Profile — This is free and it's the #1 way people find local repair shops. Set it up immediately.
[ ] Website — Doesn't need to be fancy. Name, services, location, contact info. techsbox gives every shop a public page automatically.
[ ] Social media — Pick one platform (Instagram or Facebook) and post consistently. Before/after repair photos work great.
[ ] Business cards — Old school, still works. Leave them at local businesses.

First 30 Days

[ ] Ask every customer for a Google review — This is your #1 growth lever.
[ ] Track where customers come from — Ask at intake, record it.
[ ] Set up a referral program — Give existing customers a reason to send friends.
[ ] Join local groups — Facebook community groups, Nextdoor, local business associations.
[ ] Partner with local businesses — IT companies, phone stores, schools, offices. They all have devices that need repair.

Pricing Your Services

This is where most new shops struggle. Here's a framework:

Calculate Your Costs

Parts cost — What you pay for the replacement part
Labor time — How long the repair actually takes you
Overhead — Rent, utilities, insurance, software, etc. (divide by expected monthly jobs)

Set Your Prices

Parts + markup — 50–100% markup on parts is standard
Labor rate — $50–$100/hour depending on your market
Minimum job charge — Set a floor (e.g., $40) so tiny jobs are still worth your time

Compare to Market

Check what competitors charge in your area
Don't be the cheapest — compete on quality and service
Display prices on your website (transparency builds trust)

For a deeper dive, read our complete guide to pricing repair services.

Common Mistakes

Starting Too Big

You don't need a $3,000/month retail space on day one. Many successful shops started from a spare room, garage, or shared workspace. Grow into your overhead.

Skipping the Warranty

A 90-day warranty costs almost nothing and massively increases customer confidence. Read our warranty policy guide.

No Systems from Day One

"I'll organize when I get busy" — no, you won't. Set up your job tracking, customer database, and financial systems before your first customer walks in. It's 10x harder to retroactively organize.

Underpricing

New shops often price too low to attract customers. This backfires: you attract price-sensitive customers who complain the most, you burn out, and you can't afford quality parts.

Not Tracking Numbers

From month one, track: revenue, job count, average job value, and customer acquisition source. These numbers tell you what's working.

The First Day Checklist

When you're ready to open, here's your day-one list:

✅ Shop management software set up (start here)
✅ Payment processing working
✅ Google Business Profile live
✅ At least 10 common parts in stock
✅ Warranty policy written
✅ Pricing displayed
✅ Phone and email ready
✅ First work order template tested

You don't need everything perfect. You need the basics working and the willingness to improve every day.

Good luck. Go fix things. 🔧

Starting a Repair Shop? Here's Your Complete Checklist