To build up your cell phone repair business: an experienced guide
With the consumer attitudes changes, cell phone innovation reduced and over-featured, a report reveals that 62 per cent of users change their smartphones every 3-4 years, which means skips 2-4 mobile phone generations. But with being such a huge part of our daily lives, cell phone repairs have become a fast growing business. See this Google Trends (from 2018 to now):
If you’re technically inclined and want to build up your own cell phone repair business, opening your own mobile phone repair shop can be an amazing and creative move. In this guide, it will introduce you how to make the plan launched and get yourself a successful cell phone repair business.
1. Competition is the best teacher
To check the local cell phone repair shops would be the most efficient and productive way. You can visit them and see how they do and what they’re providing. Make a good note and analysis so you could find out what you can do or provide something better.
Checklist:
- Cell phone brands: iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, Moto etc.
- Repair part replacements: screen, flex, battery, housing etc.
- Parts qualities: Aftermarket, Original etc.
- Services: Repair, refurbish, unlock, upgrade etc.
- Pricing
2. Learn the repair skills you’ll need
This is your core competitiveness to win more clients‘ trusts and market shares by your customers referrals to new visitors. So the core is having the skills-how to actually fix phones.
Checklist:
- Hardware: being able to seperate the phone correctly and reinstall it perfectly, don’t break any small pieces which means more spends on cost and time efficiency. Find out the problems and fix them.
- Software: well skilled with different reprogram and their software, like recovering data, copy&paste original data, flashing firmware, reloading, unlocks and so on.
- Keeping updating and pay attending to latest devices and issues, make sure you stay on top of them.
- More skilles on Micro soldering, heating station/pad, testboard, programmer tools.
Taking courses is a great way to build expertise, and get yourself quickly enjoy such a community. Also watching Youtube plus searching some specific things on Google would be another creative way.
3. Get the tools and equiptments you will need
Good preparation improves overall productivity in a long run. A well-equipped workshop would be carefully selected and designed. Here’re some popular ones:
- Repair tools kit: Premium precise screwdrivers, tweezers, pry tools, clamps and openers
- Microscope: Electornic or optical microscope depends on your budget
- Soldering station: For soldering components on flex, board etc. like model 8586
- Heating station: Heating gun and heating pad, like CPB.300 screen removal repair pad
- Parts organizer: To keep screws and small accessories tracked and organized
- Testers: screen tester, battery tester, diagnostic gadgets and so on, make sure parts is working before assembly it
- Safety gear: Goggles, ESD wrist straps, fame extractors, gloves
4. Set up your cell phone repair Workspace
Better to make a good preparation on the design which need to be very thoughtful. It will actually impact your workflow. Here’re 5 tips:
- Location: easy to be visited, good to attrack new visitors
- Layout: strorefront visibility, inside sections for repair, intake etc.
- Comfort: Good lighting, comfortable chairs
- Electrical: Enough outlets, surge protectors
- Security: Cameras, alarms, theft deterrents
5. search for parts and tools suppliers wordwide
Nowadays, looking for suppliers is so easy, like Google, Alibaba, Amazon, eBay, Aliexpress. You can find your idea suppliers anywhere and anytime, but yes, it takes time to sort them out.
Here’re 4 tips to avoiding some commond risks
- Payment method: be careful of scam. If not trusted enough to pay T/T, use PayPal for the first few purchase and test the suppliers
- Lead time and delivery: better to test the supplier and see how long it takes while some tell 1 week but it actually takes two. This is very essential while you’re just starting(in case that clients left it because of waiting too long)
- Quality standard: make sure suppliers provides different options and quality match the standards. If not familar with it, buy premium aftermarket and original for the beginning
- Companies: Don’t trust what they said but test them. Companies exist for 5 or 10 years would be a very good option. They are well experienced, professional, highly corporated and good pricing, like FIZON TECH.
FIZON as a cell phone screens and spare parts supplier based in China for 10+ years, is helping varity of customers all over the worlds, and the numbers is increasing. Their clients are mostly oversea wholesalers, retailers, repair centers and shops, with professional services and reasonble pricing.
6. Purchase your first stock
A well prepared stock allows you to get repairs fixed as more as it could be. Good stuffs could be:
- Mobile phone screen replacements: models and quality options
- Flex cable replacements like charging port, front/rear camera, power flex, speakers
- Mobile phone housing and glass lens
- Small accessories like screws, adhensive tapes, side buttons
- Batteries: quality options
- Protectors like cases, tempered glass
Focus on high-demand models and common failure parts in the beginning and keep growing your inventory.
7. Promote your business
Everything well prepared and now the key point is to attract your clients, online/offline advertisements etc.
- Website & Social media: showing visitor your services, prices and advantages
- SEO: build up your own traffic kingdom
- Print/online ads: spend some budgets and get visitors in short time
- Promotions: offer coupons, discounts to gain new visitors
Build up your reputation there. This is the key of the keys. Happy clients will bring more successful business.
Conclusion
To start a sucessful phone repair business, you need technical skills, smart planning, and effective marketing. By being organized, offering high-quality services, and meeting the local demand, you can create a thriving electronics repair shop. As our dependence on smartphones continues to grow, the cell phone repair industry is set for expansion. And once again, the consumer attitudes, economy environment is so friendly to phone repair business in these few years.