How to Start a Mobile Phone Repair Business in Kenya
Mobile phones have become essential in our everyday life. Mobile phones are used to communicate, send, receive money and learning purposes. They have also created opportunities for people who repair them. Many people have bought mobile phones and from time to time, they break down. This has led to an increase in demand for mobile repair services in Kenya. This article will show you how to start a cell phone repair business in Kenya.
How to Start a Mobile Repair Business in Kenya
To start a cell phone repair business in Kenya, start by writing a business plan. A good cell phone repair business plan should have startup costs, business location, business names, requirements, risks and strengths, sources of startup capital, and future revenue projections.
Mobile Repair Skills and Expertise
Skills are important when starting a mobile repair business. You need to get training to acquire mobile repair skills. The basic skills include electronics basics, hardware repair, mobile software repair and troubleshooting.
Many schools like TVETs are offering mobile repair training. You can also get training from a qualified technician. Usually, training takes between 2 weeks and 1 month and charges range between Ksh 20,000 to 30,000.
If you don't have the skills, you can employ a technician. Look for an honest person. You can hire a person who will never disclose your business revenues. If you can, be there in your business to handle cash. You can be selling mobile phone accessories while receiving payment for mobile repairs while the technician does the repairs.
Also read: How to start a carwash business in Kenya.
Business Name
You need to come up with an appealing business name that markets your business. It should be catchy, simple, memorable and demonstrate that your business offers mobile repair services. When people know your business by its name, it becomes easy for them to market it by word of mouth.
Business Location
The location of any business is a major factor to its success. Make sure that your business is situated in a place with an influx of people. Mobile repair businesses work well in towns and as such, you may need to open a storefront.
If you do not have enough startup capital, you can start operating from home before opening a storefront.
Market Your Mobile Repair Business
Starting a business and failing to market and advertise it is like blinking to a girl at night. No one knows that your business exists and what services it is offering. As such, let people know what services you are offering.
You can adopt different advertising and promotion practices like posters, billboards, and business cards. Make sure your business has a social media presence. Get a massive following on social media and let people know that you repair cell phones at pocket-friendly prices.
Get Business Licenses and Insurance
You must ensure that your business complies with government regulations. As such, you need to apply for business licenses and permits. Failure to do so, you will always in constant conflict with the authorities and you risk losing your tools and inventory.
You also need to insure your business against theft and damages from water and fire. Remember, some of the mobile phones that your clients bring for repair are expensive and losing one could be a significant setback to your business.
How Much Money Do I Need to Start Mobile Repair Business?
Starting a mobile repair business doesn't require a lot of capital. A medium phone repair business in Kenya will require about Ksh 100,000 inclusive of the storefront rent to start. Some of the things you need to get started include phone repair tools, mobile phone accessory parts like screens, chargers, batteries and motherboard.
Also read. How to get funding for a business idea in Kenya.
Tools Needed to Start a Phone Repair Business
When starting a phone repair business, you need to have the necessary tools to fix broken cell phones. You can start with common tools like anti static brush, isopropyl alcohol, suction cup, digitizer separartor, screwdrivers, spudgers, tweezers and universal smart phone tool kit. You can buy more sophisticated tools as your business grows.
Is Mobile Repair a Good Business?
Yes. Cell phone repair is a profitable business. Mobile repair business revenues depend on customer's traffic to your business. If you have many customers, it is possible to make Ksh 5,000 every day from mobile repair business.
It can take you about 30 minutes to make a minor repair, while a major repair can take up to 2 hours. It means that you can repair at least 5 mobile phones in a single day. Therefore, mobile repair service is a profitable business in Kenya.
Also read: How to start a boda boda business in Kenya.
Summary on How to Start a Phone Repair Business
You can take a mobile phone repair course in Kenya in most of the vocational training centers. If you have been wondering if a mobile repair is a good business, it is worth trying. To make an extra income from a mobile repair services in Kenya, you can start offering additional services like an M-Pesa business, selling airtime and printing and photocopy.
It will ensure that you have a boost for the other service you are offering. This will attract more customers who will be interested in knowing the other services you are offering. Ultimately, phone repair business in Kenya is profitable.
