Mobile wheelchair and mobility aid repair

Wheelchair users and their families, home care agencies, retirement and long-term care homes, and rehab or equipment suppliers who need extra repair capacity.

A call-out fee plus labour and parts for each job. Annual service contracts with care homes or agencies can give steadier income.

• Mechanical and electrical repair
• Patience and good manners with vulnerable clients
• Reading manufacturer service manuals
• Scheduling and route planning

• Commercial general liability insurance, and ask whether you need product or errors and omissions cover, since a bad repair can cause injury
• Some provincial funding programs only pay for repairs by authorized vendors, so check your province's rules before promising to bill them
• Check with your municipality about business licensing, and whether your vehicle needs commercial insurance
• Winter road salt and slush damage mobility aids and make travel harder, so plan for seasonal changes in demand and routes
• Lithium batteries have special handling and shipping rules, so check before storing or transporting them

Estimates put startup costs typically around $5,000 to $25,000 CAD, depending on your vehicle, tools, parts stock and insurance. Where you land in that range depends on whether you already have a suitable van.

Check liability insurance, and whether you need product or errors and omissions cover. Check whether your province's funding programs only pay authorized vendors, municipal business licensing, vehicle insurance, and the handling and shipping rules for lithium batteries.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $1,500 to $7,500 CAD, depending on how many repair jobs you complete and your service area. Winter conditions can change demand and routes. Time needed is estimated at 15 hours a week or more.