Small appliance repair shop

Local households, students, older people, landlords and small businesses such as cafés and offices.

Repair fees made up of labour and parts, plus any spare parts and accessories you sell over the counter.

• Electrical and mechanical repair skills
• Customer service at the counter
• Pricing jobs and managing stock of parts

• Rent, business rates and utilities are fixed costs, so check you can cover them in quiet months
• Public liability insurance, and check whether you need product liability and contents cover
• Only take on repairs you can do safely, and test every electrical item before it leaves
• Check your lease and local planning rules allow repair work on the premises
• Rules on disposing of old electrical items and parts, check with your council and the Environment Agency or equivalent

Startup costs are typically around £4,000 to £15,000, depending on the premises, fit-out, tools and how much spare-parts stock you hold. Rent, business rates and utilities are fixed costs, so check you can cover them in quiet months.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £2,000 to £8,000, depending on location, footfall, pricing and the hours you open. The estimate assumes at least about 30 hours a week. Revenue is not profit once rent and costs are paid.

Check your lease and local planning rules allow repair work on the premises, and look into public liability, product liability and contents insurance. Also check disposal rules for old electrical items and parts with your council.