From $1,000 and a lockbox of iPhone screens to four thriving locations, iDropped found its backbone in RepairDesk.
| 13+ | 5 | 2021 | 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years in Business | Store Locations | The Year of Full Rebuild | Years with RepairDesk |
| BUSINESS | iDropped |
| FOUNDED | 2012 |
| LOCATIONS | Edwardsville, Stroudsburg, Dickson City, Knoxville, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA |
| FOUNDER | Dawn |
| INDUSTRY | Cell phone, Computer, Tablet, Gaming Console, and PS5 repair |
| WEBSITE | https://idropped.com/ |
How do you scale a repair business without letting it take over your life?
After working in insurance for over 9 years and running iDropped right after, Dawn’s greatest challenge was the need for her to be personally involved in managing operations across all locations.
Today, however, iDropped runs independently like clockwork across multiple locations. By moving to an all-in-one repair shop management software, she achieved a business owner’s goal: a multi-store chain that thrives on her vision, not her constant presence.
The Business
In 2012, amidst the hunt for better opportunities after working in insurance, Dawn noticed a repair brand opening its store in Scranton’s Steamtown Mall (The Office fans, you know!) and decided to take a leap of faith. The opportunity clicked; it was a risk, but with a $1000, she was able to get
- A license to use the name iDropped
- A toolbox of iPhone 4 screens
She started repairing phones as a side hustle in July, and by November 2012, she had quit her job and opened her first store in the small town of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.
Presently, iDropped operates in four locations across the state and offers a variety of repair services, including cell phone, computer, laptop, gaming console, Apple Watch, and iPad repair. Her stores offer top-quality repair services at affordable prices and repair them in record time.
The Challenge
Even with nine years of experience in insurance and a strong background in risk management, transitioning to a full-time repair business owner came with some expensive lessons.
The Visibility Trap
Early on, despite her first store being situated on a high-traffic road, Dawn realized that getting customers did not mean simply being present on an apparently ‘busy’ street. The customers struggled to find her store, prompting her to realize that being seen is crucial.
Overspending on Aesthetics
As a repair store owner, you need to balance being presentable with being functional. One of the mistakes Dawn made in her first store was spending thousands of dollars on flooring and aesthetics that couldn’t really go anywhere with her.
Hiring without Proper Systems
The initial hiring process for Dawn’s store was quite informal. Employees were hired more on trust than on background checks. Eventually, she did manage to find a really good team, but this practice led to employee theft and serious operational strain.
2020: The Year of Realizations
By the end of 2020, iDropped had one of its best financial years, yet the operational strain of working seven days a week had taken its toll. Dawn, in her own words, explained that this time her burnout was “extra crispy.” She realized that she could not continue managing every detail without having proper systems in place, and RepairDesk helped her do exactly that.
“RepairDesk is always busy making improvements, and it involves us as well,” says Dawn.
The Solution
Rebuilding the Business Around Systems
In 2021, with new insights, Dawn rebuilt iDropped from the inside out.
She created detailed SOPs for
- Repairs
- Customer communication
- Inventory management
- Hiring and Onboarding
Now, everybody followed a playbook; new hires were screened through proper background checks and interest in repairs, and technicians were trained through written SOPs, mentorship with staff, and hands-on practice on devices before actual repairs.
The result?
A business that ran smoothly without Dawn being present.
How RepairDesk Helped in this Process
1. Better Phone Handling with Phone System
RepairDesk significantly improved iDropped’s workflow using its integrated phone system. By centralizing calls within her POS, Dawn was able to control how they were managed and routed. This change alone had a positive impact on the store’s daily operations and made managing calls easier for the team.
“The phones did change things for us significantly, especially to be able to program them exactly how I want,” says Dawn.
2. Inventory Management Software
For Dawn, inventory control was one of the biggest operational wins. With RepairDesk’s inventory management system, she was able to track, serialize, and organize her inventory across several stores of her business. This level of customization made it easier for her to know which items were in stock and which were running low, thus removing confusion and guesswork.
“The inventory is huge. I can organize and track it the way I want. There’s also a lot of customization that we can do here, and it has made everything so much easier,” she says.
Together with better inventory management and a fully integrated phone system, iDropped is running better and more smoothly than ever.
What Dawn Does Now
Now that a huge burden is off Dawn’s shoulders, she focuses on
- Marketing, reporting, and strategy building
- Jumps on calls during rush hours
- Occasionally does repairs for fun
Dawn no longer has to spend her days multitasking; she now focuses on the aspect that brings in business.
In her words,
“Marketing is the primary function. It’s now my job to bring people in.”
Advice For Repair Shop Owners
Dawn’s biggest takeaways after running the business for 13+ years are
- Marketing is not optional. You have to have a proper strategy; otherwise, great shops fail without having visibility
- Systems create freedom. Having structural and functional SOPs will help you define workflows and save you both your time and sanity.
- Hire for character, because you can teach skills, but you can’t teach values.
- Track everything, know what brings in customers, and keep improving it.
- Stay adaptable because what worked now may not work the next year
The Key Takeaway
iDropped did not scale using shortcuts, luck, or by following any trends. In fact, it did because Dawn invested in the right systems and strategies that replaced chaos with calm.
Now, with RepairDesk operationalizing inventory and customer communication, iDropped runs smoothly without constant supervision.
So, for repair shop owners who are trying to grow without losing themselves in the process, the lesson is simple:
Build the business in a way that it doesn’t burn you out to succeed.
