Introducing this week’s campus celebrity, Ben Belanger. He is a Junior Business Administration major here at UNH, and is really putting it to good use. He started a business called Revive Smart Phone, Tablet, & PC Repair in 2012 right out of his parents’ house! Admit it, we’ve all been the victim of at least ONE broken phone, so keep reading to find out how you can not pay so much to get it fixed, along with tips and advice for those of you who would like to start up your own business as Ben did!
Name: Ben Belanger
School/Year: Paul College / Junior
Major: Business Administration (Management & ISM)
Hometown: Lee, NH
So, word on the street is that you recently started your own phone repair business, tell us some logistics about it!Â
I started Revive Smart Phone, Tablet & PC Repair in Summer 2012 out of my parents’ house in Lee. Since then, I’ve been replacing screens, cameras, buttons, and just about everything else inside iPhones, Android phones, iPads and laptops.
How did you start up this business?
Just like a lot of college kids, I broke several of my phones (like five of them in a year…) and got sick of paying to get them fixed.  I have always loved finding out how things work, so I just sort of started taking everything apart. I used my own phones and iPad to learn the ins and outs and then started fixing my friends’ and family members’ phones. After a while I began to think I could do something with it, so I bought a sign, built a website (www.revive.mobi) and started posting flyers everywhere I could think of. Since then I’ve relied on Facebook, Twitter, Google and direct email marketing to expand the business.
What is the most stressful thing about the business?
Just recently I began transitioning focus from consumer repairs to contract repairs for corporations and school districts, which has presented a huge challenge. There’s a lot more pressure, but it has definitely been a good change.Â
The most rewarding?
I love hearing stories about how the phones ended up broken. You got too drunk at Libby’s and threw it 50 feet in the air on the walk home; you whipped it at a tree while fighting with your girlfriend; you dropped it out of a plane window. That’s awesome – totally worth it. If your story is good enough I might even give you a discount… unless it involves dropping it in the toilet. That’s gross. I don’t like that.
Do you have any advice/tips for any other students who would be interested in starting up a similar business?
- If you have an idea, don’t focus on how others are doing it. Challenge yourself to do it better. Find ways to eliminate the barriers to entry. Bootstrap. Get creative. I started Revive with the money I had on hand and made things work.  I realized early I didn’t need an expensive storefront; I set up appointments in advance and offered free pickup and delivery. It makes for a better experience for the customer and cuts out a huge amount of the cost of doing business.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I looked around for a graphics designer and one of my friends from high school was able to hook me up with an awesome logo. There are always people willing to help.Â
- Don’t underestimate your dad’s advice; I quickly found out it was some of the best I could have asked for.
- You’re going to feel inadequate every step of the way. You won’t feel prepared to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship, you won’t feel old enough to be filling LLC paperwork and every customer you talk to will likely expect that you’re a minimum wage employee, not the owner of a small business. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but it’s not going to change. You just have to find ways to get over that fear. If you have to make a decision, do some primal screams like in I Love You Man… Maybe watch some Bruce Li videos on YouTube to pump you up, I don’t know. Whatever makes you feel like a big shot.
What other involvements do you have here at UNH?
I spend most of my time on campus bouncing between the Cottages, Paul College and working for Academic Technology in the library.Â
Lastly, give us one fun fact about you!
I’ve worked at DHOP every Saturday night for the last 4 years, so if you stop by between 5 and 2 you’ll likely see me behind the counter. Come in and say hi!