Mad Mike's Mods

Name: mike maddy

Location: everett, WA 

Type of Business:
Video game console repair and modifications as well as PC and Laptop repair. consumer electronics repair

What does your business do?
my business specializes in video Game Console, PC and laptop repair but it also takes on other work like small consumer electronics repair, phone rooting and recycling to name a few.

When and why did you start the biz?
I have been doing business for about a year now and I started this business because I wanted to try to supplement my meager income I receive from disability and be able to get decent health care for myself other than the poor quality medicare. I am severely disabled but I'm a man with a family and it really crushes my pride when I cannot provide my family with nice things they deserve. I currently struggle to make ends meet and to just put food on the table. I want to set a good example for my son by at least trying to make my business work and I dont want to fail but I would be better off if I at least had the money to get all the tools I need and some supplies. I am very good at what I do and my business has great potential since I've pretty much got this area of the market in my area covered. Nobody within a hundred miles has a legitimate business that offers what i do at the prices I do. There are some but they mostly do not abide by the state laws and work uder a license therefore avoiding taxes. Plus most of the other people in my area who claim to be able to perform the same functions I do do not actually do a good job and ruin allot of other peoples belongings because they watched a youtube video and believed they could do something they couldn't. Whereas I have many years of training in this field and use tech manuals and also have an education to fall back on. So, I am literally one of about three people in my county that am actually qualified for this kind of work but just dont have any capital to pay for tools or supplies, much less a retail space. If I had some source of funding I could even take on an apprentice (preferably a High School student) to train and provide them with a part time job.

How Many People are in your Company?
As it is right now I am the only person in my company with the exception of occasionallt contracting out someone from time to time when I get bogged down and need to get caught up.

Where's your office?
I'm currently using my garage which is nice but it is not very professional and I would do much better if I could afford a small retail space somewhere.

What's the toughest part of running your biz?
The toughest part of running my biz is having to turn work down because I can't afford the proper tools or am unable to order replacement parts or supplies due to my limited income on disability.

What's the most fun part?
I definitely get satisfaction when I make a kid happy because I fixed their Xbox or PlayStation, etc, at a fraction of the price they would pay for a new one or having to pay a bunch of money to Microsoft and wait 4 weeks for them to refurbish there machine. I also just like making people happy and enjoy the compliments I get when I complete a job and it is all well done. I enjoy putting my mind to good use and using my education to complete tasks that are actually a hobby of mine to begin with. Not everybody gets to work doing something that was their hobby in the first place.

Anything you would have done differently?
I definitely would have not messed up my credit so that I could have gotten a small business loan instead of struggling to make a business stay afloat on $800 a month I get on disability. Right now I'm not making any real profits because I cant afford the tools or space. The market is wide open but I dont have the money to market myself the way I should. Yes, I'm on the first page of Google and bing and have a website in the us directory yellow pages but I'm barely breaking even and am struggling which is terrible because I know that this business has great potential if I only had the right tools and supplies as well as the capability to advertise properly. Without any start up capital Everything is a struggle. I hate having to ask my customers to order their own parts rather than me ordering them and them charging it to my customer. It is very embarrassing and unprofessional.

What's next on the horizon for your biz?
I need to get a retail space and tools. If I could just get the basic things every business needs I could flourish and even help out some sharp kid in high school with a part time job and give them some hands on experience. I want my business to be recognized by my immediate community as a business that cares about it's customers and its community. My business is already involved in charity work. I have already had 2 coat drives in which I collected coats and then took them down to the mission and passed them out. My next charitable en devour is going to be either a food drive or a clothing drive for foster kids. I will probably start one of those today as a matter of fact. I am a firm believer in Karma and I want my business to be known as a business that cares about its community. I would also just be thrilled to be able to get tools and supplies as well as a different location.

What advice do you have for others?
Make sure you are good enough at what you do and that your people skills are good enough to keep up a customer base if you plan on starting up a business with no money because it is tough, trust me!!

How do you use Idea Cafe to help your biz?
I am new to idea cafe after all but I think that I will continue to use this site on a regular basis to try to come up with some funding for my business. Even if it is only a thousand buck! At this point anything would help and after all the searching Ive done this site seems to be the only one out there for people like me.

School (where, still in school, degree)?
ITT Tech, Electronic engineering-Computer science

Prior jobs or business?
I worked several jobs but the longest one I held was as an electrician for robs electric

Favorite Food?
tacos

What are your pets' names?
Loki

Do any of these pets help with your biz?
yes, He is a service dog

Is there any one person or event in your life that led you to go into business for yourself?
I've spent allot of my life screwing up and getting into trouble, mostly due to an untreated mental health disorder. I got to a point in 2004where I snapped and hung myself and died. I was dead for several minutes resulting in brain anoxia. It was a life changing incident. Since then I've received allot of help and am currently stable and really hungry to do something positive with my life. As a man I feel it is my responsibility to take care of my son and wife and I feel bad that I'm stuck on disability and will do whatever it takes to be successful and make my family proud. I want to set a good example for my 15 year old son.

Anyone you publicly want to thank?
Obama, Dr. Phil and Bill Gates

Contact Info:
mike maddy
1910 west casino rd #213
everett, WA 98204
(425) 493-4132
madmikesmods@mail.com

Website:
http://www.madmikesmods.usdirectory.com