I can't seem to find anything to make money at.

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I have a worthless college degree and a computer technician certification. There are so many computer techs here in Sacramento, CA that I can't compete with techs asking $20 flat fee for repairs. Recently I decided to repair iPhones instead. I tried repairing desktop and laptop computers, but there are too many of both kinds of repairmen here. There are a lot fewer people doing iPhone repairs.

My mom keeps discouraging me, saying that "people go through cell phones like water, if one breaks they simply buy another" and she keeps telling me to look for a job. (I am in the second worst large job market in the US; only Las Vegas is worse.) Apparently she's not aware of how much an iPhone costs (something like $300 WITH a really expensive data plan, and then the cost of the phone can go as high as $700).

IPhone screens tend to break (they're glass) and the battery is sealed inside so if your battery dies you either do what Apple recommends and shell out a few hundred for a new phone or you go to a garage repairman to replace your battery. My mom doesn't think that it will work, and she says "just get a job". Also, if I somehow DID get a job my SSI and Medicare would be cut off, and then I wouldn't have my meds. I have debt to pay that bankruptcy didn't wipe out. Nobody's on my side here. I have no encouragement.

I am a member of a computer technician's forum and a few techs have a limited business on the side fixing old iPhones. For me, limited business is better than no business, especially since I have no business right now. I looked on Sacramento Craigslist and there are about 15 ads for iPhone service, but some seem like duplicate ads, so there are about 6 or 7 people doing it I figure.

I have to pay this debt, and I can only put about $500 from my check every month towards it, and it's $9500 right now. My mom took out $20k three years ago to help me with the website I tried to start, that failed, and I had to file bankruptcy. I couldn't get rid of this debt though, since it's in my mom's name. She isn't able to pay the payments, so I have to. The minimum payment is $340. I NEED to make more money, but I can't seem to be able to.

There's no need to launch straight into a business unless you have to; you could take a few months to sound out the market and see how many people really are interested in getting their phones fixed. I think apple are quite good about repairing/replacing phones that break (from hearsay from friends- I don't personally own one) so you probably do need to check if there is a real market out there for you.