How to Start a Musical Instrument Repair Business

Start a musical instrument repair business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Musical Instrument Repair Business
2. Form your Musical Instrument Repair Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Musical Instrument Repair Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Musical Instrument Repair Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Musical Instrument Repair Business
7. Get Musical Instrument Repair Business Insurance
8. Define your Musical Instrument Repair Business Brand
9. Create your Musical Instrument Repair Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your musical instrument repair business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?
• What will you name your business?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What are the costs involved in opening a musical instrument repair business?

The startup costs for a musical instrument repair business are manageable. Some of the biggest expenses include:

• Securing a space for repairing instruments
• Purchasing tools for making repairs
• Advertising the business’ repair services

Business owners who have limited initial capital can keep these costs minimal by setting up a repair workshop in their home and using tools they already own. A few specialty tools may be needed, but a good set of screwdrivers and variously sized pliers will do a lot of the work. Many of the specialty tools that are required either don’t cost a lot new or are available used at a discounted price.

Business owners who don’t want to start their operation from scratch might purchase an existing musical instrument repair business. These businesses are often affordable compared to other businesses’ purchase prices. For instance, one instrument repair business is listed at $75,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for a musical instrument repair business?

The ongoing expenses for a musical instrument repair business are minimal. They primarily include utilities and rent. Parts costs are built into customers’ bills.

Who is the target market?

The target market for a musical instrument repair business is local musicians. Because musical instruments are large and valuable, musicians normally won’t ship them into repair facilities. Instead, they’ll bring them to a repair professional in the area.

How does a musical instrument repair business make money?

A musical instrument repair business makes money by charging customers for fixing their instruments. There are different levels of repair:

• “Play condition” repairs mechanically fix an instrument but don’t make aesthetic improvements
• “Professional quality” repairs fix an instrument technically and aesthetically
• “Overhauls” completely rebuild an instrument so that it’s like-new

How much can you charge customers?

Most musical instrument repair businesses have a multi-tiered fee system. They might:

• Perform small, quick fixes for free
• Offer a basic service for a flat fee per instrument
• Offer common services (e.g. repadding woodwinds) for a flat fee per instrument
• Have an hourly rate for all other work

The Cayuga Music Shop has an hourly rate of $60, and most of their basic services range from $15 to $100. Repadding woodwinds costs several hundred dollars. These costs are representative of what other businesses charge.

How much profit can a musical instrument repair business make?

A musical instrument repair business can bring in a nice annual revenue for a small business. The business mentioned above as being for sale has an annual revenue of $88,160. Because ongoing expenses are low, most revenue is profit.

How can you make your business more profitable?

A musical instrument repair business may increase revenue by selling new and/or used instruments. Some businesses also rent instruments to students.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Musical Instrument Repair Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your musical instrument repair business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.

Small Business Taxes

Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation (S corp).

You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:

• LLC Taxes
• Sole Proprietorship vs LLC
• LLC vs Corporation
• LLC vs S Corp
• How to Start an S Corp
• S Corp vs C Corp

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other financing in your business's name (instead of yours), better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Open net 30 accounts

Net 30 accounts are used to establish and build business credit as well as increase business cash flow. With a net 30 account, businesses buy goods and repay the full balance within a 30-day term.

NetMany net 30 credit vendors report to the major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business Credit). This is how businesses build business credit so they can qualify for credit cards and other lines of credit.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a musical instrument repair business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

For information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.

Certificate of Occupancy

A musical instrument repair business is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a location:
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a musical instrument repair business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

• If you plan to purchase or build a location:
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your musical instrument repair business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Learn more about General Liability Insurance.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a musical instrument repair business

As mentioned, word-of-mouth advertising is the most effective way to grow a musical instrument repair business. To do this, a business owner must break into the local music seen. Some ways to do this include:

• Repairing instruments for friends and acquaintances
• Advertising in concert programs
• Giving music teachers business cards
• Posting business cards at area businesses
• Networking with bands and solo artists

How to keep customers coming back

A musical instrument repair business owner can set attract customers by seeking advanced certifications in certain types of repair. These extra certifications will help set a business owner apart from other local repair professionals.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Start a Musical Instrument Repair Business in your State

Is this Business Right For You?

Anyone who enjoys music and is mechanically inclined might like running a musical instrument repair business. Business owners regularly interact with people who are passionate about music, and fixing instruments is a hands-on, mechanical process.

What happens during a typical day at a musical instrument repair business?

A typical day at a musical instrument repair business involves:

• talking to customers about issues their instruments are having
• ordering supplies needed for fixing instruments
• repairing and servicing instruments
• testing instruments after they’re repaired

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful musical instrument repair business?

A successful business owner will be both an experienced musician and trained in the specifics of musical instrument repair.

Business owner’s don’t need to be Grammy-winning artists, but they ought to have studied music during college. Without this level of knowledge, business owner’s won’t be able to help professional musicians much.

To learn instrument repair, business owners should look for a local instrument repair class. Some vocational schools and junior colleges offer these classes, but they aren’t available everywhere. If attending a class isn’t possible, the next-best option is to find an instrument repair technician who’s willing to set up an apprenticeship. Online classes aren’t ideal because repairing instruments is a hands-on process.

After learning the basic skills of musical instrument repair, business owners should practice -- and a lot. Practice will help refine skills, and it will show business owners what they can and can’t do with their skill set. EBay is a good place to find inexpensive instruments that can be torn down and rebuilt.

Ultimately, business owners should aim to become certified. The National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians offers certification in the field. More instrument-specific groups include the Guild of American Luthiers and the International Double Reed Society. Some instrument manufacturers, such as Straubinger, offer workshops and certifications for working on their particular instruments.

What is the growth potential for a musical instrument repair business?

A music instrument repair business can be a small, one-person operation that maintains part-time hours, or it can grow to have multiple locations in different states. The Cayuga Music Shop is an example of a local repair business. Sam Ash is a larger company that has locations in sixteen states. Sam Ash, like most larger companies, sells instruments and provides lessons in addition to making repairs.