Local services · idea 43 of 52
Set up phones, TVs and Wi-Fi for older neighbours
A printer that won't print is a crisis to the person who owns it. Fixing it, patiently, at their kitchen table, is a repeatable local service.
- Who pays you
- Individuals, mostly older residents, pay you per visit or per hour, in cash or by transfer at the end of the visit, to set up devices, fix Wi-Fi, remove scam software and teach them to use what they own.
- Outcomes
- 0 receipts. Nobody's reported back on this one yet. Receipts open when accounts launch.
How it works
The big-box "geek" services are expensive, slow and impersonal, and a huge number of people over seventy have a device problem right now that they've given up on. A flyer in an apartment building, a retirement community or a church newsletter offering house calls for phones, tablets, TVs, printers and Wi-Fi gets calls within days. Half the jobs are simple; the value is that you come to them, don't make them feel stupid, and write things down.
What it actually takes
- Broad familiarity with consumer devices: iPhones and Androids, smart TVs, streaming sticks, home routers, printers.
- Patience and a manner people trust. This matters more than skill.
- A printed sheet you leave behind: the Wi-Fi password, how to call a grandchild, what to do if a pop-up says the computer is infected.
- A flyer, a phone number and a fixed visit price.
Where it goes wrong
- Becoming free support. Set a price per visit and a short phone-call allowance, and stick to both kindly.
- Scam cleanup that goes deeper than you can handle. Know when to say the machine needs a proper reset or a professional.
- Being handed passwords and bank logins. Never write down or handle their credentials; walk them through typing it themselves.
- The ceiling is local and personal. This is steady pocket money and goodwill, not a business, unless you build a small team.
Published 30 Aug 2026