Chamara Perera graduated with an IT degree from a Colombo university and spent 10 months applying for software development jobs that paid Rs. 45,000–60,000 per month. The jobs were few; the applicants were many.
His uncle suggested repair. "You understand technology better than anyone in the family," he said. "Why not fix it?"
Chamara spent three months learning phone repair — methodically, as an engineer would approach any technical skill. He documented procedures, practiced on dead phones, built a reference library.
Then he opened a shop in Borella.
The Investment
Rs. 180,000 in savings — tools, parts, a small shop rental deposit, and RepairCoreX on the free plan from day one.
"As an IT graduate, I understood what software could do for a business," he says. "RepairCoreX gave me customer tracking, inventory management, invoicing, and reporting. For a first-time business owner, that is like having an entire administrative team."
The First 90 Days
Chamara's engineering mindset shaped everything. He photographed every device before touching it. He documented repair procedures in RepairCoreX notes. Every customer received a WhatsApp update at each stage of repair.
"Colombo customers are educated and careful. They want to know their Rs. 200,000 phone is in good hands. I gave them documentation that proved it."
Month 1: Rs. 195,000 revenue. Month 2: Rs. 320,000. Month 3: Rs. 480,000.
The Corporate Account
At month 4, a Colombo 2 consulting firm sent Chamara 15 employee devices. They found him through Google Maps and were drawn in by his consistent 5-star reviews.
RepairCoreX managed the entire corporate account: each device ticketed separately, each invoice consolidated monthly, a performance summary sent to their IT manager.
This one account added Rs. 200,000 per month to Chamara's revenue.
His Life Today
Chamara earns Rs. 600,000–Rs. 800,000 monthly. He employs two technicians. The IT job that paid Rs. 55,000 is a distant memory.
"Sri Lanka has a huge need for professional repair service," he says. "Almost nobody is providing it. If you have technical skill and use RepairCoreX, you can own this market."