For retailers, shopping cart maintenance is important to customer shopping convenience and safety. A broken shopping cart can put a damper on a customer's shopping that translates into a devaluation of the general retail experience. It is also cost efficient to repair instead of frequently replacing such retail equipment. A shopping-cart maintenance company provides a retailer with important routine upkeep on its shopping-cart inventory.

Things You Will Need

  • Mechanical hand tools

  • Business registration

  • Retail clients

Learn shopping-cart mechanics. This type of service business is best for those with general handicraft skills. A thorough study of most shopping-cart designs reveals that they are manufactured using similar construction concepts.

Organize the business enterprise. Register the new service company with the local government business registration office. State registration with the secretary of state is also required if operating as a business entity such as a corporation or limited liability company. Request a tax identification number (TIN) from the Internal Revenue Service and open a business banking account.

Purchase mechanical tools. Toolboxes should include standard hand tools such as screws, screwdrivers, drills, hammers and pliers. Also, stock a large inventory of replacement shopping-cart wheels.

Secure retail clients. Identify potential retail customers for this type of service business. Retailers with large inventories and multiple retail outlets offer the best opportunity to jump-start this type of company in terms of service demand. Develop a business flier or brochure to introduce your services to retailers. Then call them, or go and see them in person. Do not be afraid to request a meeting with a store's manager charged with retail equipment upkeep.

Stay abreast of retail trends that may impact this type of service business. Industry magazines such as Retail Traffic and Retail Week are a couple of industry news resources. For local retail news, become active in regional business organizations and associations such as the Chamber of Commerce.