Business-in-a-Box
Business-in-a-Box (BiB) is not just a product, it’s not just a service, it is a comprehensive program designed to teach folks how to repair and rejuvenate battery packs. Entrepreneurs wanting to be their own boss can learn how to diagnose and repair old worn-out battery packs. They will receive several days of training, specialty tools that make the job easier and more thorough, along with a supply of consumables needed for the repairs.
There are a vast number of products where rechargeable batteries are removed from the equipment, placed in a charger, then reinstalled in the device. Power tools, lawn and garden equipment, drones, and many other now-common products employ this strategy. Battery power is replacing the power cord, and petroleum engines. Over time these batteries loose capacity, and eventually fail entirely. Many folks either toss them in the trash (REALLY bad for the environment!) or drop them off at the hardware store’s recycle bin on their way in to buy a replacement.
Sometimes there is absolutely nothing wrong with the battery. It sat on a shelf over the winter and discharged below what the charger could recognize. A simple “jump start” and it comes back to life. Often there are 1 or 2 bad cells in the pack, shortening run time. Replacing the bad cells restores the pack to it’s youthful exuberance. Sometimes the pack is just not fixable. We usually remove any usable parts from the pack then toss the rest into the recycle bin.
Drones and other devices use Smart Batteries that track the number of charge cycles. After the battery has passed the limit, it quits working — EVEN IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG! After inspecting it, a technician can interface with the battery and reset the Permanent Fault code, returning it to service.
This approach can be applied to customers’ batteries as well. A truck or van equipped with tools and supplies can go from shop to shop, repairing their batteries right in the parking lot. Someone could hang a shingle and operate right from their home.