Idea for Wednesday 28 October

Mac Upgrade Day: House-Call Setup and Data Migration

Help households and tiny businesses move from an old Mac to a new one, with data transferred, old machine wiped and everything working the same day.

IT support Mac house calls data migration scam safety solo local service

To get started: $300 to $1,500
First sale in: 1-3 weeks
Who it suits: Redundant IT support, retail tech, office admin or operations people who are patient explainers and comfortable with Macs, and want local, face-to-face, low-cost work they can start quickly.

What it is

Apple has just announced a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac with M6 chips, and searches for the MacBook Pro are climbing in Australia. Every new machine that gets bought leaves an old one behind and a pile of jobs: moving files, photos and passwords across, re-linking email and printers, checking that the old software still runs, and securely wiping the old Mac.

Many people find this stressful, and plenty of people have a decade of photos and documents they're nervous about losing. You'd offer a flat-fee house call (or a drop-off option) for exactly this: 'Mac Upgrade Day'. You turn up, migrate everything, tidy the desktop mess, set up backups, switch on sensible security settings, and wipe and reset the old machine so it can be sold, gifted or recycled.

Why now

A fresh Apple release creates a wave of upgraders over the next few months, right up to Christmas. Meanwhile, people are more aware of scams and spam texts (see the ongoing complaints about them), so a short 'scam-proof your new computer' session is a genuine add-on, covering things like password managers, two-factor authentication, and what a dodgy text or email looks like. It's also a natural fit for someone with an IT support, retail or operations background who has just been made redundant, because the work is mostly patient explanation and careful process.

How it makes money

Flat-fee migration: for example $150 to $250 for a standard home upgrade, priced by the amount of data and the number of devices.
Add-ons: backup setup (external drive or cloud, with the hardware at cost plus a small margin), password manager setup, scam-safety walkthrough, printer and Wi-Fi fixes.
Old Mac handling: wipe and reset for a fee, or buy or list the old machine for the owner and take a commission. Margins are modest, so treat this as a convenience, not the main earner.
Small office packages: a sole-trader accountant, physio or tradie upgrading two or three machines, with a day rate and a written checklist.
Follow-up support: a simple prepaid 'help when I'm stuck' block of an hour or two.

How to get going

Start in your local area through Facebook community groups, local Buy Nothing and school groups, library noticeboards, and by letterboxing near retirement villages and home-office-heavy streets. Referrals from accountants, bookkeepers and local computer shops that don't do house calls can fill your diary. Be clear about what you do and don't do: you are not recovering broken drives or doing forensic work.

Keep a repeatable checklist so each job takes two to three hours and is consistent. Always confirm a backup exists before wiping anything, and get the customer to sign off in writing.

Skills that help

Comfort with macOS, Migration Assistant and Time MachineClear, patient explaining to non-technical peopleBasic security hygiene (passwords, two-factor, scam awareness)Simple quoting and invoicingCareful record-keeping and process discipline

First steps

Get an ABN, and price a professional indemnity and public liability insurance quote before taking your first job.
Build a one-page checklist covering backup check, migration, app and licence audit, security settings, and a verified wipe of the old Mac.
Buy a few essentials: quality USB-C cables, a fast external SSD for temporary transfers, and a spare Ethernet adapter.
Practise on friends' and family's machines, and ask for a short testimonial and a photo-free reference from each.
Set up a simple one-page website or Google Business Profile with your suburb, flat fees and what's included.
Post in local community groups and ask two local accountants or bookkeepers whether they'd refer clients.
Write a short privacy and data-handling statement for customers, explaining that you only access what's needed and delete any temporary copies.

Risks to weigh up

Apple's own stores and support offer free setup help and trade-in, so you must win on convenience, patience and house calls.
You will handle people's private files, so a data mishap or a privacy complaint could be serious; insurance and a clear process are essential.
Demand is seasonal and tied to hardware release cycles, so income could be lumpy outside of November to January.
Resale margins on old Macs are small, and you shouldn't buy stock you can't easily sell.
Pricing too low for a job that runs long, for example when a backup is corrupted or software won't migrate.
Customers may blame you for pre-existing problems; confirm the state of the machine in writing at the start.

Where this came from

The trends and conversations behind this idea:

Google Trends: macbook pro
Hacker News: New iMac with M6
Hacker News: New 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M6
Hacker News: Somebody please stop the spam texts

This is a starting point, not advice

Costs and timings are rough. Check the numbers, rules and licences for your situation before you spend money.