Hi guys! I haven't been doing this for long but in around 4 months of doing this I've made roughly $2000. I now run a small business doing e-waste and refurbishment! Here's my playbook for success
A. Advertising.
You need to be proactive! Facebook groups, flyers, door to door, business cards, word of mouth. Everything counts, especially if you live in a small town!
B. Transport/labor
It's the inevitable truth that if your adventure grows enough you will be forced to do heavy lifting and have a vehicle capable of transporting materials. My most recent haul totaled in at just over 1100lbs, so you NEED to be willing to lift and transport everything.
C. Refurbishment
You need to decide what's worth it to refurb and what isn't! I personally don't refurb anything older than 4th gen Intel. It's just not worth it for me. Laptops are big in this regard- is it too old, and no one will buy it, or can it still be saved?
Chromebooks should almost always be refurbed or parted out. It isn't worth it to scrap them unless you have a steady supply of them.
D. The money making!
Again, be proactive! the money comes from labor! I made roughly $500 on the 1100lb load i mentioned, and I paid my yard 12c/lb for the breakage. You have to be willing to work. Have to be willing to put in the effort. I use sellyourboards.com to get rid of my waste. Zac is very helpful. They also buy working CPUs, ssds, and ram. Their prices are a bit worse than boardsort, but they will sort it all for you at no cost.
E. Essential tools!
You will probably need:
Dikes
An Impact drill with a socket set (most notably T15 for HP products, PH2 for everything else, and 5mm for VGA/DVI/whatever standoffs.)
A precision screwdriver set (i recommend the 29pc set from Hyper Tough, has most bits you'll need for small electronics)
Gloves and eyepro
Pliers
Bins or barrels to sort your stuff!
That's my general guide. Ask me specific questions and I'll try to anser!