There’s no denying that today’s autos are more reliable than cars built twenty years ago. Despite that fact, they still need periodic maintenance and repairs. When any work needs to get carried out, vehicle owners take their cars to an auto repair shop.
As you can imagine, it’s a lucrative industry. But, did you know that some auto shops seem to be more successful than others? As with any business, there are good and bad auto repair shops. If you’re keen to make a difference in your town, you may wish to open one yourself.
So, how do you go about turning such an ambitious step into reality? Today’s handy guide will walk you through the steps needed to start such an enterprise. Here is what you need to know:
Think about what services you would like to offer
The first thing you need to do is determine how best you would like to help your customers. For example, do you want to just offer an oil lube and battery service? Or do you want to offer a whole host of services and repairs?
As you will know, if you want to offer lots of services, you’ll need the skills and tools to backup your offerings. Make sure you take that point into account when setting up your business.
Draw up a business plan
Next comes the research stage. It’s likely you will need to borrow some money to get started. Before anyone lends you the cash, you need to draw up a business plan! Part of the process involves researching your startup costs and projected earnings.
You will also need to detail how much money you want to borrow and how you plan on paying it back.
Secure some suitable premises
Once you’ve got the funding you need, the next stage is to find some premises for your new auto repair shop. You need to make sure that it offers plenty of parking spaces for customers outside. And, above all, that it has lots of working space indoors. You’ll also need to build a customer waiting room too.
I recommend applying some epoxy floor coatings to all indoors areas. That way, it’s easier to clean up any spills or dirt. Oil is hard to shift from bare concrete! But, with an epoxy floor, you can just wipe away any spills with ease.
The location of your new premises should be accessible to customers. That means don’t choose a farm in the middle of nowhere to set up your repair shop!
Buy the tools and machines you need
Before you can open for business, it’s crucial you’ve got all the tools and machines you need. It may be possible to rent expensive machines to ease your cash flow.
Consider opening accounts with tool suppliers to make your money last even further.
Advertise your new business
Now that you’re ready to open up your auto repair shop, you need to advertise it! For a start, you should set up a website and pay for online advertising.
It’s also worth marketing your auto shop in local newspapers too. Consider sponsoring nearby events to gain interest in your new enterprise. Good luck!
