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If you are looking for a rewarding and profitable business to open, why not an auto repair business? You can work with your hands, help people out, and possibly make a lot of money if you play your cards right. Opening up for yourself is a great option if you are a mechanic and want to make a change.
The thing is, people will always need to get from point A to point B. Cars are how most of us choose to do that. Even as technology changes, car repair shops can change right along with them to continue to provide services. There will be a vast need for auto repair for the foreseeable future. You can also try to take advantage of gaps in your local market or do something you enjoy by specializing. There are many options available to you when you go into this line of business. If you’ve dedicated to taking the leap, here is some information on how to launch your auto repair business.
Get Your Certification
Your first step is to get your Auto Service Excellence certification. There is no legal requirement to have this certification. You can get hired to any auto shop if they think you have the right skills. However, if you are opening a business, it will be a great benefit to have it. It gives your business legitimacy. Many customers may see that you are not certified and decide not to bring their vehicles to you. With the right certification, you can display it proudly on your website and social media channels so that everyone knows that you have demonstrated the necessary attributes to achieve it.
Make a Plan for Your Business
Every business should start with a plan. You need to know how you are going to operate every facet of your company, and a business plan ensures that you won’t be flying blind as you launch. Make sure to include everything, such as how you will market your business, where you will set up, and how many employees you will need, for example. At this stage, you will have to decide whether you will be a general auto mechanic or whether you want to specialize. Either way, you will need to see a business case for that choice within your business plan. This document can also be used to get new funders or lenders to help you with startup costs.
Find the Best Possible Location
Location is very important for an auto shop. You need to make sure that you are as centralized as possible within your town or city to maximize how many customers you can get. It is not like a restaurant or a retail store. With those types of businesses, customers will travel an extra distance to get the product they want. A lot of the business for a car repair shop comes from towed vehicles. If you are outside of city limits or deep into one area of the city, people from other areas will not want to get towed that far and pay the extra cost. After you have established yourself and built a loyal customer base, you might be able to move to an out-of-the-way location, but when you’re starting it could be very dangerous to your business.
Permits and Licenses
While you have hopefully gotten your ASE certification, your shop will need to be certified in several ways as well. Depending on the state, you may need a license for your business to operate. Many states require one that is dependent on the types of vehicles you will work on. For example, you could have a license for a full-service shop or an auto body shop. If you are an auto body shop then you would not have a license to provide mechanical work, and vice versa. You may also need a special license to work on vehicles over 15,000 pounds.
You may also need a permit to dispose of hazardous waste. Oil, gas, fuel, and other fluids must be handled properly to avoid contamination. Check with your local jurisdiction to make sure that you have everything that’s required.
Insurance
As with any business, you need insurance to operate an auto repair shop. There are special risks involved with this type of company. You will be working around large vehicles and using heavy equipment. There are also potential tripping hazards throughout the shop. Unless you are a sole proprietor you will also need insurance for your staff, including workers’ compensation. Luckily you can get fast auto repair shop insurance online that’s tailored to auto repair shops. That way you know that you will be covered for the most common hazards associated with repair shops.
Hire Your Team
Unless you are going to operate your business all on your own, you will probably be hiring some mechanics to help you start out. You may also want to hire someone to do the administrative work, such as bookkeeping and making appointments with clients. Hiring is difficult since it’s hard to know who is good at fixing cars. It’s prudent to only select candidates who are certified. Hiring someone without certification is risky, and you aren’t at a point where you can take on too much risk. You also want to hire people who are easy to work with and get along with. Nobody wants to spend all day with people that will make them miserable.
Market Your Business
The next step is to get the word out to the public. There are many ways to do this, such as television and radio, but digital advertising might be your best option. You can get the most bang for your buck and ensure that your brand is put in front of your target audience’s eyeballs as much as possible. Social media targeting all but guarantees that people will see your ad consistently as they scroll through their feeds every day. That way, when they need car service, they will remember your brand and give you a call.
Starting an auto shop repair business is a promising option for those who enjoy working with cars and like to fix things. If you have decided to step into this business, then make sure to take all of these steps so that you can reach your goals.
Keyword: How to Launch Your Auto Business