Over half of all businesses in the United States are small businesses, and it’s no secret that people prefer to buy goods and services from local stores rather than large corporations. One type of local small business that isn’t affected by recessions or other economic issues is the auto repair shop.
Millions of Americans own at least one car, but few are mechanically-minded and know how to repair their own vehicles. Car owners rely on auto shops to service and maintain their cars, as well as repair their vehicles if they exhibit faults or are accident-damaged.
Do you have a troubleshooting mind? Would you like to work for yourself? Do you know the difference between a muffler and a motor?
If the answer to the above questions is a resounding “yes”, you should consider starting up your own auto repair shop! In today’s blog post, I detail the steps needed to setting up such an enterprise, and making it a popular and successful one.
Determine what to specialize in
The first step to becoming a successful entrepreneur is to think about what your auto shop’s specialty will be. Many auto repair shops will happily work on cars from any vehicle manufacturer, but a growing number of consumers are only willing to have their cars maintained by specialists, like Raleigh bmw repair.
You might want to specialize in a particular marque, or maybe even certain categories of vehicles, such as imports, sports cars, exotic supercars or classic cars.
Write a business plan
Unless you are going to fund your new auto repair shop yourself, you will need to borrow some money first.
The only way that you are going to convince a bank or investment angels that your business idea is well-researched and sound is if you present them with a compelling business plan.
In a nutshell, your business plan will need to detail the following information:
- How much money you need to borrow;
- How you are going to make money;
- How much money you are likely to make;
- Where you are going to set up your new auto repair shop;
- Why you want to start your business;
- What you can offer that your competitors don’t.
If writing a business plan isn’t one of your strengths, you might want to seek the assistance of an experienced business plan writer, mentor or other business professional.
Think about the setup of your auto shop
The next step is to design a layout for your new auto repair shop. At a minimum, you will need to invest in some resinous epoxy flooring installed in your repair bays, and build a dedicated customer reception area.
Outside of your auto shop, you will need to set up designated parking bays for your customer’s cars, and ensure that the area is secure if you need to keep their cars at your shop overnight for longer repair jobs or rebuilds, for example.
Advertise
The only way that you are going to get any business is if you put a concerted effort into advertising and marketing your new auto repair shop!
Google is full of links to websites that show you how to market your business; spend some time reading them, and trying a few different marketing techniques until you find the one that works for you.
