If you have a passion for working on cars, then you might want to think about starting your own garage. There is always a demand for good mechanics as people rely heavily on their vehicles and, by nature, cars will breakdown from time to time. It can be rewarding work and potentially lucrative if you are able to establish your name and attract customers from far and near. So, if you like the idea of setting up your own garage and making car repairs for a living, then how can you go about doing this? Read on to find out more.
Getting Started
As with most types of business, there will be various hoops to jump through before you can get up and running. This is likely to include:
- Obtaining an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification
- Marketing research & business plan
- Securing funding
- Branding
- Registering the business
Location
To start out, you could work out of your own garage, but if you want the business to grow, then you will need to find a suitable location. This should be somewhere that is:
- Near a busy road
- With ample parking
- With space for you to carry out work and deal with the business side
- With space for customers to wait
Tools & Equipment
There will be various tools and pieces of equipment that you need to carry out your work as a garage mechanic, that’s a no-brainer. These will range from repair tools like wrenches to vital safety equipment such as these traffic cones for sale. Some pieces of equipment can be expensive but are necessary to carry out work efficiently and safely, which is why it is important to secure funding. A few examples of items that you need include:
- Trolley jack
- Engine crane
- Impact wrench
- Hydraulic press
- Axle stands
- Transmission jack
The Business Side
It is easy to neglect the business side of the operation, but this is a crucial aspect which will need a lot of care. Fortunately, running a business can be relatively straightforward in today’s day and age as you can use software to automate certain aspects and outsource tasks like accounting and marketing so that you can focus on repairs. You should have an office space where you can go to handle the business side of the operation – this should be attached to the waiting room where you also need to create a welcoming space for customers.
Insurance
You will need a few types of insurance in place in order to operate legally. Motor Trade Insurer Tradex can arrange comprehensive motor trade insurance which will provide you with financial protection while you have any vehicles onsite that are under your care. This will give you the protection that you need as well as peace of mind and confidence while at work. Nowadays, there are different motortrade brokers available in the market, which provide insurance solutions at a very cheap price.
Marketing
It is then a case of making people aware of your garage. As mentioned, you can outsource your marketing, which is an effective way to increase your online presence, but you should also look into local advertising as this will be where your business comes from. You can advertise your garage locally with:
- Flyers
- Newspaper adverts
- Billboards
- TV adverts
- Sponsoring a local sports team
- Getting involved with the local community
- Strategic alliances
Opening a garage is a terrific idea if you like to work on cars and, as an industry that is always in demand, it could be lucrative if you are able to establish your name in the industry.