Starting and auto repair business

[Burglecut83]

Fellas,

Im going to be opening up a shop soon. Any advice is appreciated. The shop will be located in Edmonton. If anyone knows of any good deals on shop equipment... welders compressors, wheel balancers, tire changers, tools etc feel free to contact me through PM. I have a close friend that runs a dodge dealership at the moment who will be running this shop. We plan to start small and expand as business grows in order to keep overhead low. Any and all advice or leads on equipment is very appreciated. I know theres alot of smart guys on here

[sns2]

I have no idea about equipment, but I wish you the very best of successes in your new venture. Honest, fair service will be a virtual guarantee of success I would think.

[Burglecut83]

Originally Posted by sns2

I have no idea about equipment, but I wish you the very best of successes in your new venture. Honest, fair service will be a virtual guarantee of success I would think.

This is the plan. All ive ever really had for experiences with auto repair have been crappy so you know, sometines if you want it done right you just gotta do it yourself. From my research you can be honest and fair and still make a good return. Im not out to gouge anyone. I know the value of a good honest shop. I have other sources of income so dont need to tey to wring outnevery possible dollar.

Thanks for the encouraging words

[bb356]

Good Luck with the new venture !!!

[bb356]

Originally Posted by sns2

I have no idea about equipment, but I wish you the very best of successes in your new venture. Honest, fair service will be a virtual guarantee of success I would think.

+1

[brslk]

Look on kijiji. There are a few shops closing down right now and have all their equipment for sale for pretty good prices.
Everything from lifts to tire machines to AC machines etc...
If you're looking for a good scanner stay away from Snap ON. Get an Autel.

[Trochu]

Don't know of any in the Edmonton area, but was at an auction on Saturday were good deals where to be had.

[Grizzly Adams]

if you're not familiar with the electronics of modern vehicles, a tire changer or any of that other stuff, won't be of much use.

Grizz

[7mmremmag]

Aero Auctions has some stuff in their up coming auction.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by sns2

I have no idea about equipment, but I wish you the very best of successes in your new venture. Honest, fair service will be a virtual guarantee of success I would think.

This^^^ Good luck

[ChickakooKookoo]

Watch Kastner Auctions. They auction off the leftovers of businesses when they go bankrupt. www.kauctions.ca

[tirebob]

I don't mean to sound like a downer, but if you don't know this stuff, and your buddy is who is supposed to run a shop doesn't know this stuff, you are doomed to fail. Running an automotive business, and I am not talking just about the counter, but the actual back end of the business, is not a piece of cake and it is a tough business to make a go of, especially if you are honest and have integrity. You have to make money, and more than you imagine. I own a small shop and my overhead all said and done is $300,000 a year, so I am not even making a profit for the company unless I am making $25k a month in gross profit.

I survive because like you indicated, I am an honest shop and my customers value the services I provide. They don't come to me because I sell individual items cheaper than everyone else, but I end up being excellent value because I do not oversell people junk they do not need, and I back up my work and help them in situations where other shops do not.

Trying to run a shop on the cheap thinking you don't have to charge a normal (but fair of course) price for services rendered, and instead trying to attract customers by being cheap is a recipe for business failure.

I am not saying you are intending to do this, but more warning you against the pitfalls of it. Every year I see shops come and go in my area, and it is always the same pattern... They open up thinking they will make lots of money but don't have the proper experience or knowledge. Then they quickly figure out that to attract new business they either have to be way better at the work than the next guy, or be way cheaper. Because they usually are not way better at what they do they end up going the cheaper route. Before you know it, they are broke because they don't make enough money to sustain a business properly or make enough money to provide proper after-service their customers. The only customers they get are not loyal and value nothing but the cheapest guy, and guaranteed there will always be another guy behind you trying to do the same thing.

I am not saying don't do it, but I am saying do it properly if you expect to succeed.

[fishtank]

cheap oil changes bring in the future customers ...

[ctd]

If you haven't already bought a scanner look at Autoingunity. It is a computer based diagnostic machine. Works as good or better then the big name ones for a fraction of the price.

[jstubbs]

One thing that matters MUCH more than most small auto repair shops realize is image is everything. Create the image that your shop is a professional, clean, and friendly business rather than the typical fly by night looking establishments that a lot of small auto repair places tend to have.

Nobody, especially people who are highly unfamiliar with vehicles, wants to go to some auto repair shop in some sketchy industrial area that is in a halfway dilapidated building with a dingy, dirty and unpleasant front office area. Especially if they can simply avoid one of those shops and go to a sparklingly clean Fountain Tire down the road.

Spend a little time and effort everyday to keep not only the mechanic area clean of your shop, but the front end office of your shop clean, tidy and pleasant to be in. It goes a helluva long way. I have a buddy who works for one of the big auto repair chains, and they recently moved from an older, crappier building into a spick-and-span new building with an awesome front office area that's practically a lounge, and they say that they have really experienced a boost in return customers (especially in the female demographic). Now as a small shop that is just getting started, obviously you don't need a 5 star hotel lobby style front end area, but just something clean and comfortable.

As well, create a FB page for your business, maybe even spend a few hundred on a pro to create a basic but clean logo for your shop, and offer a special of maybe like 50% off a customers next oil change for leaving a review of their experience on your FB page.

[Arty]

2 things from a client's point of view:

-first, I can and will do all the basic stuff myself. From replacing the starter or shocks or steering rack or coil-overs or VCT solenoids or brakes or filters or gear oil or a/c compressor to fixing simple body rust or installing headers. Maybe even pulling the head covers off to check cam followers or the front engine cover to replace timing chains, even if it might take me a few days. Probably don't need a pro for that.

What I can't do is the heavy, tricky or rarely-needed work like replacing a spline and seal and gears and setting the lash correctly. Or pulling the engine and fixing scored cylinder walls or bad valves & seats, or pulling and rebuilding the transmission. Wouldn't have a clue, and don't have the equipment anyway.

I can read a service manual just as good as anyone, but I don't have the tools or work area or extra 2 pairs of hands or all the unwritten information needed to make the job quicker or even possible. I'd be interested in a pro repair for those kinds of things, at a cheaper price than the dealership, using as good or better than oem parts.

As part of it, I'd expect a quick look-around for obvious problems like a cracked axle or bent or frayed whatever, or pitted gears. Also, a basic verbal summary of the work, and maybe some basic advice on making the system better with aftermarket upgrades if applicable.

-secondly, I'd expect an obvious list or sign saying what you do. What kind of vehicles and what kind of work. If you specialize in diesel pickups, I probably wouldn't bring in a BMW for a 4-wheel alignment. Or vice-versa.

Finally, you might get a little more business if you had a youtube website that showed your place and how you do specific kinds of repairs. Different people work in different ways in all sorts of trades, and you can often tell how well a job will be done by the way they work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa_OsfQHFcg

[Suzukisam]

Look in the news paper there is an auction listing for a closed auto shop every week. They are dropping like flies. And don't sell yourself short. Advertising cheap only brings in cheap. You want reliable customers that value your time and want you to repair it not them. If they only want to give you the hard or garbage work without any gravy you will starve to death

[Arty]

Another consideration which might be important, based on a complaint I've heard a couple of times now many years apart from ex-mechanics. They both had to quit because their knees and lower back gave out, they said because of leaning over cars all day. They weren't all that old then either.

The second time I heard that I started thinking, maybe if you wanted to do that kind of work it would be better working as a machinist or heavy-duty mechanic on larger stuff (Finning?). Maybe you'd use a lot more hoists and work in a less bent over or twisted up position; just guessing.