With jobs in short supply throughout every area of the country, it might make sense to create your own job. Anyone with auto mechanic experience can open a shop at home if local laws permit. If you are serious about opening your own auto shop from home, here are a few suggestions that could help you make it happen.
Find an Ideal Shop Building
One key to starting a successful home garage is to pick a good affordable location. Garages and prebuilt sheds might be the fastest way to get a shop up and running. Ordering ready to go sheds from PA, for example, provides instant buildings from which to operate an auto repair shop. This can be a huge help if you’d still like to use your garage for parking and storage. Make sure that the location you choose will allow you to work even when it is very cold and very hot outside. Find a spot that you will enjoy going to, and that you can peraonalize. depending on the amount of business you get, it could be a good idea to check with the city to make sure you are ok operating your small business from home. Zoning laws can be tricky, and the last thing you want is to upset your neaghbors or the local HOA with the noise and traffic of your shop.
Best Flooring
Pour a concrete pad under the shed for performing repairs. Working on a dirt floor will suffice for some tasks, but a clean and dust-free environment gives the shop a professional appearance and makes it safer and easier to roll heavy items around as necessary. If you choose to use an existing building, make sure the cement pad you are using is thick enough to support the equipment you will use and the vehicles you want to work on. It might be a good idea to have a drain for allowed waste water, and several good solutions in place for your oil and fluids that will leak.
Use Good Quality Tools
Buy the very best quality tools possible. Mobile tool vans from reputable tool sellers are a good way to buy whats needed, though they can be expensive. Most offer a lifetime warranty and will replace any tool that breaks in use. Another advantage is that they bring the store to their customers.
Best Advertising Ideas
For a start-up shop, advertising may seem to be a big expense. After all, word of mouth is the best advertisement. Though this may be true, the initial customer base must be built first. Local newspaper ads are especially important in a small town. Internet directories, online maps and local radio advertisement are also effective. Always remember that customers are the biggest asset to any business, so brush up on customer service skills. You will know you are doing it right when you have loyal return customers and they are referring their friends. you could try out a number of systems to keep your customers coming back, like a rewards card for oil changes, or a service warranty. Make sure that your customers know how important you are to them, and you will be surprised how loyal they will be in return.
Maintain a Professional Appearance Inside and Out
Customers want to believe that their vehicles will be cared for. The shop environment should reflect a professional appearance. Use simple and neat signage, keep the lawn mowed, be diligent about containing spare parts and tires that gather around the shop, and consider investing in a fence to reduce nuisance calls from neighbors and to keep things secure. Mechanics uniforms are a good idea and can be purchased or leased including laundering for a reasonable cost. Your customers won’t want some fly-by-night service, and the attention you put into improving your own image will reflect posotively to them.
Take Care of the Details
Knowing how to fix a car is one thing. Knowing how to run a business and keep the paperwork, taxes and insurance in order is another. Contact the chamber of commerce or go online to read about starting a small business in your area. It would be a good idea to know about applicable taxes, and requirements for your city and state.
The home auto repair shop can be a successful business. Every driver needs auto repair and maintenance regardless of the economy.
