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You mean in the actual automotive field or just general business experience?

Hey Guys, Here is the background to my question: I just graduated college with a 4-year business degree and am looking to start an automotive repair shop in central Kansas in the near future. I have always enjoyed mechanic work on my own vehicles and my friends and family's as well but I have no formal training, education or experience in the field. I chose to start a mechanic shop because I want to get into a service industry and I like the business model for an auto repair shop. I have done a little bit of my own education in automotive technology but not near enough to feel completely comfortable doing full-on mechanic work. My business plan is set up in a way where I will be hiring a master mechanic to do the complex automotive work and I will run the business/customer side of things as well as doing some minor repairs/services such as oil changes, tire rotations, etc. Here is my question: Do I absolutely need to go back to school for a whole 2 years for an auto tech degree to be successful in running the business? Has anyone else started from my same position? did it work or not? Please just give me some general opinions and advice in this area. Thanks

Hey i read through this thread and i myself am struggling with putting a working parts pricing matrix together, i was wondering if there would be anyway you would share your matrix with me as well?? Email: [email protected] it would be much appreciated thanks!

When you charge for diagnostic do you itemize it out for the customer to see that you are charging them or how do you go about presenting the charge to the customer?

What are some good ways for a new startup auto shop to form these relationships, because it seems that until you are actually buying parts it is hard to do?

I don't mean to hijack this thread but what is the best way to approach fleets to gain their business, do you just cold call and then hopefully set up an appointment to meet with the manager hoping your prices and services are better than whoever they are using now? I have been looking into this lately and would appreciate any advice.

I am going to go out on a lim here and guess that most of us here in the automotive mechanic world are pretty handy. If you have a little time on the weekend I don't see it to be too much of a task to make your own displays either, might be kind of fun. I also had a question for you guys, I have been toying with the idea lately of making informative step by step videos of my mechanic doing all sorts of common repairs and then editing them into short "how its done" type videos that can be played to customers to explain a repair process, or simply to have playing in the waiting area. The videos would have speech and subtitling so you could have it muted or the sound on. Would these videos be of use to anyone? Would you be willing to pay say $10-20 bucks for a set of them. Could have different sets like brakes and suspension, engine, drive train etc. Each $10-20. Worth it to anyone?

Funny how those crazy things never went out of style.

What do you have printed on the flyers? Just your business name and what you offer or do you have offers and specials as well? I always wonder as well what does the type of advertising you use say about your business? Do door hangers mean you are a different business than if you were to advertise on TV? What do you guys think?

Essentially I am wanting to follow a business model much like Quiktrip. When you think gas station you think grungy building with weird smells and bathrooms you wouldn't even want to see. But Quiktrip turned that idea on its head and has made a chain of gas stations that are clean modern upscale and that have a lot to offer. I would like to do the same with a tire and auto shop, I want it to be a more upscale shop that yes will cost people maybe a little more to come to but a shop that people know that if they come to they will get more than quality service. So how do I know that my area will support that specific business plan?

Well this is the thing, I initially had it in my business plan that we wouldn't start doing tires and alignment until we got going. The only reason I changed that to servicing them right off the bat is because I want to get my name out there right away and let people know that we do everything tires and mechanic work. What is your reasoning for not doing it that way?

Hi everyone, As many of you know i am planning a complete tire and auto shop that i would like to start in a few years, i am currently looking into the financial section of my business plan. I would like to know first of all if anyone has any advice for me when it comes to finances and funding the startup? Also if you have stories of what worked or didn't work that would be great! Lastly I am looking for resources for funding the business startup when i am ready to start so how did you all fund your business startups? what resources can i use to fund the shop when i start it? What can I expect for a typical startup cost in general? Thanks for your input!

So did you calculate all this out based on the exact area that you are planning to open your shop or did you do this on a country wide scale? Also yes i would really like to get my hands on some more demographic information for the city that i will be opening my shop in please let me know thanks!

Hey guys I had very good response to my last post so here is another one I need some help with. I am currently in the planning stage of getting a shop going in Kansas. My question has a few parts to it. 1. How did you guys determine the feasibility or if the shop would make it in your area before starting? Also what resources helped you to come to this conclusion. 2. What types of strategies did you use to nudge your way into the market? Everyone is obviously already getting the work done on their car SOMEWHERE so how do you move into the market and start getting them into your shop? Any resources? 3. Lastly I would just like to hear peoples startup stories from a business perspective just to get an idea of what works and doesn't work in starting and growing an automotive shop. Thanks guys love this forum!

Ok cool so you think a combination of a loaner and pu or delivery is best? The only reason I see pu and delivery as more expensive is that it takes two of your employees and a vehicle where shuttle only takes one employee and a vehicle and you could prolly find some old retiree that might do it for cheap if not free. What you think? I'm for sure sold now on a loaner over a rental though.

Pickup and delivery was definitely another one of my ideas but to me that seems even more expensive than just a shuttle service cause now you have to pay two workers to go get the vehicle and bring it in, what you think? So did you just give the loaner out to someone whos vehicle was going to be in like over a day? Also how were the maintenance and costs of licensing insuring and all that? High low?

Well right now I am leaning more toward loaner vehicles for those who have their vehicle in for more than a day or so. But I don't know whether to add a shuttle service as well for those who need it but I just don't know whether people will see that as an added value to their service or just not really care. From what I have found from researching my customer base is that they care a lot about price, quality, time, trust and customer service so I'm trying to kinda build the business around what customers want. I would like to hear what people have tried in this area. What has proved to be beneficial to you business or what has been a waste in terms of gaining customers and ultimately profit?

Hi guys, I am new to this forum but am hoping to gain lots of insight into the automotive repair industry and hopefully be a contributing part of the forum as well. My question for current shop owners is whether any of you have tried, free towing, free shuttle service or even free pickup or dropoff of customer vehicles. I am just wondering whether to incorporate any of these services into my business plan for a tire and auto repair shop? First I am wondering whether it is something that customers truly appreciate and whether it will draw people in because of it? Also I would like to know how costly it was to you and if it was truly profitable or was it just a waste of money? I am thinking of offering something along these lines just simply to help with the location problem to a mechanic shop, a lot of people complain that a shop they like is not in the right location or that it does not have convienient hours of service. I was thinking that this could be a possible solution to this problem. Also this shop will be located in Kansas so i would like relative info for this area. thanks guys!