I'm been working on cars for a few years now and finished up my school in Auto tech. Thing is I recently moved back to my home town where only 2 or 3 shops are. I want to start my own shop as there is no big shops around here hiring. There a shop for sale behind one of the existing shops so I'm not sure if that is a good location. I think I want to start by handing out some business cards and maybe do some work out in my parents garage. (Like I said I just moved back and currently staying with them until I can find my own place again) I'm wanting to focus on brakes and front end suspension as it was what I was working on when I was away for school. But of course I cant just put an alignment machine in my parents garage. For those of you who do this on the side or have your own shop how did you get started?

Stick to things you can accomplish at your home garage. Simple things. Odds are, people won't trust you until you prove yourself with things like brakes, wheel bearings, oil changes, simple tune ups...etc..

When first starting out, referrals are how I got 90% of my business.

Do a good job - undercut the competition in either customer service, or price...And they will come to you in droves.

It's hard to find a reliable, honest mechanic. People appreciate them once they do.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Apr 2 2015 02:01pm

Think handing out business cards will be a good idea? I currently work at my old job cause the owners like me but they said they could only afford 30 hours a week so I'm only working 4 days a week. I know they'll let me hand out some business cards cause their business is a liquor store and it gets pretty busy sometimes. They know I'm trying to stay in the auto field but I needed something as of now to just help pay my bills.

Business cards work. They give you a professional look. That inspires confidence with first time customers.


They are especially effective if your speciality is easily advertised in your own vehicles.

For example: With the boats I build and the cars I restore, I often will leave a stack of cards on the hood, or at the dock etc, when out in public......People like to know what they are buying before hand.

Not sure that can easily apply to your mechanical work, but it's food for thought.

Perhaps leave a few of them tacked to a billboard. Often times supermarkets, and local businesses provide such space for advertising. Or, worst case, stick a couple on some electrical poles that have frequent foot traffic.

Yeah, Sounds good I think I'll make some to bring to my current job and just have them sitting there till I bring in some customers then spread out from there.

This.

Like Andy said, undercut them in terms of customer service or price.

For example, if you're doing premounted tires, take the extra few seconds to antiseize the hub.
Small little things like that that bigger shops often overlook are the things that people will remember and tell their friends about.

I used to tell people 10% off with my business card.

Get insured. And maybe look for a building away from the other shops. Doesn't even have to have garage doors. Somebody might let you put one in yourself. Don't really need anything big to start out with. I think even a single bay shop would look better than taking your car to somebody's parents garage

You need insurance if you have a business license..

If I were you, I'd work in a shop... There are way to many variables in owning your own shop, unless you specialize in 1 area of expertise...

A lead shop mechanic can make a lot of money, shop foreman get paid salary and commission based, as opposed to flat rate. I'd do what every other successful mechanic has done, get more than a few years and schooling under your belt, maybe 20 years of experience and THAN decide if owning a business is for you.. I did that shitty line of work for years, and it took me YEARS to figure out it wasn't for me. Don't make a mistake and jump into the industry, its a pretty crappy one imo.

sales sales sales sales.

That should be your first priority when starting a new business offering services or goods.

Once you get the sale. Then deal with how to produce it.

I've seen far to many people dive into business and spend millions on equipment and not have a single job to put on them. When I had my diesel shop I built a 325,000 dollar truck out of a single bay garage when I first started. With tools that even your weekend warrior mechanic would laugh at.

Now i'm in the printing industry with my new business and it's the same exact concept. Just a different product. We have equipment to produce roughly 3 to 3.2 million and we sell over 4 every month. Make shit happen bud and everything will work out just fine. It's far easier to deal with the work once you have it than to not have the work at all.