Considering starting a garage

[trixyben]

Good day folks,

I have been looking into staring a garage business and have come across a perfect location for it, it would specalise in test work and repairs mainly and I would employ mechanics and trainees.

I would run the business as oppose to be hands on, with the hard times we or now in the repair industry is still as strong as people still need their cars, cars still need to be repaired and tested....

So is there anyone in a similar business here or anyone who could lend some advise...

Thanks in advance....

 

[iphone sports apps]

Will you be selling used vehicles as well?
I was in the car trade for a number of years working for large manufacturers to small run businesses like what you mention.
A couple of things I would suggest.
A: If you are selling cars stick to the cheaper end of the market at the moment.Anything small engine size and economical under 2k.
Where is your location?
B: If you are offering mechanics etc, where are your customers coming from? is it on a busy road? what is the local area like ? is it busy etc.
C: Get yourself noticed-Ebay, Dealer Edit Auto Trader is a must if you are selling.
D: Contact other local garages who have been their a long time and build relationships. If they get too much work they will outsource which is what a friend of mine does. He never turns work away even if its coming out the door.Get somebody else to do it.
E:Always do your best and dont rip people off. I have worked for garages on both sides of the fence and the thing that lets a car dealer/mechanic down is when he isnt honest with his customer. If you sell a car and it goes wrong try your best to help the customer and not just fob them off. Repeat business will be the key to your success.

Let me know if you have any other questions.Ive 12 years motor trade background
cheers

 

I have an interest in a small repair garage,and like you we thought it would do well in a recession ,but that has not been the case.

Also involved in a car parts business that is doing well.

Conclusion is that maybe more people are doing D.I.Y car repairs.?

Earl

 

[a1isp]

I have heard (possibly apocryphal) tales that garages make far more money from MOT work than repair/servicing.

 

[iphone sports apps]

My friend owns a garage and I sometimes spend a bit of time there helping him out. He has approx 20 cars for sale all of which are under the 2k mark.
He sells approx 7-10 a week average £500 profit per car so he is doing ok.His overheads are fairly small and he has a good reputation, a pitch on a busy road and also has a workshop that is constantly busy.
Most of his business is repeat so he is obviously looking after his customers.
The car game unfortunately has a number of cowboys associated with it from the days of clocking etc.
But I must say not everyone is like that.
Its best to do a good job at a good price and dont ignore any comebacks or problems.Always sort them out.

 

[TestAPlug]

I had a 25% share in a garage. The owner is a close friend who couldn't finance the opening. I worried about my money for a while and kept a close eye on things (covertly). When the business broke even and could afford to repay me, I bout a £23k car (+VAT) and payed £8k off the morgage. Not band for an £8500 investment. The turnaround was 10 months. As long as the reputation and location is good then you are bound to succeed. KEV

 

[trixyben]

Thanks for all the feedback folks it all food for thought.....

Im still researching the idea but what im thinking is a locating as close to town centre as possible and focusing mainly on test work but also doing repairs....if the premises would allow a few cars for sale would be good as well as possibly breakdown recovery...

I have 2 mecanics in line, between them with over 20years experience to my advantage....

To be honest I have been brewing over the idea for well over a year now and in that time have been monitoring other similiar garages and they all seem rather busy...

A pal told me there was someone on the dragons den with the same idea did any of you see it?

Cheers again

 

[Esk247]

make sure you do towing too...its taken me a week to find someone to tow one of my old cars away for repairs after a week sat in the car park.

with regard to D.I.Y, yes, many people are doing it themselves. Signing up to car forums and having a crack at it, i tried doing the alternator but messed it up so the garage had to come and tow it away for repair but you'd be surprised how many said 'no we dont pick up, you'll have to drive it' erm..yeah..with a flat battery and no alternator fitted???

also make sure you have all the right diagnostic kits e.g. the Vectras can only have the error lights switched off when you wipe the ECU using a portable machine.

 

[sellickbhoy]

heard about a guy who started a garage with a twist

basically it was a DIY garage - you hired the workspace and tools and did the work yourself. Good for car enthusiasts doing up their own cars.

but if you want to make money while the garage is "closed" i'd consider hiring out the workspace for enthusiasts to do their own work in the evenings.

just a thought

 

[GRDCredit]

heard about a guy who started a garage with a twist

basically it was a DIY garage - you hired the workspace and tools and did the work yourself. Good for car enthusiasts doing up their own cars.

Was it called Darnell's

If you have never read Stephen King's Christine that reference will be completely meaningless

 

[Encantador]

A pal told me there was someone on the dragons den with the same idea did any of you see it?

Cheers again

http://www.servicingstop.co.uk/

Can`t see how they can give the customer a large discount and make a reasonable profit, unless the garages are working for nothing which I doubt. Not sure whether the garages also have to do the free collection/delivery/valet.

 

[Astaroth]

They arent giving the customers a discount. They are saying that their prices are cheaper than taking it to a main dealer. This is namely because they will have a network of independant garages behind them and I imagine are also using generic parts - I had a meeting with a similar operation earlier this year.

The company I dealt with also supplied the garages with parts so a new booking turned up with a box of all the parts needed. I dont know how profitable they are for the garages but they claimed that they represented on average 65% of each of the garages total volume of cars and had a waiting list of independant garages wanting to join in every county.

 

[nigey]

Hi im looking for some advice on starting or buying a small garage business, I have found a small business for sale in my local area for £30k, it has a MOT facility and the sale includes all the w/shop equipment and goodwill, is it me or does this seem very cheep ? the yearly turn over is just over £100k with a gross prof of £70k, im still waiting to see the net figs.

My specialist field is commercial vehicles but to start a CV w/shop is no easy task. I was considering light commercial repairs aswell as cars and commercial vehicle smart repair (nobody in my area does this for CM)

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

Nigel