SELF EMPLOYED/GARAGE OWNERS, How did you start off??

[del635]

Found myself unemployed and on the dole for the first time in 11 years :(
Looking for jobs and attended a few interviews......then just realised I'm sick of working for people who arent even as good or as smart as me........my past 2 jobs I've nearly been running the place after a while for a measly wage while the owners played golf or whatever then collected the cash!!!
Ive got a little money and some modest tools, found a garage for rent in the right place, thinking about taking the leap!:afraid: I'm nearly 30:afraid::afraid::afraid: and if I dont try now.......
So, HOW DID YOU START AND WHAT WITH (tools) AND AT WHAT AGE??

[dik]

I started 26 years ago at age 23, I had a small snap on box with just basic hand tools a trolley jack & 4 axle stands, a work bench and a vise, over the years I have built up a fairly decently equipped workshop, you will certainly need a lot more tools than when I started, cars were very basic then & you will need a lot more customers too as service intervals & reliability have increased massively

[z786]

Age is only a number mate, its all in the head, aslong as you can hack it in your mind, fcuk evrything else

have you got any experience in fixing/working with cars??

[smirnoff_rules]

l too started in the trade 25 years ago l think , worked at the garage l own now . l left and worked in another garage for a bit then returned but the money was shit but l did a deal where l could do my foreigners in the garage at the weekends , in no time l was makin more that the owner .. no tax or vat to worry about lol then l bought him out , now l make half the money lol

[Autotecno2006]

hi mate, on my own now for 10 years, 14 hours days, all problems start and finish with u, ur business is as good as ur last job. Would i go back to getting up to go to work for someone else......................................NEVER ! Best of luck mate. :top:

[del635]

dik- I know what you mean bud, I'm pretty much covered for 90% euro diagnostics and workshop manuals but was thinking of moving towards buying a rolling road soon. Around here its mostly nut and bolt guys, so the focus would be on diagnostics/electroncs for now.
z768- started at 15-16 so about 11-12 years!
mirf- ha ha! nice one!
autotechno2006- Been getting the shite without the money for some time now, cheers, I always thought a bit of pride in your work goes a long way, just not for other people anymore.

[patkins]

Dell, I packed in the tools a lifetime ago.My union card allowed me to go mech. fitting(long story) During my qualified time I was still making more at night and Saturday with guys queing up with jobs. You will be your own boss and that will give you far more incentive to build your reputation. To you ,Dell ,and all the above posters who have done it, the best of luck. GO FOR IT.

[Meat-Head]

just make sure you remenber several phrases, write them on the back of bog door if you have to

"We have your money now ~~~~ off"
"Not my ~~~~ing pile of crap"
"If it breaks then it was a weak part"
"No warranty on bulbs, good bye"
"If the customer has a problem with it he/she will pop it back"
"Take your pile of crap, before we set the dawg on you."
"Just because the fire brigade said it was our fault doesn't mean it is, PAL"

[beginner1]

I took the leap about 6 years ago and initially spent all my time fighting bureaucrats for my permits (I don't live in the UK) and most of my money on scan-tools.

If I had to start now, though, I'd seriously think about going "mobile". From what I gather on DK and elsewhere, you can get dealer level scan-tools for BMW, MB and VAG (for example) for a total of less than ? 3,000.

Don't know how many garages are in your area, but with that kind of equipment you could start right away with no additional fixed cost or responsibilities. You could cater to garages for diagnostics, programming and adaptions, body shops for post-crash airbag programming, private parties for mods (cornering lights, cluster infos and so on).

Compared to what dealers charge, you could get back your initial investment in very little time, and you will have a very easy "exit strategy" in case a more "stable" job becomes available. You'd just have to sell your tools (easy).

Just wanted to share a thought. I wish you good luck, wherever the future will take you.

[BIOS]

Del,

I started my own business 6 years ago almost from ZERO.Questions I asked myself before 6 years were the same as your post...

NOW,the only thought is : I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS EARLIER !!!

Mate ,trust me TAKE THE CHANCE."Reflash" yourself & MAKE A MOVE!

P.S:in a year from now I am expecting your post regarding "employee problems" ;).

[tridoc]

Del,

I also started about 25+ yrs ago and like those who have replied before me have said, things were much different and if we had think about it we would have done it sooner !

Well let me say that things might be some what different for me (I'm across the pond, in the US), I can tell that in my experience - the money is made or lost in the front office ! many techs who venture out on their own are well rounded on the technical / repair side but lack the front office / paper work stuff and are seldom prepaired for all the "red tape" / permit stuff. nonetheless... go for it!, just be prepaired for the suits with clip-boards coming into your life.

Although I've had my shop all these years... I really don't make enough money directly from it, that is after ALL thats got to be paid first ! I actually support my family from teaching (I'm a contract European trainer). I highly recommend that as soon as you can get a feel for what your operating expenses might be, that (1) you PAY yourself... even if it's only on paper - I mean write the check - then deposit it back into the bus. acct as owner loan/investment. (2) put some funds into some sort of retirement / rainny day fund....sure many of us never think that the day when we can't turn wrenches or push buttons on our laptops will ever come... but then again it's better to have the foresight now than the sorrow later!

And about going mobile, I do abit of that now as well as remote assistance. It takes some weeding out of the non payers.
for instance: had a shop call me the other day to program a pcm for BMW to resolve a poor running / check engine light issue that had been previously diagnosed by someone else.
Well after I finished and started the vehicle up... only to find that the same concern... the shop owner was reluctant to pay me for my services...because as he said it did not fix his problem... and I had to remind him I was called to program a controll unit... not diagnose nor fix it ... you'll get alot of those !! So be careful.

Good luck, jump in... and if I can be of any help.. drop me a line... there are a bunch of Great helpful guys here !!

[tornado]

sells tyres so u get more known u got to start somewhere

[Floyd]

dell

I started for myself over 20 years ago and pretty soon found myself getting problem cars with poor running issues sent to me from other garages. Always managing to fix these cars I have always been more specialised in diagnostics. As vehicles became more complex realised training was an issue and spent hundreds of Pounds to travel over 300 miles to do regular training courses because at the time, there was nobody near me that could teach me any-more than I already knew!

Invest in training if you feel the need because it WILL pay off in the long run - it certainly is for me at the moment. Also invest in equipment, maybe think of specialising in a particular marque? Regards rolling road, you need to do your sums. Charge say ?50 for a diagnostic check using equipment you spent a few grand on, or charge ?40 for a rolling road run using equipment you spent ?30 grand on?
I know where my money would go.
BTW I have in the past worked in a workshop that used to use a dyno so I'm speaking from experience. You can make more in one day doing diagnostics than playing with rolling roads and manage to keep your hands clean.:D

Hope this help you.

[poker]

don`t be scary m8 l moved to australia 6 years ago and after 2 years l open my own workshop without good knowledge of English language (still is bed ) and now l fix car for other mechanics . believe in yourself and go ahead all the best l wish to you
cheers jo

[kev50]

Found myself unemployed and on the dole for the first time in 11 years :(
Looking for jobs and attended a few interviews......then just realised I'm sick of working for people who arent even as good or as smart as me........my past 2 jobs I've nearly been running the place after a while for a measly wage while the owners played golf or whatever then collected the cash!!!
Ive got a little money and some modest tools, found a garage for rent in the right place, thinking about taking the leap!:afraid: I'm nearly 30:afraid::afraid::afraid: and if I dont try now.......
So, HOW DID YOU START AND WHAT WITH (tools) AND AT WHAT AGE??
Hi m8,
If you go about it with the right attitude it will be the best thing you ever do.
I did it 30 odd years ago and never looked back. It will will be dificult you will make mistakes but you will learn and succeed.
Its never going to be a 9 to 5 job you will be up early and home late but you will get out what you put in. Get yourself a good accountant and never under sell yourself.
If your not sure about something or never done a certain job before go and find out about it theres lots of info here and on the net.
Wish you the best of luck.

[smirnoff_rules]

l used an accountant for 20 years and paid him a fortune , now l do it myself, online its easy now , the wife does the vat and bookwork and if u get a good work invoice program that does your turnover its easy .. autointouch is a good program but no one can crack it lol
http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f104/autointouch-garage-invoice-software-41659/#post210733

[Meat-Head]

l autointouch is a good program but no one can crack it lol
http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f104/autointouch-garage-invoice-software-41659/#post210733

Weird the link seems not to work something about only being a peasant

but doing a search managed to get it to work like this

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f104/autointouch-garage-invoice-software-41659/#post210733

[del635]

Thanks, all good advice and taken on board!
The balls rolling now, signed up for a business course which will also help with premises at the local enterprise after completetion. Just explains marketing, laws and taxes and a 'confidence course' wtf?
Actually thought that about the accountant, tbh was only gona get one if it was the law.
Agree completely about training, other mechanics Ive worked with have no interest in anything new and when they leave at night theyve left, Ive always ate slept and breathed this stuff trying to get better, hopefully that'll count for something!
Anyways, how could you go wrong with this forums back up! :)
To be mobile or not is the biggest decision now???

[z786]

mate if your gna have your own place, unless some1 will be there 2 mind it for you its awkward being mobile

[Meat-Head]

mate if your gna have your own place, unless some1 will be there 2 mind it for you its awkward being mobile outside with the wind up your arse

yeah, you travel 1 hours drive to a peasant's house, raiding every nearby garage for special test epquiptment on the way, you find the place has been cut in two by a new bypass, you get to the customers place. The customer
says

"It won't start duck, every c**t and his dawg has had a go, even the vicar can't get it going"

<turns key start-run-die> repeat same result

(thinks 'cool thermo time switch' and 'fitth injector')

walks rounds to front, air filter K&N <thinks that will do for the steam cleaner at work> (puts K&N in pocket)

presses down metering head, <SQUELCH> noise
<turns key there she goes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX9TDQcCyVE)>
the kettle hasn't even been turned on and it's running.

1 hour travel (?35+vat), 30 seconds work(?17.50+vat min charge), 1 hour travel return(?35+vat)

<COUGH COUGH SPLUTTER> goes customer
no 'i love you long time' no cup of tea!

What do you do?

For people of lower intelligence/younger generation on the Bosch K-Jet tronic to bleed the system of air after re-build you de-press the flap down, this inject MASSIVE amounts of hydro carbons (hence max 5 seconds) and expells any air in the system, even the Vicar didn't know that.

Only reason knew about it was had to travel 50 miles to do the same to a porsche 928
that refused to start after 2 weeks after fitting an alarm, pile of crap had a sticking engine valve, that backfired popping the diaphram up. 1MM air gap

Got lucky and just twa*tted it then mentioned it to MR Squeky afterwards who mentioned how they worked!

[kev50]

Personaly i would not go mobile you will spend more time driving about here there and everywhere not getting paid. Better to stick with premises customers will come to you and you just pick up the phone and your parts will be delivered to your door. There will be no end of sales reps offering all the best deals. Remember time will be a very important factor in anything you do.

[hackerabcd]

i started my own garage about 10 months ago after working for a main vauxhall dealer for over ten years . that said i had built up a customer base of my own over those years . i stick to mainly vauxhalls but i have not looked back since then . all i can say is go for it you wont regret it . good luck mate

peter

[latchford]

I have been self employed for thirty years, I did an apprenticeship with an Austin Rover dealership and when I finished I realised that I made more money on weekends and evenings than I actually received in wages so I took the plunge.
I had a garage for 16 years but the call for diagnostics and electrical repairs was mostly from other garages so I eventually closed the garage down and I now am mobile going from garage to garage and doing their work.
If you have the knowledge and you are confident don't be scared jump in, Good Luck.