There are thousands of mechanics in this country alone and new technology is always coming onto the market. This essentially means that new mechanics are always needed so that this technology can be understood, so it is really a great business to get into. If you want to make it as a mechanic however then you need to know how to evolve your skills and you will have to commit yourself to having a constant education as well. You also need to make sure that you have the ability to stick it out and really go all the way. If you are able to do this then you can get a huge payoff and you may even go on to achieve everything that you have always dreamt of as well.
Study
The first thing that you’ll want to do is study the auto repair industry. You may even want to go to school to do this. It doesn’t matter if you have years of training already or not, because people want to see qualifications and you may even want to go to the bank to show them this information as well. If you do go to open up your own garage then you can learn everything in a practical way and you will also be taught some of the rules and regulations regarding the business as well. A college education or something similar can also help you to understand how to deal with customers and how to stay safe as well.
First Aid
Another thing that you need to do is make sure that you are trained in first aid. After all, if you have no training in first aid whatsoever then this is dangerous for both yourself and for your employees. If you have an accident you need to know how to deal with this properly and this even applies to your customers as well. First aid training shows that you are professional and it also shows that you are caring about the business that you operate. If you have never undergone first aid training before then you have nothing to worry about and the main reason for this is because you can do the training through any third-party provider. It won’t cost you a lot but it will really pay off when you get your own garage.
Business License
In some states or countries you may have to have a business license before you go and open up your own garage. You need to make sure that you have the right paperwork in place to go and buy your own premises and you also need to make sure that you are up to date on the paperwork to do with your application as well. If you need to get a loan then you may need to go to the bank with your business plan so that they can go through the whole thing for you and they can also let you know if there is anything you are missing out on. When you go for your loan, you may have to prove things like your education and your experience as well so they know that you have the potential to make the whole thing work.
Business Plan
When you know that you have the right training and when you know that you have everything in place financially you can then start to work on your own business plan. Your business plan will need to show how you plan on financing your garage and even how much you need to make every single month to sustain it. Your bank may need to see your business plan, but this depends on your situation. You may be able to secure the loan before you do this but this really does vary.
Location
When you have your business plan and the money to finance your garage it is then time for you to start looking into a location for your garage to operate. The main things that you have to take into consideration here are the other garages that are in the area and how long they have been in operation for. Take the following, for example. If you start up a new garage across the road from someone who is very established then you may struggle to compete and there is a high chance that the people in the area will continue to go to the local favourite. This is even the case if your prices are cheaper. For this reason, it helps to find a location that has very little competition. This will give you the best chance of success and you could be providing the people in the area with a much-needed service as well. If you have found a space then this is great and you should be able to renovate it with ease. If you can find an empty garage then this is even better but if you can’t for whatever reason then it may be a good idea for you to hire an architect so that they can create some plans for you to build one. If you want to get a lot of business out of your build then try and find a location that is near to a busy road with a very large parking space.
Mobile Tool Providers
If possible, it’s great to have a relationship with a tool salesman. It’s great if they are mobile. There are dealers out there who will come to your garage and give you the chance to buy new tools. The best thing about these providers is that they can give you a huge exchange on new tools and they can also offer you a ton of new products as well. If you need some help then they can even refer business to you, so you know that you can easily use their assistance. When you do get in touch with a mobile tool salesman, make sure that they can repair your tools for you as well. Some will come out in the middle of the night to give you the support you need and that is great when you look at the amount of hours you may be working.
Work on your People Skills
When you work as a mechanic, you need to make sure that you are able to work with your customers. Your customers may not have a clue about the car that they have, the work that needs doing or anything else of the sort. A lot of mechanics usually just go and do the work without really explaining to their customers what needs to be done. If you want to go above and beyond then you need to find a way to explain to your customers what needs to be done and what you are going to do about it. Not only will they appreciate you more for it, but they will also be much more likely to part with their hard-earned cash to get the job done. Ultimately, you need to make sure that your customers are comfortable in letting you do the job and you also need to make them feel confident in the price you are charging them as well.
Inspections
There is a high chance that when you operate your own garage, that you will need to get some safety inspections done. This is to keep you and your employees safe and it is absolutely required as well. When you do get these inspections done, you can easily relax knowing that you are doing everything right and you can even let your customers know that you passed with flying colours as well.
Decorate the Place!
If you want to attract customers then you need to make them feel at ease and one way for you to do this would be for you to decorate the place. You need to make sure that you are always doing everything you can to really make the whole reception area feel homely and this can be hard to do when you have oil everywhere. To get around this, have some nice, commercial garage doors installed. You can click here to find out more about that. You also need to make sure that you have bright lighting and a clean desk to handle all of your paperwork. Of course, no garage would be complete without a name and a sign either, so make sure that you hang that up outside the front door.
Get on Social Media
A lot of local garages rely on word of mouth and this is especially the case for the more traditional garages. If you want to get new customers however then you need to get on social media. This is the best way for you to advertise your new garage and it is also the best way for you to reach out to customers who do not live in the local area. Of course, you’ll need to advertise any deals and discounts that you have on and this is a brilliant way for you to boost your newly opened garage during its first month.
