Thinking Of Opening A Garage

[jdnet]

Hey guys,

So I'm thinking of opening a auto repair shop. Was wondering if you guys think it will be feasible idea in terms of making a profit. If so What would be a good area to setup shop. Currently I'm thinking about the borelasgamuwa and battaramulla area. Would it be good to specialize in a certain automotive field or brand or just setup a general shop.

Please keep this on topic (no unkel fights and sylvi please do not post on this thread) and I want people who know a thing or two about cars to reply so no newbies (don't mean to be rude but it will be better). Thanks.

BTW peri if this sounds like an ad please delete. I don't actually have a shop just trying to get some opinions.

[VVTi]

Great Idea. Been dabbling about the notion myself, but then the capital outlay has always been an issue. Start small.

My advise is, don't outsource the mechanics unless you can rely on them with your life. A friend has a garage in Seeduwa, Ripper and I were there today also while he was trying to sort our another friends Alfa, and that should be the ideal example. he does 99% of the work himself, has only ONE assistant and takes only 1 or 2 cars at a time. But is equipped with everything you need. All my cars has been fixed by him, and that will not change. My former BMW, the Alfa, my Primera, all cars I had. He is the only one I will trust my cars with.

The main issue will be the proper, trustworthy mechanics. Unless you plan on being there 24/7.

[Watchman]

I agree with VVTi. Constant supervision is vital.

I think its a common occurrence where one good/talented person starts a garage and as it grows he hires more help and moves into the AirCon office and results in the worker's quality of work dropping. The AirCon place I goto started small, and for as long as i remember he is ALWAYS, and i mean ALWAYS on the workarea. And as soon as you go in, he's the one who does the diagnostics etc. So he's managed to maintain the quality of work despite having a good 15-16 workers.Though its good to be able to do all the work yourself, there's only that much time and attention you can give. And if you plan to expand you have to come to the realization that you cant do everything.

As for location, i think the closer you can get to colombo he better it would be. But that'll mean sinking a huge chunk of your money on location. Cos one think I (and most other drivers) get stuck at is when they give the car for repair and have no way of getting home. (just thinking out loud)

As for what area you should focus on, I think you would be the best to answer that question. If you look at the joints these days we see that going either manufacturer wise or field wise you can do well. But rather than take a risk, why dont you start general. With time you'll realize what YOU like, and what type of customers you get more frequently. And you'll have your answer then:)

All the best man! I'm sure all our AL boys would give you a try, and from the knowledge you've demonstrated so far, you'll have them coming back for more.

[Ripper]

great idea machang!

I think VVTI and Dilesh have wrapped things up nicely.

personally i'd say at least at the start it might be better not to really specialize on a brand or a few brands.

the way i see it...these "specialists" take sometime to gain the confidence of people who are already seeing "specialists"

Also i think a general shop might be better than say a paint joint or an electrical joint.

cos that way you're only providing solutions to certain issues an not cover the whole gamut. lotsa people these days are so damn lazy to bothered to take their vehicles to specialists but prefer one place to sort most of the stuff out. Even our seeduwa place, except for painting he can sort out most of the issues. Going there to do up my injectors cos i know he will remove them and take it to the best place he knows to get them cleaned up and pressured up properly.

And the "seeduwa model" works since he is not really keen on having a mega garage and he has the passion to make things right everytime. if he was to expand and make it a bigger garage i'm not too sure if it will still work.

Then he'd have to get more assistants, deal with lot more vehicles which will most likely take down the quality of work and level of service. Unless of course you find a way to somehow find a team of great mechanics and somehow keep them motivated.

I used to take my bikes to this particular garage in borella. owner was an ex racer etc and was quite keen on fixing stuff properly. but he was forever struggling with holding onto his mechanics.

The moment he train a few chaps and they figure out how tings work...they kinda tend to leave the place for greener pastures. So that part would be a challenge...

[Sumiya]

Hi Jdnet

That is an good idea about, As everyone says the major issue is finding a Good Mechanic

and supervising him all the time,

when they get used to people they are trying cheat you, finaly he and owner benifits you loose gradually.

other thing till you find adequate customers you there is a high probability that you may loose that also you have to keep provisions for,you don't know the exact ability of mechanics unless they are given a job and see.

and it is always advisable to have a good electrician too or and mechanic who is good in electrical

if i were u i will always bring a scrap car and give a practical test before hiring a mechanic on engine, electrical suspension brake etc ,since most of them are boasting but they can't work well

HOPE YOU MIGHT GIVE DISCOUNT FOR AL PEOPLE TOO

good Luck

thanks

regards

sumith

[Sumiya]

Hi Jdnet

That is an good idea about, As everyone says the major issue is finding a Good Mechanic

and supervising him all the time,

when they get used to people they are trying cheat you, finaly he and owner benifits you loose gradually.

other thing till you find adequate customers you there is a high probability that you may loose that also you have to keep provisions for,you don't know the exact ability of mechanics unless they are given a job and see.

and it is always advisable to have a good electrician too or and mechanic who is good in electrical

if i were u i will always bring a scrap car and give a practical test before hiring a mechanic on engine, electrical suspension brake etc ,since most of them are boasting but they can't work well

HOPE YOU MIGHT GIVE DISCOUNT FOR AL PEOPLE TOO

good Luck

thanks

regards

sumith

[Sumiya]

Repost

Edited December 17, 2010 by Sumiya

[Sifaan]

So I'm thinking of opening a auto repair shop. Was wondering if you guys think it will be feasible idea in terms of making a profit.

Since you haven't said anything about whether you meant a one-man-show or not, I'll assume you'll start by yourself. Plus as you already have a whole bunch of equipment your capital outlay will be pretty low - build a shed and a ramp, and whatever equipment you still lack. Overheads would also be relatively low (rent for the land).

The amount of business you can do is constrained by the amount of time you can put in, and therefore you probably need to charge a premium rate for labour. In which case you'll probably end up doing relatively difficult work, where people are afraid of makabasses messing things up and are willing to pay extra for a good quality job.

If this model provides enough profits for your needs, then all well and good.

But if you need to make more money, then either you will have to charge higher rates (for more specialized work? but depends on whether the market will bear it or customers will move away) and/or you have to expand by bringing in mechanics. and then you're going to face all the challenges that others have elaborated already. however, if you will continue to position yourself as doing high quality work at a premium price, I think you would stand a better chance of retaining good people (because you can afford to reward them better).

If so What would be a good area to setup shop. Currently I'm thinking about the borelasgamuwa and battaramulla area. Would it be good to specialize in a certain automotive field or brand or just setup a general shop.

if you are going to attract people on the basis of being good at what you do, people will probably travel anywhere within colombo suburbs (or even further). probably safer for you to start in a cheaper place (in the suburbs and/or away from the main rods) until you generate some regular customers.

if you have space at home that would be the cheapest option

You seem more of an allrounder so I think it's best to not specialize; however based on market prices for different types of work you could probably avoid the ones that have a lower rate of return (except maybe for your (eventually) regular customers who'd like you to deal with more stuff while the car is with you)

all the best!

[Supra_Natural]

Well the rest of the boys have pretty much covered the spectrum when it comes to what to say regarding the idea.. So I'll just say all the best mate! Please keep us updated...

[Supra_Natural]

repost

Edited December 17, 2010 by Supra_Natural

[Supra_Natural]

repost

Edited December 17, 2010 by Supra_Natural

[YALA]

good deceision...towards boralasgamuwa would be awesome for me cos i live there it self..

[Sylvi]

Hey guys,

So I'm thinking of opening a auto repair shop. Was wondering if you guys think it will be feasible idea in terms of making a profit. If so What would be a good area to setup shop. Currently I'm thinking about the borelasgamuwa and battaramulla area. Would it be good to specialize in a certain automotive field or brand or just setup a general shop.

Please keep this on topic (no unkel fights and sylvi please do not post on this thread) and I want people who know a thing or two about cars to reply so no newbies (don't mean to be rude but it will be better). Thanks.

BTW peri if this sounds like an ad please delete. I don't actually have a shop just trying to get some opinions.

Jdnet,

Don't dictate terms to me.For no reason you write my Forum logging name on some of your posts

You are another member of the forum who is interested live on the forum ( feasible idea in terms of making a profit.)

Your above post to the forum proves that.

By starting a motor repair shop.

I joined the forum not with a intention of earning money only to serve the members of this Automobile forum.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[Sylvi]

Sorry for multi posts

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Sylvi

[Sylvi]

Multi posts

Edited December 17, 2010 by Sylvi

[Skyline R33]

Good decission JD and all the best with that.

[SeanD]

If you don't have a lot of time to commit, then specializing in certain specific mechanical areas might be the best bet (ala "carburettor baas," whoever he is). That way, those who have a problem in line with your specialization will know where to come to and will also know that you only take in X amount of cars at a time but are guaranteed to fix the issue even if it takes a little longer due to time constraints. I feel there are too many "jack of all trades" type of garages for you to compete with, otherwise. Or if you want to open an all-trades garage, in that case some kind of professional qualification here or abroad (I'm assuming this field is just your hobby and not something you actually qualified in) might boost your credibility to bring in bigger and better business. I guess we don't have something like ASE certification for mechanics here? (hence the large number of makabaases). People will jump at you over other garages if you do that

[Sylvi]

If you don't have a lot of time to commit, then specializing in certain specific mechanical areas might be the best bet (ala "carburettor baas," whoever he is). That way, those who have a problem in line with your specialization will know where to come to and will also know that you only take in X amount of cars at a time but are guaranteed to fix the issue even if it takes a little longer due to time constraints. I feel there are too many "jack of all trades" type of garages for you to compete with, otherwise. Or if you want to open an all-trades garage, in that case some kind of professional qualification here or abroad (I'm assuming this field is just your hobby and not something you actually qualified in) might boost your credibility to bring in bigger and better business. I guess we don't have something like ASE certification for mechanics here? (hence the large number of makabaases). People will jump at you over other garages if you do that

SeanD,

Good comment.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[jdnet]

Hey guys,

I wasnt ignoring this thread just spent a couple of days collecting my thoughts in order to make a good decision. I greatly appreciate all your comments and I'm happy to say that I am now in the process of identifying a location to setup shop. Will be looking at the Kotte, Battaramulla and borelasgamuwa areas.

Also I have a really good idea of something I can specialize in. Can't post it here because it's best kept quiet until I explore the idea some more. If any of you want to help me come to a decision on this please pm me. Harshan, Sifaan and Ripper, I'll be looking for some help from you guys. Will be sending you a PM soon so please read and let me know what you think.

[jdnet]

Jdnet,

Don't dictate terms to me.For no reason you write my Forum logging name on some of your posts

You are another member of the forum who is interested live on the forum ( feasible idea in terms of making a profit.)

Your above post to the forum proves that.

By starting a motor repair shop.

I joined the forum not with a intention of earning money only to serve the members of this Automobile forum.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Whatever.

[jdnet]

Plus as you already have a whole bunch of equipment your capital outlay will be pretty low -

Hahaha to be honest I have more tools at home than most repair shops in the country... So I guess my investment in tools will be nill so whats a big factor since that's a huge chunk of the initial investment. Although I do dislike it when people touch my tools (no pun intended lol).

As for the land I'm thinking I'll be just renting it or if the mortagage payments match the monthly rent I may just have to mortgage it.

Now here's the problem with me running a one-man-show; my experience and learnings do not include some things like engine and tranny rebuilds. So I will basically have to higher a couple of people who are trained in the field since rebuilds are pretty common here. Although I do have a bunch of experience in tranny and engine swaps.

Here's the list on things I am really comfortable at doing

brakes

suspension

Wiring

oil changes (all oils)

maintanence (changing bushes, greasing, plugs, clean-up of parts, etc.)

Body work (excluding painting)

detailing

Diagnosis of problems

So basically the things I will need help are

painting (I guess I don't have to start with that)

Engine work

Transmission rebuilds.

[jdnet]

(I'm assuming this field is just your hobby and not something you actually qualified in)

Actually I did work at a garage. Thought of getting ASE certified but at the time it didn't make sense to have a degree in print journalism and getting ASE certified. Although I'm regretting is right now. Thinking about doing it in a couple of years though. I think I need a little more knowledge before I can actually sit for the tests. Did some practice ones a few years ago seemed hard but I've come a long way from when I first looked at it I guess but still those tests are pretty darn hard. Not as hard as getting the certification for an electrician though.....

[Sylvi]

Hey guys,

I wasnt ignoring this thread just spent a couple of days collecting my thoughts in order to make a good decision. I greatly appreciate all your comments and I'm happy to say that I am now in the process of identifying a location to setup shop. Will be looking at the Kotte, Battaramulla and borelasgamuwa areas.

Also I have a really good idea of something I can specialize in. Can't post it here because it's best kept quiet until I explore the idea some more. If any of you want to help me come to a decision on this please pm me. Harshan, Sifaan and Ripper, I'll be looking for some help from you guys. Will be sending you a PM soon so please read and let me know what you think.

jdnet',

Your Idea is good. Do a work shop on your skills do not depend on workers.Accept limited number of jobs what you can supervise. Your work force do 100% supervise by your self. Don't depend on your workers.

Best Wishes for your future venture.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[jdnet]

jdnet',

Your Idea is good. Do a work shop on your skills do not depend on workers.Accept limited number of jobs what you can supervise. Your work force do 100% supervise by your self. Don't depend on your workers.

Best Wishes for your future venture.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

whatever....

[SHAI]

whatever....

All the very best on your venture mate.......Like everyone has said so far, its best to stick to what youre good at

and what you can personally pay attention to.

The Garage I mostly go to now, started off like that but I feel the owner has lost some focus since of late.

I personally prefer to show him the car, get his opinion and then see how it can be done.

I've had instances when my limited knowledge of things, has helped me sort it out on my own, rather than take his

assitants advice.

What I also hate is when someone insists that the problem detected is what he thinks it is and your opinion isn't considered.

That said, you will have to build up your reputation as someone who will diagnose the problem well, so that the relevant

remedy can be applied.

Anyway, All the best again and do keep us posted on progress.