Small business guestions for everyone

[Toad]

My first tip is to get SAE certified. To me the certification doesn't mean much but I know a lot of people that will not let non-certified mechanics work on their vehicles.

ASE or SAE?

Sorry, it was late and I was tired.

No prob. :wink:


I personally see ASE cert is the biggest farce of a certification imaginable. ASE doesn't mean squat up here. I'd assume it is same in other places. ASE fails to do anything but take mechanics $ for a piece of paper. There are a small few customers that actually know what ASE is about..ASE fails to market thier "title" which they give to a mechanic. ASE cert most likely will not bring you more customers. ASE is not a "hands-on" cert. Any idiot with the ability to read a book and $400+ to take all the test can become a Cert Master Tech. Experience, knowledge, skill, and abilty are the key. Not this piece of paper..

Sorry rant off. :wink:


Got any questions about the business ask...I unfortunatly made a career out of it.  :D

[engineer2001]

Any idiot with the ability to read a book and $400+ to take all the test can become a Cert Master Tech.

HAHA!  Try finding a mechanic that can read a book and take a test from it!  My dad has a hard time finding people who are willing to even try to take the tests.  They never study, and they usually fail.  ASE is an "idiot filter" that weeds out all the total morons and leaves the people that you could semi-trust to work on your car, since they have a decent level of intelligence and knowledge of the inner workings of your vehicle.  It's not a specialty test.  Want to know how to work on a Toyota Prius?  Get Toyota certified on TOP of your ASE certification.  Want to open your own shop?  ASE is where it's at if you want a certificate to show people you aren't a numbskull who knows nothing about cars.  What are the other options for non-factory certification and training?  Community college?

There seem to be two types of technicians and two types of customers:

(1) Factory and (2) non-factory trained techs.
(1) Customers who don't trust anyone but factory-trained techs and (2) customers who just want it fixed cheaply.  

Usually, they go 1-1 and 2-2.  Want to sponge some of the factory tech work?  Get your own certification and advertise everywhere or be close to a major road or intersection so you get noticed when the car starts overheating or clunking.  OR, open your own franchise location (See AAMCO or the like) and get instant "hey, I've heard of them" status.

Anyway, we seem to have gotten off-topic from the original intent of this thread.  He wants to fix his friends' cars and wants to maybe make a go of it as a hobby-type thing that COULD maybe turn into a full-time thing.  If you work on old cars, such as rebuilding carburetors and fixing up/rebuilding old engines or doing brake work and A/C stuff, I say go for it.  Making a living off working on modern "plastic and computers" cars would take too many specialty tools.

[Toad]

Sorry to revive the dead...


The problem with the ASE cert is it doesn't guarantee a job and/or better pay. The cert. doesn't give a mechanic any special powers. It is nothing more than a piece of paper, that the mechnics have to pay for......and it's not manditory.
I have been an ASE master tech in the past. I let the cert expire. The way I and many other techs see it, is why fork over the $400+ to get a cert that means absoultly nothing? I don't see ASE as an idiot filter. ASE is more of a Cognitive test rather that a Mechnical test. It asks more questions about "theory" than mechnical reasoning. One can be taught out of a book to regergitate information of theory on a test. One cannot deminstrate mechanical skill and abilties on a paper and pencil test......Soooo, what is it that ASE is actually measuring?

[BlackPhoenix39]

I know what you mean Toad442,alot of people can take and pass the ASE test and still know nothing about how to work on a car or what a damn socket is.As of right now this idea or dream as it is on the back burner.I applied with Schneider trucking today and well i hope that works out.I plan on work as a driver and well geting my head stright on what i want to do and where i want to live and well i can not do it here at home.So iam going to be a trucker and then when iam ready to put down roots as it were then find a local driving job and open a shop after i got to school or get soem kind of traing.So thanks for all the help with this idea guys and the more i think about it a diesel shop would really be a good idea.I could work on all things diesel.Thanks for the help

[josh]

I have been thinking about this for some time now.I want to start my own auto repair and HI-PRO business.I will start out small like tune up and other things and as i learn more do more.That frist i will do the work at there place and later find a small shop to rent.I will do it all the right way get a small business license and isurance and have a form they must sign before i work on there car that lays out what work i will being doing on the car and that i am not SAE trained.So iam lookign for any help you guys can give me on this,like what to chare a hour and so on.Thanks

Ok Ill be the big wet blanket. Dont do it!!! Ive turned wrenches all my life until 2 years ago. I managed shops  for chains and worked independents.    Then I took a gig selling parts to shops. I dont know about sae but ase is just a test you take to get a certificate that isnt worth the paper it is printed on.Yes I have a crapload of them.
 
 1.The industry is more competive than ever.
 2.The overhead is higher than ever
 3.Govt regulation is skyrocketing!!
  4.People are the worst I have ever seen them at not wanting to pay a fair amount  for service.

 I see it all the time a mediocre or even good tech decides to strike out on his own. Most usually close after working themselves half to death in just a few years. Then it is back to working for someone else.
 
  Someone else who takes care of all the books,makes sure the taxes are paid,gives you benefits.

 If you are really interested in this do your research . Lay out a realistic business plan. Get real quotes on insurance,utilities and equipment. Not the low price they use to sucker you in but the bottom line.
 Then check into all the pending legislation geared toward automobiles. The 150000 mile warranty,the electrical changes,the tire pressure monitoring system and much much more that are raising the costs and lowering the profits of shops.
 
 Ive been there and done that and im telling you right now is the worst time in my lifetime to try to get started in this business. If you do it you need to bring a guaranteed customer base with you from previous employment which is easier said than done no matter how well liked you are.

 If you do this know it will be a tough row to hoe.

[josh]

. One can be taught out of a book to regergitate information of theory on a test. One cannot deminstrate mechanical skill and abilties on a paper and pencil test......Soooo, what is it that ASE is actually measuring?

AMEN

[etdbob]

1.The industry is more competive than ever.
2.The overhead is higher than ever
3.Govt regulation is skyrocketing!!
4.People are the worst I have ever seen them at not wanting to pay a fair amount for service.

Boy, Josh got that right!


Still, if you specialize - say even in one type of car, you can maybe get an edge and good reputation in a small section of the market.

I remember a service station called "Three Vets" which was run by three old W.W.II vets.
They worked on nothing but air cooled Volkswagens of all things, and had more work then they could get done in any given week.

A mechanic near me prefers to work on mostly just Fords. He'll wrench on my F-150 for less than anyone else I know, but I would never take my Kia to him. He's honest with me about it up front.

By the by, we charge 65 an hour for shop work. We're not mechanics, but it gives ya an idea about overhead.
You'll love filling out your quarterly tax paperwork! Soon, you too will hate the Gov't as much as I do.

I'd say go for it, and Good luck!

[UR]

I don't know much about automotive mechanics other than the basics and routine maintenance.  But I can tell you that people-oriented mechanics are few and far between, as are honest mechanics (at least in my area).  Unfortunately, I've caught them telling my wife more lies than I can count just so they can get more money out of us.  That's bullsh!t.  Just don't be that kind of mechanic.

Be a "people's mechanic".  It will get you way ahead of the game.  Any business that wants to be successful will be friendly and easy to deal with.  I can't count the number of people that I know that can't stand going to any mechanic just because so many of them have become scam artists.

EDIT:  I just want to clarify (especially to the mechanics on this board) that I have no problem spending good money on good service.  I'm not a cheapskate, I just don't like being cheated.

[BlackPhoenix39]

That is what i am thinking is to specialize in diesel cars and trucks.My reason for this is well,as i learn more and more about diesel i like it more.I do not know of any shops that are diesel that work on cars and trucks.I mostly see ones that work on heavy trucks and thats about it and well most car shops know nothing about diesel and if they do they chager you out the a** for work or parts.And for going to a dealer LMAO that is not going to work for the older ones,i have tried for my own VW diesel a 86 and they told me they no long have the tools to do the timing on it.So why not open a small shop and work and specialize in small diesels.As far as i see the world of cars going diesel is going to be around for awhile more then gas powered ones.What do you guys think?

[Toad]

Owning your own place that services desiels can give you an edge. Most mechanics stay away from the desiels just by lack of knowledge. It could be a good idea to specialize in it, but I would't throw all the eggs in one basket. Don't just make desiel repair your only service. There are alot more gas powered cars on the market than desiels.

[BlackPhoenix39]

I plan on doing everything but i know diesel will bring in alot of work.I know what your talking about alot of shops will nto work on a diesel car.And lmao if you have a diesel and try to get your oil chaged at a fast oil chage place they probly will not have the right oil in stock.Thanks for all the helps guys with this idea.

[BlackPhoenix39]

Well guys what can you tell me about business insurers?Thanks

[BlackPhoenix39]

Anyone?