Hello. Euro Indy Here From Miami, Fl

LynxStarAuto · November 2, 2015

Hello board. You may have already seen some of my posts around here, as I have been browsing, and have loved what I have seen. This seems like a legit community full of likeminded individuals with no spam or baiting lol. I want to officially introduce myself and send a warm hello to everyone. My name is Gabriel, and I have recently made the transition (8 months) from mobile repair to a brick and mortar shop. I work solely on Euros (MB, BMW, VAG, Fiat, and Smart). I've been in the industry for over 10 years, and it is all I know. I have a diverse background in the industry as I have done a little bit of it all. I was a tech for the majority, but I have had some stints where I worked in sales, writing service, and parts department. I have been mobile since 2011 and did fairly good for myself, but slowly grew too big for the mobile work. I found myself turning down jobs, or canceling on customers because I just could not make it to their vehicles. I also just got sick of these roads which are congested, and atrocious to commute on. I was also offered a potential contract with Car 2 Go, servicing their fleet, but it required a physical address to work out of, and that was another factor that motivated me to take the leap.

Currently, I run a 2 bay facility. I purchased a tire balancer, alignment rack, and tire mounter second hand. Actually it was repo equipment. I have a Ranger brand mobile lift from my mobile days, and it resides in the second bay. Currently it is a two man operation. I'm the technician, and my associate is the SW. He worked as a SW for many years, and is good, but old school. He helps me do parts, or tire runs, or take customers home when they have a job that requires overnight stay. But he is not mechanically inclined at all. At times I get a bit overwhelmed with fixing the cars, balancing paperwork, and other aspects like paying bills, and then monitoring margins. I know I need to hire a second tech, and this has been the hardest thing for me. Just so hard to find a quality tech, and this is my name and reputation on the line you know? But I most definitely need the help. Many times I have to stop what I am doing, to diagnose, write up a R.O. and then have my guy sell it. It sets me back, and other times I have to turn customers away because I just cannot get to their vehicle. Essentially, the same issues I was running into with my mobile business, I have run into at my brick and mortar shop. Mostly because I figured customers come to me, I can work more efficiently, and I can add additional services. That part is true but it is just too much load for one individual.

I really want to grow a legit business. Where I can implement a system, then stand back and watch the operation, and work out any kinks as they arise. Something that can become very profitable, and that I can even sell once I get tired of the grind.

Anyway, I hope to learn a lot from those of you on here who have what I wish to attain. I feel I'm on the right path, and know there are brighter days ahead. I may even try consultant services as I see the potential in my business, I just need more experienced hands to walk me through the intricacies. Running a business, and viewing a zener dump wave form are to completely different animals LOL. But I'm up to the challenge.