Quantcast
Jump to content


start a business with no work experience?


Recommended Posts

I have been turning wrenches my entire life being an avid automotive enthusiast. I have repaired almost every square inch of a vehicle in my driveway including transmission rebuilds and axle repairs. I am 25 years old and have been self employed my entire life. Owning a landscaping company has given me the business knowledge I otherwise would be lost without. My passion has always be the automotive work. I am registered for auto tech school starting mid summer. I have tried to obtain a job in the automotive business for the past few months with no luck. From a business stand point, I completely understand why noone wants to hire someone with no experience to back them up. I have two choices right now, either keep searching and find a 8.50 an hour lube tech job which my wife and I could not live on, or continue my landscaping business while paying for school.

I feel the only area I lack experience is diagnostics. Fully understanding WHY the engine locked up or WHY the transmission lost reverese. I hope to learn this while in school and obtain my ASE certifications before finishing.

I apologize for the long post but it gets frustrating when you are confident in your skill set but cant obtain a starting position at minimal pay.

Have any of you guys started your own shop with no actual work experience under someone else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites










Congrats on going to school. I'd recommend finishing school and finding a dealership that will hire you and pay off your tuition. If you work hard the knowledge you can get from a dealer is invaluable in starting your own business or finding a job.

 

I would stick with what is working for now because chances are your business would fail. Anyone can change brakes, starter, alt or even an engine with enough time but very few can diag. Especially with an independent shop that will see every vehicle made. An independent shop has to absolutely have the best techs to survive let alone grow. Hope this helps man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on going to school.  I'd recommend finishing school and finding a dealership that will hire you and pay off your tuition.  If you work hard the knowledge you can get from a dealer is invaluable in starting your own business or finding a job.

 

I would stick with what is working for now because chances are your business would fail.  Anyone can change brakes, starter, alt or even an engine with enough time but very few can diag.  Especially with an independent shop that will see every vehicle made.  An independent shop has to absolutely have the best techs to survive let alone grow.  Hope this helps man.

Amen! it requires the best diagnostic skills and they must be on point every single day, every single job. One mistake can wipe out a business in the blink of an eye. Be it reputation, financial or legal mistakes in this field are pretty substantial in the customer's eyes!

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am going to throw you a curve ball.  While I am a master tech, and achived that by an early age, it was my commitment to learning about business that made the real difference.  Being a mechanic and knowing about cars will only get you so far. In fact, if you dont have the right people around and if you don't have the skills of running a business, you will find it very hard to run a business.

 

The skills of running a business are vaslty different than the skills of repairing cars.  Being a great mechanic actually held me back, early on.  I loved cars, I still do, it is my passion too.  But, once you commit to starting a business, you need to understand that you are now a business owner, and your commitment is to running the business.

 

My advice, learn all you can about buisiness, in addition to learning about cars.

 

I hope this helps...Good Luck!

The EMyth!

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if you are the only tech at your future shop and have no diag skills, don't open a shop. You would be doing the auto service a serious injustice and add to the already big problem of sub par shops and parts changers that drag our industry down.

 

Now of course if you are going to tech school, learn as much as you can. Try to work at a indy and dealer if possible so you can see how both sides live. At the end of it all if you still want to open your shop then roll out the check book and find a spot to pitch your tent!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a huge fan of the E-myth as well. I am not a "tech" but I am far from ignorant on auto repairs. If owning a business is your goal I would focus on learning small business management and accounting, That is what I spent the past couple of years doing at my local community collage.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree strongly with what was mentioned above. I had 13 yrs tech experience before I started my own shop and I WAS NOT prepared for the business side and I still struggle greatly with that 6 yrs later. I would strongly recommend learning how the business should be run as well as working on cars.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup^^^^ I was a tech for years, and I thought all I needed to do was buy my own lift, rent a shop, and roll my toolbox inside... Turns out, that's not half the story of an auto repair shop. Something can really be said for working at another Indy though! You can learn a lot of their procedures and processes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Here's another curveball for all of you. I am in the same boat just on the flip side, I have tons of business experience and knowledge including quite a bit in the automotive industry but I lack an in depth knowledge of automotive technology. How do you deal with this situation?

 

I am currently in the planning stage of opening a shop was planning to simply hire a master mechanic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's another curveball for all of you. I am in the same boat just on the flip side, I have tons of business experience and knowledge including quite a bit in the automotive industry but I lack an in depth knowledge of automotive technology. How do you deal with this situation?

 

I am currently in the planning stage of opening a shop was planning to simply hire a master mechanic.

you don't. Unless you are going to be a brake shop, tire shop, exhaust shop etc. this really isn't a kind industry to thoughts that aren't of the industry. Why chose a repair shop when there are so many owner friendly businesses out there?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

you don't. Unless you are going to be a brake shop, tire shop, exhaust shop etc. this really isn't a kind industry to thoughts that aren't of the industry. Why chose a repair shop when there are so many owner friendly businesses out there?

What are some of those businesses?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get some auto specific training by working. Alternatively there are resources such as elite worldwide trainings that can be had for little money. Check out the www.aaec.ca online elearning and or read everything you can ge your hands on by bob greenwood and others like joe the site founder here and writer for ratchet and wrench. Read motor magazine archives etc there is a ton of info online. Also customer link has a blog as does elite worldwide. One way to get educated on repair stuff, specifically drivability,

at home on YouTube is scanner danner he also has an ebook

 

Here are some links:

http://www.aaec.ca/newsite/elearning.cf

 

http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/

 

http://www.eliteworldwidestore.com/blog/

 

 

http://m.youtube.com/user/ScannerDanner

 

http://www.autosphere.ca/carcarebusiness/category/greenwoods-blog/

 

 

http://www.customerlink.com/auto-repair-marketing-blog/

Edited by Sean
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the sites recommended by Sean are excellent! thank you for the links!

Thanks for the kind words and welcome to the forum. Here are a few more good ones:

 

http://m.searchautoparts.com/motorage

 

http://www.motor.com/articles.asp

 

If you haven't joined iatn and are thinking of opening a shop or currently have a shop it is a wealth of knowledge:

 

http://www.iatn.net/

 

Albin Moore is a good author:

http://m.searchautoparts.com/search/apachesolr_search/Albin%20Moore

 

Don't forget to have a look at gonzos stuff as well

Edited by Sean
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can understand your position. I started a shop before knowing much about cars. Mistake! Unless you have lots of capital. Even hiring a master tech is no guarantee. Many techs will take advantage of the fact that you don't know about cars:try to have you sell unnecessary repairs so they make more money, fix things on their own time with no urgency because they are the only tech in shop. May be good idea to partner with someone who is a tech so there is a vested interest in business succeeding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      Auto shop owners are always looking for ways to improve production levels. They focus their attention on their technicians and require certain expectations of performance in billable labor hours. While technicians must know what is expected of them, they have a limited amount of control over production levels. When all factors are considered, the only thing a well-trained technician has control over is his or her actual efficiency.
      As a review, technician efficiency is the amount of labor time it takes a technician to complete a job compared to the labor time being billed to the customer. Productivity is the time the technician is billing labor hours compared to the time the technician is physically at the shop. The reality is that a technician can be very efficient, but not productive if the technician has a lot of downtime waiting for parts, waiting too long between jobs, or poor workflow systems.
      But let’s go deeper into what affects production in the typical auto repair shop. As a business coach, one of the biggest reasons for low shop production is not charging the correct labor time. Labor for extensive jobs is often not being billed accurately. Rust, seized bolts, and wrong published labor times are just a few reasons for lost labor dollars.
      Another common problem is not understanding how to bill for jobs that require extensive diagnostic testing, and complicated procedures to arrive at the root cause for an onboard computer problem, electrical issue, or drivability issue. These jobs usually take time to analyze, using sophisticated tools, and by the shop’s top technician. Typically, these jobs are billed at a standard menu labor charge, instead of at a higher labor rate. This results in less billed labor hours than the actual labor time spent. The amount of lost labor hours here can cripple a shop’s overall profit.
      Many shop owners do a great job at calculating their labor rate but may not understand what their true effective labor is, which is their labor sales divided by the total labor hours sold. In many cases, I have seen a shop that has a shop labor rate of over $150.00 per hour, but the actual effective labor rate is around $100. Not good.
      Lastly, technician production can suffer when the service advisors are too busy or not motivated to build relationships with customers, which results in a low sales closing ratio. And let’s not forget that to be productive, a shop needs to have the right systems, the right tools and equipment, an extensive information system, and of course, great leadership.
      The bottom line is this; many factors need to be considered when looking to increase production levels. While it does start with the technician, it doesn’t end there. Consider all the factors above when looking for ways to improve your shop’s labor production.
  • Similar Topics

    • By carmcapriotto
      "Do you have the strength to be honest with yourself?" Michael Smith discusses the importance of personal and company-wide SWOT analysis. He explores the need for continuous learning, development and the role of collaborative feedback in identifying blind spots. He emphasizes the importance of going beyond the initial analysis to consider future goals and potential obstacles. Michael Smith, Herzberg Smith and Co, Michael Smith’s previous episodes HERE Show Notes
      The concept of doing a personal SWOT analysis (00:01:57) Exploration of the idea of doing a personal SWOT analysis and the importance of getting feedback from others. Starting a personal SWOT analysis with a company SWOT analysis (00:06:23) Suggestion to start the personal SWOT analysis by first conducting a company SWOT analysis and using the insights to inform the individual analysis. The SWOT Analysis and Leadership (00:08:03) Discussion on the importance of doing a SWOT analysis for businesses and the role of leaders in driving the future of the organization. The Importance of Self-Development for Leaders (00:09:31) Exploration of the need for leaders to participate in their own self-development and identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The Path to Mastery for Individuals and Organizations (00:14:54) Emphasis on the ongoing and evolving nature of the path to mastery for individuals and organizations, and the importance of continuous improvement. The importance of individualized learning and development (00:15:03) Discusses the concept of individualized learning and development programs, focusing on strengths and weaknesses. The need for continuous learning and development (00:16:25) Emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and development, including attending conferences and reading books. The importance of accountability and institutionalizing development (00:18:10) Highlights the need for leadership to walk the talk, institutionalize development, and hold people accountable for continuous learning and improvement. The SWOT Afternoon (00:22:08) Discussing the concept of doing a personal SWOT analysis with the team and the benefits of fostering a collaborative culture. Facilitating the Conversation (00:23:14) Exploring the art of facilitating a conversation and the importance of listening and not interrupting during discussions. 360 Reviews and Mentoring (00:25:11) Explaining the use of 360 reviews and the importance of selecting trusted individuals for feedback, as well as the benefits of mentoring relationships within the organization. Inviting Industry Guests (00:29:56) Carm and Michael express their interest in inviting industry professionals to share their experiences and discuss the effectiveness of implementing the discussed strategies.
      Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Auto Care Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections    
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Changing The Industry
      Episode 141 - Embracing Change in the Automotive Repair Industry With Matt Ruffman
    • By carmcapriotto
      In this episode of "The Weekly Blitz," Coach Chris Cotton discusses the importance of being prepared in life and business, drawing from his own recent experiences. He shares a harrowing account of a multi-vehicle accident he witnessed, emphasizing the fragility of life.
      He also expresses frustration at bystanders who filmed a deceased person rather than offering help. Cotton encourages listeners to be ready to help others and to have plans in place should something happen to them. He ends the episode with a message of gratitude for his listeners and the importance of continuous learning and growth in the auto repair industry.
      The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.
      Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo:https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/
      Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
      If you would like to join their private facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind
      The Near Accident and Reflection (00:02:17) Coach Chris Cotton recounts a recent near accident on the road and reflects on the fragility of life.
      Assessing the Accident Scene (00:05:51) Coach Chris Cotton describes the aftermath of the accident and his efforts to check on the drivers involved.
      Reflecting on Life and Gratitude (00:09:07) Coach Chris Cotton emphasizes the importance of being mentally, physically, and spiritually prepared for life and expresses gratitude for his own life and listeners.
      Coach Chris Cotton expresses his frustration with people taking pictures and videos of a tragic accident instead of offering help, and emphasizes the importance of being prepared, spiritually ready, and grateful.
       
      Connect with Chris:
       
      [email protected]
      Phone: 940.400.1008
      www.autoshopcoaching.com
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
      AutoFixAutoShopCoachingYoutube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
       
      #autofixautoshopcoaching #autofixbeautofixing #autoshopprofits #autoshopprofit #autoshopprofitsfirst #autoshopleadership #autoshopmanagement #autorepairshopcoaching #autorepairshopconsulting #autorepairshoptraining #autorepairshop #autorepair #serviceadvisor #serviceadvisorefficiency #autorepairshopmarketing #theweeklyblitz #autofix #shopmarketingpros
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Transmission Repair

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Changing The Industry
      We have FREE training on Saturday in North Carolina!


  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...