Thursday, January 3, 2013

How to Run a Profitable Auto Repair Shop

As long as people continue to drive cars, there will always be a necessity for auto repair shops. For the that wishes to start such a business, it can show to be profitable & can provide the individual with a steady source of income. It is important to follow the right steps in beginning your automotive garage.

The first thing you need to do is to figure out whether you need to open your own auto repair company or whether you need to buy that is already established. In the event you buy an existing business, you will already have an appropriate location & the equipment you need. The staff at the business you buy will have experience & may select to stay on at your new company.

In the event you choose to start a brand spanking new business & start from the ground up, then you will need to select a location that caters to lots of traffic. You will need to buy or lease the equipment to run the shop, & hire a staff that will include administrative support & qualified mechanics.

Offering a guarantee to your customers is a great way to keep them returning to your shop, & to encourage new ones to come by. When a customer gets work completed at your place of business, they need some type of assurance that the issues with their vehicle will be resolved. To help them to feel assured about your service, offer a guarantee based on specific mileage or a specific span of time. This will convey the message that you stand behind your work. It will instill confidence in your patrons.

Ethical standards are important & they are something that your customers need to be made aware of on arriving at your place of business. Lots of people are suspicious about auto repair businesses because of bad experiences they have had historically. To put your customers' minds at ease, let them know upfront that you run an ethical business, & that you care about the service your customers' get. Print out a statement of ethics & hang it in the customer reception area. Give it a place of prominence on the wall. Make positive you make it known that you will strive to satisfy your patrons to the greatest extent, & that overcharging them is not an option.

Treat the staff at your auto repair facility well to prevent having a high rate of turnover. If your business constantly has to hire new mechanics because people do not stay, then it will be difficult to maintain a high standard of quality. This can give your place of business a bad reputation. To keep away from this, pay your mechanics & offer them competitive benefits. When customers discover a qualified & reliable mechanic that they can trust, they need to create a working relationship with that person & return to them time & time again.