Starting a DIY Maintenance Business

[nullset]

Some hackerspaces have usable auto bays. You can look at www.hackerspaces.org to see if there's one near you.

There are for-profit "tech shops" that are similar but on a for profit model.

It can work, if you're willing to put your time into it.

[DMCVegas]

So if people are complaining that $200 a day ($25/hour) is TOO MUCH, I presume you won't find a lot of customers looking to spend $50 to change their own oil.

The site's prices state that for oil changes only, you can get 30 minutes on a rack for only $10. That is something that I would find to be a fantastic deal given the fact that the last time a lube shop charged me for a blended synthetic oil change I paid $60, and my brother in law has to pay $90 @ Wal Mart for a full synthetic. A DIY full synthetic change on my truck costs me about $45 for oil and a filter, so another $10 for the lift rental and I'm still coming out ahead in price and WAY ahead in oil quality. Not to mention with the synthetic I wouldn't have to do it as often, and I can get a chassis lube done at the same time as the oil is draining. Now THAT is a fantastic deal I would take advantage of. Absolutely.

The $200 a day aspect though for a bay is what kills me. There are times that you're not going to be able to get all of the work done in a single day, especially for a DIY'er that's learning a new procedure. And when a vehicle is in a regular shop, you're only paying for the time that they focus on said vehicle. Granted now some shops do indeed go about billable hours in different ways. Like the one I used to go to in Vegas would only charge parts and minimal labor if any to replace a part that they were removing anyway (i.e. parts only fees if for the rear main seal if the clutch was being replaced, water hoses if the pump was being replaced, etc.). So if it's a few hours total to replace a Heater Core in a vehicle and it takes a couple of days, on repairs like that it could become cheaper to farm it out. Even the best garage has to sometimes send out for a part unexpectedly and put a customer's vehicle on hold.

If it was something like $100 a day to rent a garage, that I could handle. Otherwise I'd just do the work in my driveway or apartment's parking space.

[mluder]

To add to Robert's comment - Let's say you were going to take on a project that due to process might take several days. Like rebuilding your front suspension. Now, not including paint or other finishes, it might take a 3-4 days or more to get everything off, cleaned and replaced assuming you aren't working 8 hours a day on it. At $200 a day that's $800. Do two jobs like this and you could have bought your own lift (if you have the room to install it) which would serve you down the road in maintenance on all your cars...

Just a thought.

Cheers
Steven

[Kane]

I think you guys are losing perspective on who this type of business targets. It is not for the guys who already do their own work for free in their driveway. I think it's more for people like me that live in the middle of a city and has no where to work on their car. My options are to take it to a service center for $110 per hour in labor charges or do it myself for $200 a day at this type of place. So for 8 hours of labor, I could do it myself for $200 or pay $880 to DMCNW. Yes, it would be nice to have my own garage and work on it 24 hours a day for free, but given the options, this satisfies a particular need in the market.

Sometimes people in the suburbs don't think about the restrictions of city life and sometimes people who live in cities lose sight of what it is like to have a yard and a garage.

[orangecrrrush]

I did it with corvettes for 4 years. I built a huge business out of my heated garage. I rented dyno time at a local shop to tune cars. I got sick of it pretty quick. The reason is you can't make everyone happy. I prided myself on excellent customer service, buy returning cars in a timely manner, calling people after the work was done to see if everything was okay. I still had a few clients that I could not please. I would give them a dyno sheet with 760rwh.. and they would expect 800. Also, insurance and liability is going to be an issue. I could not get anyone to insure my biz out of my home garage. one final thought... Figure out how much business you will need to make a living. I would have to have a shop with 5 bays going all the time to make what I make with my day job.

Send me a PM and I will explain more. There are positives... the love and passion... the customers that do appreciate the work... etc...

Adam

[DMC1983]

All great feedback, gentlemen! It has given me a bit of perspective and I would like to keep taking steps in the right direction, but I am concerned about one thing.

The idea for making it a membership garage is fantastic! It would make sense to have a group of guys (and girls) who enjoy wrenching on their cars to have the option of just storing their car with the added benefit of being able to use in shop equipment for general preventative maintenance/major repairs. A place that is quiet. Maybe even add in some entertainment... sort of like a "man cave."

The other option was to take on a franchise opportunity, I have found a few places that offer this. Wouldnt be bad, but what's the turnover for me? Im in it to do something that I love, but I need to live too

[DMCMW Dave]

Im in it to do something that I love, but I need to live too

If this would not be "living", then don't start your own business.

[DMCMW Dave]

I think you guys are losing perspective on who this type of business targets. It is not for the guys who already do their own work for free in their driveway. I think it's more for people like me that live in the middle of a city and has no where to work on their car.

I also noticed that he was targeting independent mechanics, i.e. a guy who would rent the space by the day or week and work on his own customer cars. Then the model starts actually working assuming you get past the "who cleans up" etc. issues. This would not be entirely unlike shared office space businesses.

[mluder]

I also noticed that he was targeting independent mechanics, i.e. a guy who would rent the space by the day or week and work on his own customer cars. Then the model starts actually working assuming you get past the "who cleans up" etc. issues. This would not be entirely unlike shared office space businesses.

... Or like some barber shops and hair salons who rent their stations. They provide the infrastructure and the barbers/beauticians provide their own supplies.

I like the idea of a membership club to defray costs and liability. Like a woodworkers co-op. Everyone invests in the tools and the space and there's help available when and if you need it.

Cheers
Steve

[nullset]

There's a business like this in Alpharetta (30 miles north of Atlanta...an Atlanta suburb). http://www.e3storage.com/

It's not cheap, however.

--buddy