Hey everyone. I want some advice from people with experience in opening/owning/operating an automotive shop. Any type of auto shop. The reason I am asking is that I have been passionate about hands-on learning, making things work, and making people happy for as long as I can remember. I've found that the automotive field satisfies all this. I'm close to 19 years old and a freshman at JMU majoring in business management, but book knowledge and listening to people talk has never ever been my thing and still isn't. I came here and have no access to tools or a shop or even a car (freshman can't have them) and frankly I feel unproductive and am very unhappy. I feel like I'm getting nothing from college except for the experience and people skills. A little info about me and cars: I attended the vocational technology program during my last 2 years of high school for automotive technology and graduated top in the class, I placed high in several skills contests for VICA, I took and passed 3 ASE certification tests and have sufficient shop time to become certified, and I worked at a service station for about 2 years.
My point is that now, I'm considering finishing up my semester here and then going back to automotive work. Eventually, no matter what route i take, I want to own and operate at least one shop. Has anyone been in a similar scenario? I would like to hear what you have to say especially. Please, anyone who can drop a line of advice for me based on your experience, do so. Sorry for the length but i feel it is necessary. I thank anyone who took the time to read this.

 

mechanical knowledge is only half of owning a shop, you need to know how to manage a business as well. My last two jobs failed because employees were being taken on before the company was financially established enough to support paying them.

 

take everything you have learned about business management and throw it out, because if you try to apply it to runninig a shop, you will fail. i dont give a damn how much you try to apply all the "master of management" methods, six sigma, japanese managerial theory, etc. it dont work. you have to have a damn good business head, a strong team, and the willingness to work your ass off.

start off turning wrenches, watch how its done. i learned by working at some of the best shops in the areas i lived, and paid attention to how they ran things. we took methods and ideas from several places, basically merging several management ideas into one that works.

your money is made in the front office, i dont care if you have five super techs in the back, if it cant flow through, you will fail. what kind of shop are you looking at doing eventually? general, specialized, car, truck? ALOT of a shops success rate depends on the customer base, retention is a big deal to work on, especially with the stealerships, i mean dealerships, spending such big money on advertising trying to convice the general consumer that an independent garage doesnt know how to service their new car.

i will say this: in the last five years, i have witnessed several "tuner shops" that have come and gone, generally within a year or so. if you can make it past the one year mark, and not be massively in debt, you are doing well. it takes alot of time, money, patience, skill, debt, and blood to get it going. shit...i have been here at the shop since 330 this morning, and probly wont leave till 800 tonight. the harder things to find are good techs. you either have to take them from another shop, or cultivate your own by getting fresh bodies that are willing to listen, learn, and grow. of course, most are little punk bitches that need an attitude adjustment, but it comes with age.

if you are going to go the general repair route, you will be spending ALOT of fuckin money on equipment, updates, information, and software. go slowly, build it as you can. we just purchased an IDS, and are finishing our new office up this quarter, with a Tech II and MTS5200 scope planned as next quarters purchases. leasing works, but get a damn good accountant that will go over the pros and cons of each method of purchase.

keep your nut low, and by nut i mean the money you have tied up. keep your suppliers happy by paying them on time, although alot of times its hard to due to work flow and such.

keep your own books if you are competent, or have a TRUSTING bookkeeper do it. you dont know how many times i have seen people get raped by their own staff or paid help. quickbooks is simple, and with your background, i dont see you having issues with that.

and finally, www.iatn.net is your oasis.

 

fc735: Thanks a lot for taking the time to type all of that. I want you to know that I'm not just some bored kid typing bs on a forum. This is a huge life decision for me right now and your advice is greatly appreciated.
A thank you to spindrift as well.

 

I am not in the automotive indusrty but my brother is. All i have to say is get your degree. You cant tell me that knowing what youll get out of school and the people youll meet, experiances you will have will not effect the outcome. you cant fucking run a show if you dont know how to run a business. your not going to learn how to run a business leaving school and learning about turning wrenches..... its that simple. running your own automotive shop will be complicated and involve alot of sweat. its a 24/7 thing. business in general doesnt stop when you leave the shop late at night.

 

Most business schools prepare their students for the corporate world, however many schools also offer programs that are specifically aimed at entrepreneurs. The knowledge gained from these programs will save a lot of headaches in the future. The combination of business education and experience in the field also looks good when you apply for SBA loans.

 

no problem man. wickedautoworks@swva.net if you want any more detailed things, or contacts.


oh, no doubt about that. the main point i am making is that just cause you got a degree dont mean you can run a business. you should see the people i used to meet and deal with when i worked near VT....the amount of college graduate idiots was insane! we referred to them as "educated idiots".

that piece of paper makes a good difference for loans, and sometimes with trade organizations. however, it is not to be used as a rule, and every loan officer i have talked to in the last three years (at least the ones that are good) take that into consideration. sometimes, learning by being in the trenches is the best way to do it. but, like in life, you CANNOT expect to staty on top of the market, your competition, and your goals by sitting there and just working, not learning about the new stuff.

i've had firsthand experience in that it doesnt matter how educated, well dressed, or elite you are, if you have the sense of how to do it, the opportunity presented, the capability of handling untold levels of stress, the
willingness to work your ass off, and the balls to stand behind what you decide and follow it through, you will succeed. i know of people that can walk into the bank in overalls and greasy boots, ask for half a million dollars, and walk out with the money in their account 30 minutes later.


you can learn by watching, and asking questions. it dont get you a piece of paper to hang on the wall, but going through the school of hard knocks is one of the best ways to learn things. i tell my guys all day long, the only way to learn is to get in there and do it. you may fuck something up, but you will learn alot more by doing than by reading or talking about it. dont get me wrong, i have nothing against learning about methods and how to do something, but just because one person teaches you how to do it does not mean its the only way to and produce the same results. you never stop learning, if you go one day without learning something you wasted that day. however, you need to find a balance of book learning with real world practical experience.

 

I know what your trying to get at the fact that you dont need college to run a business.... well guess what.. thats what i do. and i wish i had the chance to goto college. why? i dont need it.... but it really swings things into perspective if you have the right head on your shoulders. it goes both ways. my advice if you have the chance togo... take it.. if not.. your not out of the game you just have to grind a little harder to find out something that could have been told to you for money.

 

hire me chris!!!
Kyle "fired" me without even asking chris!!! what a dick...

 

you go to jmu and you live in chesapeake? please dont say youre from western branch. im from there and i go here. good luck on trying to open a shop man