RS69 Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Is it for sale or for rent or simply for showing ? No, I just havent had much time recently to do much work on the auto hobby. My side projects have slow down due to the full time job and might work with someone if knew real well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitamincj Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Maybe read: 48 days to the job you love for some perspective Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job to help plan what you want to get out of your new shop. EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches for some more food for thought. A lot of it will not be immediately applicable but can help you think ahead. If books are not your thing I believe they are all available as audiobooks. Good luck! CJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Called it GeerHeadZ and make billions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted March 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Called it GeerHeadZ and make billions. More like have random racers show up to beat my ass. :gabe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 More like have random racers show up to beat my ass. :gabe: Tell someone you'll replace a trunk latch, keep the car for days and not replace the trunk latch. You're on to something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Tell someone you'll replace a trunk latch, keep the car for days and not replace the trunk latch. You're on to something. You got off lucky... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 You got off lucky... It's a small thing. I'm just petty enough to be pissed about it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankis Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 You got off lucky... +1 I could recap my own story, but I think enough people already know. I think a lot of people have the mechanical skills to open a successful shop, but do not have a grasp of the business/customer service basics. Just be honest and upfront with your customers, be reasonable about how you will be able to meet expectations. My biggest problem with smaller shops, Rob's included, is promising more than they can deliver timewise. I would have much rather heard "I can't do it that soon, I'm probably 2 weeks out" instead of being lied to and having a vehicle held hostage for weeks/months.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Embarrass yourself in front of CR because you neglect to install a valvetrain correctly. Install drag radials backwards. Break coolant temperature sensor in front of customer and deny it. Fail to install LS1 spark plug wires correctly (HOW?). The list goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 i think you guys are just picking on rob because you are jelous of his success... haters i mean who doesnt wanna make $8 an hr? what a fucking chach, if his building burned down with him in..... i would attend his funeral, said no one ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwohio Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 ....back on topic.... These guys opened about a year or so ago, and seems to always have cars parked in the lot. I see them in the valupak sometimes and other local coupon distributors. May be worth checking out how they do things on their website. Maybe a good comparison if you wanted to open a place away from your residence. Here's a shot of the shop, it's pretty small. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Harris+Automotive,+Maxtown+Road,+Westerville,+OH&hl=en&ll=40.146359,-82.915832&spn=0.00223,0.002411&sll=40.147372,-82.916865&sspn=0.003153,0.004823&oq=harris+auto&t=h&hq=Harris+Automotive,&hnear=Maxtown+Rd,+Westerville,+Ohio+43082&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.146359,-82.915832&panoid=iH-V7KJv0SXDeBJLzf-Zgg&cbp=12,4.62,,0,4.1 http://harrisautomotiverepair.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Pretty sure they have been open for more than just a year, but yeah, always seems to have customers. Great location too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 A good friend of mine started his own shop about 2.5 years back. He was working full time at a shop, and started taking on sidework for family and friends. Word of mouth spread and he eventually had his hand in so many cars he got multiple notices from the county for zoning violations. After the year of so of doing this, and a pretty nasty falling out with his boss, things aligned for him to open his own shop up. He got a single bay shop that had one lift, with space to work on another car ahead of it on the floor and that was it. The other half was shared by a Mom and Pop delivery company. He was very fortunate to have his nephew (how I originally met this guy) graduating high school at the exact time he was thinking about all this. He sold his '69 Chevelle that was in mint condition for about $10,000, had about $5,000 saved, and got an investor for the rest. Last summer he moved out onto his own, 3 bay shop, still him and his nephew. They work basically whenever but this is mainly due to him being single with no family, but it allows him to bring on jobs people need done that night, or ASAP. He manages the maintenance on the fleet for the company he used to split a shop with, and another fleet across the street. He usually has 10-15 cars on the lot at a time for any given thing. When business get's slow, he starts buying wrecked cars that need a little loving, and then sells them. Actually had a pretty awesome article written about him. One of the most talented men I've ever known, and will likely ever know. I know one of the key ingredients to his success is knowing the most common cars inside and out. He was loyal to loyal customers, and would frequently give them some sort of incentive to stick with him. Would always be honest with his time, and would stick with his original estimate, unless it was an extremely drastic difference that you simply couldn't forsee and wasn't really anyone's fault. Even then, he usually only charged them for half the time extra he actually had in it. The biggest reason IMO for his success is he would take on jobs no one else would want, and if they did take them, it would be for an outrageous amount of money and take forever to do it. I pulled more engine's, dropped more transmissions and pulled more heads with this guy in a years time than I think I ever will for the remainder of my life. Wait...Did I mention he is paralyzed from the waste down and confined to a wheelchair? http://hhcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=33&ArticleID=157262 http://tdn-net.com/main.asp?SectionID=152&SubSectionID=255&ArticleID=104112 http://tippgazette.com/index.php/tipp-city-news/70-paralyzed-mechanic-lives-his-dream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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