Starting a Business as a Mechanic
When it comes to launching a business, whether as a mechanic or just about anything else, there are some similarities and essentials that you need to keep in mind. Of course, there are differences in skill set that have to be considered, though there are also some marketing, certifications and advertising workflows to keep in mind too.
Added to this, there are two common paths you can choose to go down, and this is either launching your own business to work as a sole trader, or to move forward with another business by your side – whether a directory or another third party.
With that in mind, if you’re looking to launch a business as a mechanic, we have some pointers and a bit of a guide for you below to make the process a little easier.
Plan and Validate
One of the first things you’ll need to do when it comes to launching a business, mechanic or not, is making sure you have a solid plan in place that has your business’s goals outlined and a fairly in-depth means of getting there.
If you’re not well-planned, you’re going to have trouble pushing your business to succeed given that you will be essentially ‘going in blind’ and not making calculated decisions.
It is a good idea to keep the following points in mind when launching a business as a mechanic:
Understanding Your Market
You will want to make sure you know who your potential customers are, and have a means of reaching them through advertising. Without a solid understanding of your market, you will be in the red when it comes to finding customers.
There is some good news here given that you can use services like a mechanic directory to make finding your customers a whole lot easier.
A Solid Budget
To ensure you’re not at risk of falling into the red all too soon, you should have some form of startup budget in place as soon as possible. This should cover your operating costs as well as the cost to set up your business initially.
Keep in mind that in the ‘set up’ phase, things are going to seem as though they’re very costly, though this higher-end expense will soon fade when everything’s up and running and you’re generating a profit to offset some of these expenses.
Fall in Line with Regulation
As you might be aware, mechanics are required to meet a set of regulations and have required documents on hand given that they are working with vehicles and this presents a potential safety problem. That said, your next step will be ensuring that you, your staff and contractors are all certified to work with vehicles.
Added to this, make sure you’re working with your ABN, TFN and following Australian business structure regulations too. Should your business grow beyond just yourself, you may need to adapt your business type.
Our final point here is to engage business lawyers, an accountant or any other certified professional who is able to assist with business development – these people are going to make it exponentially easier to set off on the right foot.
The Tools to Get Started
Without the right tools and vehicles to get the job done, you’re running the risk of not being able to do your job correctly.
It’s good to spend a little more here and invest in some quality tools for your mechanic business, and keep in mind that you’re able to claim a lot, if not all, of these expenses back on your tax given that they’re investments for your business.
Making Connections with Suppliers
One of our tips that goes for just about all businesses is to make sure you’re always working with your B2B connections, not only your B2Cs. You will want to make certain that you have some sort of professional connection with businesses that are able to offer services for your brand, and they might be able to offer you a good deal should you work with them over a long enough period.
Marketing and Advertising
Once you have all of your foundations set up and have a business that is raring to go, it’s imperative to get the ball rolling on marketing. It is good to keep in mind that no one is going to know your business exists unless you tell them, and so with this, it is vital to work on a cost-effective and highly targeted marketing campaign that reaches your customer base for the lowest cost.
It is good to kick things off with social networks here, given that they’re some of the most affordable to advertise with – think Facebook and Instagram and go from there.
