It’s hard to understate how large the auto repair market is. Most people have cars that wear down over time and eventually need help fixing them. That’s why it’s no surprise that the United States has 233,745 auto repair shops.

That makes getting started in the repair industry easier said than done. But you can set yourself apart by offering something other businesses don’t have: a mobile repair service.

If you’re a great mechanic, opening a mobile auto repair business is a great chance to make a name for yourself. Keep reading to learn several tips that will help you open a successful mobile mechanic business.

Start With a Business Plan

A business plan is one of the first things to work on when you start your new business. You can’t rely on your mechanic skills alone to build a successful company. You need a strategy to refine your offering and find customers to succeed.

Start by defining your service. What mobile services do you want to offer customers? Will you strictly focus on mobile services, or will you offer a mechanic shop and towing service to get vehicles there?

Then you have to think about prices. What prices is your target audience willing to pay? Look at your potential competition to see what they charge, and consider which price range your business fits.

The more questions like this you can answer, the better strategy you will have to succeed.

Create a Budget

The next thing to consider when starting an auto repair business is the budget. You won’t be able to start cheaply. You’ll need work vehicles, repair tools, employee salaries, and much more.

Start by considering your startup costs. These will be one-time expenses for the items you need to do your work. After that, determine your ongoing expenses to learn how much cash you need monthly.

These monthly costs include rent, tow truck insurance, salaries, and marketing costs. Once you have this data, you can determine how much cash you need to start your business.

Register Your Company

Before taking any business actions, you must go through the legal process. You don’t want to start a business as an individual when dealing with cars. You want a company to protect yourself.

A corporation will likely be the best option for you. It separates your individual and business finances and liabilities, so you won’t need to worry about a business problem impacting your personal assets. Speak with an attorney to learn your options and get help doing the paperwork if needed.

You also need to get insurance for your business. Since you’re dealing with cars, there’s always the chance that something will go wrong. Getting insurance will protect you in those situations and cover any damages.

You’ll also need a license, depending on where you live. Check your legal requirements in your location and acquire the proper licenses.

Find Reliable Vendors

You need great vendors when you run a mechanic business. The last thing you want is poor-quality equipment and parts when repairing vehicles. If you purchase something that doesn’t work, you may be on the hook when your customer suffers.

Look for reputable vendors in your industry. Start by searching online for suppliers. Read what each one offers on their website and look for reviews from other customers.

Once you have a list of potential vendors, reach out to see what they can offer. Your goal is to develop a long-term relationship. A relationship like this can give you access to deals you wouldn’t get otherwise and help you reduce your purchasing costs.

Hire the Right Team

The right team can make or break your auto repair business. Although you may be a great mechanic, there’s only so much you can do alone. It’s possible to start handling the repairs yourself, but you’ll still need help managing your back-office tasks like accounting and customer service.

Start by thinking about the things you aren’t great at doing. If you aren’t good at numbers, hire an accountant on payroll to manage your books. You can work with an accounting firm if you don’t want to hire an employee.

Once you start growing, you may not have time to handle all your calls. You’ll need to start hiring other mechanics at this point.

Be sure not to skimp on quality when doing this. You may have the temptation to pay low wages and hire whoever you can get. You’ll be better off in the long run not doing this and hiring talented people for what they are worth.

Create a Marketing Plan

You may be a great mechanic, but the world won’t know that if they don’t know who you are. It isn’t enough to form your company and buy supplies. You need a way to introduce yourself to the world.

Start by creating a website.

You can easily do this with WordPress. Use the one-click install to set up the software and install a theme to get started. You can then build pages to talk about your services.

If you want a more unique site, hire a design service for the job. Your site will act as a 24/7 salesperson for your business. And once you go on Google Maps, people can find you locally.

Once you set up your website, start advertising on social media and Google Ads. You can also engage in local marketing using postcards and other local tactics.

Start Your Mobile Auto Repair Business Today

A mobile auto repair business is an excellent option for a mechanic who wants to set out independently and build a business for themselves. It gives you a way to stand apart from normal shops in the auto repair industry by offering a type of service you wouldn’t otherwise get.

But starting a mobile mechanic service is easier said than done. If you don’t do things the right way, you risk making simple mistakes and ruining your chance of success. Put the tips above into place to maximize your chance of starting a successful auto repair business.

Of course, you’ll need more than the tips above to run your auto repair service. Read more articles on the blog to discover more business advice.