If you have the expertise and experience to deliver your merchandise or service to customers, you may start a small business, let it grow and grab a share of the marketplace. That said if you are an experienced and skilled mechanic, for sure many car owners should know you, and starting a mobile mechanic service would be good news to them.
A mobile mechanic business is advantageous to car owners because it brings the car repair business right at the place where their vehicles fail. The availability of a mobile mechanic enables car owners to save money on the towing service which will no longer take place. It also means they no longer need to spend time to bring their car to the shop for routine checks, oil change and tune-up services.
In short, a mobile mechanic helps customers get on with their daily schedules while their cars are being checked and repaired. You only need to commit your time and availability to give customers the convenience they want.
Here are practical steps you need to do to start a mobile mechanic business:
1. Get the Required Licenses
- Go to the office of your local county clerk to ask for a business license. Someone there will assist you in this process.
- Visit the Internal Revenue Service to apply for Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is a requirement for filing tax returns and other business documents. At this point, you also need to declare whether your company is a sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership.
- Obtain a state reseller?s license. It will allow you to purchase parts at wholesale cost.
- Get your sales tax identification number from the revenue department. You will need it when filing sales tax returns for the taxes you collect from customers on their purchase of parts.
- Go to your state?s licensing department and verify which mechanic?s licenses are required for your type of business. This could vary depending on the type of automotive repair service you provide. You may be required to obtain more than one mechanic?s licenses if you offer multiple services.
2. Prepare your Equipment
- You only need to obtain the tools and equipment required for your area of expertise and the types of services you offer, including lifters and special tools.
- If you have limited budget, you can keep your startup cost at the minimum by limiting your services to basic maintenance and small repairs.
- As a starter, you don?t really need to pour all your money into your new venture. You can always expand your business when the right time comes.
- Buy a set of quality hand tools and diagnostic tools like a multimeter or voltmeter, an on-board diagnostic scanner, and a flat-rate manual calculator. Buy used equipment if possible but don?t ever compromise quality for cost.
- Obtain a van or truck like the step van for mobile mechanics as a safe storage for your equipment and your means of transportation to project sites.
3. Market your Business
Introduce your business to your potential market:
- List your enterprise in local business directories.
- Promote your enterprise by distributing business cards to friends, customers of local car wash shops and customers of auto parts stores.
4. Establish a Back Office
- Get an office where you can do business and store your auto repair equipment.
- Buy user-friendly software for your bookkeeping and invoicing tasks.
- Seek help from an accountant or bookkeeper to be able to identify deductible expenses including replacement tools and protective gear.
- Obtain liability insurance to protect your business from liabilities in case accidents stemming from faulty repairs happen. Many customers also look for liability insurance as guarantee that their vehicles are in good hands.
If you are a skilled auto repair mechanic, you can really be your own boss if you want. You only need a little determination to make it happen.
