Self Service Auto Repair Shop: thoughts?

[rice_classic]

I've been growingly more and more interested in this business model.

Have you visited one? Would you?

example: http://stewsgarage.com/

A lot of folks talk about how they "like to do their own repairs" so it stands to reason that cheap time in a bay with a lift with provided tools would be palpable for many especially those living in an apartment or those who just don't own a bunch tools.

What I'm seeing is the trend toward a hybrid offering:
-Self service
-Assisted service for a few bucks more (basically a mechanic advises)
-Full Service

Your thoughts?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

I've been growingly more and more interested in this business model.

Have you visited one? Would you?

example: http://stewsgarage.com/

A lot of folks talk about how they "like to do their own repairs" so it stands to reason that cheap time in a bay with a lift with provided tools would be palpable for many especially those living in an apartment or those who just don't own a bunch tools.

What I'm seeing is the trend toward a hybrid offering:
-Self service
-Assisted service for a few bucks more (basically a mechanic advises)
-Full Service

Your thoughts?

We had several of those here back in the 70s. They all went out of business between 3 and 5 years after opening. Was handy as hell since you could rent hoist time, oddball tools and for just a few dollars could get a hand when you needed one. Was also a fun place to hang out of course.

[PNW-BRZ]

Interesting concept. $40 an hour for lift rental. As fast as I move, it would probably be just as cheap to pay a mechanic. I guess if you had a couple of buddies with you it may be worth it. I'd be more interested if the price was cheaper.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by PNW-BRZ

Interesting concept. $40 an hour for lift rental. As fast as I move, it would probably be just as cheap to pay a mechanic. I guess if you had a couple of buddies with you it may be worth it. I'd be more interested if the price was cheaper.

Ya for that price you could buy some pretty sweet jack stands and use them whenever you wanted.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Ya for that price you could buy some pretty sweet jack stands and use them whenever you wanted.

Jeebus, they had better be gold plated at that price.

[pushrod]

Used to use the auto club at CFB Trenton once in a while. There was a very small fee to use it; the rest was covered by Her Majesty.

[rice_classic]

These are common on Military bases for sure. Just as PNWBRZ said it may be cheaper just to have a mechanic do it for you, which may explain why these shops have incorporated having a full-service mechanic as an option. A lot of the push back is "I'd just do it at home!" But this isn't for those folks. It really more of an appeal to folks without the means at home to do this.

The key target are DIY'er, enthusiasts w/o tools and folks who live in apts/condos/housing developments with tiny garages.

There's also the convenience of fluid disposal and time especially with the 30-minute oil change special. People could change their own oil quicker and cheaper than using a quick-lube place and there's nobody to lie to them about how their blinker fluid is low, or how a minimum wage monkey over-torqued their drain plug bolt and stripped the threads.

It seems to be a tough enterprise for sure which is why it needs to hyper-focus on certain demographics and expand the offerings (self/assisted/full service).

It would definitely need to operate with very low overhead in order to sustain and it would be difficult to be decently profitable without a consistent volume of traffic. It would have to geared toward being a place that people wanted to be, wanted to visit, felt welcomed and where others are willing to educate and help out.

Another business aspect is appealing to the racing/drifting/track day crowd by making it easy/quick/affordable to change out brake pads/fluid/rotors and to change tires. Train/certify people on the tire equipment (and sign release waivers) and they can mount/balance their own tires for cheaper/quicker than going to Discount Tire and the shop would be open on Sunday. Even have their Tire-Rack order shipped to the shop. I think it would also be wise to have an alignment setup and corner-balancing scale setup as well.

Once, all that sounds great but keeping up a consistent volume is the key. Empty bays are like empty hotel rooms.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

Once, all that sounds great but keeping up a consistent volume is the key. Empty bays are like empty hotel rooms.

I think that this was what killed the ones we had around here for a brief period. On a weekend or between 6 and 9 o'clock at night they would be turning people away but through the week days you could shoot a cannon through the place. The busy times were just not enough to make up for the slow periods.

[pushrod]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The busy times were just not enough to make up for the slow periods.

There must be a solution to that. Perhaps it could be a daycare or a nail salon during the day.

[wireman957]

Originally Posted by pushrod

There must be a solution to that. Perhaps it could be a daycare or a nail salon during the day.

Or just your standard auto care/repair service during weekdays and Saturday mornings, with DIY time booked in evenings and on weekends. That would cut down on some overhead since the regular employees could take time with their families while the owner still made some money to pay his other overhead.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by wireman957

Or just your standard auto care/repair service during weekdays and Saturday mornings, with DIY time booked in evenings and on weekends. That would cut down on some overhead since the regular employees could take time with their families while the owner still made some money to pay his other overhead.

The ones here were old grocery stores with about 20 sections. Some places can't make a go of full service with 2 bays so I don't know how they could drum up enough business to do that many.

[rice_classic]

The full-service and assisted-service side of the operations would cover the expenses and the self-service revenue would be all profit. That would be my target financially at least in the first year or so.

I think the niche market is a market that's very willing (great demand) but the problem is targeting that niche market and appealing to it in more catered ways.

example: using SEO tactics, social media groups, hosting events at the shop for enthusiast groups etc. Also partnering with local enthusiast events such as track days, racing orgs, and car shows.

The other thing I haven't seen on any of the existing entities is to do week-day specials like "half price tuesday" or work-truck-wednesday special. A lot of private business owners are motoring around town in their own "work vehicles" and this could be a faster and less expensive way for small business owners to do maintenance on their work vehicles during the week. The other thing is retired guys, hobbyists etc, folks who don't work during the week.

The other thought I've seen when while riding the google machine is combining it with a high cash flow business that requires almost no labor such as a self-serve car wash (coin operated). The downside there is that the startup capital required changes the whole equation.

[Flow]

I went to one once, to put in ss brake lines, as I don't have the space/facilities to lift my car (even on jacks) at home. Financially, it would have made a lot more sense for me to have someone do it for me, but I was willing to pay to to do it myself. That's the obvious market - DIY'ers without the space.

I'll go back if I have any similar projects. What I learned from the owner was that its not always about the space, but also about the tools. They have everything, and good quality stuff, so I don't have to buy specialty tools.

On the other hand, he also said keeping all the tools from accidentally disappearing is a challenge, since he had stocked tool boxes at each station. So, something to watch out for.

Likewise, I'd suggest talking to some owners in different markets, as my guess is you have to draw customers from pretty far and wide to support it.

[WhiteFRS69]

cool idea,

but the term LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION, is something i think will really help with growth for this business plan

area's around me, a business like this would not survive for long, alot of people have money and are lazy, they will just pay someone else to do it

places like this may be better near cities and area with lower income, hard working people trying to save a few bucks but dont have the tools to do the things they want to do