For most novice entrepreneurs, opening a full-fledged car service center is an expensive undertaking, so they have to give preference to a more “compact” business.
In particular, the so-called mini-car services, designed to service several cars (with 2-3 stations), have gained great popularity. The most interesting thing is that the prospects of this market Once again emphasizes the incredible turnover, which amounts to more than 500 million dollars a year (and this is only in Moscow). What can we say about the benefits on a state scale?
Due to incorrect policies, many car services cease their activities after just a few years of operation; the profile of the business or its owner often changes. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to plan all the steps in advance and know how and in what sequence to act.
Particular attention should be paid to choosing a location for a future car service. Practice shows that the most attractive land from a profit standpoint is land directly next to highways. If you can find such a point, then this is 70-80% success. It is very important that cars can move off the road without hindrance, and this may require additional signs, road surfaces, markings, and so on.
The minimum area of a car service where only one car can be accepted is 20-25 square meters(but this is only the technical part). Premises should also be allocated for receiving people, storing spare parts, and so on.
If you organize a waiting room, then this is only a plus for business. An excellent option is to open a metal hangar, in which you can place everything you need without committing yourself to searching for the necessary premises.
No business can do without solving bureaucratic issues. For example, to open your own business in Moscow you will need a certificate giving the right to perform auto repair work. Several organizations are involved in these issues - Rostest, NAMI, and so on. It is worth considering that the validity of such a certificate is limited - three years.
How to get documents to open your own car service?
- Firstly, all equipment must be brought into compliance with all technical requirements. The inspection is carried out by a representative of the selected organization, who personally visits the site.
- Secondly, the mini-car service personnel must have the appropriate qualifications (at least specialized secondary education).
- Thirdly, all equipment for car diagnostics must be taken to metrological services to undergo the appropriate check (in Moscow, Rostest deals with these issues).
Where to get money to start own business? This is exactly the problem that 95% of new entrepreneurs face! In the article we revealed the most current methods receiving starting capital for an entrepreneur. We also recommend that you carefully study the results of our experiment in exchange earnings:The more equipment there is in a car service center and the bigger business, the more expensive it will cost to obtain a certificate. Most often, the costs are about 80-100 thousand rubles (this is far from the only expense item). It is also necessary to conclude agreements for the disposal of automobile waste, garbage removal, and so on.
Car service equipment
Many businessmen start their business with purchasing necessary equipment. At the same time, it is important to decide in which direction the car service will work - engine repair, tin work, diagnostics. The volume of equipment purchased directly depends on this.
In addition, many masters work only with certain brands of cars, which limits the number of potential visitors. But don't despair. It is better to find your own specific activity, occupy a free niche and begin to provide truly high-quality services in a specific direction. In this case, you can always get regular customers.
Whatever the field of activity, it is difficult to do without high-quality diagnostic equipment. At a minimum, you will need a laptop with the appropriate software and a diagnostic stand.
The cost of such pleasure is from 10-12 thousand dollars. You will need a body straightening stand at a car service center (from 7 thousand dollars) and a high-quality lift (from 3 thousand dollars).
Car service income
What kind of income can you expect? Practice shows that it is much more profitable to service foreign cars and it is on them that a newly created business should be targeted. Of course, domestic cars break down more often, but the cost of repairing a foreign car is several times higher. In addition, to increase revenue, you can provide tire fitting services, painting work, and so on.
To organize a tire service, you need to spend from 2 thousand dollars, but such a business will pay off very quickly.
Another popular car service business is the sale of consumables, spare parts and accessories for cars. To begin with, it could be a small store. Over time, the business can be expanded.
Thus, opening a mini-car service is a profitable and promising type of business.
Its main advantages are stability and practically guaranteed benefits. As proof, we can cite a lot of examples when people converted their own garage into a car repair shop and did not regret it one bit.
The number of cars on the roads of our country increases every year. This means that the demand for services provided by car repair shops is growing. Business in this niche brings quite stable profits, although there is a lot of competition. To open a service station, you need a high-quality business plan. You can only get enough clients if you provide the highest quality services.
Types of service stations
Car service can be authorized(serves cars of the same brand), network(with representative offices in various regions), single. In addition, there are specialists who provide individual repair services. The choice of the type of enterprise depends on what services are required near the service station and how many there are.
How to open a service station from scratch?
First of all, find a room that is located no more than 150 meters from a water source and no closer than 50 meters from residential buildings.
The service station premises must have water supply and sewerage, with an area of at least 300 m2, if repairs of passenger cars are planned. But servicing freight transport is more profitable, since there are much fewer car services in this segment than are required.
How to open a cargo service center?
A room with a much larger area will be required and the equipment will be more expensive, that is, a large amount of initial investment is required.
Service station in the garage
If you have very little money to start a business, then you can think about how to open a car service in a garage.
Such premises are easy to buy and rent. The lease must be arranged in accordance with legal requirements. But in this case, you need to select only 1-3 of the most promising services. If business goes well, you can eventually rent another space and add additional services.
Regardless of the volume of services provided entrepreneurial activity must be formatted accordingly. For a service station in a garage, it is enough to open an individual entrepreneur with UTII; for a car repair shop with a wide range of services, an LLC is preferable.
Required documents
Those who are interested in how to open a car service center from scratch need to know what documents to submit to Tax office. This:
- permits from the SES and fire inspection;
- a document that confirms property rights or lease rights to the premises;
- a document that confirms the compliance of services with standards;
- contract for water supply and heating;
- application of the appropriate sample.
After tax registration, you must also register with extra-budgetary funds.
Composition of a business plan
A car service business plan must be drawn up in such a way as to correspond to the range of services provided. That is, you need to purchase only the equipment that is needed for initial stage. For example, if you plan to do tuning or install an alarm system, then there is no need for diagnostic or tire fitting equipment.
How much money do you need to open a car service? If the full range of services is provided, then it is necessary:
- diagnostic equipment;
- welding equipment;
- tools for repairs and stocks for straightening the body;
- equipment for tire fitting (vulcanizers, stands for checking wheel alignment, equipment for balancing and straightening wheels);
- lifting equipment;
- painting chambers;
- hydraulic equipment;
- oil skimming equipment;
- presses, carts;
- preparation of approvals and registration - approximately 20,000 rubles;
- rent (depending on area and region);
- consumables – from 80,000 rubles;
- advertising costs – up to 30,000 rubles;
- salaries (volume depends on the number of employees);
- utility bills.
Prices for car service equipment in Moscow can be found on the website; almost all brands are represented. In addition, the company has its own service department; you can also order installation, commissioning of equipment and receive post-warranty service.
Total initial investment is about 2.5 million rubles.
It is almost impossible to determine the exact amount required to open a car service center, since it depends on the volume of services offered.
Approximate income from such investments:
Revenue – 500,000 rubles (per month).
Profit – 70,000 rubles.
If you have approximately $60,000 to start a business, then you can consider an option such as purchasing a ready-made car service center. The main advantage of this option is that you do not need to organize a business and recruit clients and suppliers. Before purchasing, you need to pay attention to the location of the service station, the quality of the access roads, the duration of the lease agreement, and the quality of the equipment. It is advisable to try to retain experienced craftsmen and reliable suppliers, if the previous owner has them.
Previously, during the so-called “stagnation period,” a car was considered a luxury. It was difficult to acquire, and people had to wait in line for many years.
Today, everyone, owning a certain amount of money, is able to purchase a car, both new and on the secondary market.
Now almost every average Russian family has a car. And owning a car means not only comfort and convenience, but also high-quality, systematic service. In this regard, many entrepreneurs are thinking about how to open a car repair shop.
The most pressing topic is car maintenance in big cities. That is why, if you open your own car servicing business, you can achieve great results in making a decent profit.
In order to organize an automobile service, the owner does not necessarily need to know all the intricacies of repairing automobile units and the structure of various car models. In this matter, it is very important to recruit a team of highly specialized workers who, in their moral and business qualities able to work conscientiously for the good organized business. Their professionalism and sense of responsibility to the common cause are important.
How to open a car repair shop: equipment
To begin with, it is not at all necessary to acquire new equipment; it is possible to purchase high-quality used equipment. Consult a knowledgeable professional before selecting devices. An experienced professional will select the right model for you, which will ultimately save you money.
The professionalism of the specialists servicing their cars is very important for clients, since good craftsmen very difficult to find. That is why it is necessary for such people to work in your company.
Take your time to purchase equipment. Before you purchase it, you need to prepare the premises. It will be better if the acquired area becomes the property of the owner of the company. If you rent a premises, it is not a fact that you will later acquire ownership of it.
How to open a car repair shop: locations
The choice of location for your auto repair shop is very important. A good option for choosing a site would be a territory located in an area where there are many houses, schools, kindergartens, colleges, technical colleges, etc. It is also important that there is a body of water from the place where the service center is supposed to be deployed. As a rule, in a densely populated area it is very difficult to find such a site. In this regard, you can find a site located next to the highway.
Returning to the topic of choosing equipment for a car service, it is better to purchase imported equipment, even if it is used. This advice is relevant for the purchase of devices for carrying out diagnostic work to identify problems, as well as tire fitting work and very frequently used spare parts.
How to open a car repair shop: repair zone
When equipping the repair area, pay attention to the location of the lifts. It is advisable to choose a place for them at the stage of building the premises.
Think over the trajectory for the movement of vehicles in the room, and then place the lifts themselves along the walls. The most acceptable width of the repair zone indoors is 18 meters. It can be divided into 3 equal blocks with a central passage and two lines of devices located along the walls. With this placement, the car is able to move freely indoors.
In the case of a small repair area, car lifts can be installed at an angle of 100 to 120 degrees to the driveway. In this case, the distance from the wall to the central axis of the device must be at least 350 centimeters, which will allow the repair of cars with a long body.
As a rule, the repair area contains 3-4 two-post lifts for passenger cars, as well as 1 four-post lift for special operations. Another option for small spaces is to purchase plungers, which take up little space but are significantly more expensive.
It is very important to know that if you offer new services, you will attract more clients. To do this, you will have to hire craftsmen of various specializations. With a well-established business, the costs of purchased equipment will pay off within six months. Good luck with your business!
The business of servicing and repairing vehicles is a niche that can not only not slow down during a crisis, but, on the contrary, gain great momentum. This is justified by the fact that motorization of the population and enterprises is actively growing, and any vehicle sooner or later ends up in a car service center.
According to the Association of European Businesses (AEB), the fall in sales of new cars, including commercial vehicles, in April 2016 was 8.5%, decreasing by 11,200 cars year on year. April sales were the worst in 10 years.
In Russia, from January to April 2016, 75,500 fewer cars were sold than in the same period in 2015.
However, even such seemingly bleak indicators benefit the owners of car service centers, because the longer the car is used, the more attentive attitude in terms of maintenance, possible breakdowns, replacement of parts and other manipulations, it requires. And those who are just thinking about organizing a business in this direction have a question about how to open a car service that will bring a stable profit.
Car service as a business
Art. 12" Federal Law about licensing individual species activities" establishes an exhaustive list of types of activities for which a license is required. Activities related to the maintenance and repair of vehicles are not included in this list. A car service license is not required.
What you need to open a car service, where to start:
- selection and registration of organizational and legal form: individual entrepreneur or LLC;
- choice of taxation system;
- renting premises, purchasing equipment, tools, consumables, hiring staff.
In addition, it is necessary to decide on the format of the future station maintenance:
- an independent service station with a highly specialized or combined service aimed at providing one or more types of services (tire fitting, car washing, wheel alignment, body repair and others), the advantages here are that there is no need to share profits, as in the case of purchasing a franchise; fully self-management business, although this is also a disadvantage, since you need to develop it yourself detailed business plan, train staff, set up an advertising campaign, organize the process;
- network, this includes official dealer services that specialize in servicing one specific brand, as well as network service stations that provide a full range of services and conduct business according to rules common to all points; from some of the large networks you can purchase a franchise, the advantage of such a business is: full comprehensive support at launch and during the operation, but the downside: the cost of the franchise itself and the need to share profits with the brand owner (pay royalties).
Car service centers of the Pit Stop network (USA) wash the car, fill it with oil, fuel and other necessary liquids within 12 minutes. In this case, production lines with remote control are used. The productivity of such a line is about 150 cars per shift. And the cost of this range of services at these stations is 25% cheaper than at regular stations.
What and in what cases do car owners choose: dealerships or independent service stations? The analytical agency Autostat conducted a survey in August 2015 among 3,000 respondents-car enthusiasts (see Figure 1).
Rice. 1 Official dealer or independent service station
Source: AUTOSTAT
Survey data show that 77% of car owners whose cars are under warranty prefer to be serviced by an official dealer, while 24% turn to independent service stations for post-warranty service; the percentage of contacting dealers drops to 23. But as for specific types of work, then the dealer is more trusted to repair the gearbox 45% versus 41% for independent service stations, engine repair 43% and 39%, respectively.
For other types of work, surveyed motorists prefer to contact independent stations in more cases: repair of the car chassis 48% versus 22%; wheel alignment 67% and 22%; scheduled maintenance - 49% and 19%, repair/refilling of car air conditioning 62% and 19%, and body repair 51% versus 16%.
Prospects and trends
Auto service is one of the most promising directions on the technology market: the car fleet is growing. Enterprises purchase new equipment without acquiring their own repair facilities.
The car service market in Russia is gradually moving away from amateur repairmen organizing a “business” in a garage to large network points, or is consolidating into larger formats.
At such points, customer service is organized - a waiting room where you can drink coffee, use free Wi-Fi, watch TV, and just relax while the car is being serviced. In addition, such companies provide club cards that offer a small range of free services (for example, oil changes or tire inflation), as well as additional discounts on basic services. All these points help turn a casual client into a regular one. It’s not for nothing that they say that a theater begins with a coat rack, and a car service begins with the customer area.
What is important for car owners when choosing a service point?
A survey conducted among motorists (see Figure 2), as well as enterprise owners of large and small vehicle fleets, showed that when choosing a car service center, the quality of work is of paramount importance, and for large fleets it is important by 52%, while for small and individual - by 34%, the cost of services, on the contrary, is more important for private car owners (34%) than for large fleets (25%); in third place are the timing of work, which are almost equally important (by 15% and 14%); such points as the services offered, the attitude of the staff, and meeting repair deadlines are secondary when choosing a service point, their importance ranges from 1% to 7%.
Rice. 2 Reason for choosing a service point
Source: Gruzavtoinfo magazine
Properly organized work of a car service can provide a key indicator of its demand - the quality of the work performed. And if an independent solution to this issue requires significant time and labor costs, then with a service station opened under a franchise the situation is completely different.
Review of network car services and the franchises they offer
Federal network Fit service
The company opened its first station in 2008 in Omsk. Since 2013 (by this time 8 more stations had been opened in Khabarovsk, Moscow and Novosibirsk), a decision was made to develop a partner network. The first franchise car service was opened in 2013. And two years later, the network numbered 55 stations in 23 cities of Russia.
The owners position joining the network not as a franchise, but as a partnership based on a win-win model. They offer to become partners in opening a service station in any of three formats (see Table 1)
- garage - a simple format that allows you to achieve payback in short terms;
- express - optimal format;
- standard - full cycle auto service.
The Fit service franchise car service business provides an automation system: folding, cash and management accounting are collected in one program. Why is this convenient? The company provides everything necessary materials: from the building project with technical recommendations, job descriptions for each employee; as well as forms of support: advertising campaigns, marketing, call center services.
Databases are provided - catalogs and repair regulations with detailed description and standard hours for all car models, any year of manufacture.
Fit service partners work directly with suppliers of spare parts, consumables, and auto chemicals, which provides discounts that single entrepreneurs are deprived of.
The company has developed a system of motivation, training and advanced training for staff in its own training center, which increases the prestige of working in the company for employees and reduces staff turnover.
Wilgood
The Vilgud car service chain was founded by the spouses Sherzod and Barno Tursunov in 2011.
The idea of opening a car service center from scratch came to businessmen who were previously involved in the trade of building materials, for the following reasons: firstly, this is a business that can be scaled, secondly, it has the potential for growth during a crisis, thirdly, it can be easily shared with partners. Their distinctive know-how was the Wilgood IS IT system, through which all work with the client is built. It prevents employees from stealing and motivates them to work. As the results achieved show, the considerations of the founders of the Vilgud network were correct.
So, according to data as of March 2016:
- There are 28 car services from St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk, of which 6 are owned by owners, 22 are franchised;
- the average bill for the Vilgud service station is RUB 8,000;
- 4,000,000 rub. - average turnover per month of a car service network in Moscow;
- 400 million rubles. - the total turnover of all points of the network for 2015;
- in March 2016 - more than 8,000 car enthusiasts became Vilgud clients.
Franchise conditions and cost:
- for Moscow and St. Petersburg - 2,000,000 rubles;
- cities with a population of more than 1 million - 1,500,000 rubles;
- other cities - 1,000,000 rubles;
- royalty in the first year of operation of a car service is 3.5% of revenue monthly.
Dynamics of a working car service center in Troitsk with three lifts and one wheel alignment station. Before acquiring the franchise, I worked for 5 years. The graph (see Fig. 3) shows the dynamics over 18 months.
The Russian car fleet is growing every day and clearly will not soon exhaust its potential. Accordingly, car repair and maintenance services are in great demand, and the demand for them will not decrease. Even new cars require at least a seasonal replacement of tires and periodic renewal of consumables, but in a car with high mileage you can always find something to repair. Modern high-tech “stuffing” of cars leaves virtually no chance for car owners to cope with breakdowns with their own hands or with the help of “homemade” ones. This cannot be done without professional equipment and specially trained people. Therefore, today we’ll talk about how to open a car service center.
Define your niche
What services are most in demand among car enthusiasts?
- Tire fitting - every fall and spring, motorists storm tire shops to “change their shoes” and, if necessary, balance their wheels. Almost all car owners use this service. In addition, the condition of our roads forces us to go to a tire shop much more often than twice a year.
- Repair work – everything related to the repair, replacement of units, components, and parts of a car.
- Body work – painting a car, correcting body defects after an accident.
- Diagnostics and repair of auto electrics and electronics.
- Pre-sale preparation - diagnostics, repairs, giving the car a “marketable” appearance before sale.
- Tuning is a service for installing additional options, changing equipment settings and appearance body
- Car wash as a related service.
You can focus on providing one or two services and open a highly specialized workshop. Creating a full-fledged car service involves providing a full range of car repair and maintenance services. Which auto repair shop option you choose depends on your investment opportunities, the competitive situation in the market in your city and personal preferences. Despite the high competition in this area, with a competent approach to business you will not be left without clients.
Business registration
So, you are set to open a car service business. Where to start? Register your business.
For a small auto repair shop, for a multifunctional center it is better. If there are car service companies in your region, you can work on this tax regime or .
Licensing for this type of service has been canceled, so all you have to do is get permits in the State Fire Supervision and SES, enter into agreements for the rental or purchase of premises, for the supply of utilities, and for waste removal.
Production site
Build new center Car maintenance is not only a costly process, but also a long one, starting from the purchase (rent) of a land plot and obtaining various approvals, and ending with the construction work itself. It’s easier to open a car service in a garage or hangar, a former production facility.
To accommodate 4 work stations, a spare parts warehouse, a reception room for clients and an office, a room of 250 - 300 sq. m is sufficient. m. It is advisable to organize nearby parking spaces for cars that have been repaired or are awaiting service.
It is better that the auto repair shop is located near a busy highway, gas station, parking lot or garage complex.
The sanitary and epidemiological inspection and fire service have the following requirements for the service premises:
- a car service cannot be located in a residential or public building;
- the workshop must be located at a distance of at least 15 m from residential buildings and 50 m from children's and medical institutions;
- the premises must be equipped with water supply and sewerage;
- the room must be heated in the cold season and have supply and exhaust ventilation;
- natural light must penetrate into the auto repair shop; the room is equipped with explosion-proof artificial lighting;
- the inspection pit and the walls of the room are lined with ceramic tiles, the floors with Metlakh tiles;
- For one employee to work, an area of at least 5 square meters is required. m;
- It is necessary to have a shower and a toilet;
- workers are provided with lockers for clothes and protective equipment (gloves, goggles, respirators).
Car service equipment
To open a car service center from scratch, you will have to purchase everything necessary for the workshop, from working tools to complex diagnostic equipment:
- two post lifts;
- wheel alignment stand;
- tire changing and balancing machines;
- straightening and welding equipment;
- diagnostic scanner;
- painting equipment;
- installation for flushing the fuel system and changing the oil;
- compressor with compressed air;
- jacks, transmission stand;
- pneumatic and hand tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, screwdrivers, etc.).
Recruitment
The staff is the biggest pain point for any auto repair shop owner. Finding car service professionals will not be easy. Several experienced car mechanics may have to be lured from other service stations by offering them more favorable conditions. Hiring specialists will not be cheap, but it is worth it. A “handed” master will certainly bring with him more than one regular client. Contacts good specialists are often passed from hand to hand by car enthusiasts, and drivers are ready to go to a specific auto repairman even to the other end of the city.
In the future, it is necessary to take care of growing our own qualified personnel from apprentices.
You will need: one master for each workplace(mechanic, electrician, mechanic, body mechanic - depending on the specialized area of your service) and a couple of people “on call”; Receiver for working with clients to place orders.
An auto mechanic's salary consists of a small fixed portion and a percentage of each completed order, usually 30-50%.
How much does it cost to open a car service?
The main costs of opening a car service center are renting premises and purchasing equipment. If you are committed to serious investments, prepare from 3.5 to 4.5 million rubles. A smaller and simpler auto repair shop, providing a combination of several of the most popular services, will cost 1 - 1.5 million rubles. and can generate income in the range of 60 – 350 thousand rubles monthly.
A highly specialized car service center will not cost much; for example, a tire shop can be opened for only 250 – 350 thousand rubles. True, such a workshop will provide a small income - no more than 30 thousand rubles. per month.
On average, a car service as a business pays for itself in 1 - 3 years with a profitability of 20 - 40%.
As a rule, small auto repair shops, having worked for some time and acquired their own clientele, then go on to expand their business, or, conversely, focus on providing two or three of the most cost-effective services. It is advisable for a novice car service owner to follow this path.
Starting work
For a newly opened car service, promotional events will be required. It is necessary to place outdoor advertising or navigation so that potential customers can easily find you. Advertisements in the specialized press, in parking lots, and garages will also help attract car owners to your workshop.
Leaflets can be distributed in the surrounding area; prepare and leave business cards in organizations, offices, stores.
It’s also a good idea to take care of the future recognition of the car service: develop a corporate identity, provide workers with overalls with your logo, make a sign.
Once your auto repair shop starts operating, you will be faced with the issue of purchasing spare parts. By the time you open, you should have already decided on suppliers and signed supply agreements with them. At first, you can work “to order” if suppliers are able to quickly deliver the necessary spare parts, and the most popular parts must be in stock and purchased with a reserve. Don’t forget to prepare in advance for seasonal peaks so as not to run into the problem of a shortage of necessary spare parts in wholesale warehouses. It is advisable to combine large volumes of purchases with the sale of spare parts organized on the territory of the car service center.