The auto body shop business is all about providing services regarding auto-body repairing, new bodybuilding, and selling spare parts and accessories related to the vehicle body. As the number of vehicles is growing, the business opportunity for auto-body stores is also increasing globally.
The auto body shop industry is vast in nature and has a diversified variety of services. An aspiring entrepreneur having passion and interest in the automobile industry can initiate this venture with moderate capital investment.
Regardless of the state and country, vehicle accidents always happen unfortunately on a regular basis. Commercial vehicles need to get repaired for renewal of their registration and private vehicle owners are also searching for the best auto repair store in their locality.
Here are the basic steps one must follow to start and run a profitable auto body shop business:
10-Step Auto Body Shop Business Plan
1. Learn the Skills
For anyone interested in entering the auto body shop business, it is critical to have some technical know-how about the trade. Skills related to repairing a damaged car, painting works, and other jobs related to auto body shop services. It is advised to attend and finish vocational auto body-related course programs from a technical training institute.
2. Do Market Research Before Opening Auto Body Shop Business
Do adequate market research on the location where you want to establish your auto body store. Learn about the type of vehicles and about the other auto body store in the locality. What services they are giving? These will help you to craft a business plan for your own auto-body store business.
3. Name Your Auto Body Shop
Like any other business, naming an auto body shop is a critical aspect of long-term profitability and success. Choose a catchy and easy-to-remember business name to which customers can easily relate to your business services. Check this article to know more about naming a business.
4. Create a Business Plan for Your Auto Body Shop
Before initiating an auto-body store business, it is extremely important to you have a properly documented business plan. Determine the specific services that you will go to provide to customers. Accordingly, you will need to calculate the equipment cost and manpower costs. Craft your marketing and promotion strategy.
Decide on who will be your target customer niche. Are you going to focus on the large commercial vehicle or in-car segment? Calculate your startup budget and expected revenue return. Having a business plan will help you to understand the feasibility part of the business. Additionally, it will also help you with arranging finance.
5. Make Your Auto Body Shop Business Legally Compliant
Set up a proper business structure under which you are going to run your auto body shop business. Talk to the competent authorities and get the required licenses and permits to legally operate in the locality.
The first step is to register your business. If you are from the United States, You can register your business under the following structures:
- Proprietorship
- Partnership
- Limited Liability Partnership(LLC)
- Corporation
In addition, it is advised to buy a business insurance policy as protection against unfortunate consequences while running your auto body shop. If you are having employees working at your shop, you might need to provide worker’s compensation insurance to tour staff.
6. Equipment Needed to Start an Auto Body Shop
The most important factor in starting a successful auto body store business is equipment and tools. Purchase the equipment from a reliable vendor at a reasonable price.
Generally, machine equipment providers give on-site training for the handling of the equipment. The major equipment you will need to have includes a dent-pulling statin, dent repair tools, paint shakers, paint stripping, spray equipment, spray guns tool board, an automatic spray zone, etc
Some of the basic equipment needed is the following:
- Hydraulic Lifts
- Pneumatic Tools/ Air Tools
- Hand Tools
- Air Compressors
- Diagnostic Machines
- Wheel Balancers
- Paint Guns
- Air Hoses
- Code Reader
- Electrical system tester
- Leak Detector
- Multimeter
- Sanders
- Grinders
- Buffers/Polishers
- Drills
7. Calculate the Cost of Starting the Auto Body Shop
The biggest investment for opening an auto body shop will be in buying tools and equipment. Apart from equipment, other cost includes company formation, licenses, permits, insurance, manpower costs, etc.
It is estimated that you must be prepared to invest a minimum of $40, 000 to start an auto body shop business.
It is worth mentioning here that the standard profit margin is between 20-30% for spare parts and 50-65% for labor in the automotive repairing sector.
7. Fix a Proper Location
As with any automobile retail business choosing the best fit, the right location is important. Choose an accessible and widely visible location.
You can consider having space behind a near high-traffic parking zone or beside the highway. The auto-body store business requires a lot of space. In finalizing the location consider having a clear idea about how many square feet actually you need to have.
8. Hire Manpower
Personnel is very crucial in the auto-body store business as jobs require specific skills to perform. You must have certified technicians to perform the repairing jobs.
10. Market your Auto Body Shop
Do some outdoor advertising activities. Go for some media publication. Establish a business relationship with other automobile service stations that don’t have a body repairing setup. Create an online presence for your business. Offer your customer some free value-added services.
You can also offer discounts for some specific days like ‘Monsoon Camp Repairing’. Concentrate on building goodwill and ask satisfied customers to give feedback.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.
