According to the latest figures, there are around 35m licensed vehicles on UK roads right now. It’s likely that many of these play crucial roles in their owner’s lives, helping them commute to work and complete everyday tasks. With such a vibrant potential customer base, the automotive repair industry remains a popular venture. With popularity comes competition, though, so you’ll need to ensure your business stands out. Here are three things every successful business has in common.
Training
The first step is making sure you have the right qualifications for the job. Since there are courses available for a variety of different skill sets, this can apply to both experienced mechanics and those just starting out. If you’re looking to contract work from large corporations, you may also want to learn new skills to help expand your business portfolio. These kinds of clients will want to have as much of the work from one vendor as possible. Take a look here at some of the different accreditations available to you. It’s important to remember that an not only will this kind of training help improve your skills, but it’s also a viable marketing tool.
Staff
Even if you intended your business to be a one-person operation, if demand is higher than you initially thought you may have to consider taking on extra staff. Choosing who is right for your business can be difficult. If the local area has a college, you may want to consider offering apprenticeships. Work experience is always valued so they’ll likely be plenty of students interested, and it may turn out to be a full-time position later on. If this turns out to be the case, you’ll need to take out employee liability cover. This means that in the event that a member of staff becomes injured or becomes ill because of the work they are doing, they’ll be compensated.
Equipment
Finally, they say that a good tradesperson is nothing without their tools. Look to long-standing and reputable dealers like SGS Engineering and, depending on the size of your operation, it may also be more viable to look for bulk deals to save you money. The equipment you’ll need may not be limited to tools either. If you’re looking to start a mobile business, you’ll need to acquire a utility van. This will need to be able to store of all the equipment you might need on the road as well as being powerful enough to tow other vehicles. This could be the most important aspect of your business so make sure you choose a vehicle that’s proven to be reliable and can match the stress of the job.
