I was literally raised in my Dad's mower shop, and I worked there for 20+ years.
I have seen good mechanics that were terrible businessmen, only to have their business fail.
I have seen good businessmen that were terrible mechanics, only to have their business fail.
Fortunately, my Dad was blessed with both skills, and his business survived for 34 years before selling out.
Doing repairs as a sideline will earn you some spending money. ...Hopefully, your other job will provide the benefits, income, and health insurance which you will need.
There is a lot to be said for having your own business and being your own boss. ....However, while it is tempting to think that you won't have a boss to answer to, you will have MANY "bosses" : your customers!
Once you jump in to your own business, are you prepared and willing to spend the 10-12 hours (or more) per day to keep up with the repairs, chasing parts, answering phone calls, picking-up & delivering equipment, spending time with customers (which is not earning you money), and the endless paperwork invoved for accounting, tax payments, record keeping, billing customers, etc. ????? ....If you don't have enough business to pay all your expenses, how will you survive?
Don't forget that you'd better plan on buying liability insurance to cover any repairs that you perform!
Once your business gets big enough that you realize you can't keep up with everything by yourself, you will need to hire extra help. ....Now, a new set of problems arises. ....But you are the BOSS!
Don't worry if the competent employee that you hire doesn't show up reliably. ...You can easily hire someone who always shows up but doesn't know what he's doing. (sarcasm intended) ...When the employee asks/demands a raise, you can explain why he is not worth it, why you can not afford it, or why he is earning more than you are.
Do you plan on selling new equipment as well as do repairs? ....You now need more money to buy inventory. ....You will spend time trying to sell equipment, but you have to remember that not everyone you talk to will buy. ....You will not be paid for that time you spent with them. ...Who will be doing repairs while you are trying to sell?
Profits to dealers have been trimmed to a small percentage by the manufacturers and distributors. ...Things are not like they were years ago.
Will you have competition from other repair shops or equipment sellers? ....Will you have to compete for sales against Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes?
My comments may sound very negative toward having your own business. ....There is a lot of self-satisfaction that comes from having your own business, but lots of income is not guaranteed!
My unsolicited advice to you is to choose one of two options:
(option A) Get a full-time job in a dealership that is already established for sales and repairs of equipment. ....Earn what you are worth while learning as much as you can about the workings of the business. ...You will gain a lot of experience and possibly attend factory-run training schools/seminars. ....While your interest may be working on older equipment, you will need to have the knowledge to work on new equipment.
It is OK to take on repair jobs on the side for extra income, as long as you are not competing with your employer !!!!!
(option B) Keep your full-time job where you already get paid and have benefits. ...Start your own repair business on the side. ...It will take a while to build a large enough cutomer base to support you full-time. ....Once you get to that point, you can decide which path to follow.
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