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. Without professional equipment and specially trained people are not enough here. 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 market situation 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 begin? 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 under 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, to conclude agreements for the rental or purchase of premises, for the supply utilities, for waste removal.
Production site
Building a new car maintenance center 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 actual construction work. 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 gained 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 again open car service will need to be carried out promotional events. 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.
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 of car maintenance in big cities. That is why, if you open your own business related to car servicing, 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, are able to work conscientiously for the good of 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 central axis the device must be at least 350 centimeters, which will allow repairing cars with a long body.
As a rule, 3-4 two-post lifts are placed in the repair area 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!
Like any equipment, cars periodically break down, and the owner begins to look for a car service where he can quickly and efficiently repair the vehicle. Based on this, despite the great competition in this segment, opening your own car service can be very profitable investment.
Types of car services
Before talking about opening a car service center, you need to decide on the type of service to be opened.
The structure of the car servicing market currently includes:
- Authorized car services. Enterprises of this type are engaged in the repair of one, specific brand of car. Often, opening a service of this type requires concluding an agreement with official dealers.
- Network car services. This is a branded car service that has a developed network of branches in one or several regions.
- Singles. Car services that do not have any accreditation, but are in very wide demand among car owners.
- Customized services. It is allowed to provide services of this type without opening a car service center. In this case, repairs can be carried out both at the master’s home and at the client’s home, depending on the complexity of the work.
It is necessary to start opening a car service center by choosing its type. In general, the most profitable option is to open a single car service center. In the future, it can be transferred to the network.
Choosing a location for a car service
The second stage in opening your own car service center is choosing a suitable location and premises. The choice of location does not play a special role. This could be either a busy highway or a place in a residential area or residential area.
But at the same time, it is important to note that the SES imposes the following requirements for the premises for a car service center, which you need to pay attention to:
- the premises cannot be classified as residential;
- It is prohibited to open a car service center in a public building;
- the premises must be located at a distance of at least 15 meters from residential buildings and at least 50 meters from playgrounds, kindergartens and schools, as well as medical institutions;
- availability of water supply and sewerage is required;
- heating is required during the cold season;
- the presence of flow-exhaust ventilation;
- daylight;
- inspection hole.
Best used for opening own business a garage or hangar, a former production facility. The approximate area for 4 workplaces is about 250 – 300 sq. m. Having parking near the premises will be a definite plus.
You can purchase the premises you find or rent it. It is important to conclude a long-term contract.
Room equipment
Before you start registering a business, you need to equip the premises and bring it in accordance with sanitary standards. For the sanitary service it is necessary to carry out the following work:
- Install safe artificial lighting.
- Cover the inspection pit and walls with ceramic tiles.
- Cover the floor with metlakh tiles.
- Equip a bathroom and shower for employees.
- Install lockers for clothes in the work area.
Additionally, it is necessary to zoning the premises. Designate a staff room where car mechanics can change clothes and relax during breaks between work. Be sure to allocate a room for clients where they will be received. It is advisable to install several sofas and a table for relaxation, a TV, and a coffee machine.
The work space can also be zoned. For example, for large repair work allocate one room, for small ones - another. Or focus on the type of service provided: welding and straightening in one room, painting in another, repairs in a third.
Please note that one specialist must have at least 5 square meters.
In modern economic conditions, when starting your own business, it is important to evaluate your existing business idea according to the criterion of protection from the crisis. Due to the fact that the overall purchasing power of the population has decreased slightly over last years, demand separate categories goods and services are deferred. One of the most profitable solutions in the current situation would be to organize a service station as a business that can bring stable profits to its owner.
The number of cars is growing every year. In addition, the majority of the population today cannot afford to purchase a new vehicle and have it serviced at a dealership. The turnover of used cars in Russia in 2016 increased by 11% compared to the previous year, according to average statistical data from analytical agencies. This fact suggests that the demand for private car service services will be stable and, most likely, will grow. Let's look at how to create profitable business for repairs and maintenance car maintenance.
In order to calculate the effectiveness of any commercial project as accurately as possible, it is necessary to determine the basis on which the enterprise will operate in the future. Such a program must include all aspects of production and economic activity car service center, the amount of costs for opening it and the projected financial results of its work.
What is needed to open a service station in 2016?
First of all you need to register new subject entrepreneurial activity at the tax service. There are no restrictions on the choice of organizational and legal form for registering such an enterprise. Therefore, you have the right to decide for yourself. will cost a little more and may take longer than registering an individual entrepreneur.
The next step will be choosing the location of the future service station.
Advice: in order to ensure a constant influx of customers, try to choose areas near roads where transport can interrupt its route with a stop. A good solution would be to open a car service next to a gas station, parking lot or parking lot.
When you have finally decided on the location of the service station, you should begin to prepare all the paperwork necessary to open it.
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Documents required to open a car service center
To organize a car repair and maintenance business, you can purchase ownership land plot and build a car service building on it or rent ready-made premises.
The first option - organizing a car service center from scratch - will cost you much more, and at the same time you will have to obtain a lot of approvals and permits from the city administration and the architectural department.
If you prefer the rental option, then when concluding an agreement with the owner you should pay attention to some nuances:
- the service station premises should not be built without authorization - check the Certificate of Ownership of the building, which should indicate the appropriate purpose of the building;
- the room must meet all sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations (level of lighting, ventilation, etc.);
- the height of the building (the floor on which repair work is planned) must be at least 3.5 m, since for the service station to fully function you will need to install a car lift;
- The area of the building should be about 100 square meters. m - this is enough to install two car lifts.
Important! Organize a car service in close proximity to residential buildings by law it is impossible. The distance from the service station to the nearest house must be at least 50 m.
So, what documents are needed to open a service station? In addition to the Certificate of State Registration of Business (LLC or Individual Entrepreneur) and the premises rental agreement, you need to obtain:
- certificate from the SES;
- conclusion of the local fire inspection service.
In addition, when you start business, you need to submit a notice of the commencement of work (provision of services) to territorial body Rospotrebnadzor in the prescribed form.
Important! Previously, before opening a car service, an entrepreneur in mandatory it was necessary to obtain a license to engage in this type of activity. Currently, a permitting document is not needed, which reduces the time and costs of starting a project.
Documents for opening a service station can be supplemented with Certificates of Compliance with current standards. Certification is voluntary and is carried out at the discretion of the business owner. Having certificates for the types of work performed, you receive competitive advantage, this generally improves the image of your service station.
How much will it cost to open a car service center?
The lion's share of the start-up capital will have to be spent on the purchase and installation of equipment for opening a service station. Today, technical equipment and tools for car repair are presented in a fairly wide range. Everything you need can be purchased directly from the manufacturer via the Internet.
The cost of the equipment will depend on which manufacturer you choose. The price range is very wide, and it is important to understand that the most expensive does not mean the highest quality.
Domestic equipment usually costs several times less than imported equipment. In any case, when purchasing, you should pay attention to the warranty periods, service conditions and the possibility of feedback from the manufacturer.
Approximate estimate for the purchase of equipment and tools for the service station:
- car lift – 150-300 thousand rubles;
- hydraulic press – 40 thousand rubles;
- oil change equipment – 35 thousand rubles;
- compressor – 30 thousand rubles;
- stand for cleaning parts – 10 thousand rubles;
- clamps, grips and repair chairs – 10 thousand rubles;
- tool sets – 50 thousand rubles;
- furniture for service stations (cabinets, racks, benches, etc.) – 40 thousand rubles.
In order to equip a standard car service, this will be enough.
In addition to the costs of technical equipment for a service station, mandatory expenses should include rent, payments to service personnel, the cost of outdoor advertising and taxes.
Important! One of the most optimal tax regimes for car service activities is a single tax on imputed income. So, in 2016, providing repair and maintenance services. car maintenance, pay 15% of their imputed income (its amount depends on the number of employees hired). The advantage of this tax system is that if the profitability of the business actually exceeds the basic profitability for calculating the tax, the amount of the mandatory payment remains unchanged.
If you add up all the necessary expenses, then the total amount for opening a service station designed for 2 lifts will be 1-1.2 million rubles. In addition, in the first year of operation, an entrepreneur will need a reserve capital reserve to cover monthly expenses in case the service is not immediately busy enough. Let's talk further about how much a car service earns and how quickly it can pay for itself.
How profitable is it to open a car service center?
When opening your own service station, you must understand that prices for services should not be at the same level as prices at car dealerships. It is advisable, even before opening a technical inspection and repair point, to collect information about the pricing policies of large competing companies and develop your own price list, taking into account the slight difference in the cost of services. Such a move will make it possible to attract a large number of clients.
Special attention It is worth paying attention to personnel selection, because as one of the Soviet politicians said: “Personnel decide everything.” Try to hire employees who have sufficient training, education and experience.
The list of standard car service services usually includes:
- Change of oil;
- engine and suspension repairs;
- gearbox repair;
- comprehensive maintenance, etc.
When such a service station is fully loaded, designed to simultaneously service two cars, provided that the enterprise operates in standard mode (7 days a week from 9.00 to 19.00), it can generate income of up to 780 thousand rubles. per month. This amount is calculated based on the average cost of a standard hour of 1.3 thousand rubles. – price for repairs of middle-class cars.
To see the amount of profit, you should subtract the amount of expenses from the amount of income and minus tax payments.
Let's calculate the possible amount of net profit for one calendar month. To do this, you need to determine the amount of expenses:
- rent – 100 thousand rubles. (at a price of 1000 rubles per 1 sq. m);
- wage– 240 thousand rubles. (based on 8 people with a 2/2 work schedule, 4 workers per shift);
- utility bills, cleaning, etc. – 30 thousand rubles.
If you add everything together, you get 370 thousand rubles. Don't forget to take into account taxes and insurance premiums. On average it will cost about 150 thousand rubles.
We calculate the net profit: 780 – 370 – 150 = 260 thousand rubles. This will be the potential profit for one month of work.
To calculate the payback of the project, it is necessary to divide the total amount of start-up capital spent on opening a service station (in our case, 1.2 million rubles) by the monthly profit. As a result, we get approximately 5 months. This will be the payback period for the business project we are considering.
You must understand that the indicated values may vary depending on the region in which it is planned to open a car service, the average cost of services, and most importantly, on the flow of customers.
How to make an enterprise more efficient
So that the car service brings guaranteed stable income, it is necessary to maintain constant communication with clients. This will help optimize the quality of work of the service station as a whole and identify additional customer needs, which, by addressing them, you can make your enterprise even more efficient and profitable.
For example, in early spring And late autumn There is an increased demand for tire fitting work. Despite the fact that the average cost of special equipment is 70-80 thousand rubles, and the price of services varies from 800 to 1500 rubles. for servicing one car, it’s easy to calculate how much you can earn by opening a tire service at the service station.