The 5 Benefits of Being an Auto Repair Shop Owner

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 31/07/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 7 min

The 5 Benefits of Being an Auto Repair Shop Owner — Photo © car-repair-franchise.jpg

Most of us have been to our local garage at some point due to a fault with our car. And if you haven’t, it’s pretty much inevitable that it will happen at some point. If you’re an aspiring business owner with a love of cars, why not capitalise on this demand and become an auto repair shop owner?

Despite there being a global shift to consider our environmental impact, the number of cars the public own is growing each year. There were 32 million cars, 4.1 million LGVs, half a million HGVs, 1.3 million motorcycles, 0.15 buses and 0.77 million other vehicles licensed for use at the end of September 2019. That’s a lot of vehicles that will need to seek the service of an auto repair shop owner at some point.

Research also suggests that the public is willing to part with £21 billion a year to make sure their vehicles stay in tip-top shape. And that UK market value for primary car body repairs is going to increase by 14 percent to £5.43 billion. So, maybe you’re thinking of choosing the car repair industry for your next business venture, what with there being scope to run such a lucrative business. To help you make your decision that bit easier, today we’ll look at the benefits of being an auto repair shop owner.

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The 5 benefits of being an auto repair shop owner

1. Flexibility

Car repair shop owners oversee their employees and are in control of growing the business and making sure it is making enough profit. Being your own boss means you have the flexibility to choose your own hours. But there is a chance these will be long, as you may have to cover for employees if they’re unwell.

2. Good income

The salary of a car repair shop owner can vary depending on how well the business is doing. But to get an idea, if they own a successful business that is producing a healthy amount of profit, they can expect to earn around £45,000 in the first couple of years, and then around £50,000 after 10 years.

A lucrative industry The public is willing to part with £21 billion a year to make sure their vehicles stay in tip-top shape

3. Limited shop hours

Most auto repair businesses are only open during business hours Monday to Friday and till midday on Saturday, so you’ll still have time to relax and enjoy yourself when not at work in the evenings and at weekends.

4. Thrive in any economic climate

When the economy is strong, auto repair shops will see plenty of new and used car owners as they often offer maintenance and repairs at lower prices than auto dealerships. While in tougher markets, drivers are more likely to keep their cars for longer and choose to pay for repairs rather than a new car.

5. Not been replaced by online businesses

Many brick and mortar businesses have struggled to survive in the digital age. Shoppers across the UK can’t resit the ease, vast selection and competitive pricing that online shopping offers. While you can easily order clothes online and have them arrive at your door the next day, at the moment cars can’t fix themselves, so customers will need to hire someone to come out and help resolve the problem.

Things to remember when starting an auto repair shop

You need to have the right experience. You and your staff need to have an in-depth knowledge of the business, which includes knowing how to repair vehicles. This will often involve having the relevant qualifications. See here for more details on this.
You can either buy a location that is already a garage or start from scratch. Of course, it will cost a hefty sum of money to fit out an empty premises with all the equipment it needs, and you won’t be able to get your business off the ground quite as quickly. But at the same time, a ready-made garage will most likely be more expensive to buy outright in the first place. Don’t settle for premises that aren’t in your desired location or the right size. Take your time, because otherwise you risk having serious regrets further down the line.
Make sure you have sorted out insurance. The garage will be packed with incredibly pricy equipment and customers cars will be left there for a good chunk of time, so look into getting motor trade insurance.

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Auto repair franchise opportunities

1. ChipsAway

The ChipsAway franchise specialises in SMART (small to medium area repair technology) processes. Having operated in the automotive sector for around 20 years, the franchise is now the most extensive network of car repair specialists in the UK.

Becoming a ChipsAway franchisee: ChipsAway provides franchisees with a ‘ready-to-go’ turn-key business. As a result, this is an excellent investment opportunity if you’d like to join the automotive industry but have limited expertise. As a franchisee with this van-based business, you’ll take your mobile workshop wherever your customers are, but you can open a dedicated car care centre in the future. To learn more and sign up, click here.
How much you need to invest: Franchisees need to raise an initial investment of £29,995, but this can be reduced to just £15,000 through various funding arrangements.
What you get for your investment: You’ll receive training in technical skills, business management, marketing and sales, as well as ongoing support and marketing materials. You’ll also be put in touch with a UK call centre that’s open 24/7 and directs business your way when you’re not able to get to the phone. What’s more, ChipsAway guarantees that all new franchisees will be given £80,000 worth of customer enquiries in their first year of trade.

2. Revive! Auto Innovations

Revive! Auto Innovations repairs and paints vehicles, remedying issues like bumper scuffs, minor chips and alloy wheels that have seen better days. This is one of the industry’s most successful and popular franchises, and it ranked ninth in the Elite Franchise Top 100 2018.

Becoming a franchisee: When you’re a Revive! franchisee, you’ll operate within a large territory and be responsible for your own team of technicians, who will do the day-to-day work for you. Once your automotive business is up and running, you’ll generate regular sources of income by establishing relationships among local vehicle dealerships. To learn more and apply, click here.
How much you need to invest: To join the automotive franchise, you’ll be asked to contribute a total of £32,000.
What you get for your investment: This is a franchise that can provide an impressive return on investment; it has been proven to generate more than £1 million in turnover and six-figure profits for franchisees. Of course, this isn’t all you’ll get. Revive! makes sure its franchisees get access to the business’ bespoke management, systems and industry-leading training scheme. It’ll even take care of your marketing for you.

3. Etyres

This is the UK’s first online tyre franchise, offering tyre changing services whenever customers need it. The business was established in 1992 and its franchise model was launched four years later. Etyres’ vans are fully equipped with everything needed to change a tyre and travel to customers while promoting the company’s three core values: honesty, convenience and professionalism.

Becoming an Etyres franchisee: Etyres was the first mobile tyre business to get an ISO 9002 accreditation, which is only awarded to companies with high-quality products and services. What’s more, some franchisees receive an income exceeding £1 million per year. Request more information here.
How much you need to invest: An Etyres franchise requires a minimum investment of £24,000. Those with slightly less liquid capital but the drive to franchise with Etyres are also catered for, with the business’ recently unveiled etyresExpansion+ programme.
What you get for your investment: After investing, franchisees will be enrolled onto a two-week training course covering sales strategy, product information, marketing, IT systems, data management and finance, and get practical training. This forms part of Etyres’ eight-week set-up scheme. As time goes on, Etyres will also update franchisees on the business’ latest products, as well as new industry practices, so they can always stay one step ahead of the game.

Start your own auto repair shop

If these benefits have convinced you that becoming an auto repair shop owner should be your next career move, we have even more franchise opportunities on our books you can browse. The automobile industry is incredibly vast and has welcomed franchising with open arms. As well as car repair franchises, we also have car rental, car wash and car leasing franchise opportunities.