How to Choose the Windscreen Repair Franchise That's Right For You

If you’d love to start a windscreen repair business in the thriving automotive sector, good news: With an investment in an established and successful glass repair franchise, you can. You can become a franchisee and enjoy all the perks of running your own business with plenty of franchisor support. But how do you choose the right windshield repair franchise for you? Keep reading, and you’ll soon find out.

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There are many advantages that come along with running a windscreen repair franchise, but each investment opportunity is unique. That’s why research is your friend as you figure out how to choose a windshield repair business that’s perfectly suited to you, and that research begins here. Below, you’ll find five of your best options within the UK automotive sector, which turned over £60.2 billion in 2020 [Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders].

1. A van-based, mobile windscreen repair franchise

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When you begin looking into how to start your own windscreen repair franchise, you’ll soon see that many of the investment opportunities you come across are van-based and mobile in nature. Repairing windshields on the go allows you to meet customers where they are, providing them with the greatest possible level of convenience (something that’s increasingly crucial to the consumer in 2022). These types of businesses are also highly scalable in nature, requiring a lower initial investment cost but providing a huge amount of room to grow. Your one branded van could become a fleet in five years!

Choosing the right mobile windscreen repair business

There are many amazing options in the mobile windscreen repair space. Two of the best are Screen Rescue(/franchise/screen-rescue) and Optic-Kleer. You can become a Screen Rescue franchisee, operating within all commercial automotive sectors, for a minimum initial investment of £19,750, with a total investment cost of £35,000 and a management fee charged at 10%. You can become an Optic-Kleer franchisee, repairing windscreens while your customers shop, for a minimum initial investment of £19,950, with a management fee charged at 17.5%.

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>> Read more:

• Top Five Franchises for Car Lovers
• Car Repair - Start with a Franchise
• Car Industry Franchises: Start Your Own Business

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2. A centre-based windscreen repair franchise

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As you can imagine, a centre-based franchise is the flipside of a van-based franchise. As the owner of a windscreen repair centre, your customers will come to you. Though this might be less convenient for them, it will enable you to complete more complex repairs and use more specialist equipment. With enough capital to get one up and running, you could own a comprehensive car care centre, offering customers windscreen repair services and much, much more.

How to choose a centre-based windscreen repair franchise

The way in which you choose the right centre-based windscreen repair franchise will be down to the amount you can invest on day one. If you’d like to make a low-cost initial investment and grow your business over time, the best thing you can do is chat with franchisors about your long-term goals and determine whether they align. Is opening a car care centre something they can feasibly see in your future with the brand?

3. A SMART repair franchise

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Expanding your field of focus a little might be a good thing if you want to gain a true sense of the opportunities available to you in the automotive sector. If you’d love to work with cars but aren’t necessarily set on becoming a windscreen repair specialist, why not invest in a SMART repair franchise? SMART equals Small to Medium Area Repair Technology, and will see you working on things like paint scuffs and bodywork dents, restoring cars to as good as new using expert, tried and tested methods. Like a windscreen repair franchise, a SMART repair franchise can be operated as a van-based or centre-based business.

How to choose a franchise that offers customers SMART repairs

If you’re looking for a SMART repair business that will support you every step of the way and facilitate your business’s ongoing growth, you can’t beat ChipsAway. You can become a ChipsAway franchisee for a minimum initial investment of £15,000, with a total investment cost of £29,995.

4. A valeting franchise

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Another alternative option in the world of car care is a valeting service. As the owner of a valeting business, you’ll essentially be running a spa for cars. Think deep soaks, wheel treatments, paintwork waxing and more. Valets, yet again, can work out of a specialised centre/location or can work on the go and meet customers where they are. Though many franchise investments don’t require you to have prior industry experience, valeting is a particularly strong, profitable option for those without any.

Choosing the right valeting business for you

One of the best options in the valeting sub-sector is Urban Valet, a flexible and bespoke provider of valeting services. You can become an Urban Valet franchisee for a minimum initial investment of £10,000, with franchise fees of £15,000 and a total investment cost of £25,000.

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>> Read more:

• 7 Tips for Choosing a Franchise with the Right Culture For You
• How to Evaluate Whether a Franchise Opportunity Is Right For You
• Mythbusters: Starting a Franchise Is Ultimately the Franchisee's Decision

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5. A tyre franchise

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If you ‘tyre’ of the hunt for the perfect windscreen repair franchise investment, a tyre franchise might be a better fit. As the owner of this kind of franchise, you’ll be selling and fitting these crucial car parts for your customers. Every tyre needs to be changed sooner or later, whether damage occurs or general wear and tear eventually necessitates a replacement. This means that running a tyre franchise will provide you with steady and recession-proof demand, enabling you to build a successful and profitable franchise.

Choosing a franchise in the tyre sales sub-sector

If selling tyres as an online retailer and fitting them in the way that’s most convenient for your customers appeals, then working at home and on the go with a franchise like Etyres could be perfect for you. You can become an Etyres franchisee for a minimum initial investment of £24,000.

Why not start running a windscreen repair franchise in 2022?

You should now have a strong sense of where you would best fit in the automotive industry, and whether the perfect windscreen repair franchise investment is out there for you. If a day in the life of a windscreen repair franchise owner sounds right up your street and you’re still set on this professional path, stay on Point Franchise. Deepen your research into how to run a windscreen repair franchise, discover how to make a career change with a windscreen repair franchise from start to finish, and peruse the top four windscreen repair franchises in the UK.