Like cars, and like doing something with your hands? Tired of working an office job? One of the places where a lot of small entrepreneurs are carving niches for themselves is in the auto body work field. One of the hot beds of this is Detroit, and Detroit auto body shops are a thriving business, largely because of the ability to get spare parts, and because more people in Detroit are holding onto cars until they literally stop running.
Now, there are a lot of steps in starting up a business - and aside from mentioning that you need a business plan and some financing to get your Detroit auto body shop working, we're going to only touch on them in passing. Your business plan should start with the basics and fundamentals first and foremost.
Where is the market for this?
Detroit is highly populated. Many of the people there tend to drive, and that's where you will come in. You will need to deploy your Detroit auto body shop in an area where there tends to be lots of traffic, because residents there will always be in need of repair.
As far as business goes, even a Detroit auto body shop, you need to choose the right location. You could have the greatest auto body shop in existence, and if people can't find you, you won't be doing any business at all. There are many commercial properties in Detroit right now that are going for rather cheap, so you shouldn't have any problems finding a decent storefront.
Outreaching
When you have finally launched your business, it would be a good time to do some outreach. Your business can thrive, or it can disappear overnight. One way to ensure return customers is by doing quality work. Quality work will keep people talking, and it will keep them coming back to your store day after day. It will also cause your customers to refer others to your shop, which is the most important part of all.
After that, comes marketing (making sure that people are generally aware of your business) and sales (getting specific customers into the shop for specific services). Marketing can be handled by television and radio ads, as well as bill boards, web sites, and flyers. Watch your marketing budget carefully; most people who go to an auto body shop, regardless of where it is, do so because they've been referred to by a friend, or because yours was the first one they saw.
Another very important part of the the whole business is marketing. This is where you advertise your business and let people know what it is that you do. You can do all kinds of ads, from radio, to television, even billboards if you so desire. Additionally, outreach is something that can involve insurance carriers. If you can get an insurance companies to refer their customers to your shop, you have yet another example of word of mouth advertising. Naturally there will be some paperwork to fill out, which can get frustrating after a while, but the extra customers will help your business in ways you could never imagine.
Supplies
Detroit auto body shops have a huge local advantage. They can usually get parts for most American makes of cars much less expensively than anywhere else in the world. You also have an advantage in getting Original Equipment Manufacturer parts compared to the rest of the world. Lining up your parts supplier(s) is the most important foundational element of running a Detroit auto body shop. - 29952
Now, there are a lot of steps in starting up a business - and aside from mentioning that you need a business plan and some financing to get your Detroit auto body shop working, we're going to only touch on them in passing. Your business plan should start with the basics and fundamentals first and foremost.
Where is the market for this?
Detroit is highly populated. Many of the people there tend to drive, and that's where you will come in. You will need to deploy your Detroit auto body shop in an area where there tends to be lots of traffic, because residents there will always be in need of repair.
As far as business goes, even a Detroit auto body shop, you need to choose the right location. You could have the greatest auto body shop in existence, and if people can't find you, you won't be doing any business at all. There are many commercial properties in Detroit right now that are going for rather cheap, so you shouldn't have any problems finding a decent storefront.
Outreaching
When you have finally launched your business, it would be a good time to do some outreach. Your business can thrive, or it can disappear overnight. One way to ensure return customers is by doing quality work. Quality work will keep people talking, and it will keep them coming back to your store day after day. It will also cause your customers to refer others to your shop, which is the most important part of all.
After that, comes marketing (making sure that people are generally aware of your business) and sales (getting specific customers into the shop for specific services). Marketing can be handled by television and radio ads, as well as bill boards, web sites, and flyers. Watch your marketing budget carefully; most people who go to an auto body shop, regardless of where it is, do so because they've been referred to by a friend, or because yours was the first one they saw.
Another very important part of the the whole business is marketing. This is where you advertise your business and let people know what it is that you do. You can do all kinds of ads, from radio, to television, even billboards if you so desire. Additionally, outreach is something that can involve insurance carriers. If you can get an insurance companies to refer their customers to your shop, you have yet another example of word of mouth advertising. Naturally there will be some paperwork to fill out, which can get frustrating after a while, but the extra customers will help your business in ways you could never imagine.
Supplies
Detroit auto body shops have a huge local advantage. They can usually get parts for most American makes of cars much less expensively than anywhere else in the world. You also have an advantage in getting Original Equipment Manufacturer parts compared to the rest of the world. Lining up your parts supplier(s) is the most important foundational element of running a Detroit auto body shop. - 29952
About the Author:
Nine times out of ten, it's not good news that brings you to the body shop. However, if you choose a reliable and reputable company, the experience doesn't have to be awful. Detroit native Parker Herring writes about his experiences with multiple Detroit Auto Body Specialists. Follow the link to find out what YOU should know before choosing a Detroit Auto Body Specialist.
