^ My Granddaughter would be in her element there. She loves American cars. She wants a Mustang. I think she had better pass her test first and get a few years of experience with something less aggressive. She wants to move to the US and start up a garage, any suggestions
@Faith ?
Oh boy. I had to do a little searching to find this post again. I'm not sure what type of suggestions you are looking for so I'll say this(it's kind of all over the place);
I think an important key to starting your own business is to first get out there, pay your dues, get your hands dirty, watch and learn. Make friends with like minded people.
I know of young people that started working in an automobile shop working from the bottom, emptying garbage cans and other cleanup stuff, moving or cleaning cars or whatever needs to be done. If it's an official dealership like Ford, it'll be a union shop and education will be required to do any mechanic work. Pay and benefits tend to be better at union dealerships.
Small non union shops look for experience. There may be certifications required but I don't know how they happen. I've known kids that do well in the high school auto shops, graduate, attend post high school automotive programs then find work.
Starting your own shop is not hard as far as gaining customers. People are always looking for someone to do repairs cheaper than dealerships. It takes hard work to make a good profit. Space is needed as well as the equipment and tools. That can be expensive initially. Mechanic experience is a must. As stated above, good mechanics are hard to come by if hiring others. And there is also the business side to consider.
I was always interested in working on my own cars and did. New cars today are not as easy to work on but not impossible.
I went to school for outdoor power equipment specializing in motorcycles and attended manufacturer update classes offered throughout the program. They are ongoing at dealerships. I also worked in the parts department at a motorcycle snowmobile dealership for a short time. The mechanics always complained about the low pay. Many of the employees worked there because the employee discount was huge and it helped fund their racing.
I also did purchasing for a small engine distributor(that job paid some bills). I started picking parts in the warehouse and was asked to try purchasing based on prior computer technology experience and current motorcycle education. In that job I talked to plenty of shop owners always looking for good mechanics and wanting better deals on parts. By the way-computer skills are definitely a plus nowadays.
My nephews dream was to become a NASCAR mechanic. He went to their school and now pits for a NASCAR truck racing team. That's his hobby. He has a fulltime job working for a boatbuilding company and they allow him time off for the races.
We also have friends that restore cars. That's another avenue to consider.
Bottom line, startng your own business is a lot of work with ups and downs. Opportunities exist for a determined person.
Maybe others have other perspectives worth mentioning?
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