open a hot rod and customs shop

Being next to a bmw shop could be a big plus. I big time bike builder (can't remember who off hand) started next to a Ferrari dealership. That way every time someone went to look at a car they had to walk past his window and see his bikes. I own a heating and sheetmetal shop it's alot of work, when it's good it's good when it's bad it's bad, but thinking about the good times seem to keep me coming back for more.

 

Only reason I am building old iron right now is that I have project cars that people aren't interested in and regular repair is down huge right now because of all the backyard out of work mechanics. Hot rod shops aren't built, they are grown. If you spend big bucks trying to start one up, you'll fail. Ask anyone who has tried. Hot Rod guys don't go to the big fancy shop, they ask around and go to the guy on the back street who has been doing it on the side for years before he had enough business to do it full time. Reputation is everything in thie economy.

 

Running a business is like driving car...everybody can put the key in and start it, but how they operate that vehicle and the money, planning, time and effort it takes to get where they want to be seperates the doers from the dreamers.

I see many would be entreperneurs who can do all the preliminaries because thats what most of the books tell you to do.The problem is they can tell you what to do they can't tell you how to do it. And that takes experience. I can follow you around all day telling you how I did it, how I handled success and dealt with many failures but until you get out there and do it, you will never full understand.

In the dark ages How many incandecent light bulbs did it take until it was right? Well Edison did not really invent he light bulb he figured out how to make it work longer and better. He used what Humphry Davy started. TE did over one thousand experiments but no failure there as he saw it, he now knows how many ways not to do it.

Point is, no matter what the other shops are doing, you have to find your niche and improve on the old standby. A successful Hot Rod Shop is out there for you, you have ta keep working it until it's right.

Mikey


Mikey

 

Instead of doing any of that stuff and getting your shorts in a twist let some other dumb*** go through all that worry and ****. While he's going crazy you and everyone you know that wants excellent Rod or Bike work done just trot on over to Marietta and have Josh Mills at Mills@Co. do some first cl*** work for you. If you don't already know him you will meet a fine young builder that knows his stuff........Howeird

 

Have you ever built a hot rod? If so, are you any good at it?

If no one wants to shell out thier hard earned dough for your product, it doesn't really matter how much the rent is.

Good luck, -Abone.

 

It has two pray booths?? You're gonna need um

 

I stopped advertising my exhaust pipe bender last year. All the jobs I get are because of previous jobs I have gotten. I have tried different advertising over the last 4 years and it doesn't do anything but empty my wallet. Word of mouth and pride in your work is what makes a hot rod shop work. A fancy sign and cool shop shirts don't do it.

 

Probably --- and enough sense not to.

Bob

 

i know Josh he dos do excellent work

 

Sorry to dig up an old thread, But, I can tell you one thing....I do not own a personal jet...hell I can't even afford a bus ticket...LOL...and as far as a Florida home goes, I have never even been there....Having a hot rod shop is not like what you see on TLC or the speed channel....Overhead is a killer, you work 7 days a week (sometimes Nights too) meanwhile listening to customers ***** about Wages (when you are not making any money anyhow)...It is a labor of love that comes with a bunch of stress.....It will make your hair turn grey and what don't turn grey falls out...LOL.....But all that aside I say GO for it!!!....LOL

 

Several months since this was current, so don't know if posting here means anything anymore, but what the heck....

There's a reason (well, many more than one)more people fail at small business than succeed. Reading this, or any other similar thread will show you why. First off, while it's entertaining to read these replies, and I'm sure they're all meant in a helpful spirit, they're mostly meaningless. It's clear there are a few experienced business builder/owners who posted, their advice is meaningful. If you're serious about figuring out whether having your own business is where you should go, you want to learn from those who've done it successfully. No matter how well intentioned the others are, most don't really know what they're talking about. (although some suggested good questions to help you think about it) A business isn't just about what the product or service is, it's as much or more about RUNNING the business successfully. Managing a budget, managing employees, navigating the regulation maze, being effective at sales, marketing, and scheduling, (bored yet?), and on and on. Believe me, you make your net profit (which in a small business is your income and growth/survival capital) wearing the managers hat, not the technicians hat. Now, if you're only going for being self employed (in other words a one man show) then it's not so complicated, but you still need those other skills to some degree or another (except the employee management). But if you're going to do a one man show then you could get by with a decent, much lower overhead, home garage. Everything worth a poop I ever learned about running a business came from those who were successful at it themselves. Consultants (some, not all) and non-business people who often offered advice were most often wrong. Fortunately I had learned from others to know how and why.

 

I say, Do It, and good luck doing it.
working on it myself..

 

Sent you a PM. I live in Woodstock, and have been running a home-based shop for a year now. I just leased a space in Acworth, but I'd like to talk to you if you're still thinking about the hot rod business.

For the naysayers out there...it can be done, even in this economy, without spending gobs of money (***uming you have most of the tools already).

 

That rent is cheap! but if you are going to run a business you need to have customers, without them it does not matter how little the rent is you will not be able to pay it. Have you thought about why the customers would come to you?. Do you have exceptional skills, are you going to be cheaper than the next guy (the race to the bottom) It sounds like you just like the idea of running a business, you don't have much idea about your direction. You said you would do whatever would pay the rent but why would a person come to you to have a rod built when the only thing you have in your workshop is clunkers for patching?. When I was at college the buisiness lecturer told my cl*** that we would probably have to do patch up jobs to pay the rent, I made up my mind that I would never take on this type of work, if I could not get enough restoration/rod work I would pack it in. I have been in business for twenty years in May and I have never had less than six months work booked in. I will not compromise on quality. I will not get rich but I have payed my bills and brought up two daughters. I am now getting top end work, it has only taken twenty years!

 

employees are cheep... find 2 youngsters that are willing to apprentice for at least 6 months .. find some guys that will work for free in exchange work on there cars ... if you can find some paying customers ,, you WILL make money .... i had a custom motorcycle / car shop in southern cal. for years ,, and made a lot of money that way .. taught custom machine shop part making ,, tig ,, mig ,, & stick ... and how to paint with candy apple paints ,, metalflake ,,& pearls ...
best time for those type of trainees ,,,,nites ,,, and weekends .. believe me ,, they will flock to your door to learn ... and the people that they impress WILL show up to throw handfulls of cash at you ..
NOW ---- all you need is the knowledge ,,, shop ,, lots of the right equipment and materials,,, and enough cash to keep it going for at least a year or 2 , in your business account ..
simple right ???? and it helps if you aren't married because you will probably will have to live in your shop for a few years ,, and learn to love to drink your self to sleep .......

 

Like Walter Cronkite used to say: "And thats the way it is."

 

ya I agree, have some builds or some jobs lined up from the get go. If you open a shop with no business, you'll be like Paul Tuetel Jr. Sitting there with a sweet shop, begging people to let him build something.

 

Dude, If it is your dream to own and operated a shop then don't let anything derail it. If you do you will always wonder what if. If you do it and fail then at least you tried. If you do it and you succeed The you will always smile when you retire from it. Your only here for a short time so make the most out of it. Live your dreams. With that being said be smart and take a business cl*** and listen to guys who have been there. You need to put out a product for people to see. Take it to shows and try to get magazine exposure and things like that. You will have to hire some very talented people in Fab, body and paint, engines and wiring. Then you have to rely on credible vendors to get you what you need when you need it. Good Luck.

 

what will your shop rate be? if you work alone and are talented, working at $65.00 an hr. + utilities + ins. you would only need to bill out 25 hrs. a month to make your overhead. That's not bad...do you have something to offer the people? Oh, that whole youngsters and trade for shop space thing sounds great until someone gets hurt. I have an employee that hurt himself at home and stopped coming to work and never called or returned my calls. I thought he had just quit until I was contacted by workers comp and was informed that i was in trouble for firing this guy after he reported an industrial injury. I treated this guy like gold for 3 years...his new name is s***bag liar. so look at the big picture before you jump in.

 

The rent sounds great and as long as it has two pray booths, you should be blessed. Just make sure you use them every morning and just before you go to bed.

 

In this economy,you're gonna need 'em