Edinburgh DIY Garage
Discussion
Hi there folks, im trying to find out what the demand would be for a DIY Garage/workshop in Edinburgh.
It would be pay by the hour, with a small extra fee to use air tools etc.
The more demand there is, then the more chance of the banks accepting my business plan!
Ask your friends aswell, the more feedback there is, the more chance of this happening.
Cheers
It would be pay by the hour, with a small extra fee to use air tools etc.
The more demand there is, then the more chance of the banks accepting my business plan!
Ask your friends aswell, the more feedback there is, the more chance of this happening.
Cheers
I think these are interesting; I have previously looked to see if there was one local to me in SE London. They don't seem to be that common; I'm sure you've seen the one or two revealed by googling:
http://pitstartgarage.com/contact.html
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.rampandwrench.co.uk/main/
So it looks like the business model can work. I do question how big the market is though because a lot of people who are keen enough and confident enough to do significant DIY on their car will also have be able to do a lot on their own drive (i.e. will have jacks, jack stands, a good toolkit etc.). So although it seems to be working for these guys, you don't know exactly how much Pit Start is making off the self-service vs. the full service part.
Oh and I don't think a chorus of "great idea mate" on a forum will do much to help your discussions with the bank! Perhaps spending a few £1 to get the latest filed accounts on a few of those comparable businesses and a few stats on the size of their local market would be a starting point? Apologies if this is totally obvious!
http://pitstartgarage.com/contact.html
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.rampandwrench.co.uk/main/
So it looks like the business model can work. I do question how big the market is though because a lot of people who are keen enough and confident enough to do significant DIY on their car will also have be able to do a lot on their own drive (i.e. will have jacks, jack stands, a good toolkit etc.). So although it seems to be working for these guys, you don't know exactly how much Pit Start is making off the self-service vs. the full service part.
Oh and I don't think a chorus of "great idea mate" on a forum will do much to help your discussions with the bank! Perhaps spending a few £1 to get the latest filed accounts on a few of those comparable businesses and a few stats on the size of their local market would be a starting point? Apologies if this is totally obvious!
The amount of folk that walk off the street into my garage asking to borrow tools is unbelievable. So there is a demand in that respect. Whether they would then pay to use them is possibly a different matter.
You should also take into account what percentage of the city population are skilled enough to work on their own vehicles.
You should also take into account what percentage of the city population are skilled enough to work on their own vehicles.
mini1380cc said:
You should also take into account what percentage of the city population are skilled enough to work on their own vehicles.
It isn't so much skill as time. I'd work on my own car if it were a hobby and I had no need to have it done to get me to work etc, but if I want something done quickly its far easier to arrange to leave with a mechanic and have it fixed while I'm doing a days work. Thanks for the feedback so far guys, I was thinkin about a fairly large industrial unit, so it wouldnt be just a few car spaces. Maybe more like 15-20
Also for the HSE side of it, all users would have to be members, and would have to get a full induction before they could use the facilities.
I personally havent got a driveway, so working in the street has been a real pain, cobbled roads make it dodgy when jacking up your car, nosey neighbours get annoyed with the eyesore of it and always seem to ask patronising questions i.e do you know what your doing? why dont you take it to a garage? Then theres all the kids picking up your tools, chasing each other round your car etc, then having to contend with rain, wind etc is a real pain. And to be honest these things put me off.
The DIY garage means you will be surrounded with like minded people, and people like myself etc would muck in and help out where possible.
I dont know about anyone else but I can see a real demand for this.
Any business advice negative or positive is appreciated, but the real numbers I need now is how many people would use it, and I would start charting them down.
Also for the HSE side of it, all users would have to be members, and would have to get a full induction before they could use the facilities.
I personally havent got a driveway, so working in the street has been a real pain, cobbled roads make it dodgy when jacking up your car, nosey neighbours get annoyed with the eyesore of it and always seem to ask patronising questions i.e do you know what your doing? why dont you take it to a garage? Then theres all the kids picking up your tools, chasing each other round your car etc, then having to contend with rain, wind etc is a real pain. And to be honest these things put me off.
The DIY garage means you will be surrounded with like minded people, and people like myself etc would muck in and help out where possible.
I dont know about anyone else but I can see a real demand for this.
Any business advice negative or positive is appreciated, but the real numbers I need now is how many people would use it, and I would start charting them down.
15-20 cars is great but everyone will want to be in at the weekend (or maybe an evening) and you'll be paying rent on a dead unit all week, how do you deal with someone taking their car apart and not putting it back together (i.e do they keep paying till its fixed?).
There has to be a reason it's been tried and failed so far, I like the idea but I think it would work better if you clubbed together with some mates and rented a lockup.
There has to be a reason it's been tried and failed so far, I like the idea but I think it would work better if you clubbed together with some mates and rented a lockup.
paulscaff said:
Thanks for the feedback so far guys, I was thinkin about a fairly large industrial unit, so it wouldnt be just a few car spaces. Maybe more like 15-20
Also for the HSE side of it, all users would have to be members, and would have to get a full induction before they could use the facilities.
I personally havent got a driveway, so working in the street has been a real pain, cobbled roads make it dodgy when jacking up your car, nosey neighbours get annoyed with the eyesore of it and always seem to ask patronising questions i.e do you know what your doing? why dont you take it to a garage? Then theres all the kids picking up your tools, chasing each other round your car etc, then having to contend with rain, wind etc is a real pain. And to be honest these things put me off.
The DIY garage means you will be surrounded with like minded people, and people like myself etc would muck in and help out where possible.
I dont know about anyone else but I can see a real demand for this.
Any business advice negative or positive is appreciated, but the real numbers I need now is how many people would use it, and I would start charting them down.
It's a great idea in theory, I'd not come across it before. There must be a demand, I've lost count of the amount of threads on here where people come for advice on how to change a particular car part, and the end advice results in them spending hundreds on tools from various DIY places.Also for the HSE side of it, all users would have to be members, and would have to get a full induction before they could use the facilities.
I personally havent got a driveway, so working in the street has been a real pain, cobbled roads make it dodgy when jacking up your car, nosey neighbours get annoyed with the eyesore of it and always seem to ask patronising questions i.e do you know what your doing? why dont you take it to a garage? Then theres all the kids picking up your tools, chasing each other round your car etc, then having to contend with rain, wind etc is a real pain. And to be honest these things put me off.
The DIY garage means you will be surrounded with like minded people, and people like myself etc would muck in and help out where possible.
I dont know about anyone else but I can see a real demand for this.
Any business advice negative or positive is appreciated, but the real numbers I need now is how many people would use it, and I would start charting them down.
If I could pay a monthly membership, be given basic H&S training on the tools available, and then book a slot to bring my car in and do the work I'd be very interested.
Bear in mind your membership fee would need to reasonable to make it worth while. Theres no point in charging such a rate that by the time youve purchased the necessary parts and paid your membership fee it'd be cheaper to go to an Indy.
Keep us posted.
Just a thought, but what about contacting some local classic car clubs to see what they think?
Older cars need proper tools rather than diagnostic kit, owners seem the type to do more of their own maintenance, you could set up a club discount scheme etc - just a thought.
Maybe ask on the classics bit on here to see what they think?
I just think someone with say a 1975 MGB is more likely to use a place like what you're talking about than someone with a 2005 Ford Focus. Lots of classic owners also take their cars off the road for winter getting them ready for next year - fixing the leaky gearbox etc.
Older cars need proper tools rather than diagnostic kit, owners seem the type to do more of their own maintenance, you could set up a club discount scheme etc - just a thought.
Maybe ask on the classics bit on here to see what they think?
I just think someone with say a 1975 MGB is more likely to use a place like what you're talking about than someone with a 2005 Ford Focus. Lots of classic owners also take their cars off the road for winter getting them ready for next year - fixing the leaky gearbox etc.
I think it COULD work, however, I would suggest that you would be best offering basic training/courses as well. Two reasons to this, one it will get people in who are not already doing there own work (so have there own tools) and two will mean that you know people coming in have some idea of what they are doing.
I would also suggest marketing to kit car and classic car people. They will come back more than once/twice a year, and you may be able to build a core of people who are there on a regular basis. They will also have more need for one off/short term use of expensive and big equipment that they may not have at home but will need for a build/restoration, but not the rest of the time. If you can build a community people are more likely to get involved and more likely to recommend to others, and teach each other than if you just have DIY mechanics (and probably a few ex mechanics doing professional work at the weekends "For mates" and using your garage rather than getting there own.)
I would also suggest marketing to kit car and classic car people. They will come back more than once/twice a year, and you may be able to build a core of people who are there on a regular basis. They will also have more need for one off/short term use of expensive and big equipment that they may not have at home but will need for a build/restoration, but not the rest of the time. If you can build a community people are more likely to get involved and more likely to recommend to others, and teach each other than if you just have DIY mechanics (and probably a few ex mechanics doing professional work at the weekends "For mates" and using your garage rather than getting there own.)
Thanks, I checked out Ramp and Wrench and this is exactly the idea I had.
There are a few logistical issues I would need to work out, like "if car is in bits, and they run out of time etc"
Also during the week there may not be as much demand for DIYers, but perhaps self employed mechanics may rent the spaces.
Im going to view a large industrial unit on Tuesday, to find out how much space there is, and how much the rent will be. Then ill start making my business plan next week when ive got more figures.
Dead excited!!!
There are a few logistical issues I would need to work out, like "if car is in bits, and they run out of time etc"
Also during the week there may not be as much demand for DIYers, but perhaps self employed mechanics may rent the spaces.
Im going to view a large industrial unit on Tuesday, to find out how much space there is, and how much the rent will be. Then ill start making my business plan next week when ive got more figures.
Dead excited!!!
Sounds like a great idea, and if it's going ahead it's exactly the sort of thing that I would be interested in.
I'm a sceptical sort though, and remember a scam happening in car forums a few years ago along these lines - http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=284629
I'm a sceptical sort though, and remember a scam happening in car forums a few years ago along these lines - http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=284629
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