How to open a car service and attract customers. Car service as a business and personal success

Decor elements 12.10.2019
Decor elements

In modern economic conditions, when starting your own business, it is important to evaluate the existing business idea according to the criterion of protection from the crisis. Due to the fact that the general purchasing power of the population has decreased slightly over last years, the demand for certain categories of goods and services is deferred. One of the most profitable solutions in this situation will be to organize a service station as a business that can bring a stable profit to its owner.

The number of cars is growing every year. In addition, the majority of the population today cannot afford to purchase a new vehicle and have it serviced at a dealership. The turnover of used cars in Russia in 2016 increased by 11% compared to the previous year, according to the average statistics of analytical agencies. This fact suggests that the demand for the services of a private car service will be stable and, most likely, will grow. Let's see how to create profitable business for repairs and car maintenance.

In order to accurately calculate the effectiveness of any commercial project, it follows that the enterprise will work in the future. Such a program must include all aspects of the production and economic activities of a car service, the amount of costs for its opening and projected financial results his works.

What do you need to open a service station in 2016?

First of all, it is necessary to register a new business entity with the tax service. There are no restrictions on the choice of legal form for registering such an enterprise. Therefore, you are free to decide for yourself. will cost a little more, and may take longer than registration of IP.

The next step will be to choose the location of the future service station.

Tip: in order to ensure a constant influx of customers, try to choose areas near highways where transport can interrupt its journey with a stop. A good solution would be to open a car service next to a gas station, parking or parking lot.

When you finally decide on the location of the service station, you should begin to draw up all the papers necessary to open it.

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Documents required to open a car service

To organize a car repair and maintenance business, you can purchase ownership land plot and erect a car service building on it or rent a ready-made premises.

The first option - organizing a car service from scratch - will cost you much more, and you will have to get a lot of approvals and permits from the city administration and the architectural department.

If the rental option is more to your liking, then when concluding an agreement with the owner, you should pay attention to some nuances:

  • the service station room must not be unauthorized - check the Certificate of Ownership of the building, which must indicate the appropriate purpose of the building;
  • the room must meet all sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations (level of lighting, ventilation, etc.);
  • the height of the building (the floor where the implementation is planned repair work) must be at least 3.5 m, since for the full functioning of the service station you will need to install a car lift;
  • building area should be about 100 square meters. m - this is enough to install two car lifts.

Important! Organize a car service in close proximity to residential buildings by law it is not possible. The distance from the service station to the nearest house should be at least 50 m.

So, what documents are needed to open a service station? In addition to the certificate of state registration business (LLC or sole proprietorship) and a lease agreement for premises, you need to obtain:

  • certificate from SES;
  • conclusion of the local fire supervision service.

In addition, when you start entrepreneurial activity, you need to submit a notice of the start of work (provision of services) to the territorial body of Rospotrebnadzor in the prescribed form.

Important! Previously, before opening a car service, an entrepreneur had to obtain a license for the right to engage in such activities without fail. At present, a permit is not needed, which reduces the time and cost of starting a project.

Documents for opening a service station can be supplemented by Certificates of compliance with current standards. Certification is a voluntary matter and is carried out at the discretion of the business owner. Having certificates for the types of work carried out, you receive competitive advantage, this generally improves the image of your service station.

How much does it cost to open a car service

the lion's share start-up capital will have to spend on the purchase and installation of equipment for opening a service station. Today, technical equipment and tools for car repair are presented in a fairly wide range. Everything you need can be bought directly from the manufacturer via the Internet.

The cost of equipment will depend on which manufacturer you choose. The price range is very wide, and it is important to understand that the most expensive does not mean the highest quality.

Domestic equipment usually costs several times cheaper than imported ones. In any case, when buying, you should pay attention to the warranty period, terms of service and the possibility of feedback from the manufacturer.

Approximate estimate for the purchase of equipment and tools for the operation of service stations:

  • car lift - 150-300 thousand rubles;
  • hydraulic press - 40 thousand rubles;
  • oil change equipment - 35 thousand rubles;
  • compressor - 30 thousand rubles;
  • stand for cleaning parts - 10 thousand rubles;
  • clamps, grips and repair chairs - 10 thousand rubles;
  • tool kits - 50 thousand rubles;
  • furniture for service stations (cabinets, racks, locksmith tables, etc.) - 40 thousand rubles.

In order to complete a standard car service, this will be enough.

In addition to the costs of technical equipment of service stations, the mandatory costs should include rent, settlements with service personnel, the cost of outdoor advertising and taxes.

Important! One of the most optimal tax regimes for car service activities is a single tax on imputed income. So, in 2016, providing repair and maintenance services. car maintenance, pay 15% of the income imputed to them (its amount depends on the number of employees hired). The advantage of this taxation system is that if the profitability of the business actually exceeds the basic profitability for calculating the tax, the amount of the mandatory payment remains unchanged.

If we add together all the necessary expenses, then the total amount for opening a service station, designed for 2 lifts, will be 1-1.2 million rubles. In addition, the entrepreneur in the first year of work will need a reserve reserve capital to cover monthly expenses in case the service is not immediately sufficiently loaded. And about how much a car service earns and how quickly it can pay for itself, we'll talk further.

How profitable is opening a car service

When opening your own service station, you must understand that the prices for services should not be on the same level as the prices of car dealerships. It is advisable, even before opening a technical inspection and repair point, to collect information about pricing policy large competing firms and develop your own price list, taking into account the small difference in the cost of services. Such a move will allow initial stage attract a large number of clients.

Special attention should be given to the selection of personnel, because, as one of the Soviet politicians: "Cadres decide everything." Try to hire employees who have a sufficient level of training, the right education and experience.

The list of services of a standard car service usually includes:

  • Change of oil;
  • engine and suspension repairs;
  • gearbox repair;
  • comprehensive maintenance, etc.

With a full load of such a service station, designed to service two cars at the same time, provided that the enterprise operates in a standard mode (7 days a week from 9.00 to 19.00), it can generate income up to 780 thousand rubles. per month. This amount is calculated based on the average cost of a standard hour of 1.3 thousand rubles. - the price of repairing cars of the middle class.

To see the amount of profit, you should subtract the amount of expenses from the amount of income and minus tax payments.

Let's calculate the possible amount of net profit for one calendar month. To do this, you need to determine the amount of expenses:

  • rent - 100 thousand rubles. (at a price of 1000 rubles per 1 sq. m);
  • wage- 240 thousand rubles. (based on 8 people with a 2/2 work schedule, 4 employees per shift);
  • utility bills, cleaning, etc. - 30 thousand rubles.

If you add everything together, you get 370 thousand rubles. Do not forget to take into account taxes and insurance premiums. On average, about 150 thousand rubles will be released.

We consider net profit: 780 - 370 - 150 \u003d 260 thousand rubles. This will be the potential profit for one month of work.

To calculate the return on investment for a project, total amount start-up capital used to open a service station (in our case, it is 1.2 million rubles) divided by the value of monthly profit. As a result, we get about 5 months. This will be the payback period of the business project we are considering.

It should be understood that these values ​​​​may vary depending on the region in which it is planned to open a car service, the average cost of services, and most importantly, on the flow of customers.

How to make your business more efficient

In order for a car service to bring a guaranteed stable income, it is necessary to maintain constant communication with customers. This will help to optimize the quality of the service station as a whole and identify additional customer needs, playing on which you can make your company even more efficient and profitable.

For instance, in early spring and late autumn observed increased demand for tire work. Moreover, the average cost of special equipment is 70-80 thousand rubles, and the price of services varies from 800 to 1500 rubles. for the maintenance of one car, it is easy to calculate how much you can earn by opening a tire service on the basis of a service station.

There are fewer and fewer people among us who prefer public transport to a private car. The number of motorists is steadily growing, and with it the need for volumes Maintenance and repair of "iron horses". The demand for car service is always stable, even the most advanced modern cars invariably need them. In order to successfully open a car service and service station, you need a competent business plan. Its main task is to develop the best option organization of a car service intended for servicing cars.

car service market

The development of the car service market directly depends on the number of cars in Russia. Over the past ten years, the domestic vehicle fleet has more than tripled, and these figures are increasing every year.

The structure of the car maintenance market currently includes:

  1. Authorized car services that specialize mainly in servicing only a certain brand of car. Entering such a business is quite difficult, since official dealers and automakers choose their partners very carefully.
  2. Network car services that have their offices in various regions. Currently, this segment of the market is not yet sufficiently developed.
  3. Single car service. Such services are not accredited, but they use enough in high demand from car owners, since the price for the services of such car services is usually 20-30% lower.
  4. Individual services car maintenance. Such services can hardly be called a business, but in Russia they are in good demand.

An example of a car service business plan

If you do not know how to open a car service from scratch, then the following ready business plan STO will help you organize this case.

Description of the enterprise

The success of an organized car service is determined by the following criteria:

  • the range of services provided;
  • the target audience;
  • production area;
  • qualified personnel.

It is necessary to take into account the legislation, according to which the premises of the maintenance company are located no closer than 50 m from residential facilities and are equipped with a centralized sewage system. Obligatory coordination with the traffic police, SES and the fire service.

You need to know where the access roads and competing service stations are located. 300 square metersoptimal area for car service. It is important to analyze the work of competitors in advance and take into account the preferences of car owners regarding car brands. Pledge successful work STO - qualification and professionalism of car repairmen. Form of organization - individual entrepreneur (IP), taxation - UTII.

Services provided

A car service business plan should provide for the provision of a wide range of services. The most profitable types of work: repair of the engine and gearbox, replacement of the steering gear and clutch and other machine parts. Among the most unprofitable is the repair of the brake system, but it must be included in the list of work performed. It is advisable to choose a narrow specialization for the service station: tuning, xenon installation, glass tinting or something else. You can also concentrate on servicing individual brands of cars.

Analysis of the car repair and maintenance market

The new car service has a great chance of success, because, despite the large number of competitors, in large cities there is a frequent problem with the efficiency of services performed. In the business plan of the service station, it is necessary to analyze in detail the work of neighboring competitors according to the following parameters:

  • list of services provided;
  • prices for services;
  • the target audience.

Thus, you can find unoccupied niches and weak points of working car services.

Workshop production plan

The future service station, in addition to buying or renting a production area, will need equipment, in thousands of rubles:

  • lift - 40-120;
  • diagnostics - 60-100;
  • tools - 100.

Depending on the list of services, other highly specialized equipment may also be needed.

The staff of the car service is also determined by the features of the service. 2-3 masters are constantly working, which is provided with daily work hiring 4-6 people. The manager can be an employee, or maybe the owner of the service himself.

car service financial plan

Expenses, in rubles:

Capital expenditures:

  • purchase of equipment, its installation - 2,000,000;
  • advertising - 30,000;
  • approval - 20,000.

Total: 2,050,000.

Current expenses:

  • rent - 150,000;
  • current costs, consumables - 80,000;
  • salary - 200,000.

Total: 430,000.

Income, in rubles:

  • Revenue - 500,000 (per month).
  • Profit - 70,000.

The correct organization of a car service will provide a stable profit, but it will take some time for the capital costs to pay off.

Basic business secrets

  1. Procurement of spare parts and establishing relationships with suppliers. The necessary spare parts catalogs can be found on the websites of dealers and manufacturers. You can also visit specialized exhibitions and choose a supplier. Applications are best made in advance, taking into account seasonal fluctuations in demand. It is very convenient to buy auto parts with a "reserve". This option, although it requires a significant high costs, but the necessary spare part is always available. Such a scheme is most relevant for network car services, when every detail will be in demand anyway.
  2. For maximum profit to the owner open car service from scratch, it is worth concentrating your efforts on the most profitable types of services, which include body repair, tire fitting, car painting, car wash.
  3. The increase in the profitability of the enterprise is associated with an increase in the number of customers and a decrease in costs. To this end, you can expand the range of services, reduce equipment costs by ordering certain work from specialized companies, reduce rental payments or reduce advertising costs.

Buying a car service

To save time on organizing and promoting a car service, you can purchase a ready-made enterprise. average cost such a business - about 60 thousand dollars. When buying a ready-made car service, you need to pay attention to:

  • the validity period and the possibility of prolonging the lease agreement with the owner of the premises;
  • retention of an experienced team;
  • the presence of formalized relationships with suppliers of auto parts;
  • the location of the car service, the presence of a convenient entrance;
  • the quality of the equipment available.

All these conditions significantly affect the price of a finished business.

Today, Russians operate predominantly used vehicles that need regular repairs. As a rule, it is carried out in specialized workshops. A detailed business plan for a car service will help an entrepreneur open his own business, calculate expenses and income, performance indicators and determine the approximate opening time.

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Business Relevance

The business idea of ​​opening a car service is promising, since the vast majority of car owners prefer to use the services of organizations that carry out their repair and maintenance. People who buy a new car often turn to private workshops, and not to an official dealer. To a large extent, this is due to the fact that service centers car dealerships unreasonably high price tags.

Kinds

Car services are of several types:

  1. Repair services provided by individual craftsmen. Car maintenance takes place in a garage or in a private house. There are a huge number of such specialists and their services for the consumer will be the least expensive. The quality of the work performed will not always be high, due to the lack of necessary conditions to perform a number of operations and the necessary equipment.
  2. Single car service. This is the most popular market segment. The main advantage of this business format is the perfect combination of service price and quality. As a result, the demand for their services is quite high.
  3. Specialized car services. Such establishments work with a focus on a particular brand of vehicle, which significantly reduces the number of their customers. The services provided are of high quality and are focused on a clear target group of motorists. The cost of the work performed is approximately 25 percent higher than that of single car services. Authorized repair shops are usually owned by car manufacturers or major authorized dealers.
  4. Network service stations. They have a branch network in certain regions or cover the entire territory of the country. On the this moment network car repair shops are not very common in Russia. The most famous are: “White Service”, “On Wheels. RU", "Bosch Auto Service", "Fit automaster", "TRAK CENTER", "Tuning & Service".
  5. Ready-made franchise business. You can take advantage of a franchise offer from FitService, BoschService or Wilgud.

The first two options for organizing a service require a smaller initial investment. However, they are experiencing serious competition from larger market players. This problem is especially acute in large cities.

Choice of field of activity

The scope of activity of a car service may affect the repair of:

  • motorcycle technology;
  • passenger cars;
  • minibuses;
  • trucks up to 30 tons;
  • agricultural machinery.

The entrepreneur will have to decide on the repair of which cars the service will specialize in. These can be vehicles from foreign manufacturers, domestic or both. According to statistics, the probability of breakdown of both types of machines is approximately the same.

Additional services

The main and additional areas of work of a car service:

  • carwash;
  • diagnostics;
  • refueling and lubricating types of work;
  • installation of alarms and other protective systems;
  • repair of the motor, gearbox, power windows, bodywork, battery;
  • tuning;
  • clutch adjustment;
  • car glass installation, tinting;
  • painting;
  • welding work;
  • installation and dismantling of vehicle units;
  • troubleshooting in steering;
  • installation of musical equipment;
  • balancing, tire fitting and wheel alignment.

Covering one hundred percent of services in one workshop is almost impossible and irrational. Service owners advise at the initial stage of establishing a business to take several areas of activity as a basis and not get hung up on a particular brand of car. In most cases, the highest profits are received by those car services that have chosen a narrow specialization, compared with station wagons.

Market analysis and target audience

After analyzing the market, several trends can be identified:

  1. There are more than 50 thousand companies in Russia that provide services for the maintenance and repair of machines.
  2. Most of the Russian market (65%) is occupied by authorized services, followed by network, single and self-employed entrepreneurs have the smallest share (10%).
  3. According to Avstostat estimates, the vast majority of car repair shops are highly specialized enterprises (58%). Mostly these are tuning studios, car washes, body repair stations, engine repairs, electricians, etc.
  4. The growth in demand for car service is confirmed by statistics. In 2012, the market capacity was about 300 billion rubles, and in 2016 the milestone of 500 billion rubles was overcome. Demand is growing even in the context of the economic crisis, it is more profitable for consumers to repair old car rather than buying a new one.
  5. The target audience is mainly the owners of passenger vehicles. However, the business can be focused on the repair of trucks and large special equipment. Approximately 60% of consumers are men between the ages of 18 and 60.
  6. The target audience for which the workshop will be oriented depends on its specialization.

Competitive advantages

The strengths of the opened car repair shop should be the following points:

  • high quality of services provided;
  • operational diagnostics and repair;
  • availability of specialized equipment;
  • attractive pricing policy;
  • providing a guarantee for the work performed;
  • the possibility of ordering auto parts through the service;
  • high qualification of masters;
  • performance of narrow-profile work;
  • advanced training of key workers;
  • respectful and friendly attitude towards customers;
  • providing the client with the possibility of personal presence during car repair or waiting for the completion of operations performed in a specially equipped room;
  • pre-registration.

Step-by-step instructions for starting a business

To properly organize a profitable auto technical center, you must perform the following sequence of actions:

  1. We carry out market analysis.
  2. We determine the business format and the range of services provided.
  3. We develop a detailed business plan.
  4. We open a company.
  5. We choose a room or place for its construction.
  6. In the case of a lease, we conclude a long-term lease of premises or land.
  7. We repair the premises, if necessary, we carry out redevelopment.
  8. We buy equipment, inventory and consumables.
  9. We select staff.
  10. We carry out activities to promote the service.

Business registration

For a workshop created "in the garage", the organizational form of an individual entrepreneur is suitable. And for a single, network or authorized service - the LLC form.

For the work of the company in the field of providing services for the diagnosis and repair of vehicles, the sale of spare parts, the following activity codes are indicated during registration:

  • 50.2 - "Maintenance and repair of vehicles";
  • 50.3 - "Trade in automotive parts, assemblies and accessories";
  • 52.1 - "Retail trade in non-specialized stores";
  • 50.20.3 - "Provision of other types of vehicle maintenance services."

To open a service station from scratch, you must apply to tax office the following package of documents:

  • statement;
  • company registration certificate;
  • documents confirming the compliance of the premises with fire and sanitary standards;
  • contract for the provision of heating, water supply and garbage disposal services;
  • a lease agreement for premises or a document confirming the entrepreneur's ownership of it;
  • a document confirming the compliance of the services provided with current standards;
  • The next step is for the company to register off-budget funds and statistical bodies;

Room and location

Service space requirements:

  • availability of central water supply;
  • availability of central sewerage;
  • distance from residential buildings and reservoirs - at least 50 meters;
  • availability of electricity and heating;
  • inspection pit or the possibility of arranging it (otherwise, the purchase of lifting equipment will be required);
  • the area is calculated based on the standard: 5 square meters per worker (excluding space for equipment);
  • appearance;
  • availability of parking.

To open the most profitable and functional service, it is better to build the building yourself. In this case, the entrepreneur will have to find a suitable land plot that can be rented or bought. The latter option is more preferable, since in this case you can be sure that the landlord will not drive the entrepreneur out of the area.

Requirements for the location of the auto repair shop:

  • convenient access roads;
  • high permeability;
  • the presence of a gas station nearby, a garage cooperative, a highway, a car wash;
  • lack of direct competitors nearby.

The profitability of the business largely depends on the competent choice of the location of the car service station.

The area of ​​the building of a full-fledged car service is divided into the following zones:

  • reception;
  • room for customers to wait for their cars;
  • bathroom for clients;
  • office rooms;
  • workshops for maintenance, diagnostics and repair;
  • car wash area
  • tire fitting area;
  • tool warehouse;
  • warehouse of spare parts;
  • staff room (with shower and toilet).

Supplier selection

The activity of a vehicle service station is associated with the replacement of old parts and assemblies with new ones. Most services sell them, so the entrepreneur must carefully consider the process of choosing a reliable supplier of spare parts. They are pretty easy to find online. The use of specialized Internet services will save time on finding the required object and protect against the provision of irrelevant data.

Key criteria for choosing a supplier of automotive spare parts:

  • price;
  • Estimated delivery time;
  • product quality;
  • reputation of the supplier;
  • range.

Necessary equipment and furniture

Depending on the range of work performed by the auto repair shop, its equipment depends.

To succeed, at the initial stage of organizing a car service, you will need to invest from two to five million rubles. A well-equipped workshop inspires more trust among customers.

Required repair equipment:

Necessary office equipment, intangible assets and promotional materials:

Necessary furniture:

Lift for cars - 250,000 rubles Spray booth– 500,000 rubles Tire fitting equipment - 250,000 rubles Oil collection unit - 20,000 rubles Oil dispensing unit - 35,000 rubles Welding machine - 20,000 rubles

The video is devoted to an overview of modern equipment for equipping a car service. Filmed by the Tandem + channel, Car service equipment.

Staff

The staff of a full-fledged car service includes the following specialists:

  • director;
  • account Manager;
  • mechanic;
  • an electrician;
  • welder;
  • painter;
  • locksmith;
  • a person engaged in tire fitting;
  • bodybuilder;
  • receptionist;
  • several people engaged in car washing;
  • cleaning woman.

In a small auto repair shop, it is better to hire universal workers who can perform various jobs for enough good level. The functions of an accountant can be performed by the entrepreneur himself or by a specialized firm.

Promotion and advertising

For auto repair shop the best advertisement is word of mouth marketing. It is an informal way of conveying verbal information about a service's service between consumers. But in order for this method of promotion to work, it is necessary to promote the business and build a good reputation.

An entrepreneur can monitor the wishes and preferences of consumers. And on the basis of the information received, try to improve and improve the work of the service.

It is also necessary to constantly monitor your competitors according to the following criteria:

  • service quality;
  • the range of services provided;
  • prices;
  • advantages and disadvantages.
  • banner;
  • signboard;
  • stretching;
  • portable advertising structure;
  • stand.

In addition, to promote the service, you should use:

  • Internet space;
  • radio;
  • newspapers;
  • magazines;
  • flyer;
  • leaflets.

On the Internet, a corporate website should be created, pages in in social networks and run your own YouTube channel.

To turn one-time customers into regular customers, you should introduce a loyalty program that provides discounts:

  • for future repairs
  • when applying on a birthday;
  • free car wash
  • bonus system, etc.

Key factors for customer retention:

  • modern equipment;
  • operational performance of work, on time;
  • high quality;
  • attentive attitude towards customers.

Checks

Private car service is controlled by:

  • Federal Tax Service (once a year);
  • the fire department;
  • environmental service (twice a year);
  • local administration (in case of lease of municipal land);
  • Police.

The service can be located on a municipal property, or it can have city-owned land adjacent to the workshop building. Thus, the administration has the right to exercise control over this site and conduct inspections.

The Ecology Service checks:

  • how waste is disposed of;
  • how used fuels and lubricants are stored;
  • cleanliness of clothes for locksmiths;
  • the presence of oil stains on the floor, etc.

Financial plan

All items of expenditure should be taken into account and their cost should be determined as accurately as possible. Samples with calculations can be found and downloaded free of charge on the Internet.

A car service business plan includes the following costs for organizing your business.

The initial investment in the vehicle repair business will be about 4 million rubles. This example of start-up costs is designed for the organization of a medium-sized car service.

Regular investments

Monthly car repair expenses.

Approximate opening times

It will take about five months to open a car repair station, provided that the premises are rented. In the case of construction, the opening date of the service will be delayed by about a year.

It will take about three months to resolve organizational issues, including:

  • company registration;
  • selection of premises and conclusion of a lease agreement;
  • preparation of the project of the premises;
  • obtaining permits from regulatory authorities.

While deciding organizational issues, you should simultaneously do the preparation of the room.

Including:

  • building renovation;
  • ordering and installation of equipment;
  • hiring employees;
  • purchase Supplies, inventory, tools, furniture and office equipment.

Marketing activities should begin two months before the date of the proposed opening of the service.

Pros and cons

Strengths of the auto repair business:

  • stable and high demand;
  • promising market;
  • high profitability;
  • a wide range of service areas.

Weaknesses of the auto repair business:

  • high competition;
  • to get started, you need a serious start-up capital;
  • paperwork during registration;
  • numerous checks.

Risks and payback

The main risks affecting the operating activities of a car repair shop:

  • the risk of hiring low-skilled personnel;
  • the risk of loss of professional specialists due to their departure to work for competitors;
  • increased competition from large networks with great financial capabilities and aimed at the same target audience;
  • a decrease in demand due to a decrease in incomes of the population.

Due to the large initial investment, their payback will take about three years. The actual return on investment depends on the accuracy of planning and implementation of business project activities.

The business of servicing and repairing vehicles is a niche that can not only not slow down in a crisis, but, on the contrary, gain momentum. This is justified by the fact that the motorization of the population and enterprises is actively growing, and any vehicle sooner or later ends up in a car service.

 

According to the Association of European Businesses (AEB), sales of new cars, including commercial vehicles, fell by 8.5% in April 2016, down by 11,200 cars year on year. April sales were the worst in 10 years.

In Russia, from January to April 2016, 75,500 cars were sold less than in the same period in 2015.

However, even such seemingly bleak indicators fall into the hands of the owners of car services, because the longer the car is in operation, the more attentive in terms of maintenance, possible breakdowns, parts replacement and other manipulations it requires. And for those who are just thinking about organizing a business in this direction, the question arises of how to open a car service that will bring a stable profit.

Car service as a business

Art. 12 " federal law on Licensing Certain Types of Activities” establishes an exhaustive list of types of activities for which a license is required. Vehicle maintenance and repair activities are not included in this list. A car service license is not required.

What you need to open a car service, where to start:

  1. selection and registration of the legal form: individual entrepreneur or LLC;
  2. choice of taxation system;
  3. rent of premises, purchase of equipment, tools, consumables, hiring of personnel.

In addition, it is necessary to decide on the format of the future service station:

  • an independent service station with a highly specialized or combined service aimed at providing one or more types of services (tire fitting, car washing, alignment, body repair, and others), the advantages here are the absence of the need to share profits, as in the case of acquiring a franchise; completely independent business, although it is also a disadvantage, since it is required to develop detailed business plan, train staff, set up an advertising campaign, organize the process;
  • network, this includes official dealer services that specialize in servicing one particular brand, as well as network service stations that provide a full range of services and conduct business according to the rules common to all points, you can purchase a franchise from some of the large networks, the advantage of such a business is: comprehensive support at launch and in the process of activity, and a minus: the cost of the franchise itself and the need to share profits with the brand owner (pay royalties).

Car services of the Pit Stop network (USA) wash the car, fill it with oil, fuel and other necessary liquids within 12 minutes. In this case, production lines with remote control. The productivity of such a line is about 150 vehicles per shift. And the cost this complex services at these stations are 25% cheaper than at regular stations.

What and in what cases do car owners choose: dealerships or independent service stations? The analytical agency "Avtostat" conducted a survey in August 2015 among 3,000 car enthusiast respondents (see Figure 1).

Rice. 1 Authorized dealer or independent service station
Source: AUTOSTAT

Survey data show that 77% of car owners whose cars are under warranty prefer to be serviced by an authorized dealer, while 24% apply for post-warranty service to independent service stations, the percentage of requests to dealers drops to 23. But as for specific types of work, the dealer is more trusted to repair the gearbox 45% versus 41% for independent service stations, the engine 43% and 39%, respectively.

For other types of work, the surveyed car enthusiasts prefer to turn to independent stations in a larger number of cases: repair of the running gear of a car 48% versus 22%; wheel alignment 67% and 22%; scheduled maintenance - 49% and 19%, repair / refueling of the car air conditioner 62% and 19% and body repair 51% against 16%.

Outlook and trends

Car service is one of the most promising directions in the technology market: the car park is growing. Enterprises acquire new technology, while not acquiring its own repair base.

The car service market in Russia is gradually moving away from amateur repairmen organizing a “business” in a garage to large network points, or is consolidating into larger formats.

At such points organized customer service- a waiting room where you can drink coffee, use free wi-fi, watch TV, and just relax while the car is at the service. In addition, such companies provide club cards that offer a small set of free services (for example, oil changes or tire inflation), as well as additional discounts on basic services. All these moments help to turn an occasional client into a permanent one. It is not for nothing that they say that the theater begins with a hanger, and a car service starts with a client area.

What is important for car owners when choosing a service point

A survey conducted among car enthusiasts (see Figure 2), as well as enterprises owning large and small fleets, showed that when choosing a car service, the quality of work is of paramount importance, and for large fleets it is important by 52%, while for small and individuals — by 34%, the cost of services, on the contrary, is more important for private car owners (34%) than for large fleets (25%); in third place are the terms of work, which are almost equally important (by 15% and 14%); such moments as the services offered, the attitude of the staff, the implementation of the terms of the repair are secondary when choosing a service point, their significance ranges from 1% to 7%.

Rice. 2 Reason for choosing a service point
Source: Gruzavtoinfo magazine

Properly organized work of a car service is able to provide a key indicator of its demand - the quality of the work performed. And if an independent solution to this issue requires significant time and labor costs, then with a service station opened under a franchise, the situation is completely different.

Overview of network car services and the franchises they offer

Federal chain Fit service

The company opened its first station in 2008 in Omsk. Since 2013 (by this time another 8 stations were opened in Khabarovsk, Moscow and Novosibirsk), a decision was made to develop a partner network. The first franchise car service was opened in 2013. And two years later, the network consists of 55 stations in 23 cities of Russia.

The owners position the entry into the network not as a franchise, but as a partnership based on a win-win model (win-win). They offer to become partners in opening service stations in any of the three formats (see table 1)

  • garage - a simple format that allows you to reach payback in short time;
  • express is the optimal format;
  • standard - full cycle car service.

The Fit service franchise car services business provides for an automation system: in one program, a warehouse, cash and management accounting are collected. Why is it convenient? The company provides all necessary materials: from the building design with technical recommendations, job descriptions for each employee; as well as forms of support: advertising campaigns, marketing, call center services.

Databases are provided - catalogs and regulations for repair with detailed description and standard hours for all car models, any year of manufacture.

Fit service partners work directly with suppliers of spare parts, consumables, auto chemicals, which provides discounts that single entrepreneurs are deprived of.

The company has developed a system of motivation, training and advanced training of personnel in its own training center, which increases the prestige of working in the company for employees and reduces staff turnover.

Wilgud

The Wilgud car service network was founded by the spouses Sherzod and Barno Tursunov in 2011.

The idea to open a car service from scratch came to businessmen who were previously involved in the trade in building materials, for the following reasons: firstly, this is a business that can be scaled, secondly, it has the potential to grow in a crisis, and thirdly, it can be easily shared with partners. Their distinctive know-how was the Wilgood IS IT system, through which all work with the client is built. It prevents employees from stealing and motivates them to work. As the results show, the ideas of the founders of the Wilgud network were correct.

So, as of March 2016:

  • there are 28 car services from St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk, of which 6 are owner-owned, 22 are franchised;
  • average check STO Vilgud - 8,000 rubles;
  • RUB 4,000,000 - average turnover per month of a car service network in Moscow;
  • 400 million rubles - the total turnover of all points of the network for 2015;
  • in March 2016 - more than 8,000 car enthusiasts became customers of Wilgud.

Franchise conditions and cost:

  • for Moscow and St. Petersburg - 2,000,000 rubles;
  • cities with a population of more than 1 million - 1,500,000 rubles;
  • other cities - 1,000,000 rubles;
  • royalties in the first year of operation of a car service - 3.5% of revenue monthly.

The dynamics of a working car service in Troitsk for three lifts, with one wheel alignment post. Before acquiring a franchise, he worked for 5 years. The graph (see Fig. 3) shows the dynamics for 18 months.

Like any technique, cars periodically fail, and the owner begins to look for a car service where you can quickly and efficiently repair the vehicle. Based on this, despite the great competition in this segment, opening your own car service center can be a very profitable investment.

Types of car services

Before talking about opening a car service, you need to decide on the type of opening.

The structure of the car maintenance market currently includes:

  1. Authorized car services. Enterprises of this type are engaged in the repair of one particular brand of car. Often, the opening of this type of service requires the conclusion of an agreement with official dealers.
  2. Network car services. This is a branded car service with a developed network of branches in one or more regions.
  3. Singles. Car services that do not have any accreditation, but at the same time are in very high demand among car owners.
  4. Individual services. It is allowed to provide services of this type without opening a car service. At the same time, repairs can be carried out both at the master’s home and with a visit to the client’s home, depending on the complexity of the work.

It is necessary to start opening a car service with the choice of its type. In general, the most profitable option- opening of a single car service. In the future, it can be transferred to the network.

Choosing a place for a car service

The second stage in opening your own car service is choosing a suitable place and premises. The choice of location does not play a special role. It can be either a busy freeway, or a place in a residential area or residential sector.

But at the same time, it is important to note that the SES imposes the following requirements on the premises for a car service, which you need to pay attention to:

  • the premises cannot be classified as residential;
  • it is forbidden to open a car service in public building;
  • the premises must be located at least 15 meters from residential buildings and at least 50 meters from playgrounds, kindergartens and schools, as well as medical institutions;
  • availability of water supply and sewerage;
  • heating is required during the cold season;
  • the presence of flow-exhaust ventilation;
  • daylight;
  • viewing hole.

Best used to open own business garage or hangar, a premise that was in production. Approximate area based on 4 workplaces is about 250 - 300 sq. m. The presence of parking near the premises will be a definite plus.

You can buy the premises you find or rent it. At the same time, it is important to conclude a long-term contract.

Room equipment

Before you start registering a business, you need to equip the premises and bring it in accordance with sanitary standards. For the sanitary service, it is necessary to carry out following works:

Additionally, it is necessary to carry out zoning of the room. Allocate a room for staff, where the car mechanic could change clothes, relax in between work. For clients, be sure to allocate a hall where they will be received. It is advisable to install several sofas and a table for relaxing, a TV, a coffee machine there.

work space can also be zoned. For example, for large repairs, allocate one room, for small ones - another. Or focus on the type of service provided - welding and straightening in one room, painting - in another, repair - in a third.

At the same time, please note that one specialist should have at least 5 square meters.

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