I started my business in 2015. I would say that first year was a soft start because I swear I sat by that phone for an entire year before jobs really started rolling. I actually got bored and remodeled my kitchen that year. In any case, once that phone started ringing, it really never stopped. My client list doesn't change much. Occasionally one will drop off but then another pops up. It's fairly organic the way my business has grown. Winter has historically been fairly slow, but I just came off my worst February since 2015. 2024 was the best year my little company ever had, overall. This last month though... the pits. I guess I'm going to have to turn on my Google ad again. I did that once in 2018. I had it on for 2 or 3 months back then, and had more work than I knew what to do with. I hope I get the same result this time!
You can also plan your major repairs or projects for the winter. I only drive 99-07 super dutys, good time to fix one up in tip top shape when your slow. If you don't need the truck then you can sell it for a profit, can be many different things
That only works if you have a heated shop.
I dont
Me neither. Can't do any paint work or anything requiring sealant etc this time of year.
Edison motors built a whole truck without a heated shop, in Canada
I'm fortunate enough to have a heated shop. Of course the furnace is on the blink, but it works 75% of the time, which is probably about as long as I'm interested in working anyway Oddly, I recently bought a newer truck and have used this time to fix er up. It's got some rust jacking on the frame, so I have my work cut out for me on that one. The old rig is still out there running though.
I am assuming you are a contractor but as a mechanic it never does slow down in the winter. Everyone spends all spring, summer, and fall just fixing enough to keep moving and then winter time is when the big projects come in. I do almost all overhauls in the winter and only do them when the weather is nice when the machine just won't go anymore. Had an M11 out of a PC400 last fall that customer refused to down the machine to roll in bearings. 5 weeks after I put in a new PT pump and injectors number 2 rod let go of the crank so over the winter it got lots of new parts
I was worried about a slow winter, too. So, I set up a pilot car biz last Fall take advantage of the heavy haul season. But, I never slowed down. Now, I have amber flashy-flash lights on everything and cool radios, so there’s that. But, pilot cars are still in demand if anyone wants to hit the haul road and stack some paper.
I haven’t slowed down since I returned to Maine in august. Spring break up is only a few weeks away and then I’ll be swamped until around June. I’d love to add another truck and an employee but I keep hearing the horror stories about employees and keep hesitating.
It’s scary. One big F-up by an employee can ruin a small business. They will just mosey along to the next gig, while you clean up the mess.
That’s one of my hesitations. As it stands, I’m about maxed out. I work 55-60 hours a week and that’s all I want. I make a decent living but I’d like to grow my business. I‘m 44 years old and I’d like to retire from wrenching at 60 and if I had something to sell besides some tools and a worn out service truck by then it would be ideal.
I'm lucky in the fact that i have 4 sons. They all help but only 2 of them show any real interest. I tell them all the time not to stick with it and go do something because field work is a hard way to make a living and by their 30's will have tingling/numb hands poor hearing and arthritis in every joint but since they are teenagers dad doesn't know what he is talking about.
It used to be that CO was boom or bust. How much is a goggle ad?
I was on the fence for years about adding an employee and even tried having a helper for a while but as stated above I found when I had a helper my failure rate went up not only because the helper made a mistake but also because I was distracted by monitoring the jobs they did. If you’re billing 55 hours a week and keep your rates as high as they should be you should be able to put away or invest more than enough retirement money. I am looking at retirement now at 60 and have weeded my customer base down to a few good ones. I’m not sure that I will ever completely retire as long as I can work. I will just do the engine and trans rebuilds I can do in my spare time. I built a shop on my acreage so I don’t have to go far to work.
It's nice if you can take your time and just work on things you want to, especially if you can do them at home.