automotive repair shop business plan

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How to Write an Auto Repair Business Plan: Complete Guide

• January 24, 2023

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Whether you’re looking to raise funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan) for your auto repair shop, you will need to prepare a solid business plan.

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in your auto repair business plan. Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

Though the executive summary is the first and the most important section, it should normally be the last section you write because it’s the summary of the different sections included in your business plan.

Why do you need a business plan for your auto repair shop?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

• Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders (such as a SBA loan )
• Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or private grant

How to write an executive summary for your auto repair shop?

Provide a precise and high-level summary of every section that you have included in the business plan. The information and the data you include in this segment should grab the attention of potential investors and lenders immediately. Ensure that the executive summary doesn’t exceed 2 pages in total.

The executive summary usually consists of the 5 major sub-sections that include:

• Business overview : introduce your auto repair shop and its type or concept. For instance, you may offer a body repair shop, auto glass repair shop, auto systems expert shop, etc. Also, provide a brief of your shop’s size and a list of services offered
• Market analysis : introduce the market and mention the service radius, average income of the target audience , and their demographic distribution. Also, mention the problem that your auto repair shop will solve alongside the total competitor count within your service radius
• People : introduce the management team and their industry experience. Mention your business partner(s), if any. Give an overview of the staffing requirements and the reporting hierarchy
• Financial plan : how much profit and revenue do you expect in the next 5 years? When will you reach the break-even point and start making profits ? It is ideal to include a chart depicting your key financials such as revenue, gross profits, and net profit
• Funding ask : what loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this last?

Auto Repair Financial Model Template

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

2. Business Overview

The Business Overview segment of your auto repair shop’s business plan will introduce your company and try to answer some important questions that potential investors and lenders may have . Here is a sample list of questions that you must try to address in the company overview section:

• Why are you opening an auto repair shop?
• Where is your shop located? Why did you choose that location?
• What type of auto repair shop will you open?
• What services will you offer? At what prices?
• What will be your operating days / hours?
• Who is your target audience?
• How many customers can you serve per week / per month?
• What will be the legal structure of your company?

a) History of the Project

Any business must have three components:

• Passion & experience of the business owner
• The rationale behind you starting this business today

Passion & Experience

You must be passionate about the business and demonstrate the same to the potential lenders and/or investors through the business plan.

Also, you must have some experience or training in this type of business. Maybe, you worked as a repair technician somewhere, or maybe, you have the necessary training & education.

The business must try to resolve some issues in its current area of operation. For instance, there may not be any dedicated auto paint repair shop in the area and residents there need to travel far to get the job done. Thus, an auto paint repair shop there will solve the problem that auto owners face.

b) Business Model

Describe the business model that you will adopt in this sub-section. Here you must answer the 2 following questions:

• Will you acquire an existing auto repair shop and remodel it, or will you start your shop from scratch?

What are the different types of auto repair shops?

For example, you may open any of the following types of auto repair shops:

• Auto System Expert : In this model, you will specialize in the survey of a vehicle’s key systems such as breaks, gears, engine, etc. This model has a high revenue potential
• Auto Repair Service Technicians : This is the most standard model where you will perform basic checks like electricals, oil fluid levels, etc. This model thrives on regular repeat customers since vehicle manufacturers recommend servicing every 10k to 12k miles or every 12 months. So, those who drive a lot will be more likely to pay regular visits
• Auto Body Repair Service : In this business model, you will be dealing with vehicles involved in accidents and crashes. Though it is highly unlikely that you will get regular (or high volume) customers, the revenue earned per sale is very high. The model involves fixing broken parts, scratches, replacing damaged parts, etc.
• Diagnostic Technicians : In this model, you will perform skilled checks for underlying vehicle issues. Such issues cannot be seen from the surface and hence, require a higher level of skill compared to regular service technicians
• Auto Glass Repair : In this model, you will focus on repairing glass-related auto parts such as windows, windshields, etc. This model also has high-income potential for each order, but there will be times when you get customers who don’t want a complete replacement and require fixing only small cracks, scratches, etc.
• Auto Repair Painters : In this model, you will engage in vehicle repainting and stylizing & visual customizations as per customer requirements. The revenue potential of this model is often tied to pollution levels. Thus, places with high environmental pollution will offer more customers looking for a fresh coat of paint

c) Products & Services

It is needless to say that the products and services you will offer will depend on the auto repair shop model you are selecting. It is very important to outline the products & services that you will offer so that the investors know exactly which offerings will attract more revenue for your business.

Here is a sample list of products & services that you may offer (but remember to list only those that are relevant to your business model):

• Brake repair services
• Tire rotation services
• Tire change
• Transmission services
• Oil & filter change
• Scheduled maintenance

Make sure that you are listing all services because generally auto repair services will not offer hundreds of products & services. They are quite limited and hence, listing them all is possible.

d) Pricing Strategy

In addition with the list of services you offer, provide an estimated price range for specific services. There should not be extreme differences between you and your competitors.

For example, you cannot charge twice as much as your competitors charge for a simple oil & filter change. If you try to do that, you will fail to attract customers.

Include a pricing list for the products and services that you will offer. You don’t need to provide precise numbers. Average pricing will do.

For example, you can provide an average price range for tire replacement because tire prices will vary depending on the manufacturer, model, type, country of origin, etc.

Offering a pricing list, or at least average prices, is important as it will allow investors to tie your pricing strategy with your financial projections later on (more on that below).

e) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify the legal structure of your business.

Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Auto Repair Market Overview

A complete understanding of the market where you want to operate is important for the success of your business.

For example, if you want to open an auto glass repair shop in an area where most of the vehicle owners usually come for regular servicing, it might not be a viable business model for the area.

Similarly, if your auto repair shop is located in a low-income neighborhood where only a small percentage of the residents own private vehicles, your business may not succeed.

Break this section into three sub-sections that will include:

a) Market Trends

Understanding market trends will not be easy. It may require a lot of research, unless you already have strong experience (as a car mechanic for example) in the area.

The best way to perform your research will be to talk with your potential customers. Also, you can study competing auto repair shops to get an idea of the type of customers they receive, the services they provide, etc.

Some common questions you may ask the target audience include:

• What type of vehicles do they drive or prefer to drive?
• How many vehicles do they have in a family?
• What type of auto repair services do they usually require?
• How often do they go to a repair shop?

b) Competition analysis

Studying your competitors’ business models is vital. You need to understand what makes them successful or why they fail. A clear understanding of their products and services, marketing strategies, etc., will allow you to provide a better service.

If your competitors are offering nearly the same products & services, then what is their market share and how do they market their products & services to attract new customers?

It is always a good idea to do some research (if necessary, physically visit your competitors without revealing your business intentions) and create a comparative table summarizing their product & service offerings, marketing strategies, target audience, etc.

Here is a sample table that you can use:

The table you will create will depend on what information you need and want to include based on your proposed business model.

c) SWOT Analysis

Try to provide a SWOT analysis . It must be crisp and highly focused. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats.

Here is a sample that you can use as a reference:

• Strengths : 20 years of experience in car body repair and customization service, a team of highly specialized diagnostic technicians, etc.
• Weaknesses : Startup cost, zero reputation, little marketing experience
• Opportunities : High accident-prone zone, no car body repair shop within a 15-mile radius
• Threats : Low-cost service providers

A clear understanding of your strengths and weakness along with opportunities and threats in the real market can help you to design your marketing strategy . It also helps potential investors to assess the risk and reward profile of your business.

d) Customers

This is the sub-section where you will provide a detailed analysis of your target audience. You will expand the data points your provided earlier in the Business Overview segment.

Some important points that you must include in your customer analysis include:

• Age and gender distribution (you can get local demographic data from census.gov )
• Driver gender ratio
• Number of vehicles per family
• Average monthly income and disposable income
• Average bill size per visit
• Average yearly spending on auto repair services
• Vehicle type & brand preferences

You can add as many data points as required to validate your business decision. The idea here is to display your deep understanding of the target audience and the needs, preferences, and expectations. This knowledge can help you to tailor your products & services to attract new customers.

4. Sales & Marketing

This is the section of your business plan where you outline your customer acquisition strategy. Try to answer the following questions:

• What are your Unique Selling Points (USPs)?
• What are the different marketing strategies you will use?
• How do you intend to track the success of your marketing strategy?
• What is your CAC or customer acquisition cost?
• What is your marketing budget?
• What introductory promos and offers do you intend to provide for attracting new customers?

What marketing channels do auto repair shops use?

A few marketing channels that auto repair shops typically use are:

• Signage, billboards
• PPC ads, Facebook ads, etc.
• Print media
• Loyalty programs
• Online local listing (Google Business)
• Content marketing (share content like vehicle maintenance tips, safe driving tips, etc.) on platforms like blogs, social media, etc.
• Word of mouth

You must have a fair and nearly accurate estimate of your marketing budget. Therefore, make sure to budget for marketing accordingly in your financial projections.

What are your Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)?

In other words, how do you differentiate yourself vs. competitors? This is very important as you might need to win customers from competitors.

A few examples of USPs are:

• High quality service
• Location : you store is closer to a busy road and/or to where your customers live
• Partnerships with car manufacturer brands that refer you to their customers
• Loyalty reward programs : X number of free tune-ups, alignments, and brake services per year

Your USPs will depend on your business model, competitor analysis , and target audience. Whatever your USPs are, it should appeal to your potential customers and attract them.

5. Management & People

You must address 2 things here:

• The management team and their experience/track record
• The organizational structure: the different team members and who reports to whom

Small businesses often fail because of managerial weaknesses. Thus, having a strong management team is vital. Highlight the experience and education of senior managers that you intend to hire to oversee your auto repair shop business.

Describe their duties, responsibilities, and roles. Also, highlight their previous experience and explain how they succeeded in their previous roles.

It is also important that you explain how their experiences and qualifications help you in implementing the auto repair shop you are proposing. If they have specialized training and education (such as automotive technician training, collision & auto body repair training, etc.), add that information.

Organization Structure

Even if you haven’t already hired a service manager, mechanics, helpers, and other relevant staff members, you must provide a chart of the organizational structure outlining the different teams, roles and their reporting lines.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan.

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your auto repair shop is an attractive investment.

There should be 3 sections to your financial plan section:

• Your historical financials (only if you already operate the business and have financial accounts to show)
• The startup costs of your project (if you plan to purchase new repair equipment, renovate your facilities, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Historical Financials (if any)

In the scenario where you already have some historical financials (a few quarters or a few years), include them. A summary of your financial statements in the form of charts e.g. revenue, gross profit and net profit is enough, save the rest for the appendix.

If you don’t have any, don’t worry, most new businesses don’t have any historical financials and that’s ok. If so, jump to Startup Costs instead.

b) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project. For an auto repair business, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you open your auto repair shop and starting making sales. These expenses typically are:

• The lease deposit for the commercial space you rent (if you don’t buy it)
• The design and renovation of the existing facilities
• The auto repair equipment

Assuming you do not buy the land and the building but decide to rent instead, typically startup costs are anywhere from $67,200 to $225,500 for a typical small (5,000 sq. ft.) auto repair shop.

c) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid financial model over 5 years.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in your business plan.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements , financial metrics, Key Performance Indicators , key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
• When do you expect to break even ?
• How much cash will you burn until you get there?
• What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 20%) on your margins?
• What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement ). This means you must forecast:

• The number of customers over time ;
• Your expected revenue ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing and the number of customers as a small change in these assumptions will have a big impact on your revenues.

7. Funding Ask

This is the last section of your auto repair shop business plan . Now that we have explained what your auto repair business model is about, what’s your strategy, where you go and how you get there, this section must answer the following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
• How long will this funding last?
• Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debt:

• What percentage of the total funding the loan represents?
• What is the corresponding Debt Service Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• What percentage ownership are you selling as part of this funding round?
• What is the corresponding valuation of your business?

Use of Funds

Any auto repair business plan should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment in paying your employees’ salaries? Or will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit and the machines and equipment?

Those are very important questions you should be able to answer in the blink of an eye. Don’t worry, this should come straight from your financial projections. If you’ve built solid projections like in our financial plan template for auto repair shops , you won’t have any issues answering these questions.

Privacy Overview

Auto Repair Business Plan

Written by Dave Lavinsky

You’ve come to the right place to create your Auto Repair shop business plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Auto Repair shops.

Auto Repair Business Plan Example

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Automotive Repair business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair is a startup auto repair shop located in St. Louis, Missouri. The Company is founded by Tim Martinez, an experienced auto mechanic who has gained valuable knowledge on how to manage an auto repair shop during the past 15 years while working at Fast Cars Auto Repair. Now that Tim has experienced managing an auto repair shop, he is ready to start his own company, Tim’s Timely Auto Repair. Tim is confident that his auto repair skills, combined with his understanding of business management, will enable him to run a profitable auto repair shop of his own. Tim is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of auto repair shop operations – sales and marketing, customer service, and financial reporting.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will provide reliable auto repair services for customers in the St. Louis area. Tim’s Timely will be the go-to auto repair shop in St. Louis for convenient scheduling, quality work, and timely repairs. The Company will be the ultimate choice for busy individuals, providing the best customer service in the area.

Product Offering

Auto Repair will provide the following repair services for most vehicle makes and models:

• Brake repair
• Powertrain repair
• Muffler & exhaust repair
• Heating repair
• Electrical system repair
• Wheel alignment and repair
• Preventative repair & maintenance

Customer Focus

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will target personal vehicle owners in St. Louis. The Company will also target small businesses who use a vehicle for their company’s operations such as delivery drivers, plumbers, and other mobile businesses. No matter the customer, Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will deliver the best communication, service, and results.

Management Team

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be owned and operated by Tim Martinez. Tim is a graduate of Missouri University with a Bachelor’s degree in Automotive Technology. He has 15 years of experience working as an auto repair technician and manager of another local shop. Tim will be the Company’s CEO and the Head Auto Repair Technician. He will oversee the day-to-day operations, auto repair equipment management, and auto technician staff’s activities.

Tim has recruited his former administrative assistant, Jen Jackson, to be the Company’s Chief Operations Officer and help oversee the auto repair shop’s daily operations and customer relations. Jen has a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She has worked in the auto repair industry for many years and understands what it takes to effectively run this type of business.

Success Factors

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Skilled team of auto repair technicians who will be able to diagnose and repair a wide variety of vehicle issues in a timely manner.
• Tim’s Timely Auto Repair makes it easy for customers to schedule appointments, pay for service, and check on the status of their vehicle through a user-friendly customer app.
• The Company offers competitive pricing and discounts for regular customers.

Financial Highlights

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair is seeking $250,000 in debt financing to launch its auto repair business. The funding will be dedicated towards securing the auto repair shop and purchasing auto repair equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Auto repair shop build-out: $100,000
• Equipment, supplies, and materials: $40,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, utilities): $90,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Tim’s Timely Auto Repair.

Company Overview

Who is tim’s timely auto repair.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair is a newly established auto repair business in St. Louis, Missouri. Tim’s Timely will be the first choice for vehicle owners in St. Louis and the surrounding communities for its reliable and timely repair services. The Company is able to service almost any vehicle make and model and has the ability to accommodate customers’ busy schedules.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be able to guarantee the quality of its repairs thanks to the latest and most reliable auto repair equipment and technology combined with stringent quality control standards. The Company’s team of highly qualified professionals experienced in a wide range of automotive issues will be able to provide timely diagnosis and repair. Customers can easily schedule appointments, check on their vehicle, and make payments using the Company’s customer app.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair History

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair is owned and operated by Tim Martinez, an experienced auto mechanic who has gained valuable knowledge during his 15 year tenure working as an auto repair technician and manager at another local auto repair shop. Now that Tim has gained the experience and knowledge of how to manage an auto repair shop, he is ready to start one of his own. Tim has begun recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day to day complexities of running an auto repair shop – sales and marketing, customer service, and financial reporting.

Since incorporation, Tim’s Timely Auto Repair has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Tim’s Timely Auto Repair, LLC to transact business in the state of Missouri.
• Has begun negotiations to purchase the warehouse that will become the shop.
• Reached out to numerous contacts to include past customers, local businesses, and friends and family members to start spreading the word about the new shop.
• Began recruiting a staff of accountants, auto repair technicians, maintenance workers, and sales personnel to work at Tim’s Timely Auto Repair.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair Services

Industry analysis.

The United States auto repair market is valued at $78B with approximately 280,000 businesses in operation and over 614,000 employees working in the industry across the country. The auto repair industry has grown steadily over the past five years. Much of this growth can be attributed to more vehicles on the road combined with an increasing age of the vehicles in service. Additionally, rising disposable incomes have led to more people foregoing DIY repairs, and instead, taking their vehicles to industry operators when they need to be repaired.

One of the biggest challenges facing the auto repair industry is the growing shortage of technicians as many are retiring and there are not enough new technicians joining the field to fill the vacancies. Additional challenges include increased digitization and evolving technologies. Industry operators will need to keep up with the latest innovations to remain competitive.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will target vehicle owners in St. Louis. The Company will also target small businesses who use a vehicle for their company’s operations such as delivery drivers, plumbers, and other mobile businesses. No matter the customer, Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will deliver the best communication, service, and results..

The precise demographics for St. Louis, Missouri are:

Customer Segmentation

Tim’s Timely will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Individual vehicle owners
• Delivery drivers
• Mobile service providers who use vehicles for their business operations (e.g., plumbers, HVAC, mobile pet grooming, non-emergency medical transport, solar panel installers, etc.)

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Fast Cars Auto Repair

Established in 1975, Fast Cars Auto Repair is one of the largest auto repair companies in Missouri. The company provides a wide range of repair and maintenance services for many vehicle makes and models, with a focus on sports cars, luxury cars, and race cars. Fast Cars Auto Repair’s leadership team continuously introduces new technology and repair training for its staff to ensure all technicians are equipped to repair the latest model vehicles. The company has four locations in St. Louis, with more being built in the near future.

JP’s Affordable Auto Repair

JP’s Affordable Auto Repair is a small auto repair shop catering to local vehicle owners in St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding areas. JP’s Affordable Auto Repair provides efficient service at affordable prices. The company provides same day and 48-hour repairs for an extra fee. The owners of JP’s Affordable Auto Repair have been in the automotive business for over 40 years, so they keenly understand the ins-and-outs of running an auto repair shop.

Dependable Dan’s Auto Repair

Dependable Dan’s Auto Repair is a trusted St. Louis, Missouri-based auto repair shop that provides superior service to vehicle owners in St. Louis and the surrounding areas. The company is able to provide a wide variety of repair services for both personal and commercial vehicles. Dependable Dan’s Auto Repair has been family owned and operated since 1999. The company prides itself on being the number one choice for quality auto repair services at competitive prices.

Competitive Advantage

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be able to offer the following advantages over the competition:

• Skilled team of auto repair technicians who are highly skilled and trained in a wide variety of vehicle issues to provide reliable results for almost any make or model.
• Tim’s Timely Auto Repair makes it easy for customers to obtain the Company’s services. Customers can schedule appointments, check on their vehicle, and make payments through the convenience of the customer app.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Tim’s Timely Auto Repair provides reliable results in a timely manner for most vehicle makes and models.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Tim’s Timely Auto Repair is as follows:

Social Media Marketing

The Company will enlist the help of a marketing director to create accounts on social media platforms such as Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.  The marketing director will ensure Tim’s Timely maintains an active social media presence with regular updates and informative content.

Professional Associations and Networking

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will become a member of professional associations such as the Automotive Service Association, Auto Care Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, and the International Automotive Technicians Network. The leadership team will focus their networking efforts on expanding the Company’s customer network.

Print Advertising

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in programs or flyers at industry networking events. The Company will also send direct mailers to local businesses who may be interested in auto repair services.

Publications

The Company will invest in advertisements in major industry publications such as Auto Body Repair News Magazine, Auto Inc., and Auto Service Professional publications. Additionally, the Company will invest in local advertising through newspapers, magazines, and community newsletters.

Website/SEO Marketing

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will create a company website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Tim’s Timely is able to provide. The Company’s marketing director will also manage the Company’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone types in a search engine “St. Louis auto repair shop” or “auto repair shop near me”, Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing the Company’s superior repair services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Tim’s Timely Auto Repair.

Operation Functions:

• Tim Martinez will be the CEO and Head Auto Repair Technician. He will oversee the auto repair technicians, repair process, and the auto repair equipment maintenance. Tim has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Jen Jackson – Chief Operating Officer who will manage the bookkeeping, customer relationships, and help oversee the daily operations for the Company.
• Andrea Miller – Accountant who will provide all accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
• Bill Smith – Marketing Director who will oversee all marketing strategies for the Company and manage the website, social media, and outreach.

Milestones:

Tim’s Timely Auto Repair will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

11/1/2022 – Finalize contract to purchase property.

11/15/2022 – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the Tim’s Timely Auto Repair management team.

12/1/2022 – Begin build-out of the shop and purchase equipment and supplies.

12/15/2022 – Begin networking at industry events and implement the marketing plan.

1/15/2023 – Finalize contracts for auto repair technicians.

2/15/2023 – Tim’s Timely Auto Repair officially opens for business.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Tim’s Timely Auto Repair are the fees charged to customers in exchange for the Company’s auto repair services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff an auto repair shop. The expenses will be the payroll cost, utilities, auto repair equipment and supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Average number of vehicles serviced per month: 450
• Average fees per month: $15,000
• Overhead costs per year: $140,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, auto repair business plan faqs, what is an auto repair business plan.

An auto repair  business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your auto repair company business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your auto repair  business plan using our Auto Repair  Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Auto Repair Companies?

There are a number of different kinds of auto repair companies , some examples include: Auto Service Shop, Transmission Repair Shop, and Body Repair Shop.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Auto Repair Business Plan?

Auto repair companies are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding. A thorough  business plan for auto repair shop will show investors you are well-prepared to start a business on your own.

Auto Repair Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Auto Repair Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their auto repair businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through an auto repair business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is an Auto Repair Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your auto repair business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Auto Repair Business

If you’re looking to start an auto repair business, or grow your existing auto repair business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your auto repair business in order to improve your chances of success. Your auto repair business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Auto Repair Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for an auto repair business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings is the other most common form of funding for an auto repair business.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

If you want to start an auto repair business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your auto repair business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your mechanic shop business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of auto repair business you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an auto repair business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of auto repair businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the auto repair industry. Discuss the type of auto repair business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of auto repair business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of auto repair businesses:

• Auto Service Shop : this type of auto repair business focuses on routine servicing of cars and trucks, such as oil changes and tire rotation.
• Transmission Repair Shop: this type of business focuses on maintenancing, diagnosing and repairing transmissions in all types of cars.
• Body Repair Shop: this type of repair shop focuses on repairing damage to the body of a vehicle, primarily cosmetic damage due to collision.

In addition to explaining the type of auto repair business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, number of positive reviews, amount of monthly revenue, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the auto repair industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the auto repair industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your automotive business plan:

• How big is the auto repair industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your auto repair business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your mechanic business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: car owners, truck owners, luxury vehicle owners, classic vehicle owners, and businesses that own vehicles such as car rentals, car dealers, delivery businesses, and repairmen.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of auto repair business you operate. Clearly, luxury vehicle owners would respond to different marketing promotions than truck owners, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most auto repair businesses primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other auto repair businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to choose from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes auto parts stores (for DIY repair). You need to mention such competition as well.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other auto repair businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be auto repairs located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What types of vehicles do they maintenance and repair, or what types of maintenance and repairs do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide better maintenance and repair services?
• Will you provide services that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a car service business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of auto repair company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to auto repair, will you provide car rental services, repair financing or any other services?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your auto repair company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your auto repair business located in a busy retail district, industrial area, etc. Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your auto repair marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your auto repair business, including speaking with vehicle owners in person or on the phone, maintenancing and repairing vehicles.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to repair your 50th car, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your auto repair business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your auto repair business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing auto repair businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing auto repair shops or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, how many cars will you repair per week? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your auto repair business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing an auto repair business:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your shop location lease or descriptions of repairs you are working on.   Summary Putting together a business plan for your auto repair business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the auto repair industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful auto repair business.  

Auto Repair Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my auto repair shop business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Auto Repair Shop Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of auto repair shop you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have an auto repair shop that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of auto repair shops?

Where Can I Download a Business Plan PDF?

You can access our business plan pdf download here.

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How to write a stellar business plan for an auto repair shop

Are you passionate about fixing cars and restoring them to their former glory? If so, you may have been dreaming about setting up your very own car garage for some time. Before fully taking the plunge, however, you'll need a tailor-made business plan.

To guide you through this process, we've written the guide below to offer our top tips for making your auto repair shop business plan a reality.

On the menu:

• Why do you need a business plan?
• What type of auto repair shop should I open?
• What do you need to create your auto repair shop business plan?
• What is the financial forecast for an auto repair shop?
• What does the written part of an auto repair shop business plan look like?
• What tool should I use to write my business plan?
• Business plan template of an auto repair shop.
• Three things you should know before writing an auto repair shop business plan

1. Why do you need an auto repair shop business plan?

Did you know that 60% of all new businesses in the UK are likely to cease trading within their first three years? Durham City Incubator believes that a "lack of business planning" is the number one reason for the failure rate being so high.

Writing out an auto repair shop business plan is, therefore, essential for your new business.

An auto repair shop business plan allows you to identify the level of initial financing that is required. It also helps you:

• Anticipate any potential cash flow problems along the way
• Estimate how much profit your business is likely to make, within its first three to five years of trading
• Obtain financing from the bank - Small Biz Trends concludes that you are twice as likely to secure funding if you have a business plan

2. What type of auto repair shop should I open?

According to A Plus Auto Glass, there are multiple types of auto repair shops that you could open:

Auto repair service technicians

This is perhaps the most standardized service from the lot. It entails basic checks such as oil fluid levels and electricals.

You'll likely receive several repeat customers if you choose this model (especially those who drive a considerable amount) because servicing a car is recommended every 12 months or 10,000-12,000 miles (whichever comes first)!

Diagnostic technicians

This model is slightly more specialized. Such technicians carry out skilled checks that underline any issues vehicles might have.

It requires a higher level of skill because these issues cannot be seen on the vehicle's surface.

Auto system expert

If you choose to offer this model, you will specialize in surveying key systems that the vehicle has.

Engines, brakes and gear sets are all critical systems in most vehicles.

This business model has the potential to earn you high revenue.

Auto body repair clinic

This clinic or repair centre deals with vehicles that have been involved in accidents or roadside crashes.

If you choose this model, you may not have the volume of customers that the previous models may have but the revenue per sale is likely to be much higher.

You'll repair and retouch cars to ensure that they look as good as new and that any scratches or broken parts are fixed.

Auto repair painters

If you choose this model, you will repaint vehicles or add touches to them.

Vehicles often need a fresh layer of paint, especially if they are being driven in areas where there is a lot of environmental pollution.

Expert auto glass repair

This model offers customers the chance to repair their windshield, windows or any other glass-related parts from their vehicle.

You'll likely require a high level of skill to do so but the rewards can be exponential, earnings wise.

You might also receive several clients who just want to repair small cracks in their vehicles.

3. What do you need to create your auto repair shop business plan?

Before writing your auto repair shop business plan and creating the financial forecast for your auto repair shop, you must first gather the data needed to create a comprehensive business plan.

You'll achieve this by...

• Carrying out market research for your auto repair shop 
• Building your marketing plan
• Evaluating the operational costs and investments involved in setting up your business

Conducting market research for an auto repair shop

This is the longest and, admittedly, most tedious step in creating an auto repair shop business plan, but once you've got the right method - there's no excuse for mistakes.

As you move through the market research, you'll develop an understanding of the needs of your target market, as well as the current state of the industry. 

This enables you to then determine hot industry trends and identify where you should position yourself within the market to make your auto repair shop a success. 

Should your auto repair shop provide in-depth expertise on electronics, for example, or should it focus instead on motorcycle repairs or the sale of spare parts?

You must also assess the area in which you want to place your auto repair shop. This will give you a better idea of the local market, including the needs of residents and what services competitors are already offering. 

Developing the marketing plan for your auto repair shop

Once the market research is completed, the next step is setting out the marketing strategy for your auto repair shop's business plan. 

This is an opportunity to identify how you'll get your name out on the market and stand out from your competitors.

There are many ways of promoting an auto repair shop, from setting up a website and social media network to paid newspaper advertising and handing out street flyers. 

Taking the time to decide which marketing actions you want to go for will help you determine how much money you need to set aside for each one and how many customers you can expect, which you can then factor into your financial forecast later on.

Evaluating operational costs and investments

To keep an auto repair shop running smoothly, you need a team you can count on. Typically, the size of a small car garage team is around 3 to 4 employees. You'll need a receptionist to welcome customers and at least two employees with experience in car mechanics - with the salary of each staff member being allocated according to their qualifications.

Additionally, you'll need a lot of technical equipment to get an auto repair shop up and running. Repairing vehicles requires having the right tools, as well as a full stock of car parts to help you meet the diverse demands of each car owner. 

To get an exact figure for the price of each item, you'll need to contact suppliers and ask them for quotes to integrate in your business plan for an auto repair shop. These quotes will then be integrated into the financial forecast.

4. What is the financial forecast for an auto repair shop?

Establishing the financial forecast is an integral step in the development of your auto repair shop's business plan. 

It is composed of 4 main tables, highlighting different financial aspects of the company:

• Projected profit and loss statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Projected cash flow statement
• Initial financing plan

The projected P&L of your auto repair shop

This table, which starts with the turnover, allows you to evaluate the growth, evolution of the cost structure of your auto repair shop, and its expected profitability over the coming years.

The projected balance sheet of your auto repair shop

This table shows the value of the company's assets at a given time, and, in particular, the value of the assets (what the company owns) and liabilities (what the company owes to suppliers, lenders, etc.).

The projected cash flow statement

This table is essential in helping you keep an eye on the company's cash flow, particularly to ensure that the company generates enough cash to be able to repay its loans and regularly renew equipment.

The initial financing plan

This table gives your bank or potential investor a quick overview of the resources needed to launch your auto repair shop and their costs - as well as the personal contribution you plan to make.

5. What does the written part of an auto repair shop business plan look like?

This part cannot be neglected. To be able to interpret your figures and judge the relevance of the assumptions used to build your forecast, it's necessary to have sufficient details about the project.

The editorial part of your business plan is made up of the following sections:

The executive summary 

The executive summary for your auto repair shop's business plan is the equivalent of a cover letter for your auto repair shop business plan.

The aim here is to introduce your business project to investors in as engaging and concise a way as possible, encouraging them to read on and learn more about your exciting venture.

In this part, you place a spotlight on the business's partners and their roles, as well as the distribution of the company's capital and the location of the auto repair shop. 

Be sure to mention who the business is managed by and the percentage of ownership that each partner possesses.

In terms of the management team, you should list any relevant experience that staff or managers hold, along with any qualifications achieved.

Products and services

This section explains the products and services offered by your auto repair shop. 

For example, if you choose a traditional auto repair shop model, this section could look something like this:

Change of oil

As part of our routine maintenance, we recommend that you carry out this service each time you visit our garage (provided it's within a reasonable time frame).

Brake repairs

This includes inspecting the brake pads or checking how smooth the brakes are on your vehicle. Again, this is part of our routine maintenance.

Full diagnosis 

This service includes both of the above and as well as other aspects such as headlights and coolant/fluid levels.

Market research

It's within this section that you'll present the results of the market research we mentioned at the beginning of this article.

The objective here is to demonstrate that there is indeed a viable business opportunity for a new garage in the area you've chosen.

Mention why you have a unique selling point over other auto repair shops and how your skill set helps you in this regard.

In this part, you'll reveal three key plans for your auto repair shop business plan:

• Your pricing strategy-  the prices you'll set for your services / spare parts / new parts
• Your marketing strategy -  the actions you'll take to attract customers and build customer loyalty
• Your risk management strategy -  how you'll minimise the risks related to your business

The operational part

From your employees to your relationship with suppliers, you'll detail the operational organisation of your business within your auto repair shop business plan. 

It's important to mention what suppliers you'll be using to source your spare parts and equipment from. You might have few or many suppliers, depending on your concept.

Also, think about the payment terms that you might obtain with them. Are you a new business? If so, you may need to pay upfront.

The financial plan 

The financial plan puts your numbers into tables that you'll be able to present to potential investors so they get a better idea as to your expected profitability and how much funding you need.

6. What tool should I use to write my business plan?

We've established that to set up your auto repair shop, you need a business plan. What you may not know yet, however, is how you'd like to write it. There are three options available to you:

Write your business plan using Word or Excel

This solution has one major advantage: it's cheap.

Be wary, however, that you'll need to have an accounting background (or at least be very good with numbers) to write your plan in this way without making mistakes in the calculations.

Hiring a consultant to write your financial forecast

Hiring a chartered accountant or consultant to take care of the financial part of your business is a good way to avoid errors. 

However, the fees are generally quite expensive: budget around £1.5k ($2.0k) for a complete business plan, more if you need to make changes after the initial version (which happens frequently after the initial meetings with lenders).

Using online business plan software for your auto repair shop's business plan

If you're not used to writing business plans, another good solution would be to use our online business plan software .

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan.
• You can be inspired by already written business plan templates
• You can easily make your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you.
• You get a professional document, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank.

If you are interested in this type of solution, you can try our software for free by signing up to The Business Plan Shop today .

7. Business plan template of an auto repair shop.

A business plan template will give you a better understanding of how to frame your own business plan, as well as what investors are looking for.

Our  auto repair shop business plan template will be off great help to you!

8. Three things you should know before writing an auto repair shop business plan

Firstly, make a list of the potential risks that your auto repair shop could face. This could include both external and internal factors. Think about how you might deal with them efficiently.

Secondly, consider trends that are currently high-flying in the auto repair industry. For example, auto parts are being replaced much less frequently  thanks to advanced technology resulting in greater durability.

Thirdly, the same study also believes that there is a shortage in the number of skilled automobile technicians. This is because several experienced workers have now retired or moved on from the industry.

That's it for now, we hope this article has helped you better understand how to write an auto repair shop plan. If you have any questions related to setting up your business, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• Business plan vs budget: what's the difference?
• How to buy an existing auto repair shop?
• How to create a financial forecast for your auto repair shop?

Know someone who might be interested in this article? Share it with just one click!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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Complete Guide on Auto Repair Shop Business Plan (2023)

Table of Contents

Success in the auto repair business starts with a good plan. Your shop’s future depends on it. One mistake can be a big problem. That’s why you need to make sure you have everything in place for a successful auto repair business.

In this blog, we’ll help you create a strong business plan for an auto repair shop, whether you’re starting out or already have a shop. We’ll also give you a business plan sample for an auto repair shop that you can use. 

Let’s get started!”

Looking to expand your auto repair shop? Schedule a demo now.

What is an auto repair shop business plan? 

An auto repair shop business plan is like a roadmap for your car repair business. It’s a document that explains your business idea to potential investors or partners.

Imagine you’re planning a long road trip. 

Before you start, you make a detailed plan with the places you want to visit, the things you want to do, and the route you’ll take. 

Similarly, an auto repair shop business plan is like that plan for your car repair business. It’s a written guide that outlines what your business wants to achieve, how it will do it, and why it’s a good idea. 

You use this plan to show to others, like investors, so they understand your business and may want to be part of it. It’s like the master plan for your car repair adventure!

Why you need a business plan for auto repair shop: 

You will understand your business better:.

• Your business plan is your GPS. It gives you a clear route to your goals.
• Identify and tackle obstacles with confidence by sticking to your plan.
• It’s your guide for financing, hiring, operations, and branding.

It will give you a Smooth Driving:

• Prevent hiccups by investing wisely.
• Your business plan helps you choose the right people, processes, technology, and marketing.
• Ensure your investments align with your long-term goals.

Make your business sustainable: 

• Map out a sustainable and viable business model.
• Secure funding, plan expansion, and achieve growth milestones.

It will give you Clear Path:

• Engage in a regular enjoyable activity.
• Form habits that help you focus and organize thoughts.
• Find solitude to regain focus on business goals.
• Personalize your approach for clarity and success.

Creating an auto repair shop business plan: 

Understanding the basics.

It is important that you first clever the basics before you create a business plan. 

For that, you need to understand the type of your business. There are many types of business such as startup business plan, internal business plan, and strategies plan.

For an auto body repair shop business plan, you need to form some key elements in your company such as market, company description, sales strategies, management, product/service, fundings, financial projections. Etc. 

Company Description: 

This chapter is the heart of your business plan. Here you will tell your story. Why do you want to start an auto repair business? What is the mission behind it? You will explain your services. 

This is your chance to give a unique identity to your repair shop. This can help you gain competitive advantage. Let’s discuss these things one by one: 

Overview: 

Give your readers a sense of what your auto repair shop is all about. You can tell the essence of your shop here. You need to discuss the history of your business, founders; story, and company culture, 

Mission Statement: 

Articulate the core purpose of your business – what it aims to achieve and how it serves its customers or clients.

Vision Statement: 

Describe the future you envision for your company. What impact do you want to have on your industry, community, or the world?

Products or Services

Now discuss what you are offering. Describe your services that show a unique value proposition. It is important that it is relevant to your auto repair customers. 

Market Positioning

Marketing and branding is very important to have a successful auto repair business. Focusing on market positioning is crucial. You need to touch on points like target audience, competitive advantage and market niche. 

Short-Term Goals: 

These could include milestones like launching a new product, reaching a specific revenue target, or expanding your customer base.

Long-Term Goals: 

Detail your overarching aspirations, such as becoming an industry leader, expanding globally, or achieving a certain level of market share.

Market Analysis

You need to know what you are dealing with on a daily basis. 

What do your ideal customers want? What is trending in the market? How can you attract more and more customers? 

For this, you need to have a comprehensive knowledge of the auto repair market. There are three things you need to cover: 

Target Market: 

Understand your audience. Check out the following things in your customers: 

• Income level 
• Values 
• Lifestyles 
• Purchasing behaviors

Address the market needs: 

You need to find out the needs of your market. Identify the pain points of your customers.

Pro tip: you can conduct surveys or focus groups to find out the pain points of your target audience. 

After finding out the paint points, come up with unique selling point that covers the needs of your market. Clearly articulate how your products or services stand out and provide distinct advantages over competitors.

Analyzing the Competitive Landscape: 

In every market, competition is a reality. By analyzing your competitors, you gain insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. Find out direct competitors that offer similar services. 

After finding your competitors, you can set your business apart by offering better services from them. 

Market Size and Growth Potential

Assessing the overall market size and growth potential provides a snapshot of the opportunity at hand. It helps you understand the scope of your market and whether it’s expanding or contracting.

Industry Trends: 

Now you need to collect data related to auto repair shops. This can help you in finding industry trends. Find out the merging technologies that you can use in your shop. 

Marketing and Sales Strategies

Now we know our services and market for the auto repair shop. But how are we gonna sell our service to the market

That’s here, you need marketing strategies for your auto repair shops. Follow the following steps to define your strategies: 

• Identify the platforms you’ll use to reach your audience. 
• Craft a consistent and compelling message that resonates with your target audience.
• Plan the creation and distribution of valuable content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for your audience. 
• Detail how you’ll guide potential customers through the sales journey, from initial contact to making a purchase.
• Explain how you’ll attract potential customers.
• Describe how you’ll build relationships with leads over time. 
• Outline the steps you’ll take to convert leads into paying customers. 
• Allocate funds to different marketing strategies
• Explain how you’ll measure the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts.
• Identify the KPIs you’ll monitor, such as website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates, and customer acquisition cost.

Organization and Management

Now, you need to discuss the management of your auto repair shop. Highlighting key team members and explaining their roles adds depth and credibility to your business plan.you can discuss the following things: 

• Organizational Structure
• Hierarchical Chart.
• Functional Divisions
• Key Management Team
• Founder(s) and CEO
• Executive Team Members
• Responsibilities and Roles
• Founder’s Role
• Key Executives’ Roles
• Team Strengths and Expertise
• Relevant Experience
• Growth Plans
• Recruitment Strategy

Product or Service Line

In this chapter, you’ll provide a thorough exploration of your products or services. You can discuss the following things: 

• Introduction to Your Offerings
• Detailed Description
• Development and Design
• Intellectual Property
• Product Life Cycle
• Future Development
• Visuals and Media
• Customer Testimonials and Case Studies
• Pricing Strategy
• Regulatory and Compliance
• Sustainability and Ethics

Financial Projections

In this chapter, you will do a proper financial analysis. You will discuss the financial dynamics of your business. 

1. Profit and Loss: 

In this, you will show projected profit and loss for the forecast period. Below is an example from the business plan for an existing auto repair shop. you can use it to make your own a profit and loss sheet. 

2.Cash flow projection: The next thing is the cash flow projection. Cash flow is critical for business sustainability. Illustrate how cash moves in and out of your business, highlighting periods of potential cash shortages and surpluses. This helps in planning for working capital needs and managing liquidity. Below is an example that you can use:

3. Balance Sheet Projection

Provide a snapshot of your business’s financial position, including assets, liabilities, and equity. This showcases the overall health and stability of your business.

4. Break Even Analysis

Determine the point at which your business becomes profitable. A breakeven analysis helps you understand how much revenue you need to cover all costs. Below is an example of a business plan for an existing auto repair shop. You can see to understand better.

Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning

No business journey is without its obstacles. Recognizing potential risks and challenges upfront and having a plan to address them is crucial. 

This chapter focuses on identifying risks, evaluating their potential impact, and outlining strategies to mitigate their effects.

First thing is to identify the risk. You can see the picture below to identify risks. 

After identifying risks, you need to come with risk mitigation strategies such as: 

Preventive Measures: Outline steps you’ll take to prevent risks from occurring. 

Mitigation Plans: Describe your plans to minimize the impact if a risk does materialize. 

Crafting a business plan is a labor of love. It’s more than a document; it’s your business’s roadmap to success. Each chapter contributes to the bigger picture, forming a comprehensive strategy that aligns your ambitions with actionable steps. Now that you have this guide, take the first step towards creating a winning business plan that paves the way for your entrepreneurial journey.

You can also take your auto repair business to the next level with a good auto repair management software. Moreover , torque 360 offers all-round automotive management software as well. It includes many features such as scheduling, invoicing , estimating , digital vehicle inspection , repair order management , technician portal , POS integration , and marketing solutions. 

About the Author: Torque360

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Here is a free business plan sample for an auto repair shop.

Have you been toying with the idea of opening your own auto repair shop but feel overwhelmed about where to start?

Look no further, as we're about to guide you through a comprehensive business plan tailored for the auto repair industry.

As any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you, a robust business plan is crucial to navigating the road to success. It serves as a roadmap, outlining your vision, objectives, and the strategies you'll employ to steer your business to profitability.

To shift your planning into high gear without any detours, you can utilize our auto repair shop business plan template. Our specialists are also on standby to provide a free review and fine-tuning of your plan.

How to draft a great business plan for your auto repair shop?

A good business plan for an auto repair shop must reflect the unique aspects of the automotive service industry.

To start, it's crucial to provide a comprehensive overview of the auto repair market. This includes up-to-date statistics and identifying emerging trends within the industry, similar to what we've incorporated in our auto repair shop business plan template .

Then, you need to articulate your business concept effectively. This encompasses your vision, pinpointing your target market (such as local residents, fleet services, or corporate clients), and the distinct positioning of your auto repair shop (specializing in certain types of vehicles, offering quick services, eco-friendly practices, etc.).

The market analysis section is vital. It requires a thorough understanding of local competitors, automotive industry trends, and customer needs and preferences.

For an auto repair shop, particular emphasis should be placed on the services you plan to provide. Detail your service offerings - general maintenance, specialized repairs, diagnostics, tire services - and explain how they cater to the demands and expectations of your target customers.

The operational plan is equally important. It should outline the location of your shop, the layout of the service bays, equipment and tool investments, supplier relationships for parts, and the repair process.

In the auto repair business, it is critical to highlight the expertise of your technicians, the quality of parts used, and adherence to safety and environmental regulations.

Then, delve into your marketing and sales strategy. How will you draw in and keep customers coming back? Consider advertising tactics, customer loyalty programs, and value-added services (like courtesy cars or shuttle services).

Utilizing digital strategies, such as a professional website or an active social media presence, is also vital in the modern marketplace.

The financial plan is another fundamental component. This includes the initial investment, revenue projections, ongoing expenses, and the point at which the business will start to turn a profit.

In an auto repair shop, understanding the profit margins for various services is essential, so meticulous planning and a firm grasp of your financials are necessary. For assistance, you can refer to our financial forecast for an auto repair shop .

Compared to other business plans, an auto repair shop's plan must pay special attention to factors such as inventory management for parts, certifications and training for technicians, and the potential for insurance partnerships or contracts.

A well-crafted business plan will not only help the owner to define their strategies and vision but also to attract investors or secure loans.

Lenders and investors are looking for a solid market analysis, realistic financial projections, and a clear understanding of the day-to-day operations of an auto repair shop.

By presenting a thorough and substantiated plan, you showcase your dedication and preparedness for the success of your venture.

To achieve these goals while saving time, you can simply fill out our auto repair shop business plan template .

A free example of business plan for an auto repair shop

Here, we will provide a concise and illustrative example of a business plan for a specific project.

This example aims to provide an overview of the essential components of a business plan. It is important to note that this version is only a summary. As it stands, this business plan is not sufficiently developed to support a profitability strategy or convince a bank to provide financing.

To be effective, the business plan should be significantly more detailed, including up-to-date market data, more persuasive arguments, a thorough market study, a three-year action plan, as well as detailed financial tables such as a projected income statement, projected balance sheet, cash flow budget, and break-even analysis.

All these elements have been thoroughly included by our experts in the business plan template they have designed for an auto repair shop .

Here, we will follow the same structure as in our business plan template.

Market Opportunity

Market data and figures.

The auto repair industry is a vital component of the global economy with significant growth potential.

Recent estimates value the global automotive repair and maintenance services market at over 700 billion dollars, with expectations for continued growth driven by the increasing number of vehicles on the road and the aging vehicle fleet.

In the United States alone, there are over 230,000 auto repair shops, generating a combined annual revenue of approximately 115 billion dollars. This underscores the critical role auto repair shops play in the American economy and in the daily lives of vehicle owners.

The auto repair industry is witnessing several key trends that are shaping its future.

There is a growing emphasis on technology, with shops incorporating advanced diagnostic tools and software to efficiently service modern vehicles. This includes the use of telematics to predict maintenance issues before they occur.

Electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming more prevalent, leading to a demand for specialized repair services for these types of vehicles.

Environmental concerns are also influencing the industry, with a push towards more sustainable practices, such as recycling parts and fluids, and using eco-friendly products.

Convenience services, such as mobile repair units and online appointment scheduling, are becoming more popular, reflecting customers' desires for more accessible and time-saving options.

Lastly, transparency in service, pricing, and customer communication is increasingly important to consumers, who want to ensure they are getting fair and honest service.

Success Factors

Several factors contribute to the success of an auto repair shop.

Quality of service is paramount. Shops that offer reliable, efficient, and high-quality repairs are more likely to build a loyal customer base.

Expertise in a wide range of services, including the latest automotive technologies, can set a shop apart in a competitive market.

Location is also critical, as a conveniently located shop can attract more customers and provide easier access for vehicle drop-off and pick-up.

Exceptional customer service is essential for creating a positive experience and encouraging repeat business.

Finally, effective cost management, the ability to adapt to industry changes, and a commitment to sustainability are important for the long-term success of an auto repair shop.

The Project

Project presentation.

Our auto repair shop project is designed to cater to the increasing number of vehicle owners who require reliable, high-quality maintenance and repair services. Situated in an area with high vehicle traffic or near automotive hubs, this shop will offer a comprehensive range of services, from routine maintenance and oil changes to complex engine repairs and diagnostics, all performed by certified mechanics using state-of-the-art equipment.

The focus will be on providing exceptional service, transparent pricing, and quick turnaround times to ensure customer satisfaction and vehicle safety.

This auto repair shop aims to become a trusted destination for vehicle owners, thereby enhancing the reliability and longevity of their vehicles.

Value Proposition

The value proposition of our auto repair shop project is based on delivering trustworthy and expert automotive repair and maintenance services that vehicle owners can depend on.

Our commitment to quality workmanship, fair pricing, and efficient service offers a superior automotive care experience, while contributing to the safety and performance of our customers' vehicles.

We are dedicated to fostering a transparent and customer-focused environment where vehicle owners can receive honest advice and top-notch service, and aim to educate our customers about the importance of regular vehicle maintenance.

Our auto repair shop aspires to become a cornerstone of the community, providing a reliable alternative to dealership services and enhancing the overall vehicle ownership experience for our customers.

Project Owner

The project owner is an automotive enthusiast with a comprehensive understanding of the automotive repair industry.

With a background in mechanical engineering and years of experience in auto repair management, he is determined to establish an auto repair shop that stands out for its dedication to excellence, customer service, and technical expertise.

With a vision of integrity and customer education, he is committed to offering high-quality automotive services that contribute to the safety and satisfaction of the local community.

His commitment to superior service and his passion for automobiles make him the driving force behind this project, aiming to enhance the vehicle maintenance experience for all customers.

The Market Study

Market segments.

The market segments for this auto repair shop are divided into several categories.

First, there are individual car owners who require regular maintenance and repair services to keep their vehicles in optimal condition.

Next, there are car enthusiasts and hobbyists who seek specialized modification and customization services for their vehicles.

The market also includes corporate clients with fleet vehicles that need consistent maintenance and repair to ensure business operations run smoothly.

Finally, insurance companies can be a key segment by partnering with the repair shop to handle claims for vehicle repairs after accidents or damages.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis of this auto repair shop project reveals several aspects.

Strengths include a team of certified and experienced mechanics, a strong reputation for quality service, and a strategic location accessible to a large customer base.

Weaknesses could include the initial costs of setting up a fully equipped shop and the challenge of building a customer base in a competitive market.

Opportunities lie in the increasing number of vehicles on the road, the potential for partnerships with local businesses, and the ability to specialize in certain types of repairs or services.

Finally, threats could include the rapid advancement of automotive technology requiring continuous training and investment in new equipment, and the potential for economic downturns affecting consumer spending on non-essential services.

Competitor Analysis

Competitor analysis in the auto repair industry reveals a mix of competition.

Among direct competitors are other local auto repair shops, franchise operations, and dealerships with service departments.

These players compete on factors such as price, service speed, customer service, and expertise in specific types of repairs.

Potential competitive advantages include a strong focus on customer satisfaction, the ability to provide a wide range of services, and the establishment of a loyal customer base through trust and transparency.

A thorough understanding of competitors' strengths and weaknesses is essential for developing effective differentiation and customer retention strategies.

Competitive Advantages

Our commitment to providing high-quality and reliable auto repair services is at the heart of our success.

We offer a comprehensive range of services, from routine maintenance to complex repairs, all performed by our team of skilled and certified mechanics.

Furthermore, our focus on customer education helps clients understand the importance of vehicle maintenance, thus fostering long-term relationships.

We take pride in our honesty and integrity, providing upfront pricing and clear communication about the services needed, which reassures our customers and builds trust in our brand.

You can also read our articles about: - how to open an auto repair shop: a complete guide - the customer segments of an auto repair shop - the competition study for an auto repair shop

The Strategy

Development plan.

Our three-year development plan for the auto repair shop is designed to establish us as a leader in vehicle maintenance and repair services.

In the first year, we will concentrate on building a strong local reputation for reliability and expert service. We will invest in state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and ensure our technicians are highly trained.

The second year will focus on expanding our services to include specialized repairs and performance upgrades, as well as establishing fleet maintenance contracts with local businesses.

In the third year, we plan to explore the possibility of opening additional locations and offering mobile repair services to increase convenience for our customers.

Throughout this period, we will commit to exceptional customer service, continuous improvement, and staying abreast of the latest automotive technology trends.

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas for our auto repair shop targets vehicle owners in need of maintenance, repair services, and performance enhancements.

Our value proposition is centered on providing reliable, high-quality, and timely automotive services with a focus on customer education and transparency.

We offer our services through our physical shop location and potential mobile repair units, utilizing key resources such as our certified mechanics and advanced diagnostic tools.

Key activities include vehicle diagnostics, repairs, maintenance services, and customer service excellence.

Our revenue streams are generated from the various automotive services we provide, while our costs are mainly associated with labor, parts inventory, and operational expenses.

Find a complete and editable real Business Model Canvas in our business plan template .

Marketing Strategy

Our marketing strategy is focused on building trust and demonstrating expertise in the automotive repair industry.

We aim to educate our customers on the importance of regular vehicle maintenance and the value of quality repairs. Our approach includes local advertising, community engagement events, and informative content on vehicle care.

We will also develop partnerships with local businesses and car dealerships to expand our customer base.

Additionally, we will leverage social media and online reviews to showcase our work and customer satisfaction, while offering promotions and loyalty programs to retain and attract new clients.

Risk Policy

The risk policy for our auto repair shop is designed to minimize operational and financial risks.

We will adhere to industry standards and regulations, ensuring all repairs meet or exceed safety requirements. Our technicians will undergo continuous training to stay current with automotive advancements.

We will implement rigorous inventory management and cost control measures to maintain profitability.

Furthermore, we will secure comprehensive insurance coverage to protect against potential liabilities associated with vehicle repairs. Our priority is to deliver safe and dependable services while safeguarding our business and customers.

Why Our Project is Viable

We are committed to establishing an auto repair shop that meets the growing demand for professional and trustworthy vehicle maintenance services.

With our dedication to quality, customer education, and staying ahead of automotive trends, we are confident in our ability to thrive in this competitive market.

We are enthusiastic about enhancing the driving experience of our customers and building a robust business.

We remain adaptable to industry changes to ensure our goals are met, and we look forward to a successful future in the auto repair industry.

You can also read our articles about: - the Business Model Canvas of an auto repair shop - the marketing strategy for an auto repair shop

The Financial Plan

Of course, the text presented below is far from sufficient to serve as a solid and credible financial analysis for a bank or potential investor. They expect specific numbers, financial statements, and charts demonstrating the profitability of your project.

All these elements are available in our business plan template for an auto repair shop and our financial plan for an auto repair shop .

Initial expenses for our auto repair shop include acquiring a suitable location, purchasing state-of-the-art automotive repair equipment, obtaining necessary permits and licenses, investing in high-quality tools and diagnostic software, and costs related to branding and launching targeted marketing campaigns to attract vehicle owners in the area.

Our revenue assumptions are based on a thorough analysis of local demand for auto repair services, taking into account the number of vehicles in the area, the average age of these vehicles, and the propensity of owners to invest in vehicle maintenance and repair.

We anticipate a steady increase in customer patronage, starting with a conservative estimate and expanding as our reputation for reliable and efficient service grows.

The projected income statement outlines expected revenues from our auto repair services, including labor, parts markup, and other services, as well as operating expenses (rent, marketing, salaries, utilities, insurance, etc.).

This results in a forecasted net profit that is essential for assessing the long-term viability of our auto repair shop.

The projected balance sheet reflects assets specific to our business, such as automotive repair equipment, parts inventory, and receivables, along with liabilities including loans and accounts payable.

It provides a snapshot of the financial standing of our auto repair shop at the end of each fiscal period.

Our projected cash flow statement details the inflows and outflows of cash, enabling us to plan for cash requirements throughout the year. This is crucial for maintaining a healthy cash balance to support day-to-day operations.

The projected financing plan identifies the sources of funding we intend to use to cover our initial setup costs and any additional equipment purchases.

The working capital requirement for our auto repair shop will be carefully managed to ensure we have sufficient funds to cover routine expenses such as parts procurement, inventory management, and payroll.

The break-even analysis for our auto repair shop will calculate the volume of services we need to provide to cover all our costs, including the initial investment, and begin generating a profit.

It will signal the point at which our business becomes financially sustainable.

Key performance indicators we will monitor include the gross profit margin on services provided, the current ratio to evaluate our ability to meet short-term obligations, and the return on investment to determine the profitability of the capital invested in our auto repair shop.

These metrics will assist us in gauging the financial health and success of our business venture.

If you want to know more about the financial analysis of this type of activity, please read our article about the financial plan for an auto repair shop .

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Designing an Auto Repair Shop Business Plan That Clarifies Your Vision

Craft your auto repair shop business plan to achieve your objectives. select a shop management system that can help you bring your vision to life., mapping out a business plan and investing in a shop management system like tekmetric will help you help more people in the long run. find out how in our step-by-step guide..

Mapping out a business plan and investing in a shop management system like Tekmetric will help you help more people in the long run.

Starting a business can be a big risk. But if you map out a plan and execute it right, the outcome is well worth it. Having a solid automotive repair shop business plan in place is especially important if you ever plan on owning multiple shops. 

When you realized that you wanted to be a shop owner, it’s likely you considered the good you can do for both yourself and other people. Helping customers get their vehicles back on the road, and helping service advisors and technicians grow in their careers is an exceptionally rewarding aspect of owning and operating a repair shop. 

Plan for your shop's success at the very beginning.

Find the right tools.

In order to make the ride to becoming a successful shop owner a smooth one, your present self will need to have your future self’s back. You’ll need to ensure all of your ducks are in a row. And by ducks, we mean your people, processes, and systems. And most importantly, you’ll need to make sure that you are ready to take on this venture. 

You may even get excited thinking about the far future of your business—when it’s feasible to expand your business to include multiple shops. It’s good to dream big, and especially in auto repair, more shops means that you can help more people. But it’s important to understand how you’re going to get there, and what pitfalls to avoid. 

Before we jump into how your business can expand, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why new business ventures don’t make it . Don’t let this waiver your goals as a shop owner though. In fact, we’re writing these out so you can beat the odds.

6 Common Reasons Why New Businesses Fail 

Each business, and each story, is different. But there are a few common themes that usually lead to new businesses failing.

1. Not investigating the market 

When you’re opening up a new business, it’s crucial to consider the demand for auto repair and the unmet auto repair needs within the area you plan on opening shop. It’s easier to satisfy a known need rather than creating a need and having to convince your customers. 

2. Business plan issues

Your business plan is like your company’s Bible. You’ll spend months, or even years, making sure it is the perfect guidebook for your shop. Once your business plan is created, it’s important to follow it.

Taking chances that aren’t outlined in your plan could lead to further setbacks. Although setbacks are less common if you’ve carefully and diligently mapped out your plan, there’s always the possibility that your plan isn’t 100% sound. If that’s the case, determine the issue, find a solution, and adjust your plan accordingly. 

3. Not enough financing

Financial planning is crucial for any new business venture. If you don’t start off with enough money and end up having to stretch the financial line too thin, it’s possible your business may never get off the ground. 

4. Bad location, absent online presence, and other marketing issues

The location of your business, the online presence of your business, and the marketing efforts conducted throughout your business’ lifecycle are pivotal to your shop’s success. If you start an auto repair shop that focuses on truck repairs in the middle of a city where there aren’t a lot of truck drivers, it’s likely your shop won’t succeed. The same goes for online presence and marketing efforts.

You need to reach the people who may not regularly drive by your shop by considering where they spend their time online. What social media channels are they on? How do they use search engines to find local businesses? Tailored advertising efforts and five-star raving reviews will help bring more business to your shop. Without the best location, an established online presence, and the right marketing strategies , your business has less potential to last. 

5. Becoming complacent 

Just because you’ve finished up your business plan and started your business doesn’t mean the research should stop there. It’s always important to remain in-the-know on key market trends. By keeping an eye on the auto repair market, you’ll know exactly when and how you need to make adjustments to your business in order to keep growing. 

6. Expanding too fast 

Sometimes a business owner that is experiencing newfound success may keep reaching and reaching, and reaching, until their finances are drained. While it’s important to have an entrepreneurial spirit, it’s just as important to make smart investments.

If you want to open up more shops in the future, it’s important to give your new shop just as much tender love and care as you gave your first location.

Make sure you have a solid understanding of where you want your next location to be, who your intended customers are, whether you want to try selling new products or services, and how exactly you plan on testing the success of any new ideas.

According to Investopedia.org , the bottom line is this: “Though the rate of business failure in the first two years is around 20%, it doesn't mean that you have to fail. Through research, planning, and flexibility, you can avoid many of the pitfalls of a new business and be a part of the 25% that make it to 15 years and beyond.”

What Is An Auto Repair Shop Business Plan? 

The best way to execute your business is with a plan. An automotive repair shop business plan will outline your auto repair shop business so that you can present it to investors or any other stakeholders that you want to bring along on your business venture.

A business plan is the overall vision of your business, the goals you want to achieve, and the roadmap that will keep your company afloat. 

Your Auto Repair Shop Business Plan Serves as a Roadmap

A clear auto repair shop business plan will provide you with:

• Clarity on what needs to be done 
• The ability to spot issues as early as possible while making good investments 
• A sustainable and viable business model  

Clarity On What Needs To Be Done

An auto repair shop business plan will make it easy for you to explain your business model and where your shop is headed. You’re going to encounter obstacles, and in order to tackle them head on, you need to stick to your strategic plan and adjust accordingly. 

Your automotive repair shop business plan will provide you with clarity on: 

To Spot Issues Early While Making Good Investments

To prevent setbacks, you need to invest in the right things. The way you invest prior to opening up your shop, during your business’ lifecycle, and once expansion is on the horizon, will make or break your business.

Your auto repair shop business plan will help you determine the right routes to take when it comes to investing in: 

A Sustainable and Viable Business Model

By carefully mapping out your business’ roadmap, you’ll have the ability to achieve a sustainable and viable business model. 

Your auto repair shop business plan will help you: 

• Secure funding 
• Know when and how to expand
• Stick to growth goals and milestones

Each three of these categories can be more attainable with a clear mind. According to Walter Isaacson’s The Book of Jobs , Steve Jobs would often stress that the driving factor behind his creative inspiration was a clear mind through meditation.

So, before you get started crafting your quintessential automotive repair shop business plan, try to gift yourself the ability to tune out the noise during important decision-making matters. Here are three ways you can go into your business ownership journey with a clear state of mind: 

• Set aside time to commit to a muscle memory activity. A muscle memory activity could be going on a walk every morning with your dogs, heading to the driving range to hit a few golf balls in the evenings, playing an instrument, or picking up a good book. 
• Choose an activity that you genuinely enjoy doing and make it a habit. If meditating isn’t for you, you won’t be able to let go of the daily noise and distractions, and in turn you won’t be able to gain clarity of mind. Whatever you choose should be something you look forward to doing so that you can place all of your focus on that activity. Being able to focus is incredibly important for business owners because there are so many things that can occupy your mind in a given moment. Find an activity that helps you organize and become more aware of your thought process. 
• Reduce the noise around you by finding an activity that you can do by yourself. Finding an activity that helps you clear your mind and step away from others’ input will help you get back in tune with where you really want your business to go. 

These are just three tips. What works for one person may not work for you. Our primary recommendation for new business owners is to commit to not only working on your auto repair shop business plan but also commit to working on yourself so that when you hit the road, you’re able to face any and all obstacles with a clear, open mind. 

So, What’s Included in an Auto Repair Shop Business Plan? 

There are nine steps to crafting the quintessential automotive repair shop business plan that will help you achieve your business goals—from owning one auto repair shop to becoming a multi-shop owner.   

• Write an executive summary
• Describe your shop
• State your business goals
• Describe your products and services
• Do your market research
• Outline your marketing and sales plan
• Perform a business financial analysis
• Make financial projections
• Create a plan for growth and expansion 

Sure, those nine steps may sound tedious, but it pays to plan.

According to entrepreneur masterminds Francis J. Greene and Christian Hopp , high-growth oriented entrepreneurs are 7% more likely to plan out their business.

Furthermore, entrepreneurs who write business plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than entrepreneurs who don’t develop a plan.

What Do You Need to Create Your Auto Repair Shop Business Plan?

You can build a successful launching pad for your auto repair business by conducting market research, developing a marketing plan for your auto repair shop, and evaluating the operational costs and investments you will need to make. 

Conduct market research

Here are four steps you can follow to successfully conduct local market research: 

• Determine your shop’s market area 
• Create a profile of your shop’s ideal customers 
• Determine the size of your market (pro-tip: check out City-Data for a detailed, informative profile of your target market). 
• Find out how many competitors are in your target market area

Remember that drivers are typically willing to drive a few miles to get their vehicle serviced, but driving over 10 miles might not be realistic for someone if their vehicle has an issue. So you may want to start looking at the demographics within a 10 mile radius of your auto repair shop. 

When looking at your target area, you can ask the following questions to get a good sense of your business’ market: 

• Is there a desire for your products or services? 
• How many people would be interested in your offering? 
• What is the income range and employment rate of your customers? 
• How many similar options are already available to consumers in your area? 
• How much do potential customers pay for these alternatives? ‍

Even after you open shop, keep conducting market research. You want to be able to keep up with the latest auto repair industry trends so that your shop’s profits keep growing. Getting a feel for the type of customers your shop serves will set a strong foundation for your auto repair shop business plan. 

Develop a marketing plan for your auto repair shop

Once you know your audience, develop a marketing plan that aligns your vision with the people you plan on serving. Here’s an overview of marketing strategies you can use to attract customers to your new shop: 

• Get involved in your community
• Run special promotions for first-time customers
• Partner up with an adjacent local business like a body shop
• Advertise locally
• Run targeted social media ad campaigns
• Up your shop’s search engine optimization (SEO) game

‍ Evaluate operational costs and investments

When it comes to successfully launch i ng your business, you’ll need to weigh any potential costs and investments that you intend on making. Always leave a bit of wiggle room for unexpected expenses, like hiring one more person that you anticipated, or paying a little extra for a more reliable shop management system. Sometimes spending a little extra means getting a higher return on investment, making it well worth the cost. But you have to ensure that you have the wiggle room first. 

The investments you put into your shop at the beginning will play a huge role in determining how profitable your auto repair shop will be in the future . You’ll want to evaluate: 

• The location you will operate your shop from
• The equipment you will invest in 
• The shop management system that will support you from day one and beyond 

The right shop management system will give you and your team: 

• ‍ ‍ The ability to gain experience 
• ‍ A methodical system for analysis
• Digital tools and integrations
• Guardrails that prevent errors
• The ability to track declined jobs
• Better compliance standards
• A workflow to quickly build accurate estimates
• A direct tie to all shop systems
• The capacity to set and reach profit goals
• A clear framework for enhancing customer experience

9 Steps to Create a Business Plan for Your Shop

But before we get too excited about finding the right shop management system, here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: the nine steps you can take to craft an automotive repair shop business plan that will help you reach new heights and open up more shops in the future.  

1. Write An Executive Summary

Your business plan’s executive summary is designed to capture any investors’ or stakeholders’ attention. It gives them an overview of your shop’s business opportunities and an overview of the rest of your auto repair shop business plan. 

In your executive summary, you will briefly explain the problem you are solving, your business ideas, the target audience, and any key financial information. Your business plan’s executive summary should capture each of the aforementioned topics in no more than two pages . 

‍ The problem statement: this introduces the reader to the gap and/or problem in the auto repair industry that your business aims to solve. 

‍ The business statement (aka your business model): this will show the reader exactly how you plan to tackle the problem—both how you plan to approach the problem and how you plan to solve it. During this section, you want to briefly explain how your auto repair business will help solve whatever problem you found in the market. 

‍ The target audience statement: during this section, you’ll map out any customer demographic details and how you plan on targeting these audiences. 

‍ The financial plan summary: any financial institution or investor you approach will want to know how you plan on spending their funds. During this section of the executive summary, you want to cover where you plan on allocating funds and any applicable financial projections. 

Find a Shop Management System That Will Make Tracking Your Shop’s Financial History a Breeze  

‍ For those of you who are current shop owners and want to craft a new automotive repair shop business plan, the financial plan in your executive summary will have to include a history of your shop’s past financial performance.  With Tekmetric, you can use accurate, real-time data to easily track how money flows through your shop. Tekmetric’s Real-Time Financial Reports include three reports that are particularly useful during this step of your auto repair shop business plan:  1. End of Day Report  ‍ The End of Day Report is an overview of how effectively your shop has been selling repair work during a given time range. You can select what time range you want to view a financial report for. The End of Day Report breaks down your shop’s overall shop metrics, including Total RO’s, Hours Presented, Hours Sold, Close Ratio, Effective Labor Rate, Average Repair Order (ARO) Sales, ARO Profit, ARO Profit Margin, Gross Sales, and Gross Profit.  2. Profit Details Report ‍ The Profit Details Report will show you the exact profit you’ve made across all of your shop’s ROs. A perk to the Profit Details Report is that you can also break it down even further to show the profit your shop has made within individual ROs.  3. Sales Details Report  ‍ The Sales Details Report will show you how much your shop has sold in parts and labor over a given time range, how much money has been collected from sublets, fees, and taxes, as well as the dollar amount of the discount your shop has provided to customers. 

2. Describe Your Shop

What makes your business stand out? What’s your company’s mission? What are the most important aspects of your business? These are the questions this section of your auto repair shop business plan will answer. 

When determining your shop’s mission statement, try to keep the following tips in mind: 

• Make it a long-term mission statement 
• Think big picture and high level  
• Keep it short and concise
• Use “Our” and “We” when writing your mission statement. For example, “We provide the highest quality repair services to the drivers of East Omaha, Nebraska”
• Work with your potential stakeholders and/or employees to come up with your mission statement
• Don’t be afraid to change it 

Let’s take a look at ten popular mission statements. If you can think of the company’s name, then their mission statement did its job. 

• “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.*
• If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
• “To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”
• “To inspire humanity—both in the air and on the ground.” 
• “To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.”
• “Spread ideas.” 
• “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.”
• “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
• “We save people money so they can live better.”
• “To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”
• “To build and deliver an integrated set of digital tools that complement one another and empower shop owners to grow a thriving automotive repair business.”

In order from top to bottom, the mission statements belong to Nike, Warby Parker, JetBlue, Tesla, TED, Twitter, Google, Walmart, Sony, and Tekmetric. 

What do each of the above mission statements have in common? They uncover the primary existence for each company, and they deliver their purpose and overall intention. 

As you’re developing your automotive repair shop business plan, think of ways your auto shop can stand out in your community. If you want a good example, check out our Shop Spotlight of Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive . Turbo Tim’s shop owner Tim Suggs crafted his shop around a unique and relatable culture that gives back to the community. Their focus is on “average cars, average people.” 

‍ “Early on, it was apparent that if I put people first, the money would come. I focused on building an atmosphere that was both fun and professional for employees and customers alike. One of the most instrumental, yet unintentional, parts of our culture came from a cat I found at a machine shop. I’ve always been a cat person, and I asked the technicians there if that was their cat. They said it was a stray that they regularly fed. After checking that he wasn’t microchipped and didn’t belong to anyone, I brought him home with me.

‍ And that’s the origin story of Bobby, our original shop cat. We now have multiple cats who greet folks in our waiting room. Bobby also positively affected our marketing. Halfway through our growth, we began branding ourselves with a cat logo inspired by Bobby. Today, customers who put Bobby bumper stickers on their cars get 10% off for life. Less productive are our chickens, who ‘work’ in the chicken coop on our outdoor patio.”  ‍

When you describe your company in your auto repair shop business plan, you want to unveil what you see your shop being. Yes, you’ll want to mention the mission, but you also want to capture your shop’s values and culture, and what sets your shop apart from the rest.  

Invest In a Shop Management System That Allows Room For Integrations 

‍ Tekmetric partners with other industry-leading solutions to let shop owners fine-tune the repair experience for their team and their customers.  ‍

• We partner with Mechanic Advisor to bring your customers’ real-time scheduling
• We partner with Shop Owner Coach to bring your shop personalized coaching and training
• We partner with Advance Auto Parts so that your team can easily find a good deal on a wide selection of parts
• We partner with BG Products, Inc. so that you easily provide high-quality maintenance to customers
• We partner with MyShopManager to ensure your shop’s marketing communication leads to higher customer engagement
• And that’s just five out of 30+ integration partners your shop can choose from. 

‍ See how the right mix of automotive computer programs fuels business innovation.  

3. State Your Business Goals

The next section of your auto repair shop business plan is where you should state your business goals. Here you’ll want to list out the short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals that you want to achieve with your business. 

• Short-term business goals: these business goals are to be accomplished in no more than one year. 
• Medium-term business goals: these business goals should be completed in more than one year, but less than five years. 
• Long-term business goals: these business goals are what you want to accomplish in five years and beyond. 

As you’re coming up with your shop’s goals, you need to make sure that they are realistic, attainable, and strategic. Ask yourself these six questions as you come up with your business goals: 

• Why is this goal important?
• Can we achieve this goal?
• What can impede or stop us from achieving this goal? 
• If we set this goal, what are the action steps? 
• If we meet this goal, how do we take it to the next level?
• If we don’t meet this goal, how do we rebound? 

Now that you have those six guiding questions, you can start to come up with your shop’s unique business goals. Ask yourself the following questions to help you come up with your company goals: 

• Why do we do what we do?
• Where do I see my business this year, next year, and five years from now?
• What are we selling beyond auto repair?
• How do we feel about the problems we solve?
• What values do we want to stand by no matter how big we grow? 
• What do our customers want?
• Which promises do we want to make? Which promises can we keep? (Only make promises that you know that you can keep) 
• What do we need to do today to make sure that we can keep doing the things we want to do tomorrow? 

Whether your goal is to have a 20% profit margin year one or open up a second location in the next five years, the business goals section in your automotive repair shop business plan will help you remember why you set that goal in the first place. 

Choose a Shop Management System That Makes it Easy to Reach Your Goals ‍

‍ If your goal is to increase your sales and ARO, then you’ll like Tekmetric’s Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) feature. Tekmetric’s DVIs are designed to inform and show your customers exactly what’s going on under the hood. And the better you can explain vehicle issues, the more likely your customers will be on board with getting the recommended repair work done.  Tekmetric’s DVIs include six core features that will benefit both your team and your customers:  ‍

• A searchable DVI history  
• The ability for technicians to attach photos and videos to inspections
• A color-coded system that indicates the severity of inspection findings
• A direct tie-in to parts and labor data when building estimates
• The ability to add canned jobs when building estimates
• Digital authorization for jobs
• A declined jobs report that automatically saves and tracks declined jobs

‍ See what else Tekmetric’s DVIs can do for your shop. 

4. Describe Your Products and Services

In the products and services section of your auto repair shop business plan, it’s important to focus on your customers’ perspective and needs. The overall goal of the products and services section is to prove that your shop will fill a market need and remain viable. 

Here are some questions you’ll want to answer in this section:

‍ What kind of vehicles will your shop fix?

Do you want to run a general auto repair shop or a specialty auto repair shop? You can determine whether your shop will focus on exotic vehicle repairs, diesel engine repairs, fleet work, or stick with the standard independent garage clientele. 

‍ ‍What type of services will your shop provide?

Along with determining the kinds of vehicles you’ll service, you’ll also want to consider each service your shop will provide. Will your main focus be on oil changes, tune-ups, and regular maintenance? Will you want to sublet some of your repair work? It could be that you focus on standard repairs, but when a customer comes in with a specific job that you don’t want to turn down, you can have that repair work done through a subcontractor, but you’d have to establish that partnership . 

‍ How will your shop’s name and brand clarify your audience and services?

Your shop’s main focus may be something you’ve already thought of, but what about your shop’s name? It’s a good idea to choose a name that speaks to your shop’s target customers and the types of services you provide. For example, Bavarian Motor Repairs specializes in servicing BMWs, MINIs, and Rolls Royces. Or maybe you want your shop to cater to everything auto repair related like Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive. 

‍ What types of products will your shop provide?

Knowing the types of vehicles and services your shop will provide to customers is great, but what about the types of products you plan to sell to your customers? Many shops choose to sell specific types of fluids that their customers can rely on. Similarly, shop owners may sell products and equipment that can make their customers’ vehicles last longer and perform better. You can also offer products that make for an easy upsell such as air fresheners, floor mats, or even merchandise with your shop’s logo on it.  

Find a Shop Management System That Expedites The Parts Purchasing Process  ‍

‍ Tekmetric’s Canned Jobs Board pulls from inventory to see what parts you already have on hand and what parts you need to purchase. You can also set a parts markup on inventory items that are added to canned jobs so that you can lock in your parts margin.

This addition to your parts management strategy will cut out all the guesswork and streamline jobs. Your team can save time sorting through parts and spend it actually repairing vehicles and providing excellent customer service.

In Tekmetric, you can view and sort canned jobs by:

• Job category

To make your parts purchasing experience even easier, Tekmetric has partnered with some of the most trusted parts vendors in the industry: 

• MyPlace4Parts
• OEC Repair Link

5. Do Your Market Research

You probably did some market research when you first began forming your business plan. But as you write this section, you’ll really want to sharpen your market research and organize your findings.

There are two main types of market research that you can do when planning your business. 

‍ Primary Market Research: any type of research that you collect yourself. Examples include surveys, interviews, and observations. 

Secondary Market Research: any type of research that involves compiling existing data. Examples include searching websites, going to libraries, looking at government statistics, or even using internal resources like your shop’s average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and any other historical data you see fit (this is especially useful for current shop owners looking to expand). 

To successfully conduct market research, you should follow these fives steps: 

1. Determine the purpose of your market research

Before starting your market research, determine your goal for doing it in the first place (aside from creating the business plan, of course). Common reasons why business owners conduct market research include wanting to understand a new market or to gauge the success and strategies of competitors. 

2. Research the current state of the auto repair industry

Look at where the auto repair industry currently is and where it seems to be heading. The goal here is to determine any potential trends and projected growth that can give your business a competitive edge in the auto repair industry. Check out Ratchet+Wrench for the latest auto care insights.

3. Define your buyers’ personas, aka “marketing personas” 

Creating buyer personas will help you understand who your customers are. Your buyer personas should include age, gender, location, job titles, family sizes, incomes, needs, interests, etc. Keep in mind that as you build out your buyer personas, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one persona. There are many different types of drivers and people that need auto repair services. 

There are many useful tools you can use to develop your personas. Here is HubSpot’s free tool that might come in handy while you’re building your personas. 

4. Understand your competition  

To understand your competition, we recommend listing out each of your shop’s competitors. From there, determine what those shops do differently from what you plan to do. Consider their strengths and weaknesses, and any advantages they have in the auto repair market in your area. You can also do a SWOT analysis where you determine their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It’s also good to do a SWOT analysis of your own business, too. 

5. Gather, analyze, and summarize your findings  

Any information you find during your market research will be your friend. You can never have too much data—as long as it’s from a credible source. Here are some resources you can use for credible research: 

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Census Bureau
• State and local commerce sites
• Your own SWOT analysis
• Market surveys or questionnaires

When it comes to analyzing your market data, it’s best to organize it all into sections that make the most sense to you, your stakeholders, and your investors. The main topics you want to focus on are your shop’s purpose, the target market, and your competition. Examples of elements within your market research analysis can include your customers’ buying trends, forecasted growth, how much customers are willing to pay for your services, and an industry overlook, including the industry’s size and growth rate. 

Invest in a Shop Management System That Tracks Your Customers’ Historical Data 

‍ Tekmetric’s customer reports help keep your market research fresh. You can see which service you sell is the most popular and who your most frequent customers are. You can also get more accurate data about different customers’ buying behavior when you start generating with Tekmetric’s customer reports. 

‍ Customer List Report: Tekmetric’s Customer List Report gives you an overview of each customer’s Lifetime Visits, Lifetime Spend, Lifetime Profit, Lifetime ARO, Lifetime Close Ratio and other key stats.

‍ Declined Jobs Report: With the Declined Jobs Report, service advisors can see all jobs that have been declined on past ROs so that they can get them back in the shop. Identify which jobs are declined most often so that you can create effective promotional campaigns that upsell, cross-sell and improve your Close Ratio.

6. Outline Your Marketing and Sales Plan

After conducting market research and deciding on the products and services your shop will provide, you can work on your marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy should specify how you plan on marketing different services and products to different demographics. 

For example, if you decide you want to focus on diagnostics for BMWs, then your marketing plan will show how you plan to target BMW owners for that particular service. Maybe you could go find BMW groups or figure out where BMW owners like to shop or frequent, and advertise there. 

A strong marketing and sales strategy will help your shop maximize and leverage profits. Marketing expenses are something you need to invest in, but you also need to ensure that you’re getting a strong return on your marketing investments. 

‍ Here are a few examples of impactful marketing strategies: 

• Website branding
• Local reviews
• Social media campaigns
• Email marketing
• Content marketing
• Referral program
• Reward program
• Pay-per-click ads
• Print and physical marketing

Whatever marketing efforts you choose to invest in, make sure you track the data so you know what works and what doesn’t. 

Choose a Shop Management System That Helps You Refine Your Marketing Strategies

‍ A shop management system like Tekmetric can show you whether or not your strategies are working. 

‍ Marketing Source Report: You can track the payoff that each marketing strategy brings your shop by using Tekmetric’s Marketing Source Report. With the RO Marketing Source Report, you can explore how much of your business comes from new sales or repeat sales, and identify which marketing sources are bringing in the most business.  

Integrations: Tekmetric integrates with several marketing solutions that will help your shop further grow its customer base. Our marketing integrations include Mechanic Advisor, KUKUI, MyShopManager, MechanicNet, RepairPal, and more.

7. Perform a Business Financial Analysis

In the financial analysis portion of your auto repair shop business plan, you want to unpack how much money your shop will need to get off the ground and exactly how you plan on spending it. 

Some common capital and startup expenses include: 

• Rent or lease payments
• Utilities costs such as telephone and internet, electricity, heating, etc.
• Maintenance costs such as mending leaks, maintaining equipment, snow plowing, landscaping services, etc.
• Taxes, including state income tax, property tax, payroll tax, sales tax, fuel tax, etc.
• Office equipment such as computers, printers, tablets, desks, chairs, etc.
• Marketing expenses
• License renewals
• Lobby supplies such as water, coffee, snacks, etc.
• Employee appreciation such as gifts, holiday outings, meals, team bonding, etc.
• Ongoing training and education opportunities

Another key component to your financial analysis is your break-even analysis. A break-even analysis is when you factor in both your costs and your shop’s sales to determine the moment you will break even. 

So, what is a break-even point? A break-even point is when your business will begin making a revenue that should cover your total amount of overhead costs—both the fixed and variable costs accumulated over time. 

‍ Break-Even Point Formula: 

(Overhead Costs + Balance Sheet Payments) / Gross Margin = Break-Even Point

For example: ($30,000 + $10,000) / 95% = $42,105.26

In the example above, it concludes that you need to sell a total of $42,105 to make sure that you cover your overhead costs and balance sheet payments.

Choose a Shop Management System That Can Assist in Managing Your Shop’s Common Expenses   

‍ While Tekmetric can help you track the cost of goods through reports, your accounting tools such as QuickBooks, is where you’ll track a lot of your daily expenses. Tekmetric doesn’t include a built-in accounting system, but we do have an accounting link through one of our integration partners, The Back Office, which gives you the ability to manage your books, track income and expenses, and easily perform audits for all your accounting needs with just a few clicks.

Tek-Tip: improve your profits and fine-tune your shop’s goals with Tekmetric’s built-in Parts Matrix and Labor Matrix. Tekmetric makes it easy for shop owners and service advisors to include the right markups on each and every job.

8. Forecast future opportunities

According to Entrepreneur.com , here are some ways you can make financial forecasts more realistic: 

• Use at least two financial projection scenarios. One can be more optimistic and the other can be more cautious. It’s best to err on the side of caution while also making space for the optimistic predictive forecasts that new and aspiring business owners are prone to make. 
• Predict your expenses first, then your revenues. 
• Identify and include assumptions that are outside of your control, including how much you predict the market will grow, any possible changes in the competitors you’ve found, and any advancements in technology that could impact your business. 
• Assess, reassess, and reassess again. Forecasts shouldn’t be stagnant. The more up-to-date your forecasts are, the more prepared you will be to make informed strategic decisions.

Invest in a Shop Management System That Lets You Categorize Reports into Different Time Periods 

‍ Tekmetric’s real-time reports empower shop owners to forecast and strategize by choosing between annual and weekly forecasting. 

‍ Annual Forecasting: With annual forecasting, you can get a sense of where your shop is at and how the rest of the year is likely to play out. If you notice that business is slowing down month to month, it might be time to adjust your marketing strategies. Or maybe you notice that the year has been busier than usual, in which case you may want to consider bringing on more talent to help service your new influx of customers. 

‍ Weekly Forecasting: With weekly forecasting, you can combine sales in progress with closed sales data to get an idea of how much profit your shop is lined up to make by the end of the week.  ‍ Read more about how you can forecast with real-time reports .

9. Create a Plan for Growth and Expansion 

Although this section isn’t necessarily a part of a standard business plan, you’ll want to incorporate it into your automotive repair shop business plan if you eventually want to open additional repair shops. 

To prepare yourself for future growth, you’ll want to ensure that 1) the auto repair shop business plan you’re creating now can be replicated if all goes according to plan and 2) the shop management system you select can grow with you. 

If you play your cards right—or in this case, you craft the optimal automotive repair shop business plan and invest in foundational tools—you’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful owner of multiple auto repair businesses. 

Tekmetric: Your Shop’s Go-To System For Present-Day Planning and Future Expansion 

Just as your automotive repair shop business plan will help you navigate any potential setbacks, the Tekmetric shop management system will help you hammer away as you grow your business.  

The right planning and shop management system will help you determine—in advance—things that can help you achieve your goals, as well as avoid things that can potentially prevent you from achieving those goals. 

Tekmetric will: 

• Make tracking your shops’ financial history a breeze
• Allow room for integrations 
• Make reaching goals easier
• Expedite the parts purchasing process
• Help you track your customers’ historical data
• Help you refine marketing strategies
• Assist in managing your shop’s common expenses   
• Empower you to make financial decisions for future growth
• Create a plan for growth and expansion

Not only will investing time into planning help your vision come to fruition, but it will also help you achieve the dream you stood by since day one: helping your customers get their vehicles back on the road safely. 

Mapping out an auto repair shop business plan and investing in a shop management system like Tekmetric will help you help more people in the long run. 

Maximizing Auto Repair Shop Customer Service: A Guide to Selling Maintenance Work

Lead your auto repair shop to sucess as a service advisor, the biggest auto repair industry trends to take advantage of in 2024, three tips for growing your career as a service writer, find reliable automotive repair shop software that shops trust, what is an automotive service writer.

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How to Create an Auto Repair Shop Business Plan

• by Sonya Stinson Sonya Stinson is a New ... more
• January 9, 2020
• 4  Minute Read
• Home > Blog > Planning for Growth > How to Create an Auto Repair Shop Business Plan

Jack’s Car Clinic opened three years ago on a shoestring budget, with some borrowed tools, personal savings and financial assistance from family members. Now word-of-mouth about the auto repair shop’s stellar service keeps a steady stream of customers driving into Jack’s garage. Jack sketched out a loose auto repair shop business plan in a notebook before launching the company, but never got around to formalizing it. Now the business is ready to grow, and a small business loan would help provide the resources Jack needs to expand. To prep for the loan application process, Jack needs to update his business plan to show lenders.

If you, like Jack, are an auto repair shop owner who is facing the task of writing a formal business plan for the first time — or updating an old plan — you may need help getting started.

Here’s a guide to help you develop an auto repair shop business plan that will get your new venture on track for greater success.

Why You Need a Business Plan

It probably doesn’t matter to Jack’s loyal customers that the car shop started up with a business plan that would fit on a repair order form. They only care that the shop’s reliable service keeps their vehicles in mint condition. But a potential lender may require more thorough paperwork to assess whether Jack’s business is a good investment.

If you’re thinking of applying for an auto repair business loan , you can’t afford to put off creating a business plan any longer. A solid business plan may help potential lenders feel confident that you know how to manage an auto repair shop and have a clear vision for how you want to use the loan funds to grow your business.

How to Structure Your Business Plan

There’s no single business plan template, but it’s probably wise to adhere to some of the more common practices and traditional lender expectations.

Business plan styles generally fall into one of two categories, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration : traditional or lean startup. The more common, traditional plans are longer and more detailed, while lean startup plans stick to brief summaries that typically fill a single page, according to the SBA.

Your choice may depend in part on the preferences of the lenders you plan to approach, keeping in mind that some lenders may not require you to have a formal business plan at all. The SBA notes that business owners seeking financing from traditional sources may want to go with a traditional business plan. Other considerations include the complexity of your business and how often you expect to update your plan.

Ultimately, your goal should be to write the auto repair shop business plan that best fits your company’s current needs and guides it to the next stage.

Lean and Traditional Business Plans

The SBA lists nine common elements each for lean startup and traditional business plans, with the former list taken from the well-known Business Model Canvas template, created by Swiss business theorist Alexander Osterwalder.

Sections of a Lean Startup Business Plan

• Key partnerships – e.g., suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors
• Key activities – methods your business will use for competitive advantage
• Key resources – e.g., staff, capital, intellectual property, networks, organizations
• Value proposition – your company’s unique value in the market
• Customer relationships – how customers will interact with your business
• Customer segments – your target market(s)
• Channels – ways you will communicate with customers
• Cost structure – your key business costs and spending strategy
• Revenue streams – how your business will make money

Sections of a Traditional Business Plan

• Executive summary – overview of the purpose, leadership, staff and finances of your business
• Company description – more detailed discussion of the mission, target market, structure, etc.
• Market analysis – research-based report on industry trends and market competition
• Organization and management – details about company’s legal structure, key team members
• Service or product line – what you will sell and how these offerings will help your customers
• Marketing and sales – your marketing strategy and selling process
• Funding request – how much money you want to borrow and how you will use it
• Financial projection – your five-year financial forecast, including budget, income, cash flow
• Appendix – supporting documents like credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, patents, legal documents and other contracts

Tweaking the Template for Your Business

Your business plan may be similar to other auto repair companies, or any service business, for that matter. But there are still ways to tweak your plan to make it stand out from the crowd.

Let’s say you don’t have the time to develop a highly detailed, comprehensive plan and you think your business model can be explained in a simpler, shorter plan. For those reasons, you might start with a basic lean startup template and put a special emphasis on highlighting those elements that show your company’s best strengths. For example, you’ll want to highlight competitive edges — like hiring graduates of a top-rated automotive mechanics’ school or using a revolutionary enterprise software system for diagnosing mechanical problems — in the key activities section. Maybe you’ve developed a robust email communications and social media strategy you’d like to tout in the section describing your channels for customer engagement.

If you enjoy delving into the details — or you simply must buckle down and do it to qualify for the financing you seek — the longer traditional business plan format is probably the way to go. You might decide to put extra effort into your market analysis of the automotive repairs industry and sizing up your local competition. If recent trends in your own business have you rethinking your product and service line or your long-term financial projections, it makes sense to focus on those areas when you create a new or updated business plan.

Like Jack, you’ve learned a lot about how to manage an auto repair shop since you put up your sign and saw your first customer drive up. Incorporating those lessons into a vision and plan for growing your business is an essential step in acquiring the financing you need to fuel its success.

Tags: Auto Repair Shops , Managing your Cash Flow , Marketing for Small Business , Small Business Resources

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Auto Repair Business Plan Sample

NOV.11, 2016

Do you want to start an auto repair shop business?

Are you thinking of starting an auto repair shop? Well, auto repair is one of those businesses that allow you to earn considerable profits even by managing a small team. The business provides repair and maintenance services for automobiles. Moreover, in many cases, auto repair shops also offer aftermarket modifications and upgradation services.

So, if you have made up your mind to enter this venture, you should first prepare a auto repair shop business plan . If you don’t know how to open an auto repair shop or how to make an accurate auto repair shop business plan , you can take help from here.

The essence of an Auto Repair Shop Business Plan

Over the years, we have been monitoring the operations and success of some auto repair shops in a bid to determine the strategies that they use to grow their enterprises. Here are some of the findings that we feel will have a great impact on your new auto repair shop.

• Understand the market needs and tailoring the services right
• Managing their resources well
• Embracing new technology

It is important that you learn how to cope with these problems to business continuity plan checklist reigning supreme and achieve your short and long-term goals such as achieving financial stability. Here are some of the challenges that you will face if you venture into this business without a proper auto repair shop business plan.

Scalability Issues

As the auto business grows and attracts more clients, you will encounter many challenges that need to be responded to well. Simple mistakes can bring down your business no matter the success that you have achieved so far. For instance, an increase in customers can lead to the lack of enough space to store business the various materials. The most plausible solution to such a problem is by expanding your workspace or renting a large facility.

A auto repair shop business plan is not complete if it does not give instructions on how scalability challenges or issues will be resolved. As mentioned earlier, we have been monitoring some facilities over the last three years. The research has given us an in-depth understanding of the industry, and we will use the same knowledge to come up with credible recommendations that you can use to jump the hurdles.

In this blog, we’re providing a sample auto repair shop business plan of a startup, Auto Fix & Services.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

Auto Fix & Services will be a registered and licensed auto repair shop in Austin. The business will provide usual repair and maintenance services ranging from oil change to parts replacement. The business will also offer car modification and upgradation services such as window tinting, installing air filters, etc.

2.2 Management of auto repair shop

Running an auto repair shop requires a relatively smaller team. Still, you need to have a proper management plan. Because, without strict supervision, your workers may do some negligence during repair work – resulting in losing your customer’s trust.

The best way to ensure efficient management is to create a comprehensive auto repair shop business plan . In which you’ll list all the details of how to start a auto repair shop and how to manage it successfully.

2.3 Customers of auto repair shop

Before exploring how to open up a auto repair shop you should think of who’ll be your customers. As that will enable you to do the relevant preparations.

Auto Fix & Services identified its customers as the following groups:

• Professional Automobile Drivers
• New Car Owners (Households/ Individuals)
• Used Car Owners (Households/ Individuals)

2.4 Business Target

• To achieve an NPS score above 80 within two years of our launch
• To achieve a CSAT score of 95 to 98% within a year of our launch
• To earn a net profit margin of $24.5k per month by the end of the third year of our launch

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

Auto Fix & Services will be owned by Robin Redford. Robin is a talented person with exceptional managing skills. He started his career by working in an auto repair shop as an auto mechanic. After working for four years, he got promoted to a managing post. However, he served as a manager for just three years and eventually decided to start his own business.

3.2 Why the auto repair shop is being started

Due to a great demand for trustworthy auto repair works, Robin decided to start his own shop. By starting a auto repair shop Robin wanted to make considerable profits and introduce 100 percent reliable services.

3.3 How the auto repair shop will be started

Step1: Write Auto Repair Shop Description

To start an auto repair shop, the first step is to make a detailed auto repair shop business plan . For that purpose, you can read any example auto repair shop business plan available on the web like this sample business plan for auto repair shop. Or you can hire a professional to make your auto repair shop business plan .

Step2: Make The Arrangements

The second step is to get the licenses and permits to start an auto repair shop. After getting his business registered, Robin will rent a facility to turn it into a repair shop. At the same time, he’ll procure the machinery and tools required to provide his services.

Step3: Recruit Your Staff

Robin will hire the expert and certified auto mechanics for his shop. The complete list of his employees will be given in the upcoming sections.

Step4: Promote & Market

After that Robin will devise his sales strategy to reach out to his customers. He has decided to offer several discounts in the startup phase to get more and more customers.

Step5: Ensure Strong Web Presence

Lastly, you have to ensure a strong online presence so that people can find you whenever they search for the relevant services on Google.

The costs required to carry out all of the above steps are provided in the following table:

Owning your own auto repair shop allows you to offer a wide range of services. From this business plan for auto repair shop , you can see the services provided by Auto Fix & Services.

• Automobile engines
• Automobile exhaust systems
• Automobile brakes
• Automobile radiators
• Ignition System
• Electric repairs
• Spark plug, fuel cap, and others
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Wheel alignment
• Regulating radiator fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, etc.
• Maintaining car’s air conditioning system
• Installing Efficient air filters
• Installing the latest stereo system
• Brake discs
• Backup camera
• Turbochargers and more
• Seat covers
• Dash covers
• Fuel consumption meters
• Steering wheel covers

Marketing Analysis of Auto Repair Shop

Before opening an auto repair shop business plan you should carry out detailed marketing analysis to explore the market trends and the competitors’ strategies. This critical examination will help you in introducing competitive aspects for your own shop. Moreover, in your auto repair workshop business plan you should also identify the groups of your target customers so that you can devise your policies and pricing plan accordingly.

If you are starting an auto repair shop business plan but don’t know how to write a business plan for auto repair shop, you can take help from here. However, if you think that you don’t possess the skillset to make an accurate marketing plan, you should prefer hiring a professional marketing analyst.

5.1 Market Trends

According to SBDCNet, nearly 160k auto repair and maintenance shops are running in the United States – generating a collective annual revenue of $115 billion. The demand for such services is increasing because of an overall increase in automobile purchases. Along with the fact that cars need regular maintenance after a certain mileage. And that maintenance and upgradation cannot be done without proper space and machinery.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

Auto Fix & Services divided its target market into separate groups to study their needs and expectations thoroughly. The detailed marketing segmentation done by them is provided below:

5.2.1 Professional Automobile Drivers

This will be the group of our major target customers. Professional automobile drivers such as Uber drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers, and others, need car maintenance and repair services much frequently than all other groups. It is because of their long hour driving and large mileage. Moreover, this group is also expected to be a significant buyer of our car parts and accessories.

5.2.2 Used Car Owners (Households/ Individuals)

Our second target customers will be the owners of used cars. People who buy used cars often get the old parts such as seat covers, engine, brakes, replaced by newer ones. Thus, they are expected to avail of all of our services especially car upgradation and repairs.

5.2.3 New Car Owners (Households/ Individuals)

Lastly, new car owners who would want to upgrade their automobiles will also be our target customers. This group is usually very careful about their cars. Thus, they are expected to avail of our regular maintenance services more frequently. Moreover, they’ll also acquire our upgradation services.

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To turn these people into potential/ repeat purchasers, we’ll offer several benefits to them. The biggest benefit our repeat customers will get is free video consultation. Whenever they encounter any problem while being far away from us, we’ll help them to resolve the issue themselves. Moreover, we’ll also send our auto mechanics to their location if the fault is of complicated nature.

5.3 Business Target

Our business targets are:

• To earn a net profit of $24.5k per month by the end of the third year
• To obtain a repeat purchase rate of 80% throughout our service years
• To achieve and maintain a CSAT score of 95 to 98% within a year of our launch
• To achieve a Net Promoter Score of above 80 within two years of our launch

5.4 Product Pricing

Our prices are almost in a similar range as that of our competitors. However, we still expect to get more customers due to our competitive advantages.

Marketing Strategy

After you have fulfilled all the requirements to open an auto repair shop business plan , you should start thinking about its promotion. To get introduced to a larger audience, you need to develop an accurate auto repair shop marketing plan.

For your help, we’re providing the marketing strategy planned by Auto Fix & Services.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

• Our auto mechanics hold ASE certification. All of our workers are highly experienced and skillful.
• We also provide remote auto repair services throughout Austin. However, this service will be provided in special cases where bringing the vehicle to our facility wouldn’t be feasible.
• Only we in the entire city provide video call assistance so that customers can repair minor faults themselves. However, this service will only be valid for return customers and repeat customers.

6.2 Sales Strategy

• We’ll advertise our startup through posters, Google Local ads service, and social media.
• We’ll ensure a strong web presence to reach out to a wider audience and to keep track of our return/ repeat customers.
• We’ll offer a 50% discount on our services for the first month of the launch.
• We’ll offer a 15% discount on automobile accessories for the first two months of our launch.

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan

It is essential to make a list of the employees you’ll need to run your business. When you write business plan auto repair shop you must make your personnel plan enlisting required staff and their expected salaries.

7.1 Company Staff

Robin will hire the following people for his assistance:

• 1 Supervisor to help in the management
• 8 Auto Mechanics to perform the major work
• 2 Technicians to provide overall support
• 1 Database Manager to manage company’s sites and arrange video calls
• 1 Accountant to maintain financial records
• 1 Front Desk Manager/ Call Operator
• 2 General Assistants
• 1 Sales Executive

7.2 Average Salary of Employees

Financial plan, great service.

Great service. Good turnaround time and quality work. Thanks!

The last thing to do before launching your auto repair shop business plan is to create a detailed financial plan. Your financial plan should describe the expenses, net worth of your startup, projected loss and profits, and balance sheets for at least three years.

Since startup and running costs for auto repair shops are usually high, it is essential to devise a trajectory to achieve your financial goals – provided the limited resources, sales, and investment. Understanding the importance of an accurate financial plan, Robin hired a professional financial analyst to create an auto repair shop business plan . The financial plan developed by him is given here to provide you an idea of auto repair shop finances.

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 brake-even analysis.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 profit monthly.

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

8.6 business ratios.

Download Template Business Plan for Auto Repair Shop in pdf

Professional writers OGS capital specialized also on a theme such as auto parts business plan , starting an auto dealership business the right way , car dealership business plan , car wash business plan , car shop business plan , car accessories business plan and etc.

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

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Auto Repair Service Business Plan

Start your own auto repair service business plan

Quick and Dirty Auto Repair

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">, opportunity.

Between having a high level of commuting traffic, and an equally high level of tourism traffic on local highways, there is a constant significant demand for auto repair services and auto parts. Convenience is a must for most middle and upper-class consumers and travelers. Where can they go to meet their needs?

Quick and Dirty Auto Repair aims to offer high-quality auto repair services and a full range of auto parts. QDAR focuses on personalized service to its customers by offering convenience and rapid service. Additionally, QDAR is technologically savvy with computerized monitoring of all parts inventory, to ensure that parts are always in stock while keeping a balanced level of inventory to maximize inventory turnover. Finally, QDAR has strong vendor relationships with the most service conscious vendors who are capable of shipping major parts rapidly (on an overnight timeline in most cases).

The market of auto repair services and parts sales is very fragmented. The majority of auto shops usually offer either repair services or parts inventory. The niche where QDAR positions itself represents auto centers that offer both auto services and parts at one convenient location. Middle and upper class customers to whom QDAR will cater its services are less price sensitive as they value the convenience of quick turnaround (on any model/make of car) and high quality of services.

CompetitionWhy Us? Quick and Dirty Auto Repair aims to offer high-quality auto repair services and a full range of auto parts. QDAR focuses on personalized service to its customers by offering convenience and rapid service. Additionally, QDAR is technologically savvy with computerized monitoring of all parts inventory, to ensure that parts are always in stock, while keeping a balanced level of inventory to maximize inventory turnover. Finally, QDAR has strong vendor relationships with the most service conscious vendors who are capable of shipping major parts rapidly (on an overnight timeline in most cases).

There are over 400 auto repair and auto parts competitors in the local area. Only a quarter of these competitors offer both auto repair services and auto parts inventories. Among these, only a few are major national chains. The remainder are small privately-owned establishments. QDAR will compete well by focusing on convenience and offering a high level of customer service. Additionally, its honest reputation will be a major factor in repeat business and building a large base of regular, loyal customers.

Quick and Dirty Auto Repair aims to offer high-quality auto repair services and a full range of auto parts. QDAR focuses on personalized service to its customers by offering convenience and rapid service. Additionally, QDAR is technologically savvy with computerized monitoring of all parts inventory, to ensure that parts are always in stock, while keeping a balanced level of inventory to maximize inventory turnover. Finally, QDAR has strong vendor relationships with the most service conscious vendors who are capable of shipping major parts rapidly (on an overnight timeline in most cases).

Expectations

QDAR’s analysis is based on the averages of the first-year figures for total sales by units, and for operating expenses. These conservative assumptions make for a more accurate estimate of real risk.

Financial Highlights by Year

Financing needed.

Our investment is $250,000:

Jake Brakes $62,500

Blair Horn $62,500

Yugo Ford $62,500

Gaz Motor $62,500

Problem & Solution

Problem worth solving.

Between having a high level of commuting traffic, and an equally high level of tourism traffic on local highways, there is a constant significant demand for auto repair services and auto parts. Convenience is a must for most middle and upper-class consumers and travelers. Where can they go to meet their needs

Our Solution

Target market, market size & segments.

QDAR has a focus on meeting the demand of a regular local resident customer base, as well as towed vehicle drop-ins from local and freeway traffic traveling on nearby freeways. QDAR has established relationships with a few major local tow truck companies for referral business of stalled vehicles requiring a tow to an auto repair facility.

The company estimates that about 80% of revenues will come from the established local clientele and 20% from the local and freeway traffic tow-ins. The table below further estimates the total market potential of the type of services rendered by QDAR in the Portland metropolitan area.

4.1 Market Segmentation

QDAR focuses on the middle and upper-income markets. This market looks for high quality, rapid service with as much convenience as possible. Most individuals in this market segment are willing to pay an extra premium within the pricing of auto repair services to avoid the common inconveniences of having a vehicle tied up in a repair shop.

Local residents regular customer base QDAR wants to establish a significantly large regular customer base. This will establish a healthy, consistent revenue base to ensure the stability of the business.

Emergency towing local and freeway traffic Emergency towing of local and freeway traffic comprises approximately 20% of revenues. Convenience, regular referrals from tow truck companies, and high quality, rapid service are critical to capturing this segment of the market.

Current Alternatives

There are over 400 auto repair and auto parts competitors in the local area. Only a quarter of these competitors offer both auto repair services and auto parts inventories. Among these, only a few are major national chains. The remainder are small privately-owned establishments. QDAR will compete well by focusing on convenience and offering a high level of customer service. Additionally, its honest reputation will be a major factor in repeat business and building a large base of regular, loyal customers.

Primary competitors are engaged principally in the retail sale of automotive parts, tires and accessories, automotive maintenance and service and the installation of parts. Larger competitors have adopted the "supercenter" store model, a freestanding, "one-stop" shopping automotive warehouse that features state-of-the-art service bays. These "supercenters" carry thousands of stock-keeping units and serve the automotive aftermarket needs of the "do-it-yourself," the "do-it-for-me" (automotive service), tire and "buy-for-resale" customer sectors.

Large competitors’ stores typically carry the same basic product line, with variations based on the number and type of cars registered in the different markets. A full complement of inventory at a typical supercenter includes an average of approximately 25,000 items.

Automotive product lines usually include:

• Suspension parts.
• Ignition parts.
• Exhaust systems.
• Engines and engine parts.
• Oil and air filters, belts, hoses, and air conditioning parts.
• Wiper blades.
• brake parts.
• Chemicals, including oil, antifreeze, polishes, additives, cleansers and paints.
• Mobile electronics, including sound systems, alarms, and remote vehicle starters.
• Car accessories, including seat covers, floor mats, and exterior accessories.
• Hand tools, including sockets, wrenches, ratchets, paint and body tools, jacks and lift equipment, automotive specialty tools and test gauges.
• A selection of truck, van, and sport utility vehicle accessories.

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Additionally, a number of competitors have electronic work order systems available amongst their various service centers. This type of system creates a service history for each vehicle, provides customers with a comprehensive sales document, and enables the service center to maintain a service customer database.

Our Advantages

QDAR’s competitive edge is the heavy focus on customer convenience by offering unlimited shuttle service, rapid turnaround on auto repair jobs, and a referral network of a few local major tow truck companies.

Keys to Success

Our keys to success will include:

• Expedient and convenient auto repair services.
• Growing and maintaining a referral network of local towing service companies.
• A wide range of auto parts inventory that is (nearly) never out of stock.
• Rapid order and delivery of major auto parts items.

Marketing & Sales

Marketing plan.

QDAR will focus on its target market, the middle and upper-class market, and establish a reputable image from that target market’s perspective, by offering convenience, expedient auto repair services, customer service excellence, and by working with local towing companies.

QDAR will focus its sales strategy on effectively reaching the target customer segment of upper and middle-class customers. For this purposes, the company will employ direct sales staff. At the same time, the company will further strengthen its relationships with the tow truck companies to capture auto repair needs of the local and highway traffic.

QDAR has the core competencies amongst its large crew to work on all makes and models of domestic and foreign vehicles. With ten service bays at each location and all employees focused on superior customer service, a quick turnaround is always the standard at QDAR. QDAR strives to be accurate and honest with customers in terms of quoting cost estimates and repair completion time estimates. QDAR employees focus on delivering what they promise. This focus on building strong customer relationships based on trust and integrity will be the catalyst in establishing a strong regular customer base.

QDAR utilizes the highest degree of technology in managing a full range of auto parts inventory. The goal is to never be out of a specific part while maximizing inventory turnover. Strong vendor relationships have been established with the most reputable vendors in terms of shipping time of major parts.

Milestones & Metrics

Milestones table, key metrics.

Our Key metrics are: 

• Average gross margin
• Average revenue per engagement
• Repeat business
• cost of inventory and training 
• # of tweets and retweets which tell us which customers are saying what 
• # of return customers 
• # of business relationships 

Ownership & Structure

QDAR is incorporated in the state of Oregon. It is privately owned by Jake Braques, Blair Horne, Hyugo Ford and Gaz Môder. To attract additional financing, the owners may consider taking QDAR public several years down the road.

Management Team

QDAR has a strong management team that will allow them to execute on this exciting idea. QDAR has four partners, Jake Braques, Blair Horne, Hyugo Ford, and Gaz Môder. Jake has a background of sales, 12 years at the nation’s second largest Ford dealership. He will be overseeing the sales and marketing for the organization. Blair’s background is in management from Siemen’s automobile division where he was a Vice President overseeing a department of 565 people. Hyugo is also a product of the auto industry, specifically the auto repair and parts sales industry. Hyugo spent six years at NAPA Auto Parts and then seven years at Repair-It, Oregon’s largest independent auto repair facility. At both organizations Hyugo had multiple roles within the organization allowing him to bring to QDAR a broad skill set. Lastly, Gaz brings QDAR 10 years of finance and administration experience. Gaz was trained at GM and later in his career took a position at Delco Parts. The incredible breadth of skill sets and knowledge that the management team possesses will allow QDAR to accomplish their lofty sales goals.

QDAR is an exciting business opportunity that addresses the unmet need of having a full service auto repair facility that also has a complete retail parts center. These distinct but complimentary services will have benchmarked customer service, something that the industry is not known for having. QDAR will be led by a seasoned management team of four, all of whom have extensive industry experience.

Personnel Table

Financial plan investor-ready personnel plan .">, key assumptions.

Our key assumptions are: 

• People need cars to get to their jobs on time and make money. 
• Cars break down 
• Not everyone has the ability to pay for new parts and expensive service. 

Revenue by Month

Expenses by month, net profit (or loss) by year, use of funds.

We will be buying $350K long term assets mainly shop equipment. The rest of the money will be spent on legal fees. 

Sources of Funds

Each of the founders will contribute a fourth of the initial investment of $250K. We are also taking on a long-term loan and some credit card debt.

Projected Profit & Loss

Projected balance sheet, projected cash flow statement.

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Business Plan Template: What You Get

• The key requirements and content for a car repair business plan.
• Tips on financing, choosing the right legal form and the right business location.
• The specifics of an auto repair business.
• The overall success factors for a profitable automotive repair.

This Business Plan Template is Suitable For:

• auto repair
• auto repair 24/7
• automotive repair
• car repair business
• car repair shop
• car repair service
• DIY auto repair
• mechanic shop

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Auto Repair Shop Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Auto Repair Shop Business Plan Template

If you want to start an Auto Repair Shop or expand your current Auto Repair Shop, you need a business plan.

The following Auto Repair Shop business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning auto repair business plan. An automotive business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your business.

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Below are links to each of the key sections of your Auto Repair business plan: Auto Repair Shop Business Plan Sample I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

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Auto Repair Shop Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

What Kind of Business Insurance Do Auto Repair Shops Need?

A uto repair shop insurance packages should include various types of liability coverage to cover the mechanic in case they damage the customer’s car or if a customer somehow suffers an injury while inside the body shop. Other types of essential coverage include workers’ compensation insurance to cover employee workplace injuries and commercial property insurance to insure the shop’s tools and equipment.

Whether you're starting a new auto shop or you’re a seasoned pro, find everything you need about mechanic business insurance and how to get covered.

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Is Insurance Required To Operate an Auto Repair Shop?

What Types of Insurance Do Auto Repair Shops Need?

How much does insurance cost for an auto repair shop, how to get auto repair shop insurance for your business, is insurance required to operate an auto repair shop .

Workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance are the only two insurance types typically required by law for auto repair shops. Even then, there are caveats. Specifically, workers' compensation insurance is only required if your auto shop has employees. Similarly, commercial auto insurance is mandated if you have company vehicles. We'll expand on these more below.

As promised, we've provided a list of auto repair business insurance types so you can start choosing the best coverage for your company.

General Liability Insurance

General liability offers three types of coverage in case you do something wrong; medical costs, property damage and personal/advertising injury. If a vehicle lift accidentally drops a Chevy Duramax and breaks a client's foot and phone, your general liability will cover the client's damages. Your advertising injury coverage will also protect you if a competing auto repair business sues you for posting false statements about them on your website.

In general, all repair shops should have general liability insurance since it protects against several types of liability risks.

Commercial Property Insurance

Auto repair shop insurance should include commercial property coverage to ensure your place of business and equipment are covered if they are lost due to theft, fire or some other covered peril. Suppose a hail storm breaks through the security gates of your garage, allowing water to seep in and damage your power tools and winches. In that case, you can breathe knowing everything would be repaired or replaced up to your policy’s limits after paying your plan’s deductible.

Tools and Equipment Insurance

Tools and equipment insurance covers mobile pieces of equipment, such as multimeters, jacks and jack stands, portable jump starters and coveralls, whether owned by you or borrowed. This coverage differs from commercial property in that it limits protection to the tools and equipment of your trade and excludes your office space and any furniture therein. And unlike commercial property insurance, tools and equipment coverage will apply to equipment that is lost or breaks due to employee negligence.

It’s important to note that tools and equipment insurance also applies to tools left at a job site. Meanwhile, commercial property generally only covers business assets at your primary office or warehouse.

Business Income Insurance

Business income insurance can help cover lost income and temporary relocation expenses if your auto shop business needs to close due to a covered peril. For instance, if a fire burns down your garage, business interruption will cover lost revenue and even temporary relocation costs until your main place of business is repaired and can reopen.

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

A BOP is a wonderful business insurance plan that bundles general liability, business property and business income coverage into a single and often more affordable package. BOPs are perfect for new businesses looking for convenient and inexpensive coverage.

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance covers businesses against claims of negligence or errors in professional services. So, if a mechanic accidentally disconnects the anti-lock braking system after working on a car, causing the driver to crash, the mechanic’s legal defense costs will be covered should the client sue.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Workers' compensation is usually required if a business has employees. It provides medical benefits and wage replacement to employees who have fallen ill or become injured due to their work. For instance, an employee who slips on an oil slick at the garage and hurts themselves will have their medical treatment covered and have their income supplemented while they recover.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance is required in most states if company-owned vehicles operate on public roads, such as mobile mechanics driving to their client's residences. Coverage includes damage to your vehicle and others, as well as medical coverage for you, your passengers and anyone injured in an accident you cause.

Garage Keepers Liability Insurance

Garage keepers liability insurance covers theft, collision, vandalism and severe weather that damages a vehicle in your care. You will also have coverage if a client's possessions (e.g., bags, phone chargers, etc.) go missing from their car while their vehicle is at your shop.

Consider the fact that a car will stay at a repair business for an average of 12 days . [1] This is plenty of time for an accident to occur and your business can be held liable for any accidents and losses to the vehicle during this time.

Additional Coverages Auto Repair Shops Should Consider

Below are extra types of business insurance for auto repair shop professionals worth considering:

• Equipment breakdown insurance : Covers repair or replacement of gear due to mechanical failure, operator error, motor burnout, electrical short or power surges. Also includes coverage for lost income if the broken equipment forces the business to close.
• Cyber insurance : Covers forensic investigations, legal fees and crisis management expenses caused by a data breach or other cyber attack — ideal for auto repair businesses that store client data online.
• Crime insurance : Covers monetary assets against employee theft and fraud, computer fraud and funds transfer fraud.
• Employee benefits liability insurance : A form of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance that protects employers against negligence claims regarding an employee’s compensation package.

Auto mechanic insurance costs vary depending on your provider's rates, how many locations are being insured, your claims history and the types of coverage on your policy. The more insurance you have, the more you'll pay.

For instance, a business owners policy generally costs $350 to $2,500 per year . If you add workers' compensation insurance, your premium may increase by $375 to $1,400 per employee yearly. Since you'll likely need commercial auto coverage, expect your annual premium to rise by another $750 to $2,500. [2]

Getting insurance for your business involves several steps. Here's a general guide to help you get insurance for auto repair shops:

• Consider any insurance requirements as well as potential risks you may face while operating an auto shop.
• Seek recommendations from colleagues, industry associations or online resources to find reputable insurers with experience in your industry.
• Gather multiple quotes or use an insurance marketplace tool like SmartFinancial. You can answer a few basic questions about your business (years in business, number of employees, number of business vehicles, etc.) and you can get matched with a policy in minutes.
• Add any coverage you feel your business needs and make sure the limits are adequate for your operation.
• Make your first payment and be sure to obtain a certificate of insurance (COI) for your records. You'll likely be required to have a COI in your vehicle if you have a company car.
• Update your coverage to ensure adequate protection as your auto repair shop grows or changes.

Which type of insurance will pay for the repair of your vehicle?

Comprehensive and collision coverage in a commercial auto policy should cover physical damages to your vehicle.

Do I need insurance if my auto repair shop is only open part-time?

Any auto repair business should have mechanic shop insurance that at least includes workers' compensation, commercial auto insurance and a business owners policy (BOP) regardless of how many hours it's open. 

Is there a difference between auto body shop insurance and auto mechanic insurance?

Both of these refer to similar policies, covering various liabilities and other claims unique to the automotive handling business. The only real difference is that an auto detailer works on the look of the vehicle while the auto mechanic makes sure everything is running smoothly under the hood.

• Poston Motor Company. " How Long Is Too Long? What To Know if Your Mechanic Keeps Your Car Too Long ." Accessed July 13, 2023.
• AdvisorSmith. “ Small Business Insurance Costs .” Accessed July 13, 2023.