I been putting off this thread for a while already. All though I do keep a diary on this business journey, ideas, issues and solutions that comes along mostly everything gets documented in it. It would be nice to also have an execution thread here in TFLF.
If you go back to a few of my threads I have started in the past, none of them got completely followed through till the end. All of them were ideas that I started and gave up along the way. Ever since my last thread here, I have gone through more crazy situations where I finally grew a pair and decided that it was time to pursue my dream I had since I was 16, I am 30 now. Got tired of working for someone else, from helping others achieve their dreams, but now at least I can say I have full time job doing what I enjoy doing which is in the auto industry. This full time job is giving me more experience, and also helping me grow so that I can offer more services in my shop.
This journey is different, is not as easy as to give up and let it sit like i did with the other ideas. I finally signed a lease, got my shop keys this morning, and starting tomorrow I can officially go to my shop and start working on it getting it visually ready and aesthetically looking how I wanted to be.
As of now, and from the beginning I knew that my biggest problem would be advertising and marketing due to the new ways of doing business. With having that in mind, I did chose a location that has no street view so again my business would at first rely heavily on Digital advertising and marketing, and then it would be referrals. Another thing to consider is in my location a lot of businesses are sort of hidden or have very little street view. The shop I work at has street view, and every work order we get from a client has the question of "How did they hear about us" and about 10-20% are drive by. The majority are online presence or referrals.
My short term goal is to Be able to at least make back my overhead cost, so that I can stop injecting money from my own pocket or from my full time job. My long-term goal which is the next 2 years or by Dec 2023, To be generating at least from 150K to 250K a year.
As of now my overhead monthly cost approximately is: $1,100
Rent is $800
Business insurance is $150
Electricity is around $50
Internet around $50
Misc. Expenses $50
As of right now I have redesign my website completely, integrated a lot of features that would be more accessible for mobile device users. So far 90-95% of potential clients are finding my services or seeing my ads from a mobile device. I am working on landing pages, learning and hiring someone to do SEO, learning how to work with Google ads, and trying to create brand awareness and a reputation for myself and business name. I am very determine I can at least get this business going relying heavily 100% on digital marketing and advertising, before I go out there and network with business cards in hand the old fashion way.
As for the shop, I still have a few equipment to order, as well as supply. Get better lighting in there, paint the walls, get some graphic work for the walls, and move some of the equipment I already have but have it in a storage. Another issue I am debating is, if is best to start offering and advertising the service which I already have the majority of equipment taking a smaller investment in order to deliver it, or purchasing the equipment I would need for another service which is very popular but would take a bigger investment to be able to deliver that service.
My shop would be providing at least 5 different services which they are all correlated in a way. Sort of becoming a one stop shop for these services.
To be Continue...
If you go back to a few of my threads I have started in the past, none of them got completely followed through till the end. All of them were ideas that I started and gave up along the way. Ever since my last thread here, I have gone through more crazy situations where I finally grew a pair and decided that it was time to pursue my dream I had since I was 16, I am 30 now. Got tired of working for someone else, from helping others achieve their dreams, but now at least I can say I have full time job doing what I enjoy doing which is in the auto industry. This full time job is giving me more experience, and also helping me grow so that I can offer more services in my shop.
This journey is different, is not as easy as to give up and let it sit like i did with the other ideas. I finally signed a lease, got my shop keys this morning, and starting tomorrow I can officially go to my shop and start working on it getting it visually ready and aesthetically looking how I wanted to be.
As of now, and from the beginning I knew that my biggest problem would be advertising and marketing due to the new ways of doing business. With having that in mind, I did chose a location that has no street view so again my business would at first rely heavily on Digital advertising and marketing, and then it would be referrals. Another thing to consider is in my location a lot of businesses are sort of hidden or have very little street view. The shop I work at has street view, and every work order we get from a client has the question of "How did they hear about us" and about 10-20% are drive by. The majority are online presence or referrals.
My short term goal is to Be able to at least make back my overhead cost, so that I can stop injecting money from my own pocket or from my full time job. My long-term goal which is the next 2 years or by Dec 2023, To be generating at least from 150K to 250K a year.
As of now my overhead monthly cost approximately is: $1,100
Rent is $800
Business insurance is $150
Electricity is around $50
Internet around $50
Misc. Expenses $50
As of right now I have redesign my website completely, integrated a lot of features that would be more accessible for mobile device users. So far 90-95% of potential clients are finding my services or seeing my ads from a mobile device. I am working on landing pages, learning and hiring someone to do SEO, learning how to work with Google ads, and trying to create brand awareness and a reputation for myself and business name. I am very determine I can at least get this business going relying heavily 100% on digital marketing and advertising, before I go out there and network with business cards in hand the old fashion way.
As for the shop, I still have a few equipment to order, as well as supply. Get better lighting in there, paint the walls, get some graphic work for the walls, and move some of the equipment I already have but have it in a storage. Another issue I am debating is, if is best to start offering and advertising the service which I already have the majority of equipment taking a smaller investment in order to deliver it, or purchasing the equipment I would need for another service which is very popular but would take a bigger investment to be able to deliver that service.
My shop would be providing at least 5 different services which they are all correlated in a way. Sort of becoming a one stop shop for these services.
To be Continue...
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