ideas/help on startig a business.?

[Nick]

firstly hi all,
i would like to start a business in auto repair. and because a van is much cheper then a garage i would like to start as a mobile mechanic and would like to know how to start or go about doing it.
im a hgv trained mechanic have all the necessary tools so im thinking starting could be relatively low cost just need a van. and well the info on how to start. any help welcome
thank you all
hi an thank you for your answers. but few more questions
how old do you have to be for van insurance im 20 nearly 21?
can i start a business if i have no address my plane was to kinda kit a bit of the van out in to a camper so id be living in the van?
and finally how does the vat/tax man stuff work? if you could point me to some good website/forum i would really appreciate.
thank you all

[Jim]

I would do a search on Google for a company that successful doing this already and almost copy them. Check franchisees magazines to find other ideas

[Dumdedum]

Firstly are you old enough for van insurance? You would need to discuss that with a local insurance broker face to face and you will need to arrange Public Liability Insurance as well in case you cause harm or damage to some or someone else's vehicle or a repair you do fails and there is an accident.

Advertising and marketing will be very important to get your customers in and hopefully you have some client base that might come with you. You will need to target everyone and everywhere until you can build a word of mouth trade.

Register as self employed within three months as well

[J]

there are several people that have made the move, with many more following. in florida, it requires licensing as a mobile mechanic according to a friend and an article i read.

i have helped several develop websites for their business and most start start making good money and like most small shops they forget the marketing and eventually fail.

if you are still working, start by being a weekend - night mechanic (shade tree) and only go out on your own after you have a customer base. if that is not possible and you want more help drop me a pm.