As a mobile guy, I can say customers do not appreciate the service as much as they should or say they do. They know how long you have worked on the vehicle and will beat you up on what they feel you should have made in that amount of time. Or it's a very simple issue and charging them the service call or minimum price, while fair, means they may not want to use you in the future....because you know...."You didn't really do anything."
AZ Expert right I’m running a mobile mechanic business and people want to drive 30 miles away to do diagnostics for free or people 80 percent cheeper then a shop
This one is reasonably easy engage them in a conversation about what they do for work explain that bringing the shop to them costs money and that they would not do xyz for their company for free why should you?
What I've learned over years and me myself working on vehicles and the amount of time that certain jobs take and the knowledge learned over the years to be able to save time while still doing the job right , is what customers never understand . Me myself if I can get a professional to do a certain job correctly and save us both time is worth the pay but the average Joe wouldn't know that. They don't understand that time is money as they say and time is valuable due to the reason that is something you don't get back. So kudos to all the men and woman in any industry that know their worth for the work they provide
I had a brick and mortar shop for years and the headache was too much with the overhead and work load. I decided to start the mobile thing and specialize in a more narrow spectrum .... it was the best idea ever. This cut out a lot of the haggling and diagnostics on dozens of different types of vehicles which made life so much better.
May I add??? Find and join a local non-competitive Business Networking Group. They generally only allow one of each trade so the hep is non biased and you'll meet lots of professional people from your area. I've been involve in the same group for about 15 years.
Absolutely. I joined a local women's entrepreneur meetup group and I have gotten so many amazing referrals thanks to people just drinking wine with me and liking my personality. :)
I have been watching an overload of videos on how to start advertising for my mobile mechanic business and this right here is it! You have so many to the point but effective tips. Thank you so much
Great advice, thank you for taking the time to make such a great and detailed video. I used to know a mobile mechanic (in the UK) that did only cam-belt changes and regular servicing, he did/does very because he can do it when a customer is at work and they don't need to take a day off.. His advice for any business is to specialise and advertise.
thank you so much for this video. i have been working for shops for years and always feel I'm never getting what I'm worth. Came here for some mobile mechanic advice, I decided this is what I need to do for myself. Thank you sir you are truly humble!
I have loved cars all my life. I currently have a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu that I repair and maintain myself. I took auto body repair in high school. When I was in collage I would get a few of my friends together and show them how to check and add fluids to there cars. Where the spare tire was and how to change it. How to jump start a car from another car. Basic things everyone should know. Enjoy the channel. Keep up the good work.
Guys Been using this Company for Seven years now works great try it out ( invoice asap) its cheap and works. Keep up the work Humble Mechanic...... Class of 02 H-Town
Thank you my brother I have a mobile service for tractor trailer repairs but I'm struggling right now without a thousand I cannot find nobody but I get some good tips from you thank you
Tip #0 is by far the most important, you have to be good!! When I was in high school working at an auto parts store we had four or five mobile mechanics that got a lot of work from us. Unfortunately we had one that we passed his number out a couple times ended up being a hack, screwed up brake jobs and left a couple jobs incomplete. Of course customer gets upset with the store because we gave them said persons card
Thank you for the info I do have a mobile shop and doing most of what you said but the car clinic is a great idea never thought about that and thank you to all others who left suggestions
I watched this video 4 years ago when I was setting up my business. I was broke. Thats why I chose to do mobile service. All I thought I needed was tools and a truck. 500$ and 5x 30-day credit accounts with parts vendors, I was on my way. Now, I Start year 4 in November. I'm knocking on $3million gross in that time and can say that only 1 of these is an actual practical option. I am an HD tech, so this doesn't apply to passenger car guys, but after making a business page on FB, you can use that url as your free website to use as a landing page for a Google ad campaign. These only cost money after they've generated traffic for you. A Google ad campaign was 100% of my non-customer roadside repairs in yr 1. Not talking shit on the video, bet relying on people that generally hate cars and mechanic work, to pass your name along or help you is literally impossible.
What I've learned over years and me myself working on vehicles and the amount of time that certain jobs take and the knowledge learned over the years to be able to save time while still doing the job right , is what customers never understand . Me myself if I can get a professional to do a certain job correctly and save us both time is worth the pay but the average Joe wouldn't know that. They don't understand that time is money as they say and time is valuable due to the reason that is something you don't get back. So kudos to all the men and woman in any industry that know their worth for the work they provide
I want to do this for mobile mechanics. I realize the huge huge importance for mobile mechanics getting found. When I needed help I could barely find anyone reputable
Just to diagnose on a car, I charge $50 for the first 30 mins but after that I charge $15/ 30 mins. But also it's wear&tear on your tools you have to replace in the future and gas, and putting miles on your tires too. It quickly adds up.
Great Presentation! My title is that of Senior Marketing Outreach for a large Gas and Electric Utility in Michigan.... I’m in super agreeance with the non-sell/soft-sell approach...Simply educate and inform at an elemental level with the goal of providing your prospectives with a simple solution based on trust and your competence...and you’ll do well!
This is a great area for people to expand into. Even if you already have a shop offering limited on site services and then expanding. Always have your own website. If you only exist on other services like Facebook you are just a product. Keep up to date information on your pages and cross post your status on all of the social media accounts you have set up. Another thing to keep in mind when setting up social media accounts is to set up accounts specific to your business. Don't use your existing accounts.
So those business cards .... should they be slightly flashy ,or something that's hard to forget? Local laws ! Know your local laws about being a mobile mechanic. Know your clientele. Which clientele do you want? Repair and body shops or at home services? What will your hazmat procedures be in the event of a spillage? Will you need a compressor? Will you need an inverter? Soooooo many topics that can be brought up based upon this one.
we are in this business almost 3 years, and we are doing great, i can say we spend a lot of money for advertising but now all of my customer are organic traffic, but i can say if you are good they will keep coming and if your have a big mouth but they dont know what they are doing they lose even if they spend thousand dollars every day..i agree with your messages brother doing great.
I do mobile repair of outdoor power equipment like mowers and tractors. Its a great thing, and super convenient for the customers i service. Im adding vehicle repair to this too, this year.
Thank you for this. I am and have been thinking of doing a mobile repair business. My struggles would be the winter months (I live in NH). I do do and have done for some time now side work at home. Been looking at how to expand. The other struggle is I am the only provider in the house. Wife works as a stay at home mom, so the self employed jump is a bit scary. Again Thanks for the video. Saw Faye’s too both very informative.
Invest in a propane heater or generator and electric heater I live in ny and am thinking about doing this in the winter months when I finally am able to open a mobile business but I need to get more experience
Hope this saves somebody some time -- Angie's list will not list for mobile or any other type of auto repair service. Just got off of the phone with them and they said they have made a commitment to only listing home-repair services.
A fantastic idea. My wife only knows its a car is when she here's a funny noise or a light is flashing or here's the big one it needs gas. Anyway, great video enjoys them all. 👍
How many mobile mechanics are in the Midwest and work year round? The pay would have to be worth it for me to look at a car in 3 feet of snow at -20 degrees.
lol I am in Texas, I couldn't imagine doing this in Portland, OR where I used to live (always rains) or NH where I was born and raised (too snowy, everything is rusted) so this is a location-specific trade for sure.
Depends. If the job is complex, I wouldn't accept the work unless done in a heated garage. (I have a portable heater and would charge customers for fuel) I made a bunch of money one new years eve and day changing batteries for people after the temp had dropped to - 27f.
@Road Wrench / Lifeatredline76 Wow, I can totally see that! When I used to live in Portland, we had a shop that literally became a wind tunnel with how it faced the cascades. The ventilation was poor, so the shop doors were always open. It rains constantly in Portland, and by 8am most mornings, I would be drenched.... then freezing because of the constant breeze that whipped through. I got sick EVERY WINTER. Now, I worry about the heat. In the summer, I schedule for early morning (6am if my customers are up!) and hide during the peak heat of the day, and will do later evening calls as well. In the winter, I start around 11am and end when it gets dark. I teach more of my indoor classes in the winter to make up for lost $$ but I definitely have to save money during the good times to make up for the bad ones!!
I am a mobile mechanic in Ohio. Every degree under 0 I charge another +10.00. As a "mobile shop fee" if you have questions let me know, I'm from Cleveland and I have a shop as well. I am 23 and paid my way through college. Its possible. But you have to be willing to push yourself to the absolute limit. Aloha
I just do side work in missouri to supplement my income. I have noticed missouri most shops do shell out tbe cash when I lived in denver it was like $14 an hour flat rate missouri $30-$37 fr is normal.
Sometimes advertising on Facebook groups means that everyone is gonna ask you for prices... expecting crack-head prices for high quality services... I only have a Google page and with the reviews I have is plenty for keeping me busy all the time.
I'm a mobile mechanic the autozone and O'Reilly's help me with giving my information out if someone breaks down at autozone they give my phone number to them I get a lot of Customer that way
This is awesome you could create or we could create a humble mechanic homepage for every town in our own state and we can all share your videos of knowledge and support because the way you turn a wrench and your ideas are the same as ours your viewers... just recently joined but love your videos pier in New Jersey♡♡♡
Wow great info is this video the marketing part mentioned about teaching new drivers could be a whole new business ideas spare tires bulbs and wipers changes fluid checks what to do if your in an accident, broke down on the side of the road class could be organized on just a weekend basis and could probably make some one a decent living add to that you could sell a tool kit and sell advertising to local shops to include towing and mechanic numbers on a flyer for emergency pamphlets or course reminders that would be handed out for completion of the said course
I’m getting into the same field. I’m only 20 years old. I’ve grown up around the work my whole life and I love working on vehicles. I feel like I’m meant to do more in life than clocking in and out for 10 hours, 5 days a week. My family runs a shop that does very well, but I want to bring in my own business rather than take work away from them. The amount of knowledge is at my fingertips for free is endless and I would be wasting something amazing if I don’t capitalize on it. 100s of thousand of dollars worth of tools that I can use and get started for free. The only QUESTIONS that I don’t seem to get answered from UA-cam at least is; What happens when you go on a call and you can’t do anything for the customer, or the customer isn’t happy but it isn’t your fault? What if they refuse to pay you? How do you deal with customers that you know nothing about? I’m more worried about how to deal with customers that DO NOT want to pay. Obviously I know there’s legal procedures that you could go through but at some point, from a small business/New business standpoint, it isn’t worth it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, idk who else to ask. Thanks
hi humble machanic, i need your advice, my car using ATF SP3 for the transmission oil, my question is i bought extra jar of ATF since it has special price offer two years ago, can use the ATF oil after keeping it that long time? will it cause any damage to my transmission? the seal on the ATF bottle still there, please advice, ty vry much
I worked for a towing and road side service company Everytime he a gets a customer who says great job really appreciate it. He says go to Google and give me a good review if you don't mind
I have a Seat Leon Cupra 2003 and it has developed a weird fault where I get clicking from the dashboard and it loses power, it will run (barely) if i change down or reduce how much throttle I give it. If i floor it then it doesn't give any power then intermittently works and stops working making the car jolt as it drives along. My mechanic can't diagnose it, the ECU shows like ten things most of which will just be being affected by it. One day the windscreenwipers stopped working too for a while when it was doing it. But sometimes it's fine for a couple of months. Lately it has got a lot worse. Can you help me? I don't care what is costs but i don't want to throw money at it not knowing what will fix it!
srspower I could be completely wrong but it sounds like maybe you have something shorting out or possible wires exposed and touching causing clicking noise. I had a pickup truck that had a similar issue and it was a loud popping noise and eventually my truck completely shut down. All it was, was exposed wiring rubbing and touching stuff shorting stuff which eventually caused the main computer to fry.
I have a brick and mortar ATV & UTV (Powersports) repair shop and am thinking about getting rid of the brick and mortar shop (rental) and going to a mobile platform. Does anyone have any pros and cons about switching would love to hear any information I should consider. Thank you, Mike @ Lone Star Customs, Bulverde Texas.
I wanted to report back. I have had great luck with the business card magnets. People will stick them on their fridge to use as a magnet and then there my number is when they have a problem.
I’m 20 years old thinking of starting a business like this because no one will hire me in my area Im thinking for marketing give the business to a towing company so they handle all the paperwork plus they can handle calls and I’m on there payroll what do you guys think
I know this a old video but I’m thinking of buying a older ice cream van and making a Mobile shop and mechanic buisness for basic car stuff like starters or rads and stuff like that and small engines . I don’t have any technical training but I’ve worked on cars a lot on my own and have all the tooling alredy and feel pretty conifident on working on vehicles
Can anybody help me?! I have a 2007 Audi A4 Quattro 2.0T. I’m having issues with my mass air flow sensor. When I connect it the car has a rough idle. If I disconnect it runs okay. I noticed that the maf sensor it self has 5 pins but the connector 5 slots for wires but only has 3 wires in the connector. Is that normal to only have 3 wires when there is room for 5?
Replace MAF sensor. Have you ever had the car running good? Or did you receive the car running bad? If it ran good before don't worry about the 3/5 wire issue.
I was a part time MM for several years. Almost all my customers were word of mouth. Competent, honest mechanics are rare in my area. I could easily undercut most shops on price, finish the job faster, and do a better job. I focused on the basics. Mostly brakes, suspension, fluids, exhaust, and minor engine work. Have EPA certification and serviced A/C systems as well. Bought a Snap-On Solus for diagnostics, second-hand, which was really a good investment. I cant do it anymore - its too hard on my body. Not having a hoist sucks. But, I think there's a ton of opportunity out there for young, healthy people to do this.
Ya thats a killer without a hoist its harder work and takes up to much time to travel to customers your charging less than a shop plus you are losing a lot of money by traveling if you spend a hour or to a day driving you are losing over a hundred dollars a day plus the weather no lift people more likely not to pay bottom feeders wear and tear on your truck gas and list goes on if you can gwt customers close by who are good then that would be ok its much better having a shop
Hi Charles, quick question for you! I have a mobile auto repair business in Colorado and I really enjoy it. I have been paying $200 per month for shop software. I am tired of paying for it. haha. Do you have any suggestions!? Thanks
What do you think of handing out your business cards to local small business or even your local auto parts stores. I have commercial account with some, and they’ve been great about recommending me and hanging out my business cards, but I want to go to the other shops and leave them a few cards. Do you think it’s a good idea?
@@MacAutoDiag Actually, what I did was first establish a relationship with the auto parts people. Opened up comercial accounts, brought them donuts, cookies, coffee etc. maybe helped them with their personal cars. Then I asked if I could give them business cards for them to hand out when people asked for auto shop recommendations. Sure enough, I started getting a lot of phone calls from individuals saying so and so from the auto parts recommend you, when can you work on my car. Yes, most people just throw them away, but like Charles said they’re cheap enough, even if you get one repetitive customer it’s worth it.
supercarmio coukd work just have to know where to source tires quickly and do it for less than a tow bill as most new cars dont have spares it might be a beneficial service but AAA does it already i think
@@supercarmio I wanted to offer the service but lugging around the equipment is expensive just on fuel BUT the services are not very profitable either for someone who is not big into tires so I passed on it.
Could you help me or make a video on how to get the proper pricing? Like what a mobile mechanics labor rate should be? Like the job i just left was charging $175/hr is $50/hr fair for a mobile technician?
I just found your channel. This is great advice. I am leaving the 9-5 to start a small engine repair/mobile repair business in PA. I need all the advice and suggestions from anyone who has an opinion..lol Thank you so much for your video.. I absolutely have that opinion that everyone loves cars and engines and know everything about it. I suppose not everyone does. I know this is an old video but it is a very valuable one.
Great info to start but if you're a good mechanic you won't need to advertise. I had so much work I couldn't handle everyone. My jobs came through word of mouth. I had to stop for a while to restructure my biz systems and set everything up as a business not as a tech with tools.
Love the content considering I found this video after i started my MM business BUT I have a few things I disagree but without shade... 1. I will never share where I get my parts/materials from, that's like advanced auto parts openly sharing every vendor they get their parts from. If that's the case, there will never be a wholesale to purchase from That's literally it! Now for Cindy's comment, she wins! Per Cindy Tepper, "People want to price you against some crackhead from craigslist, and they are always in your hair telling you what their brother in law's neighbor's friend who works at Jiffy Lube said". Agreed, the biggest issue just about anywhere you go especially Facebook people and that's them lowballing and trying to throw the "make me good deal I send all business" bs. For that, you have to TEACH your clientele why your price is the way it is. If you don't teach them, you are training the ora of sales and every client how to not respect your values of your workmanship. We call these people "Bottom Dollar Focused". You know the ones that ask how for this? ... $10.00, can you do it for $3.00? ... hang up :-/
Hmm.. I don't advertise because I don't want just any customer. I want good customers, that can pay, and be reasonable and won't bug the crap out of me for every single thing that ever goes wrong with their car after I worked on it once. I am very selective who I give my business card to. Bad customers will put you in a money loosing position real quick. If you do good work for a reasonable price and help people you will have more work from good referrals than you can handle.
I know a mobile mechanic that specializes in repairing wires with vinyl butt connectors & electrical tape. I tried to tell him that type of repair isn't in high demand but but he's too much of a narcissists to listen to anyone.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
As a mobile guy, I can say customers do not appreciate the service as much as they should or say they do. They know how long you have worked on the vehicle and will beat you up on what they feel you should have made in that amount of time. Or it's a very simple issue and charging them the service call or minimum price, while fair, means they may not want to use you in the future....because you know...."You didn't really do anything."
AZ Expert right I’m running a mobile mechanic business and people want to drive 30 miles away to do diagnostics for free or people 80 percent cheeper then a shop
This one is reasonably easy engage them in a conversation about what they do for work explain that bringing the shop to them costs money and that they would not do xyz for their company for free why should you?
What I've learned over years and me myself working on vehicles and the amount of time that certain jobs take and the knowledge learned over the years to be able to save time while still doing the job right , is what customers never understand . Me myself if I can get a professional to do a certain job correctly and save us both time is worth the pay but the average Joe wouldn't know that. They don't understand that time is money as they say and time is valuable due to the reason that is something you don't get back. So kudos to all the men and woman in any industry that know their worth for the work they provide
100% agree the customers are bottom of the bottom scumbags
People are the reason indont want to get back into automotive repair. People suck
I had a brick and mortar shop for years and the headache was too much with the overhead and work load. I decided to start the mobile thing and specialize in a more narrow spectrum .... it was the best idea ever. This cut out a lot of the haggling and diagnostics on dozens of different types of vehicles which made life so much better.
I saw that a ton until I stopped charging by the “book time” and started charging by the job
What do you specialize in?
I'm retiring from my current job in 6 months and I want to work on cars so this information helps, thanks.
wyattoneable good luck with the job change 👍🏻
Coming to Staten Island Wyatt??
It's six months later ,hope everything is lined up for you were rooting for you
We would love an update!
I do mobile mechanic work in the spring/summer time in michigan. I only advertised on Craigslist and was booked out for 2 to 3 weeks, it was crazy.
That’s awesome.
Zleeper 280 where you located in Michigan?
Sweet keep it going and bless you brother I'm from Wisconsin and now live in Oregon the rust you deal with must be maddening
May I add??? Find and join a local non-competitive Business Networking Group. They generally only allow one of each trade so the hep is non biased and you'll meet lots of professional people from your area. I've been involve in the same group for about 15 years.
Or just call Keith before you make the video 😉
Absolutely. I joined a local women's entrepreneur meetup group and I have gotten so many amazing referrals thanks to people just drinking wine with me and liking my personality. :)
I have been watching an overload of videos on how to start advertising for my mobile mechanic business and this right here is it! You have so many to the point but effective tips. Thank you so much
Thank you!!! Now go out and crush it. Lol
how are u now ashlee
Definitely market to offices, lots of people there that want this type of service.
Great advice, thank you for taking the time to make such a great and detailed video. I used to know a mobile mechanic (in the UK) that did only cam-belt changes and regular servicing, he did/does very because he can do it when a customer is at work and they don't need to take a day off.. His advice for any business is to specialise and advertise.
thank you so much for this video. i have been working for shops for years and always feel I'm never getting what I'm worth. Came here for some mobile mechanic advice, I decided this is what I need to do for myself. Thank you sir you are truly humble!
Awesome! Go make it happen 👍
I have loved cars all my life. I currently have a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu that I repair and maintain myself. I took auto body repair in high school. When I was in collage I would get a few of my friends together and show them how to check and add fluids to there cars. Where the spare tire was and how to change it. How to jump start a car from another car. Basic things everyone should know. Enjoy the channel. Keep up the good work.
I feel like this is usable advice from a credible source. Good vid 👍
Guys Been using this Company for Seven years now works great try it out ( invoice asap) its cheap and works. Keep up the work Humble Mechanic...... Class of 02 H-Town
Thank you my brother I have a mobile service for tractor trailer repairs but I'm struggling right now without a thousand I cannot find nobody but I get some good tips from you thank you
Tip #0 is by far the most important, you have to be good!! When I was in high school working at an auto parts store we had four or five mobile mechanics that got a lot of work from us. Unfortunately we had one that we passed his number out a couple times ended up being a hack, screwed up brake jobs and left a couple jobs incomplete. Of course customer gets upset with the store because we gave them said persons card
Dudes like that piss me off because they give mobile mechanics a bad name.
Thank you for the info I do have a mobile shop and doing most of what you said but the car clinic is a great idea never thought about that and thank you to all others who left suggestions
Thanks. I hope it helps
I watched this video 4 years ago when I was setting up my business. I was broke. Thats why I chose to do mobile service. All I thought I needed was tools and a truck. 500$ and 5x 30-day credit accounts with parts vendors, I was on my way.
Now, I Start year 4 in November. I'm knocking on $3million gross in that time and can say that only 1 of these is an actual practical option. I am an HD tech, so this doesn't apply to passenger car guys, but after making a business page on FB, you can use that url as your free website to use as a landing page for a Google ad campaign. These only cost money after they've generated traffic for you. A Google ad campaign was 100% of my non-customer roadside repairs in yr 1.
Not talking shit on the video, bet relying on people that generally hate cars and mechanic work, to pass your name along or help you is literally impossible.
Congrats on the success dude!!! That’s freaking awesome.
Thank you man, you pointed out some things I never would’ve thought of. I feel like this will help me successfully launch my business
What I've learned over years and me myself working on vehicles and the amount of time that certain jobs take and the knowledge learned over the years to be able to save time while still doing the job right , is what customers never understand . Me myself if I can get a professional to do a certain job correctly and save us both time is worth the pay but the average Joe wouldn't know that. They don't understand that time is money as they say and time is valuable due to the reason that is something you don't get back. So kudos to all the men and woman in any industry that know their worth for the work they provide
I want to do this for mobile mechanics. I realize the huge huge importance for mobile mechanics getting found. When I needed help I could barely find anyone reputable
Just to diagnose on a car, I charge $50 for the first 30 mins but after that I charge $15/ 30 mins. But also it's wear&tear on your tools you have to replace in the future and gas, and putting miles on your tires too. It quickly adds up.
That's way too cheep, after taxes amd expenses like you mentioning, that 30$ an hour falls short
Great Presentation!
My title is that of Senior Marketing Outreach for a large Gas and Electric Utility in Michigan....
I’m in super agreeance with the non-sell/soft-sell approach...Simply educate and inform at an elemental level with the goal of providing your prospectives with a simple solution based on trust and your competence...and you’ll do well!
This is a great area for people to expand into. Even if you already have a shop offering limited on site services and then expanding.
Always have your own website. If you only exist on other services like Facebook you are just a product. Keep up to date information on your pages and cross post your status on all of the social media accounts you have set up. Another thing to keep in mind when setting up social media accounts is to set up accounts specific to your business. Don't use your existing accounts.
So those business cards .... should they be slightly flashy ,or something that's hard to forget? Local laws ! Know your local laws about being a mobile mechanic. Know your clientele. Which clientele do you want? Repair and body shops or at home services? What will your hazmat procedures be in the event of a spillage? Will you need a compressor? Will you need an inverter? Soooooo many topics that can be brought up based upon this one.
My hazmat procedure is put a cardboard box over it and pretend like it never happened.
Screw the laws
I love both of these responses!
we are in this business almost 3 years, and we are doing great, i can say we spend a lot of money for advertising but now all of my customer are organic traffic, but i can say if you are good they will keep coming and if your have a big mouth but they dont know what they are doing they lose even if they spend thousand dollars every day..i agree with your messages brother doing great.
I do mobile repair of outdoor power equipment like mowers and tractors. Its a great thing, and super convenient for the customers i service. Im adding vehicle repair to this too, this year.
That’s awesome. 👍
this vid is good af. Been a floundering mobile mechanic for about a year now, and I'm looking for help
Thank you for this.
I am and have been thinking of doing a mobile repair business. My struggles would be the winter months (I live in NH). I do do and have done for some time now side work at home. Been looking at how to expand.
The other struggle is I am the only provider in the house. Wife works as a stay at home mom, so the self employed jump is a bit scary.
Again Thanks for the video. Saw Faye’s too both very informative.
Invest in a propane heater or generator and electric heater I live in ny and am thinking about doing this in the winter months when I finally am able to open a mobile business but I need to get more experience
Hope this saves somebody some time -- Angie's list will not list for mobile or any other type of auto repair service. Just got off of the phone with them and they said they have made a commitment to only listing home-repair services.
Thank you for that!!
Good advice for any industry really. Thanks for the good tips!
Thanks Charles for an awesome video, super packed with valuable ideas
Thank you
A fantastic idea. My wife only knows its a car is when she here's a funny noise or a light is flashing or here's the big one it needs gas. Anyway, great video enjoys them all. 👍
I got an office desk job after I followed this tutorial lmao 😂 . I manage PR for various companies from my iPad
Love your energy and your ideas. Thanks for making this helpful video.
How many mobile mechanics are in the Midwest and work year round? The pay would have to be worth it for me to look at a car in 3 feet of snow at -20 degrees.
lol I am in Texas, I couldn't imagine doing this in Portland, OR where I used to live (always rains) or NH where I was born and raised (too snowy, everything is rusted) so this is a location-specific trade for sure.
Depends. If the job is complex, I wouldn't accept the work unless done in a heated garage. (I have a portable heater and would charge customers for fuel)
I made a bunch of money one new years eve and day changing batteries for people after the temp had dropped to - 27f.
@Road Wrench / Lifeatredline76 Wow, I can totally see that! When I used to live in Portland, we had a shop that literally became a wind tunnel with how it faced the cascades. The ventilation was poor, so the shop doors were always open. It rains constantly in Portland, and by 8am most mornings, I would be drenched.... then freezing because of the constant breeze that whipped through. I got sick EVERY WINTER. Now, I worry about the heat. In the summer, I schedule for early morning (6am if my customers are up!) and hide during the peak heat of the day, and will do later evening calls as well. In the winter, I start around 11am and end when it gets dark. I teach more of my indoor classes in the winter to make up for lost $$ but I definitely have to save money during the good times to make up for the bad ones!!
I am a mobile mechanic in Ohio. Every degree under 0 I charge another +10.00. As a "mobile shop fee" if you have questions let me know, I'm from Cleveland and I have a shop as well. I am 23 and paid my way through college. Its possible. But you have to be willing to push yourself to the absolute limit. Aloha
I just do side work in missouri to supplement my income. I have noticed missouri most shops do shell out tbe cash when I lived in denver it was like $14 an hour flat rate missouri $30-$37 fr is normal.
Sometimes advertising on Facebook groups means that everyone is gonna ask you for prices... expecting crack-head prices for high quality services... I only have a Google page and with the reviews I have is plenty for keeping me busy all the time.
Great information, love the hot wheels hanging on the wall...👍🤙
Great job on the video👍🏻
I'm a mobile mechanic the autozone and O'Reilly's help me with giving my information out if someone breaks down at autozone they give my phone number to them I get a lot of Customer that way
Good thinking
I've landed quite a few jobs in the parking lot as well lol
I tried that with my local autozone and they told me they couldn’t do it.
This is awesome you could create or we could create a humble mechanic homepage for every town in our own state and we can all share your videos of knowledge and support because the way you turn a wrench and your ideas are the same as ours your viewers... just recently joined but love your videos pier in New Jersey♡♡♡
Ya know. I never considered it before, but being a mobile mechanic does sound a bit appealing.
Wow great info is this video the marketing part mentioned about teaching new drivers could be a whole new business ideas spare tires bulbs and wipers changes fluid checks what to do if your in an accident, broke down on the side of the road class could be organized on just a weekend basis and could probably make some one a decent living add to that you could sell a tool kit and sell advertising to local shops to include towing and mechanic numbers on a flyer for emergency pamphlets or course reminders that would be handed out for completion of the said course
Awesome video bud absolutely love the channel!!!! 🔥🔥💪💪💪😎😎
Thank you!
I’m getting into the same field. I’m only 20 years old. I’ve grown up around the work my whole life and I love working on vehicles. I feel like I’m meant to do more in life than clocking in and out for 10 hours, 5 days a week. My family runs a shop that does very well, but I want to bring in my own business rather than take work away from them. The amount of knowledge is at my fingertips for free is endless and I would be wasting something amazing if I don’t capitalize on it. 100s of thousand of dollars worth of tools that I can use and get started for free. The only QUESTIONS that I don’t seem to get answered from UA-cam at least is; What happens when you go on a call and you can’t do anything for the customer, or the customer isn’t happy but it isn’t your fault? What if they refuse to pay you? How do you deal with customers that you know nothing about?
I’m more worried about how to deal with customers that DO NOT want to pay. Obviously I know there’s legal procedures that you could go through but at some point, from a small business/New business standpoint, it isn’t worth it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, idk who else to ask. Thanks
Get contracts, if you lack the knowledge. Don’t charge for your time. Get better and be honest.
Hey where did you get that lil torquey pistons sign, I like it lol
Me too. I’m not sure. My wife found it
What software do we use for mobile mechanic. I mean paperwork. Invoicing
You can buy invoices and work order from places like Office Depot.
hi humble machanic, i need your advice, my car using ATF SP3 for the transmission oil, my question is i bought extra jar of ATF since it has special price offer two years ago, can use the ATF oil after keeping it that long time? will it cause any damage to my transmission? the seal on the ATF bottle still there, please advice, ty vry much
I worked for a towing and road side service company Everytime he a gets a customer who says great job really appreciate it. He says go to Google and give me a good review if you don't mind
Nice!!!
Thanks much for info,what is the best vehicles for mobile mechanic for towing services
The problem I have was to much work and caused me to lose customers
IS THERE A WAY TO TALK VIA PHONE ? IM HAVING ISSUE WITH GOOGLE ADDS ON ALL MY LOCATIONS.
You right about the end about only when your mad mostly when your going to post a review aha
For those posting on Craigslist or that have a fb page for it. Do you have business licenses or how are you set up?
Thank you for this video! I subscribed
Where could i make keychains and other stuff like that?
I have a Seat Leon Cupra 2003 and it has developed a weird fault where I get clicking from the dashboard and it loses power, it will run (barely) if i change down or reduce how much throttle I give it. If i floor it then it doesn't give any power then intermittently works and stops working making the car jolt as it drives along. My mechanic can't diagnose it, the ECU shows like ten things most of which will just be being affected by it. One day the windscreenwipers stopped working too for a while when it was doing it. But sometimes it's fine for a couple of months. Lately it has got a lot worse. Can you help me? I don't care what is costs but i don't want to throw money at it not knowing what will fix it!
srspower I could be completely wrong but it sounds like maybe you have something shorting out or possible wires exposed and touching causing clicking noise. I had a pickup truck that had a similar issue and it was a loud popping noise and eventually my truck completely shut down. All it was, was exposed wiring rubbing and touching stuff shorting stuff which eventually caused the main computer to fry.
Look for a clogged exhaust. Measure vacuum should be 18-20, honey comb in cat could be rattling sounding like ticking in dash
I have a brick and mortar ATV & UTV (Powersports) repair shop and am thinking about getting rid of the brick and mortar shop (rental) and going to a mobile platform. Does anyone have any pros and cons about switching would love to hear any information I should consider.
Thank you, Mike @ Lone Star Customs, Bulverde Texas.
If you're good, you don't need to advertise. All you have to do is save people money every now and then and they will FLOCK to you.
I wanted to report back. I have had great luck with the business card magnets. People will stick them on their fridge to use as a magnet and then there my number is when they have a problem.
Love that
I will go by AAPEX Wednesday and see you and Eric.
Hi Charles,
Just moved to Raleigh.... just bought a 2002 tdi beetle...can you recommend a good shop for repairs? Thank you.
I’m 20 years old thinking of starting a business like this because no one will hire me in my area Im thinking for marketing give the business to a towing company so they handle all the paperwork plus they can handle calls and I’m on there payroll what do you guys think
No business is going to do what you want. Sorry, that isn't how this works.
I know this a old video but I’m thinking of buying a older ice cream van and making a Mobile shop and mechanic buisness for basic car stuff like starters or rads and stuff like that and small engines . I don’t have any technical training but I’ve worked on cars a lot on my own and have all the tooling alredy and feel pretty conifident on working on vehicles
I’d suggest getting some experience under you belt before setting out on your own. But ultimately I always recommend doing what’s best for you!
Can anybody help me?! I have a 2007 Audi A4 Quattro 2.0T. I’m having issues with my mass air flow sensor. When I connect it the car has a rough idle. If I disconnect it runs okay. I noticed that the maf sensor it self has 5 pins but the connector 5 slots for wires but only has 3 wires in the connector. Is that normal to only have 3 wires when there is room for 5?
Replace MAF sensor. Have you ever had the car running good? Or did you receive the car running bad? If it ran good before don't worry about the 3/5 wire issue.
Love the video bro
Do you charge for drive time along with labor ?
Depends. I’d have a range setup. For example over 10 miles is x $ more.
Didn't even know this was a thing
I was a part time MM for several years. Almost all my customers were word of mouth. Competent, honest mechanics are rare in my area. I could easily undercut most shops on price, finish the job faster, and do a better job.
I focused on the basics. Mostly brakes, suspension, fluids, exhaust, and minor engine work. Have EPA certification and serviced A/C systems as well. Bought a Snap-On Solus for diagnostics, second-hand, which was really a good investment.
I cant do it anymore - its too hard on my body. Not having a hoist sucks. But, I think there's a ton of opportunity out there for young, healthy people to do this.
Ya thats a killer without a hoist its harder work and takes up to much time to travel to customers your charging less than a shop plus you are losing a lot of money by traveling if you spend a hour or to a day driving you are losing over a hundred dollars a day plus the weather no lift people more likely not to pay bottom feeders wear and tear on your truck gas and list goes on if you can gwt customers close by who are good then that would be ok its much better having a shop
Oh yeah, Faye Hadley?
Wow cannot believe that gorgeous gal is so busy🙄😂
She’s awesome!
What about if your just someone doing side work?
Lot of the same applies. One of the things I’d do is jump in Facebook groups and offer help
Hi Charles, quick question for you! I have a mobile auto repair business in Colorado and I really enjoy it. I have been paying $200 per month for shop software. I am tired of paying for it. haha. Do you have any suggestions!? Thanks
Is that just RO software? Or does it do scheduling and repair manual
HumbleMechanic Ah, great question. It is only a customer database with labor estimator and scheduling abilities. No repair manuals.
Keep doing a good job! Thanks
What do you think of handing out your business cards to local small business or even your local auto parts stores. I have commercial account with some, and they’ve been great about recommending me and hanging out my business cards, but I want to go to the other shops and leave them a few cards. Do you think it’s a good idea?
Yes!!! I mean for most people business cards are dead. But they are so cheap it’s worth handing out.
Most business toss them in the garbage same day. Don't waste your time
@@MacAutoDiag Actually, what I did was first establish a relationship with the auto parts people. Opened up comercial accounts, brought them donuts, cookies, coffee etc. maybe helped them with their personal cars. Then I asked if I could give them business cards for them to hand out when people asked for auto shop recommendations. Sure enough, I started getting a lot of phone calls from individuals saying so and so from the auto parts recommend you, when can you work on my car. Yes, most people just throw them away, but like Charles said they’re cheap enough, even if you get one repetitive customer it’s worth it.
This was a great topic man
Oh and About that humble page sponsorship ...:) lol
;) let’s get it worked out
Great tips! I always thought some sort of mobile tire changing business would be cool. 👍
supercarmio coukd work just have to know where to source tires quickly and do it for less than a tow bill as most new cars dont have spares it might be a beneficial service but AAA does it already i think
@@rustedratchetgarage6788 True, all good points. Would definitely need a big time tire distributor involved.
@@supercarmio I wanted to offer the service but lugging around the equipment is expensive just on fuel BUT the services are not very profitable either for someone who is not big into tires so I passed on it.
Marketing 101 nice video and tips 👍🏻
Thanks dude!!
I used to do great on Craigslist before the five dollars charge per ad might bite the bullet and pay lol
Started advertising under used auto parts lol it's free 😂
Could you help me or make a video on how to get the proper pricing? Like what a mobile mechanics labor rate should be? Like the job i just left was charging $175/hr is $50/hr fair for a mobile technician?
It’s largely location dependent. I’d charge a bit less than average local shop. But not much. Sell the convenience of I come to you.
Thanks Humble Mechanic 🙌🏁🔧 Here's some Emojis🏆🏆🏆 from a fan...
I have a full time job, how can I do this ?I have the weekend off
That’s a place to start. Nights and weekends.
Thank u for ur info.
I just found your channel. This is great advice. I am leaving the 9-5 to start a small engine repair/mobile repair business in PA. I need all the advice and suggestions from anyone who has an opinion..lol Thank you so much for your video.. I absolutely have that opinion that everyone loves cars and engines and know everything about it. I suppose not everyone does. I know this is an old video but it is a very valuable one.
I heard Garnett tools wants to sponsor your page
🤷♂️ first Ive heard.
How about just doing oil changes and basics?
Not enough money thereI don’t think. But could be wrong for sure
@@HumbleMechanic gotcha, been thinking about something along these lines for a side gig. Good insights, Sir.
It’s so hard to make money on oil changes. Other basics maybe more so
Meaning better
Can't stop looking at hot wheels in the back
Hey just couriouse, would u ever use power tools on a transmission pan r would u stick to a ratchet to get it off
Great info to start but if you're a good mechanic you won't need to advertise. I had so much work I couldn't handle everyone. My jobs came through word of mouth. I had to stop for a while to restructure my biz systems and set everything up as a business not as a tech with tools.
Thank u sir
Love the content considering I found this video after i started my MM business BUT I have a few things I disagree but without shade...
1. I will never share where I get my parts/materials from, that's like advanced auto parts openly sharing every vendor they get their parts from. If that's the case, there will never be a wholesale to purchase from
That's literally it! Now for Cindy's comment, she wins! Per Cindy Tepper, "People want to price you against some crackhead from craigslist, and they are always in your hair telling you what their brother in law's neighbor's friend who works at Jiffy Lube said". Agreed, the biggest issue just about anywhere you go especially Facebook people and that's them lowballing and trying to throw the "make me good deal I send all business" bs. For that, you have to TEACH your clientele why your price is the way it is. If you don't teach them, you are training the ora of sales and every client how to not respect your values of your workmanship. We call these people "Bottom Dollar Focused". You know the ones that ask how for this? ... $10.00, can you do it for $3.00? ... hang up :-/
Hmm.. I don't advertise because I don't want just any customer. I want good customers, that can pay, and be reasonable and won't bug the crap out of me for every single thing that ever goes wrong with their car after I worked on it once. I am very selective who I give my business card to. Bad customers will put you in a money loosing position real quick. If you do good work for a reasonable price and help people you will have more work from good referrals than you can handle.
And that my friend is the ultimate goal!!!! Saying no is the best
Where are you located?
Professional door flyers. Being on social media and accepting credit cards.
I know a mobile mechanic that specializes in repairing wires with vinyl butt connectors & electrical tape. I tried to tell him that type of repair isn't in high demand but but he's too much of a narcissists to listen to anyone.
Dogging sites are usually a good one, who needs a mechanic the most after a dogging session when their car no longer starts, they do ^^
no marketing needed....your reputation will make or break you.
Dallas texas craigslist is dead for 3 months now
Really? What about FB market place
HumbleMechanic just now added FB page and paid promotion thanks
💎💎💎
Craigslist believe it or not is still very effective
$5 per month but well worth it