Rim and wheel repairs are part of vehicle maintenance that most car owners will, at some point or another, need to consider if they wish to keep their car looking fresh and their performance at its best. As such, entering the wheel repair business may be a lucrative option for car enthusiasts, amateur mechanics, or anyone deciding to venture into their own entrepreneurial business. Whether you’re actively pursuing your own wheel repair business or considering the possibility of taking advantage of this service offering, here’s our guide to get you going!
Everyone Will Need Their Wheels Refurbished
As already mentioned, car owners will require rim and wheel repairs sometime after purchasing their vehicles. Because people are constantly purchasing vehicles throughout the year, there is always the possibility of finding work in the wheel refurbishing business as owners search for specialists to repair damages to their rims year in and year out. It doesn’t matter how often an individual cares for their wheels or how intently they practice rim maintenance, there will come a time they will need assistance from wheel repair specialists and you could leverage this need with your own business.
Choose Your Specialisation
There are two primary parts to a wheel repair specialist that you should be aware of before creating your own business; rim repairs focusing on fixing damage that affects car performance and rim repairs that clean up knicks and scratches affecting the appearance of the rims. You can choose to specialize in one or the other or offer both services in a holistic refurbishing package. Cleaning up scratches will require less effort and fewer intensive repair equipment while fixing damages affecting performance will require meticulous attention to detail and high-tech equipment to get the job done properly. It may be wise to start with appearance repairs and build to a point where you can make more of an impact on performance-enhancing repairs.
No Experience? No Worries!
The beauty of working in the wheel repair business is that you do not necessarily need an education in the industry or any experience with a reputable wheel repair specialist. All you will need is the determination, dedication, budget, and business know-how to get the ball rolling. That said, customers may wish to know what projects you have worked on before or require some evidence of professionalism in order to build trust. As a result, beginners will likely need to work with close friends and family to gather great testimonials or hire a young professional who has a small existing clientele to build up a positive reputation.
Source Your Equipment
With your business goals in mind, you can begin gathering the equipment you will need to complete rim and wheel repair jobs. We have listed a few of the most important pieces of equipment below, as well as provided some guidance on whether to operate a fixed or mobile workshop
- Rim straightener: a tool used to straighten steel, aluminum, and alloy rims by pushing against damaged parts of the rim
- Lathe or CNC lathe: a machine that rotates a workpiece around a fixed axis and cuts, shapes, and removes excess metal to smooth the rim and repair damages
These are the two most prominent pieces of equipment needed to get your business started, however, you should also consider purchasing a welder and polisher for further reparations.
Both a fixed and mobile workshop will require investment, however, a fixed workshop provides the most long-term benefits. While a mobile workshop will allow you to move to where the customer is and offer them this as a convenience, a fixed workshop will provide maximum physical area for expansion and the purchase of new, better machinery. Bear in mind that you will also need to consider office furniture, reception areas, customer seating, and much more as you develop your workshop further.
Branding and Marketing Your Business
The final step to creating your business is finalizing your branding and considering marketing avenues to get your name out there. You may wish to work with a branding specialist to help you craft a logo and a marketing guru to help you develop a business plan. Once you have your logo and business plan, you may consider looking at creating a website and establishing a digital presence through Facebook and other social media platforms which you can advertise on. As your business grows and develops, you can hire more people to help with jobs or invest in CNC equipment to make your operations more efficient.