The shade tree mechanic is vanishing in America, according to Daily Finance, a casualty of increasingly complex and computerized vehicles. If you love cars, though, you can still follow your passion by choosing an automotive franchise for your franchise opportunity investment.
Automotive franchises are essentially broken into two groups: those who serve consumers and those who serve dealerships. While both require business management skills and customer service know-how, franchisees don’t necessarily have to know much about automotive repair and maintenance. Understanding automotive repair can certainly help franchisees become more successful in an automotive franchise, but it’s not a requirement for most car-related franchises.
For instance, AAMCO, Precision Tune Auto Care, and Victory Lane Oil Change don’t require franchisees even to touch a car to do business. Instead, these franchises are designed to allow their franchisees to focus on the business side of things and take care of customers and day-to-day business activities. You’ll hire qualified technicians to do the dirty work and use your management and people skills instead.
All three of these franchises are aimed at serving consumers who need to service their vehicles. Since fewer people nowadays have the knowledge, skills, or time to be able to service their vehicles themselves, car repair and maintenance franchises like these three do well regardless of how the economy is doing. In fact, when people are low on cash to buy a new car, they’ll spend more money maintaining their older vehicles. And it’s no secret that older cars need more attention than new ones.
The automotive franchises that cater to the dealerships are more hands-on. Creative Colors International franchisees are owner operators who do the work of repairing upholstery and leather from their home-based business that caters directly to car dealers. AutoQual is a similar franchise that serves dealers with vehicle detailing services. Both of these franchises allow their franchisees to get their hands dirty as well as managing the business. For the craftsman or for those who don’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day, these franchises might be better suited.
Dealership-oriented companies are also different from consumer-based businesses because they don’t require advertising the way Victory Oil Change or AAMCO might. Instead, business-to-business sales are the focus and generating relationships with dealers is more important. If the idea of visiting car shows and sharing your love of vehicles on a tax deductible basis appeals to you, this group of franchises can have some extra perks worth considering.
Regardless of your experience with automotive maintenance and repair, if you’re looking for a franchise opportunity that has a strong future, automotive franchises might be the answer. The average age of vehicles on the road today is 10.8 years, meaning most cars need the care automotive franchisees can provide.
You may choose an automotive franchise because you love cars, because you enjoy working on them, because you value the steady demand for those services, or because you know that this kind of work provides value for customers. These are all good reasons.
