Bought out a guy North of Atlanta that had a small engine shop last year. His health was failing and he couldn't do it any longer. He sold me 25 riding mowers, 40 push mowers, pressure washers, leaf blowers, chain saws, string trimmers, box after box of used/spare parts, and some special tools for $2,000. I've worked as a mechanic in one form or another since I was 12. Wife had a new grand baby on the way, so I retired in June and we sold our place in Atlanta. Moved out in the country just West of Tupelo, MS. Told the wife I was going to buy a big garage to start a lawn mower shop and hopefully they would throw a decent house in with it. Found 2 acres with a 3,600 sq ft commercial shop on it. Heated, air conditioned, bath room, floor drains, all LED shop lighting, 200 amp power (wife seems to like the house also). Set up all my shop equipment(40 year collection), got a local business license, MS Sales tax permit, insurance, and have set up wholesale accounts with Stens, Rotary and Maple Grove Distributing. Been working through "the pile" since September to have a used equipment inventory to sell this spring. Plan to start taking in customer work starting in January. I'm not planning on getting rich at this, fortunately I'm pretty well set with my retirement. This is just something I've always dreamed about doing in my retirement. The Lord has truly blessed me these last few years.
I'm not a newbie at OPE by any means, but I've also learned over my career as a mechanic that there are always guys out there that can teach me something. There are definitely a few of them on this forum and that's why I finally decided to join. Don't plan on posting much, but I will be hanging around and soaking up the knowledge. If one stumps me, I'll be humbly asking for help.
Good luck on your new venture.
Sounds good.
Like you I bought out a going repair shop and struggled for the first 2 years
I found 2 things that made a massive difference.
1) extended hours / overnight servicing of trade customers.
They drop off their mowers on the way home & pick them up in the morning on the way out so I now have 90% of the mowing crews.
I started by giving them big discounts but found they are happy to pay a premium for overnight servicing.
Several have keys to the gate so they can just swing past & load their gear at 3 am on route to the first job.
The chainsaw customers have hooks on the fence, same story they hang their chains off on the way home & pick them up in the morning all sharp & ready to work.
Naturally I need to keep good stocks of their consumable parts, particularly spindle housings & bearings.
I live 45 km from the workshop so have security cameras ( insurance requirement) on the yard & inside the workshop which are controlled by a computer at the workshop but I can log into it from home if needed.
The trade customers treat me like a supermarket and will oft call in and grab oil , fuel cans , filters , nuts & bolts etc and it has made massive difference to my sales volumes.
2) like you I was a newcomer to this region replacing some one who had lived in the area for 40 years so was very much the "newcomer".
A local school approached me for financial support so I gave them some service vouchers.
Best bit of marketing I have ever done so now all the local schools ( 5 of them ) get free service vouchers ( standard service of a running mower only ) and all their parents bring their mowers to me.
Last bit is free pick up & delivery .
While we know it does cost money to pick up & deliver both in actual fuel & in productive time lost but walking in with the repaired mower usually has me walking out with more stuff to fix.
This does not extend to hand held devices .